SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Maigret Season 1, Episode 6.

The end of Maigret Season 1 is as efficient as Jules Maigret himself. Season 1, Episode 6, “Maigret Comes Home, Part 2” checks off every single plot box that the PBS Masterpiece series started with, from the hero’s complicated past to its messy office politics. There aren’t any unanswered questions or cliffhangers trying to keep viewers hooked. The episode simply does its job, and does it well.

The first half of the story involves Maigret’s return to Saint-Fiacre at Sophie’s behest, although her character is once again jarring. She apologizes to Maigret for the cutting monologue that convinced him to come, and tells him to go back to Paris. But it’s not long after she’s said that, that she ends up dead in the same church Maigret viewers have been seeing in his dreams all season. Maigret doesn’t have to do a lot of probing to untangle Sophie’s murder; it’s about his exposing all of the unsavory characters who took advantage of her after his father’s passing. By getting justice for Sophie and saving the chateau from a corrupt sale, Maigret is also saving his past. Viewers can follow this proverbial line easily from Point A to Point B.

But writer Patrick Harbinson isn’t trying to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes. The point of this affair is Maigret’s emotional journey, not some clever whodunit. Harbinson gives Maigret every scene he needs to get that closure, from moments of contempt with everyone who’s wronged Sophie to a heart-to-heart with her son Maurice. The latter does get a bit obvious in how it draws parallels between a young Maigret and Maurice, yet that’s forgiveable in this case because it just reinforces why this story is important enough to Maigret to drop a major case. The “gotcha” moment at the end rightfully belongs to Maurice and not Maigret, which is a wonderful touch—Harbinson resists the cliche of a TV show’s main character always being the hero.

Once the Saint-Fiacre story is over, then “Maigret Comes Home, Part 2” can interpret its title in another way. Maigret continues to bait Antoine Batille’s killer, until the other man tracks down Louise and takes her hostage in her own home. This is the one part where Maigret gets a bit rote; the protagonist’s wife as a damsel in distress is so overdone. But as tired as that setup is, Harbinson redeems it by making Louise the one who is able to convince Bercy to surrender. While Maigret is in the room, Louise talks down the man by using her own expertise. Once again she has a part to play in the story. It’s still too bad she had to be in that position, but all credit to Harbinson and to actor Stefanie Martini for making the absolute most of it. The writing of Louise Maigret should be an example to other crime shows.

Antoine’s death is revealed to be a totally random killing, and some viewers may not find that satisfying enough for a season finale. But again, it’s not the whodunit that actually matters here. The back and forth between Bercy and the Maigrets illustrates the difference between how Maigret perceives the world and how Louise sees it. Plus, this plotline is a way to clean up the acrimony at La Crim. After this series started with Maigret being rather unpopular, the season ends with almost everyone rallying around him, including Kernavel. The one exception is his rival Cavre—who calls the media about the hostage situation, potentially getting Louise killed. Torrence punches him upon the team’s return, while Lucas tells him repeatedly that “you’re done.” This is an efficient resolution, albeit a grave underuse of actor Rob Kazinsky, who has little to do in the last act of the episode except sit in a chair and look brooding. That’s a disappointment because Kazinsky seemed to fit right in, in a way his character obviously didn’t.

But all the lines are crossed off Maigret‘s to-do list in the end. The viewers know what Maigret’s recurring dream means. Maigret has confronted his past. Cavre has been dealt with. All of the bad guys have been arrested. The last scene of Maigret and Louise standing at the gates of Saint-Fiacre, with her wide-eyed reaction to the place, is that perfect marriage of past and present. (It would have been something if the episode would have continued on, to reveal that Maurice had indeed invited Lapointe and Janvier back as well, and the entire team was able to take a pause together. But that might have been too neat for Maigret.) Everything has been handled, which means that in the second season, audiences will have the chance to see a Maigret who is free of baggage and able to look forward instead of back. And that’s exciting. “Maigret Comes Home, Part 2” is the end of his debut chapter, or his proverbial first book, and now it’s on to the next.

Maigret is now streaming on PBS Passport and is available on DVD. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Playground Entertainment and Masterpiece.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 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.