User Reviews

After the first season, and a large cast change, Magellan becomes astonishingly repetitive. That, and the many goofs, improbabilities and elisions make it tiresome despite its scenery and spectacular mansions, with low-e windows and Dutch cleanliness. In that, it often appears to emulate some of the British in this genre, but it is nevertheless very French, every episode having a mistress or two, long lost child, crime passionnel and moral. In later seasons, a second murder in the last 10-15 minutes became de rigueur, while the family scenes became ludicrous (no pun intended). Thankfully, tho the murders are less gruesome than some, generally being only impulsive thumps on the head, which require no pathologist, the principals trampling and touching everything anyhow. And they always take place at night, so Magellan can have his breakfast before jetting around all day in what appears to be a Peugeot commercial. French police seem to have instant access to all manner of information. Sometimes, more than instant. Somehow, too, his tiny lieutenant assistant manages to outrun and handcuff all manner of miscreants in high heels without receiving a scratch. Fantastic breakfasts and dinners mysteriously appear as well, no time being given to grocery shopping, and tho, Magellan rarely seems to actually eat lunch, he appears quite a bit heavier at the end, than at the beginning. Saignac, too, appears to be a fabulous place to live, having all manner of clubs, fields, pools, museums, circuses, zoos, galleries, etc and numerous businesses. In all, a good deal of suspension of disbelief is required by Magellan.