SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Maigret Season 1, Episode 5.

There are times when Maigret Season 1, Episode 5 feels more like setup for Episode 6. After all, the title “Maigret Comes Home” does make fans wonder when he’s going to get there. But if there’s a little too much exposition, the PBS Masterpiece series makes up for it by reminding viewers why they became fans of this contemporary Maigret in the first place.

“Maigret Comes Home, Part 1” primarily deals with the stabbing death of student Antoine Batille, who happens to come from a high-profile if dysfunctional family. Maigret is especially connected to the case, as he was there when Antoine died. There’s plenty of plot threads to pull; the first inclination is that Antoine was slain by a member of the burglary crew he overheard planning their next job. But that would be too easy, and Maigret makes the bold move of baiting the killer through the media.

The case moves fairly steadily, if not with as much resolution as the previous opening chapters of the other Maigret stories. Everything viewers have come to expect is there: Cavre’s ego getting in the way, Kernavel interrupting to keep things on track, even the developing feelings between Torrence and Janvier. All of the main characters have something to do, which is always appreciated.

The best parts come from Maigret on his own, however, because they emphasize his ability and his willingness to put himself in another person’s life. He spends hours listening to Antoine’s audio recordings, for potential clues but also to get a better sense of the man. It’s the same thing that happened with Louise and Layla’s videos in the previous mystery. And the dynamic between Maigret and Louise is still one of the show’s strongest elements, as Louise is able to perceive what her husband can’t.

But it’s when this episode starts planning out how to bring Maigret back to Saint-Fiacre that it gets a little too messy. Maigret catches Sophie’s son Maurice meeting with the robbery crew, and although he’s innocent that puts Maigret back in contact with Sophie. Unfortunately, Sophie vacillates between hating Maigret and pleading for his help more than once—making her increasingly hard to sympathize with. As Louise points out, Sophie is playing on her previous relationships with both Maigret and his father. Her repeated insistence that Maigret drop everything also means it’s less compelling when he finally gets home. Audiences know that this is huge for his character, but it’s hard not to be frustrated by how it happened.

Still, this is what the entirety of Maigret Season 1 has been building toward, so viewers have that payoff to look forward to. And while this specific episode may not be as intense as the ones that came before, it still acts as a reminder that Benjamin Wainwright and Stefanie Martini are perfectly cast. Not only do they work well together, but they have clear senses of who Maigret and Louise are. They’ve updated these characters in a remarkable way, and the supporting characters have also started to find their own relationships. “Maigret Comes Home, Part 1” is more proof of how far Maigret has come.

Maigret airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on PBS. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Playground Entertainment and Masterpiece.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.