A very black comedy of errors that happens to otherwise ‘Good People’

This France-Belgium border crime caper adds just enough jauntiness to justify its black comedy proclamations.

Linda and Tom Leroy are the ‘Good People’. Or, are they? Source: SBS

From writing and directing trio, Stéphane Bergmans, Benjamin d’Aoust and Matthieu Donck, who created acclaimed two-season crime drama, The Break, Belgian series Good People begins in the vein of Hitchcock’s captivating film Rope, in which we, the audience, are let in on who the killer is, and wait in delicious suspense for the penny to drop for everyone else.

Set in the farming communities on either side of the border between France and Belgium, the series travels between the neighbouring townships, full of people who definitely think of themselves as being good citizens.

As episode one opens, we bear witness to Belgian police officer Tom pushing his car off the road, striking a match and setting it alight. With saucer-eyes, he stands and watches as his wife Linda burns alive, trapped in the passenger seat. He has driven over the border into France to commit this crime, and when the local police chief shows up, he plays the shocked husband convincingly enough to avoid an autopsy. He has done it. Committed the perfect crime.

Only one person smells a rat – French police officer Philippe, under the command of Chief Rabet – and while he diligently begins gathering evidence, no one seems to believe him. But we do. We know Philippe is onto something.

But do we? The set-up is watertight, but this show delights in throwing us all kinds of curveballs, and the twists are such that to say any more would spoil the fun of watching it unfold. From episode two, we go back a while, and spend time with Tom and Linda, before the sorry affair of the flaming hatchback down the hill takes place.

Rather than risk giving anything away, we will introduce to you instead to the perfect cast of this darkly entertaining ride:

Tom Leroy

Tom Leroy (Lucas Meister) counts himself as one of the ‘Good People’. Source: SBS

A small-town policeman on the Belgian side of the border with France, Tom (Lucas Meister) is besotted with Linda. Tom’s former life as a religious person has been abandoned with the freewheeling fun-loving Linda by his side. He seems to be a benign individual, one who is perhaps too easily led, lacking conviction but not out to hurt anyone. But wait. We saw him set his car alight with Linda inside…

Linda Leroy

Linda (Bérangère McNeese) with Tom. Source: SBS

Linda (Bérangère McNeese) is a firecracker, and is passionate about her tanning salon business, which is going down the gurgler so fast, the bank is threatening to repossess it, as well as the lovely home she shares with Tom, to recoup its losses. She is a little too free in her expression to gain the approval of the restricted church community Tom came from. She also drinks a little too much for them, especially her straight-laced sister-in-law, Corinne.

Corinne

Corinne (Gwen Berrou) tending to Tom. Source: SBS

A dedicated follower of her Pentecostal faith, Corinne (Gwen Berrou) wants her brother to be in the full fervour of his own faith, but blames Linda for his absence from the church. Despite her judgement of Linda as a being a tad loose and unsavoury, she does show love and support for her as well. Mainly, it must be said, at Tom’s insistence.

Serge

Serge (Peter Van den Begin). Source: SBS

Linda’s cousin Serge (Peter Van den Begin) is freshly out of jail, and wastes no time in asking Linda for a job in her salon, despite the fact his very presence there would have her dwindling clientele running for the nearby forest. Serge has that ultra-creepy knack of appearing out of nowhere, and you’re never eager to see him. He startles the heck out of Linda and Tom, in particular, but for anyone, he is not the kind of man you’d want to have sidle up beside you.

Philippe

Philippe (Michaël Abiteboul). Source: SBS

A police officer on the French side of the border, Philippe (Michaël Abiteboul) is the only one who suspects Tom of killing Linda, who he knew personally. Not even his colleague Stéphane is willing to believe him, even in the face of fairly damning evidence. His wife is very pregnant, and he’s thrilled about becoming a father. He is also dealing with some health issues, but presses on with his work, even though he’s a lone wolf on a mission to hunt down Tom.

Stéphane

Stéphane (India Hair). Source: SBS

Philippe’s partner in policing, Stéphane (India Hair) is cut-and-dried in her country-town, give-it-to-em straight manner of speaking. You always know where you stand with Stéphane, and in the vein of Brad Pitt’s Rusty in the Ocean’s Eleven films, she is constantly snacking or looking for snacks. When Philippe shows up on her door pleading for help with the case, she shuts him down, adamant he is wrong about Tom.

Chief Roger Rabet

Roger (Dominique Pinon). Source: SBS

Played by the ever reliable film actor Dominique Pinon, Roger, the chief of police on the French side, and therefore Philippe and Stéphane’s superior, lost his wife in a car crash, right near where Linda met her demise. It makes him instantly empathise with Tom’s grief, but it also makes him blind to Philippe’s mounting evidence. Will he be convinced Philippe has a case against Tom?

Joseph

Joseph (Nicolas Buysse), on the job with Tom. Source: SBS

Tom’s superior at the Belgian side’s police station, Joseph (Nicolas Buysse) is the kind of cop who is comfortably cushioned by his homophobic and sexist beliefs, unaware he’s a walking stereotype, and while foisting off work he considers too boring onto his cross-border colleagues, he is desperate to see some action. While erecting a speed camera, he complains to Tom that he’d do anything for a local murder, or an assault, something to liven things up around town. As they say, be careful what you wish for.

Pastor Bruno

Tom with Pastor Bruno (Jean-François Gallotte). Source: SBS

Never too far from Corinne’ side, Pastor Bruno (Jean-François Gallotte) is the kind of country-town pastor who eagerly attempts to expand his flock. Trouble is, he’s looking for love, so to speak, in all the wrong places. His relationship with Corinne is also somewhat of a mystery. You can’t help but wonder whether the pair are secret lovers. You get the feeling his waters run wilder than his sin-free façade would have you believe.  

You will meet more folks along the way in this satisfyingly dark comedy. They too would no doubt consider themselves Good People.

Six-part series Good People is now streaming at SBS On Demand.