The Break (2016–2018)
7/10
Too much
21 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
La trêve is a strange beast. The problem I have with this show is one that I almost never have, and conversely, most of the problems I frequently have do not apply to this show.

Let me first list some of what's good, because there's plenty. The writing feels fresh and authentic, nothing is cheesy or over-the-top, and the main character is miles away from being a typical hero character, or indeed a typical character of any kind. The show understands that different people see thew world fundamentally differently, and that this is reflected in almost everything they do. As a consequence, most of its characters feel highly believable.

And the landscape shots deserve special praise. There are so many wide-range camera shots in this show, and I'm super into it. They're amazingly beautiful. I especially love how, even though they were already common in season 1, the second season totally doubles down and adds them even more frequently. They never stopped being gorgeous.

The problem then, simply put, is that the show is too tragic. I don't generally mind stories being tragic, hence why I said I almost never have this complaint. But this show is -unnecessarily- tragic. It goes out its way to be tragic. It's tragic even at the expense of making sense. In both seasons, but particularly the second, the ending is basically optimized to be as tragic as possible It's just too much. It's way too much. The series finale is just absolutely horrific and miserable, and it was neither necessary nor called for. It wasn't even a plausible way for events to occur. It doesn't feel earned, it just feels unnecessary.

To a lesser extent, I also took some issue with the ostensibly supernatural elements in the second season. They were quite out of place.
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