Episode 3 opens in 1955 Bozouls with Samuel Spade (Clive Owen) and Philippe Saint-Andre (Jonathan Zaccai) sitting opposite each other in the Jazz club that Spade now owns. Everything from Spade’s employment with Gabrielle LaVarone (Chiara Mastroianni) to fond childhood memories and Teresa (Cara Bossom/Ella Feraud) being his child is discussed before Spade offers him 500,000 Francs to leave the country. Philippe doesn’t take it.

Returning to the present, Samir (Hazem Hammad) takes Zayd (Ismael Berqouch) to what appears to be a small apartment in the Muslim community. While Zayd helps himself to the breakfast spread, one of the female residents points out Zayd’s clothes. She says they are dirty but not your typical rags. After asking them to look after Zayd, Samir and two of the male residents continue their discussion in a more private setting. When Samir shows them the pistol, one of the men recognizes it as a French Army issue. The other man suggests seeking advice from Imam (Hichem Yacoubi).

Marguerite (Peggy) Devereaux (Louise Bourgoin) is updating the event board outside the club when Chastain (Francois Creton) approaches on behalf of his dying employer to request a meeting. Marguerite says the death can’t come fast enough. Jean-Pierre Devereaux (Stanley Weber) is right in the middle of stealing something from Marguerite’s safe when she knocks on the door. When asked, he claims the locked door is a bad habit. He later uses this same excuse to explain taking his pistol to his business meeting.

While wandering around the vineyard Spade recalls the day Gabrielle shared her illness with him by the pool. The memory is interrupted by the arrival of Chief of Police Patrice Michaud (Denis Menochet) and Maurice Michaud (Frank Williams) with an invitation to accompany them to a meeting a the church..

George Fitzsimons (Matthew Beard) shares his latest completed landscape with Teresa and Henri Thibaut (Oscar Lesage) who are enjoying the day by the pool. The painting is revealed to be a gift when Helen Thibaut (Clotilde Molleet) arrives with lunch. Despite his offers to hang the painting, she orders him to leave it by the door. She scolds Henri over the attention he’s giving Teresa at the pool and reminds him that she’s a minor.

Jean-Pierre visits an old war acquaintance. Nikola (Teddy Moulin), to sell the stolen jewels. Pierre haggles for 40 thousand while also discussing the prospect of his return to Algeria. Nikola advises against his return, but Jean-Pierre claims he cannot go on without knowing if some Algerian lady is alive.

Patrice talks about his younger years in the church while they wait for their meeting with the Vicar, Clement (Francois Chattot). Clement apologizes for the wait and explains why he and Father Matthew (Dean Winters) are there in place of the bishop. Patrice’s anger gets the better of him as he learns that Clement is there to take the case and his evidence away from him. Spade is quick to accuse the church of wanting the boy. Patrice storms off while vowing to keep his investigation open.

Outside, Spade doesn’t waste the opportunity to chide Patrice for losing his cool. Much to everyone’s surprise, Father Matthew interrupts to share the Monk’s (Luke Tinson) true identity (Friar Angelo) and the church’s belief that the killings are tied to some undefined conspiracy.

Teresa raids Gabrielle’s room and is in the process of trying on different outfits when Spade arrives to turn down the music. She teases him about his moving out of the room and there being no photos of Gabrielle’s first husband. He claims he never liked the view from the room and photos would only be a reminder of a bad marriage. He then tells her they are going to play a game called, “I won’t lie to Sam,” where he asks questions and she answers honestly. After several questions, Spade learns that Zayd is the son of a wealthy Algerian family that was paying Philippe to look after him. Teresa doesn’t know why but she claims to know that he is near because he would never leave Zayd.

The Imam (Hichem Yacoubi) meets with Zayd and suggests to the community that he might be the Mahdi (The Chosen One). The female who noticed Zayd’s clothes encourages Samir to share the news of the murdered nuns. The Imam claims to already know. While the group continues to debate Zayd’s purpose and what to do with him, he pulls out a notebook and starts scribbling random numbers. The Imam claims Zayd is trying to communicate, they just don’t know how to listen. The Imam ends the meeting by asking Samir to keep an eye on Zayd while he consults his contacts. He also warns that it could be dangerous since the Chosen One is a threat to the church.

Chastain approaches Marguerite at the club again with the same offer. Chastain claims that after 40 years of employment with the mysterious employer, he truly believes he is different. Marguerite contributes that to death but only agrees to a meeting once Chastain says the employer promised to return her letters if she agrees to the meeting.

Spade visits Dr. Simon Pouchol (Vincent Nemeth) in an attempt to learn more about Audrey Saint-Andre (Caroline Sihol) and lure Philippe out of hiding. Although Simon is more interested in examining Spade, he ends up agreeing. Simon is sure to warn him about the smoking before they part ways.

Jean-Pierre interrupts Spade’s breakfast at the cafe to announce his lawsuit and claims there is much more behind his stealing from Gabrielle than Spade knows. Jean-Pierre admits to falling in love with Gabrielle when he was 16 and held onto that love for years. Despite her being his aunt, it was only by blood and she and his mother had been extremely close since their meeting at Charenton, an asylum that Gabrielle was admitted to directly after Jacques LarVaron’s (Jean-Pierre Lorit) death. Jean-Pierre says that returning home on leave from the war only to learn that Spade was living with Gabrielle destroyed him. That shock combined with his desperation to not return to the war is what led to his theft. Their meeting ends with Jean-Pierre admitting that Marguerite no longer cares for him as she once did. Despite that, he wants to leave her with no worries once he leaves town.

Simon arrives at Audrey’s home to find her drunk. After claiming he’s there for her blood pressure exam, he asks if her drinking is related to what happened to Teresa. She reminds him that people don’t go out of their way to speak with her.

Spade returns home to be questioned by Teresa about her trust fund. He claims the money came from her mother’s unique talent with antiques that Philippe would often steal back from the buyers. He mockingly teases her and calls her a liar when she claims she hopes Philippe never returns and wants to live with Spade at the vineyard. He assures her that she’ll be returning to the convent when it reopens. A call from Philippe setting a meeting for later that night in the cemetery suggests that Spade and Simon’s ruse worked perfectly.

Spade retrieves a pistol from what appears to be a box from his old detective days. He also verifies several passports before heading to the meeting with Philippe. When he arrives facing the entrance, he leaves the headlights on to illuminate the area. No one ever shows and he soon suspects the meeting was a ruse to lure him out of the house. Racing back home, he finds Teresa snug in bed. His clamoring wakes Helena who appears to be on high alert as well.

While Spade and Helena share a quick discussion over a stiff drink, George and Cynthia Fitzsimmons (Rebecca Root) are shown eavesdropping using a listening device planted in the painting. Helena finishes her drink and goes to the kitchen where it sounds as if she is ambushed. Spade is attacked from behind when he goes to investigate. There is a short struggle before the footage flashes back to George and Cynthia. She stops him from intervening while the struggle continues to play out over the listening device. After the intruders go after Teresa, a gunshot rings out.

 

Monsieur Spade Review

I would give the episode a 5 out of 10. It’s hard to say that it was disappointing, but I also can’t say that I didn’t enjoy it. After just 3 episodes, I do feel somewhat invested in the story and many of the characters. The George and Cynthia reveal threw me for a loop, although it shouldn’t have been a huge surprise. Both had such eccentric personalities that they stood out like a sore thumb. I do enjoy a lot of the quick quips and the metaphoric speaking, but it does get incredibly long-winded at times. Sometimes I just want to grab the actor by the shoulders and shake out the dialogue like a salt shaker.

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