Here’s what we know about Black Spot as of the completion of Episode 2. Pretend I’m about a half dozen quirky law enforcement professionals piecing this together if that helps.
It’s a paranormal cop show that keeps an overarching mystery—who or what is stalking the people of the murder-happy forest town of Villefranche—on a low simmer while bringing a new case to a boil each episode. That places it more with the “monster/serial killer of the week” mold of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The X-Files, and Hannibal Season One than with Twin Peakseven at its most episodic.
It’s not above tossing a crying baby off a cliff into a roaring river as a fakeout to drum up cheap heat.
It occasionally displays striking proficiency with horror-fantasy imagery and makes the absolute most out of its misty arboreal setting.
It’s not above buying slo-mo shots and horror-movie music cues wholesale to drive its points home.
It’s pretty good at setting its top cop, Laurène Weiss, apart from a bajillion other characters in her tough-as-nails-but-full-of-secrets vein, courtesy of actor Suliane Brahim, the head of an engaging, attractive, even amusing ensemble.
It’s not above dipping into horror-imagery wells—like mysterious symbols and antlered monsters and the proverbial wolf in the woods—you’d think would have run dry by now.
Seeing a pattern emerge just yet?
I reviewed episode two of Black Spot for Decider.
Tags: black spot, decider, reviews, TV, TV reviews