Tag Archives: THE TRAVELLER

THE TRAVELLER Season 3 – TV Series Review

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LE VOYAGEUR, “Le jardin du diable” realise par Klaus Biedermann. Avec Bruno Debrandt (Yann Kandinsky). Credit: Sarah ALCALAY/FTV/Télécip

The release of the third season of episodes in this fine French procedural series, “The Traveller”,  is shorter than before – only three 90-minute mysteries for our itinerant hero, Kandinsky (Bruno Debrandt), and his faithful dog Emy to solve. All begin with cold cases that turn out to be connected to recent murders, as his quest to rid France of serial killers continues. Here’s the link to Season 2’s review from almost a year ago to refresh your memory (as it did mine): https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2025/07/the-traveller-season-2-tv-series-review/

Kandinsky’s personality is the polar opposite of my favorite roaming French cop, Captain Marleau. Both live out of their vehicles as they travel to the town with the latest challenge, bringing more talent to the task than the local cops could ever aspire to. Marleau barges in loudly, flaunting her caustic wit and sarcasm to the irritation of most, but the delight of her viewers (and, of course, this reviewer). Kandinsky arrives and works quietly, hardly ever showing emotion or humor, other than a quiet integrity and compassion for the victims.  He also does odd jobs to afford his meager needs, with a side benefit of endearing himself to the locals. Despite his Spartan existence, this trio of tales dangles some romantic possibilities for our guy. None for the dog, alas.

The first perp is a serial killer who has long been targeting young women, and anyone who might be able to ID him from witnessing one of his gruesomely vicious murders. We not only learn whodunnit, but his appalling backstory that made the monster of the man. The second is more complicated as a psycho murderer in the loony bin who Kandinsky nailed before tells him that a fellow inmate who’d been convicted of offing his family was the wrong guy. He offers to tell where all the bodies of his own 22 victims were buried in exchange for Kandinsky re-investigating the other man’s case. That story is particularly fascinating, since the cellmate had been a pillar of his community, generous to all, and seemed way too nice to have done the foul deed. The path to solution is more emotionally compelling than usual, with a couple of interesting hooks at the end.  

But my highest rating among the three goes to the last one, “The Water’s Memory”. Six sacks containing bodies of young women that had been submerged for about 10 to 20 years are dredged up when one of them surfaces in a vast marsh. Kandinsky is summoned by a judge, Delphine (Florence Pernel), who happened to regularly vacation nearby, and was zealous in her pursuit of the offender, even though the case was not in her jurisdiction. The two team up for identifying the victims and solving their deaths in an episode with more than the average level of physical danger and action.   

As before, the rural settings provide lovely scenery – especially the sprawling marshland of the third. And here’s a shoutout to Emy, who helps her owner in realistic ways and adds a dimension of warmth to the whole production. I hope Kandinsky ain’t done yet, since the character and premise have much more to offer that should be enjoyable to follow.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/the-traveller

Season 3 of French mystery series THE TRAVELLER premieres June 16, 2026 in the U.S. and Canada on MHz Choice.

“The Traveller” Season 2 – TV Series Review

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A scene from French TV series “The Traveller” (“Le Voyageur”) Season 2. Courtesy of MHz Choice

It’s been over two years since I praised Season One of this fine and unique French procedural “The Traveller” (“Le Voyageur”), The protagonists were sequential disenchanted cops who went rogue – and native – to solve their choice of cold cases, often finding previously undetected links among multiple murders or abductions. Here’s the link to my coverage of Season One to prep for Season 2: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2023/03/the-traveller-review

Season Two consists of eight more 90-minute episodes along the same lines, but even better written than before. I thought the improvement must have been due to added writers, but Herve Korian is the only credited author for the whole series! Kudos to Herve for upping his game from what was already very good.

Bruno Debrandt returns as iconoclastic Kandinsky, still going case-by-case, living in the same old van accompanied by Emy, the same helpful former police dog. His involvements in each new town are met with varying degrees of resistance or appreciation by the local authorities.

As before, his unofficial investigations are unhampered by usual police procedural constraints, and supported by Elise (Maelle Mietton), the judge who provides intel and legitimizes his efforts when needed. They and Emy are the only regulars, since each episode is a new crime or set of crimes in a new locale. Many of these unmask serial killers who’ve been flying under the radar by spreading their crimes over time and multiple jurisdictions.

Each “whodunnit” episode unfolds in a linear presentation, except for episode two, which begins at the end, and is brought up to date in progressive clips over the preceding year to reach that point. In many of them, new crimes relate to previous ones – some decades before and across borders – that Kandinsky’s broader, detached perspective reveals.

Though he’s still living off the land, there are no more scenes of his bare butt while bathing in whatever lake or river abuts the spot where he’s camped for the night. That’s a plus or a loss, depending on your preferences. The series makes excellent use of rural and small-town exteriors, with lush greenery, picturesque vistas and picture-postcard old streets and buildings.

The course of the season reminded me of “The Fugitive” TV series, since Kandinsky has an easygoing, empathetic nature that allows him to make friends easily with witnesses and other locals. His need for odd jobs to cover his meager expenses also lets him be as helpful as Dr. Kimball was in his travels. The main differences are that Kandinsky is doing this by choice, and there’s no Lt. Gerard on his tail.

The last of these programs aired abroad in May, 2025, which means there might well be more to come. I certainly hope that will be the case, even if Herve just writes at the same laudable level, without any need for further improvements.

“The Traveller” (“Le Voyageur”) Season 2, in French with English subtitles, debuts streaming on MHz Choice on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, with staggered releases of episodes through early August.

RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars

A scene from French TV series “The Traveller” (“Le Voyageur”) Season 2. Courtesy of MHz Choice

THE TRAVELLER – Review

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Tournage “le voyageur” realisation Stephanie MURAT. Avec Eric Cantona

We’ve seen plenty of movies and TV series featuring heroic cops who nail the worst of the perps by “going rogue” to one extent or another. This French series THE TRAVELLER serves up a protagonist in grizzled detective Thomas Bareski (Eric Cantona), who not only goes rogue, but native. Though he’s long been one of France’s most successful cops, he’s frustrated by the number of elusive killers they couldn’t identify or convict; especially the ones he nailed who either walked on a technicality or worked a deal for a lighter sentence than they deserved. He thinks the honchos give up too soon on too many violent acts, leaving the door open for more crimes, and precluding closure for victims and their survivors. So he resigns, buys a van and travels mainly off the grid as he dives into cold cases, usually finding patterns that reveal serial killers, or at least repeat offenders, remaining at large. Luckily, he’s unofficially backed by a high-ranking prosecutor who can legitimize his off-the-book pursuits and provide limited access to case files, forensics and other intel.

Cantona, gray-bearded and grungy, lives off the land and the kindness of those who appreciate his efforts coming so long after the rest of the authorities had moved on. Some feel quite the opposite, complicating his quests. The first five of eight 90-minute episodes (with English subtitles) have begun streaming in the U.S. Each is self-contained in a new locale with a new crime and set of characters, though some elements carry over. No cliffhangers spurring the need to binge. The stories are well-written, serving up a satisfactory array of suspects and twists to keep viewers guessing throughout.

Oddly for a series featuring only one regular cast member, Cantona’s Bareski is replaced for the last four episodes by a somewhat younger version of his character, Yann Kandinsky (Bruno Debrandt), who shares the same motivation, and takes over Bareski’s lifestyle and pursuits, including his van. I can’t disclose more about the succession without spoilers. Neither of them smile much; both are more intuitive than forensic. Anyone who likes seeing the bared butts of middle-aged guys can groove on the rear views of their ablutions in lakes and ponds by which they’ve parked for a night. For the less enthralled, those shots are mercifully brief. No other nudity.

Several installments include somewhat more action than the average European procedural, though well short of the fights, chases and gunplay levels of our accustomed prime-time network fare. Supporting performances are solid and diverse, enhancing the realistic look and feel of the various communities their pursuits cover. There’s little humor in the scripts, so watch this one when you’re in the mood for a serious crime drama that satisfies the cerebrum, visually enhanced by the villages and environs drawing our heroes’ endeavors.

3 out of 4 stars

THE TRAVELLER, in French with subtitles, streams on MHzChoice as of March 21, 2023.