What Happened in Season 1 of ‘Maigret’? Get Caught Up Before the New Season
Maigret is getting ready to reopen its case files for Season 2, which means now is the perfect time to revisit where the PBS Masterpiece detective drama last left us.
Before the new season arrives, there’s plenty worth remembering from Season 1, which introduced viewers to Chief Inspector Jules Maigret (Benjamin Wainwright) and his methodical approach to solving some of Paris’ most complicated crimes. Whether you watched when it first premiered or are looking to jump aboard before Season 2, here’s everything you need to remember about Maigret Season 1. Warning: Spoilers ahead for Maigret Season 1.
What is Maigret Season 1 about?
Season 1 of PBS Masterpiece‘s contemporary Maigret reimagines Georges Simenon’s legendary detective for present-day Paris, with a younger Jules Maigret taking charge of the Brigade Criminelle after his promotion to chief inspector.
PBS/Playground Ent./Masterpiece / Courtesy Everett Collection
Maigret leads a close-knit team that includes Sergeant Joseph Torrence (Blake Harrison), Detective Sergeant Andrea Lucas (Kerrie Hayes), Inspector Berthe Janvier (Shaniqua Okwok), and Detective Karim Lapointe (Reda Elazouar). Away from the job, he shares his life with his supportive wife, Louise (Stefanie Martini), as increasingly dangerous cases begin to blur the line between his professional and personal worlds.
Over the course of the first season, Maigret and his team investigate a string of violent crimes across Paris, including the murder of billionaire Ferdinand Fumal (Danny Kirrane), an abusive figure from Maigret’s childhood. The stakes become even more personal as Maigret hunts a serial killer who eventually takes Louise hostage.
How did Maigret Season 1 end?
The Maigret Season 1 finale, “Maigret Comes Home, Part 2,” finds Jules Maigret confronting his past in Saint-Fiacre before returning to Paris for a case that becomes dangerously personal.
PBS/Playground Ent./Masterpiece
After asking Maigret to return home, his first love, Sophie de Saint-Fiacre (Rachel Shelley), suddenly tells him to leave. Soon afterward, she dies inside the church that has appeared in Maigret’s recurring dreams throughout the season. Investigating her death, Maigret discovers that Sophie was given medication for low blood pressure despite supposedly suffering from high blood pressure. He also exposes the people who exploited her and the corruption surrounding the attempted sale of the Saint-Fiacre estate. Sophie’s son, Maurice, helps bring the scheme to an end, while Sebastian Gautier (Nigel Lindsay) and his daughter are later arrested trying to flee with millions in cash.
Back in Paris, Maigret continues hunting Guillaume Bercy (Alexander Forsyth), the man responsible for the seemingly random murder of Antoine Batille (Áron Forrai). Maigret’s attempts to provoke Bercy have terrifying consequences when the killer tracks down Louise Maigret, who recently suffered a miscarriage, and takes her hostage in their home. Maigret arrives, but Louise ultimately takes control of the situation, calmly convincing Bercy to surrender.
The crisis also settles tensions inside La Crim. Maigret’s foe, Inspector Justin Cavre (Robert Kazinsky) alerts the media to the hostage situation, putting Louise in greater danger. Lucas tells him he is finished, while Torrence punches him. Cavre subsequently requests a transfer.
Afterward, Maigret takes time off with Louise, and the couple travels to Saint-Fiacre together. Standing outside the estate, Louise tells her husband, “You’ve come home,” closing the season with Maigret finally reconciling his past with his present.
What will happen in Maigret Season 2?
Season 2 brings some changes to Maigret’s team at La Brigade Criminelle. Sergeant Joseph Torrence is no longer working alongside Maigret after being reassigned to Marseille. His departure is one of several shake-ups within the unit, which also sees Cavre leave the squad for a new position with the IGDS, the police internal affairs division.
Maigret, Season 2 Premiere, October 18, 9/8c, PBS
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