Juliet begins with a young woman dropped into a canal with a heavy weight tied around her leg. It’s a murder that detective Juliet Dumon (Charlotte De Bruyne) will spend the next two episodes investigating; it’s also a sign of what’s to come. Juliet is a series with a lot going on under the surface. Here water means more than just something that gets things wet.
Until recently, Juliet was a detective in Brussels spending as little time as possible thinking about her past. Then her father suddenly died. Now she’s back living in the family home in the small coastal town of De Haan, working for the local police while she tries to find a foster home for her 14-year-old niece, Chloe (Amber Naert). The two are basically strangers; neither seems all that keen on their current situation.
Chloe is messed up from losing the man who raised her, never knowing her mother, and having a junkie father who’s out of the picture (except when he’s not). Juliet has issues of her own: dealing with a death by drowning brings on watery flashbacks of her own, and a bout of tinnitus that she needs earbuds to deal with. Will her past make her a better detective, or will it only get in the way?
On the surface Juliet seems like a fairly traditional murder mystery series. Our lead detective has returned to her childhood home – which just happens to be a very scenic small town – where there’s plenty of crime to tackle in between a past that still haunts her. But it doesn’t take long to pick up on the clues that there’s more going on in this series than meets the eye.
Coming home is gets complicated for Juliet Dumon (Charlotte De Bruyne). Credit: Ilias Van Babost
It doesn’t take long for Juliet to reveal that Juliet’s family situation is a lot more complicated than simply being stuck dealing with an ungrateful teenager. Juliet’s own mother died when she was a teen, drowning in a canal after they had an argument. That night left her with hearing loss and a profound sense of guilt, both of which are seriously acting up now she’s back home. The last thing she wants is to be forced into the role of (foster) mother, but the more she finds out about Chloe’s circumstances, and the connection her niece’s new boyfriend might have to the dead girl, the more she realises she can’t just walk away from her new responsibilities.
Julie's 14-year-old niece, Chloe (Amber Naert). Credit: Thoma Nolf / Eyeworks
Which is a problem, because walking away from problems is exactly what she’s done her whole life. Since her mother’s death she’s been withdrawn, always the first to bolt when things get tough. Being back in De Haan means dealing with her ex, Jonas (Arend Pinoy), who she left behind when she tried to make a fresh start in Brussels. Married and the owner of one of the areas main hotels, unlike Juliet he seems to have moved on from their shared past and built a steady and stable life. As usual, looks can be deceptive.
Juliet (Charlotte De Bruyne) on the job with Jamal (Nabil Mallat). Credit: Thomas Nolf / Eyeworks
At least with new (professional) partner Jamal (Nabil Mallat) she knows where she stands. After more than a decade away, she’s a new kid in town; he’s the son of a prominent local politician, the cop everyone knows. She’s quiet and intense; he’s a chatty guy people are happy to open up to. And once they do, she’s right there to dive in.
All of this weaves in and out of the crimes that Juliet investigates (each mystery stretches across two episodes) in a way that deepens both sides of the story. Juliet’s situation helps with insights into the crimes she’s dealing with, while the investigations she tackles shine a light on what she needs to do (or not do) in her personal life.
Her past drove her to be a focused and driven detective; being a detective now gives her a chance to finally face her past.
Juliet is streaming now at SBS On Demand.
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Juliet
