HPI - SEASON 4, EPISODE 1: RECTO-VERSO (TF1)

[Favourite of the Month][Spoiler-free review] The fabulous Audrey Fleurot (Les combattantes, Spiral) is back as Morgane Alvaro in HPI, alongside an excellent cast. The eagerly awaited season 4 of French private channel TF1's record-breaking comedy/crime drama starts on thursday with one episode per week. 

This fourth season (8 one-hour episodes) will be shown in two blocks: four episodes from this month and four episodes this fall.

Following the events from the previous season, Morgane Alvaro must deal with her personal situation. She needs to have a conversation with Karadec (Mehdi Nebbou) but the latter wants to keep it strictly professional. Their new case concerns a 42-year housewife, mother of two children, found stabbed to death in her kitchen. Oddly, it involves funerals and real estate. Gilles (Bruno Sanches) thinks Morgane seems different, Daphné (Bérangère McNeese) is afraid for her job, Céline (Marie Denarnaud) makes an important announcement and who is the new guy of the police station?

Season 4 of TF1's ratings juggernaut gets off to a flying start. Its premiere begins with a hilarious nod to the sitcoms made by AB Productions (1) thirty years ago. The scenario is brilliant and the surreal sequences look expensive. The ending of the episode is beautiful. Jeremy Lewin (Timothée) and Doudou Masta (David Diallo) have cameos. Thomas Scimeca joins the regular cast as Commandant Fred Prigent. Also starring Cypriane Gardin (Théa), Noé Vandevoorde (Eliott), Cédric Chevalme (Ludovic Mullier) and Nicolas Martinez as Judge Pierre-Emmanuel Caron.

Episode 1 guest stars Marion Limosin (Manon Collet), Yannig Samot (Christophe Collet), Willy Delohen (Paul Collet), Cécile Berland (Alexandra Collet), etc. Produced by Septembre Productions and Itinéraire Productions with TF1. Co-produced by Be-Films, RTBF (Télévision belge), Umedia, Pictanovo and RTS Radio Télévision Suisse. Filmed with the support of Région Hauts-de-France. Jean Nainchrik, Anthony Lancret and Pierre Laugier are the line producers. Frank Delpech exec produces. Produced by Anthony Lancret, Pierre Laugier and Bérengère Legrand. Music by Yannis Dumoutiers. 

Cinematography by Emmanuel de Fleury. Editing by Bertrand Maillard. Main title design by Brett & Cie (Crimes parfaits). Graphic animations by Mathieu Decarli and Olivier Marquezy for La Brigade du Titre. Visual effects by Maud Lambard and Audrey Morant. Supported by the Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral de Belgique and the investors of the Tax Shelter, with uFund. Created for TF1 by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot and Nicolas Jean with Stéphane Carrié (2). 

Story arc by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot and Julien Anscutter. High Intellectual Potential (the international title of HPI) is distributed by Newen Connect. Episode 1 written by Alice Chegaray-Breugnot and Julien Anscutter. Directed by Mona Achache.

(1) https://www.telepro.be/actu/tv/lhistoire-incroyable-de-lempire-ab-productions/

(2) Based on an idea from Nicolas Jean. Djibril Glissant and Franck Martins contributed to the series.