Work Wives in Criminal Games

French, Labarthe, Bellavoir

The most fantastically cool and lovely aspect of Criminal Games--other than the honest appreciation of Agatha Christie's work--is how Alice Avril and Marlène Leroy circle Swan Lawrence as his work wives. 

In the initial episodes, which appear in the Little Murders of Agatha Christie, Avril is presented as the possible love interest, or at least the crazy investigator who creates chaos in the tidy life the main investigator believes he prefers. Marlene is his secretary with the unrequited crush. 

However, as the seasons unwind, Avril and Marlene form a coterie with Swan that he relies on even as he complains. 

He is rather like Ben Miller's character on Death in Paradise, who complains about everything while being intensely invested in his compatriots, who provide him with a support he's never had before (Miller's character was the "weird" guy back in Britain--on Saint-Marie, everybody is weird). 

In Death in Paradise, despite the flirtation between Poole and Camille, the relationships are fundamentally friendships. Likewise, the remarkable connection between Watson and Sherlock on Elementary is a deep and abiding friendship. 

What makes Avril and Marlene "work wives" is that the sexual fizzle is always there. Swan is deeply appreciative of Marlene's lovely appearance even as he is equally concerned with her safety and emotional ballast. He is enchanted and frustrated by Avril. In response, they look after him, consult him, rebuke him, back him, flirt with him, and help him solve cases!

Their mutual attraction in no way undermines Swan's actual intimate relationships or his plan to propose to a woman (who dies). 

It's very French. I'm not sure the Brits or Americans can pull it off. 

As a viewing option, it is touching and hilarious and loads of fun! It is always pleasing to watch a show where the leads seem to get a huge kick out of their roles.