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Good People or Des gens bien is a 2022 Belgian television crime drama, comedy series. Its six episodes were broadcast from 23 October 2022 on La Une. It was created, written and directed by Stéphane Bergmans, Matthieu Donck [fr] and Benjamin d'Aoust [fr]. It was produced by Helicotronc, RTBF, Arte, Unité and Proximus. Action is set in mid-2022 in the fictitious border towns of Juvin (Belgium) and Ressac (France), and the surrounding areas. Good People stars Lucas Meister as a policeman, Tom who stages a car accident, which supposedly killed his wife, Linda (Bérangère McNeese). It was broadcast in France from 13 April 2023. The series won the Grand Prix for TV series at the Luchon TV Festival [fr] 2023.

Premise

Tom and Linda live in the small Belgian town of Juvin. Tom's a policeman and Linda runs a tanning salon. They struggle financially and have missed loan repayments. Linda wants to improve her business. While drunk, Linda inadvertently kills an apparently homeless woman, Carole with her archery set. To dispose of Carole's corpse and solve their financial worries, Tom and Linda stage a single vehicle collision. They choose a dangerous stretch of road in France's nearby Ressac region. The couple enlist Linda's criminal cousin, Serge to assist. Carole's corpse is placed in their car's front passenger seat, Tom pushes it down a ravine and then sets it alight. Linda hides out in Tom's sister, Corinne's cabin. Meanwhile Tom deceives people into believing that Linda accidentally died.

Tom waits to collect Linda's life insurance payout. His most ardent supporters are Ressac's police major, Roger and evangelical church leader, Pastor Bruno. Linda's former lover, Phillippe becomes suspicious of Tom. Phillippe cannot convince his colleague Stéphane or their boss Roger that Tom killed Linda. Tom's colleague Joseph hungers for an exciting case instead of mundane speed cameras. Local wastrel and drug-user Pierrot reports his girlfriend, Carole's kidnapping by "snake man". Initially, Joseph dismisses Pierrot's claims as drug-related delusions. Roger determines "Linda"'s death was accidental – no autopsy. Tom has the corpse quickly cremated. Phillippe follows Tom to the cabin, where he sees Linda alive, but Phillippe has a heart attack and dies. Serge discovers Phillippe's corpse and shifts it into the man's car, placing heart pills next to it.

Cast and characters

• Lucas Meister as Tom Leroy: Juvin policeman, Linda's husband
• Bérangère McNeese as Linda Vandersteen Leroy: Juvin resident, beautician, Tom's wife, archery enthusiast
• Peter Van Den Begin as Serge Vandersteen: Linda's cousin; paroled criminal
• Jean-François Gallotte [fr] as Pasteur Bruno (English: Pastor Bruno): Ressac's Evangelical Protestant Church's priest
• Gwen Berrou as Corinne Leroy: Tom's widowed sister, evangelical Christian
• Dominique Pinon as Roger Rabet: Ressac police Major, Tom's supporter
• India Hair as Stéphane Foumara: Ressac policewoman, Phillippe's partner, Roger's subordinate, Cathy's former lover
• Julie Duclos as Sylvie Martin: Philippe's pregnant wife
• Marie-Luc Adam as Paroissienne 1 (English: "Parishioner 1"): Corinne's fellow evangelist
• Mona Lederman as Carole d'Acoz: Pierrot's girlfriend, worships Anubis, drug-user, arsonist, Queen Mathilde's cousin
• Michaël Abiteboul as Philippe Blanquart: Ressac policeman, Sylvie's husband, Stéphane's colleague, archery enthusiast, Linda's lover
• Nicolas Buysse [fr] as Joseph Gobelet: Juvin policeman, Tom's colleague
• Eline Schumacher as Patricia: Ressac policewoman, Tom's former lover
• Ferdinand Niquet-Rioux as Pierrot: wastrel, drug-user, worships Anubis, drug-user, arsonist, Carole's boyfriend
• Catherine Decrolier as Paroisienne 2 (English: "Parishioner 2"): Corinne's fellow evangelist
• Jérémy Zagba as Hervé: Ressac policeman, expert in innovative questioning device
• Lucile Vignolles as Cathy Mansard: insurance assessor, Sylvie's cousin, Stéphane's former lover
• Corinne Masiero as Cheffe de gare (English: "Station Master"): Juvin train station master

References =

1. "Des Gens Bien - Séries 52'" [Good People - Series 52']. Festival TV de Luchon (in French). 3 March 2023.
2. ^ Tian, Paul (4 February 2023). "Festival TV de Luchon : découvrez le palmarès des prix "Fiction" 2023" [Luchon TV Festival: discover the winners of the 2023 "Fiction" Awards]. Le blog de Paul Tian (in French).
3. ^ Nurbel, Jean-Christophe (4 February 2023). "Festival TV de Luchon 2023 : palmarès de la compétition fiction" [Luchon TV Festival 2023: winners of the fiction competition]. Bulles de culture (in French).
4. Collet, Emeline (3 February 2023). "Festival de Luchon : « Le Colosse aux pieds d'argile » et « Les Rencontres du Papotin » parmi les primés" [Luchon Festival: The Colossus with Feet of Clay and Les Rencontres du Papotin among the winners]. Le Parisien (in French).
5. "Festival de Luchon : c'est Un colosse aux pieds d'argile, interprété par Eric Cantona, qui l'emporte" [Luchon Festival: A Colossus with Feet of Clay, performed by Eric Cantona, wins]. La Dépêche (in French). 5 February 2023.

External links

• Des gens bien at IMDb

• 2022 Belgian television series debuts
• Belgian crime television series
• Belgian comedy television shows
• Belgian drama television shows