Review: Black Spot (Zone Blanche), season 2

Suliane Brahim in Black Spot

The French suspense mystery Black Spot (Zone Blanche) continues in season 2 with more of the same dark crimes and inexplicable events in the forest that we watched in season 1.

We get a few answers in season 2 of Black Spot (Zone Blanche). The police Major, Laurène (Suliane Brahim), remembers more about her 20 year old kidnapping and capture that opened season 1. It relates to events all the way through season 2 and ties a few things together.

Suliane Brahim in Black Spot (Zone Blanche)

Laurène figures out who the mysterious presence in the forest is. But she doesn’t capture him or learn anything about how he does what he does. That’s a cliffhanger waiting on season 3. (If there is a season 3. I haven’t heard anything about it yet.)

Some of the murders are solved. They mostly relate to normal human factors like greed, power, and stupidity rather than mysterious forest creatures – but not all the murders are solved.

Samuel Jouy in Black Spot (Zone Blanche)

Speaking of greed and a lust for power – the Steiner clan, including Bertrand Steiner (Samuel Jouy), his wife Léa Steiner (Anne Suarez), and the family patriarch Gérald Steiner (Olivier Bonjour) are still running the town for fun and profit.

The poor schlub of an investigator Siriani (Laurent Capelluto) almost figures out where the Steiners are stashing barrels of toxic waste, but his big bust is a bust. Siriani has a romance with another newcomer, Delphine Garnier (Marina Hands). Their relationship ends with an unexpected twist, like a lot of things in Villefranche.

Camille Aguilar in Black Spot (Zone Blanche)

Laurène’s daughter Cora (Camille Aguilar) remains mixed up with people from the protest group Children of Arduinna. In season 2, we learn who’s behind the group. They become more militant and do something in the last episode that brings the season to an explosive climax and creates a major cliffhanger.

Suliane Brahim and Hubert Delattre in Black Spot

An interesting dynamic between Laurène and Nounours (Hubert Delattre) develops in season 2. He doesn’t believe all the talk about strange stag head creatures, or Celtic gods, or Roman treasures. Laurène thinks they have something to do with the mysteries of the forest. They argue about it a lot. He finally sees her point when they are trapped in an impossible situation together.

Brigitte Sy in Black Spot (Zone Blanche)

Sabine (Brigitte Sy), who runs the bar/hotel/cafe continues to be important in season 2. We learn some really interesting things about her.

What we don’t know

But even more than what we do know after seeing season 2, are the questions that remain for another season.

The doctor, Leïla (Naidra Ayadi), gave Laurène a very surprising bit of information about her DNA that relates to many things that have happened in both seasons. That’s a big unanswered question.

Laurène and Bertrand Steiner have a thing. He wants it to go somewhere. She might, too. That’s a big unanswered question.

The Children of Arduinna do something that may have huge consequences. That’s a big unanswered question.

The thing in the forest is, or was, human. But how does it catapult people into the treetops or grab people with tree branch arms in a split second? How does it move so quickly? How does it make those weird, frightening sounds? Does it have something to do with Laurène? That’s a big unanswered question.

The Suspense Elements in Black Spot

The cinematography is always filtered, even in full sunlight. Misty, dark, shadowy, and spooky all apply to the style of filming. Many scenes are shot with a blue filter that makes everything darker.

The secrets of the forest and of the characters are revealed slowly, strategically. Sometimes things seem to be magic (or magical realism). The wolves and the stags and the bees and the crows seem to be participants in events – is that real or imagined?

Flashbacks have no cues to let you know you’re not still in the normal timeline. Flashbacks take a while to understand because of that. Are people hallucinating?

Suspense builds because things move slowly. Sometimes the pace feels glacial. Then it suddenly hits you in the face.

The characters do things without exposition and you often have to figure out what’s happening from visual clues.

The subplots and episodic mysteries are often red herrings. They seem to bear on the overall problem plaguing the town, but they are mostly dead ends.

If you’ve already seen season 1 of Black Spot (Zone Blanche), you know what to expect from season 2. Let’s hope for a season 3 and some answers to the blazing cliffhangers season 2 left us with.

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Black Spot poster

Have you watched season 2 yet? What did you think of it?

38 thoughts on “Review: Black Spot (Zone Blanche), season 2”

  1. “Siriani has a romance with another newcomer, Camille Laugier (Tiphaine Daviot). Their relationship ends with an unexpected twist, like a lot of things in Villefranche.” Sorry, but the newcomer was called Delphine Garnier.

  2. Loved Season 1 and most of second season. Season 2 didn’t rate well in France but because it is now a Netflix production this may drag on and on…. season after devaluing season. Sound familiar?

  3. I just finished season 2 on Netflix. I thought it was great. I have some theories on Sylvian…I really hope there will be a 3rd season!

    1. At first I thought Cernunnos might inhabit the fresh bodies that have been sacrificed,hence he is actually Sylvain at this moment in time.But when viewing the 57bc flashback he appears to be the same then.Lots of questions…who actually kidnapped her to begin with? We better get a season 3,and hopefully with more 57bc-like flashbacks,I really enjoyed that.

  4. I likd how all the characters are torn in their love: Rudy and Cora, Cora and Roman, Bertrand and Laurene, Bertrand and Lea, Bertrand and his father, Bertrand the obedient and Bertrand the independent, Tedduy Bear and Laurene, the forest vs the Quarry. etc.

    I wonder how Cora will react to the news that she has/had an Uncle Sylvain.

  5. Jane Eskay Waldmann

    Really irks me that the kidnapper was not revealed. Come on how much more can we take? What if theres no season 3? We will all go mad

  6. I was reading on Facebook a reply from the production company saying it had been cancelled.. I hope that’s not true ..

    1. I can’t find anything definite using Google, even with Google translating some French sites for me. It’s hugely popular on Netflix, but I think it was not well liked in France. If I find a news report about season 3, I’ll link to it here.

      1. this what someone posted on the FB group … I hope it isnt true 🙂

        “Hello,
        I inform you that there will be no season 3 of Zone blanche.
        Thank you for your message !
        I wish you a lovely summer with France Télévisions.
        Alexandre Pivier
        Cordialement,
        Alexandre Pivier
        Responsable du Service Clients de France Télévisions”

  7. Listen to your viewing audience!…you have a terrific series going here. Please dispel talk of no third season!! Certainly good scripts and financing are within reach.

  8. I think if it wasn’t popular in France and only broadcast there then no why do a season 3, BUT it’s now a top rating show on Netflix being broadcast all over the world, so it would make financial sense to make a season 3 surely? Plus it would be great to finish at season 3 and really tie up the story well.

  9. Why is it that the Old World (Europe) is so resistant to the belief in the spirituality of nature.I find cultures all over the world nowadays are in such communion with representations, be it in film or other stories, of the deeper dimensions of life. Black Spot resonates with us because of it. Yet The French did not love it. Such conservatism. Time will tell.

    1. It remains mysterious in case there’s a season 3, but my opinion is it is the young man Laurène was trapped with years ago. (Unless that flashback was meant to mislead.) There’s also the problem of Laurène and whoever is in the forest sharing DNA.

      1. I agree it has to be her son,& Laurène share the same father.. if you remember the night of the full moon,she’s in the forest alone and antler man Slyvian visits her.. & she survived,also the meeting in bar with Cora she said she’d given up more than anyone(or something along those lines!)

  10. I believe Gerald is the father of Laurene, Sylvain, and Bertrand, and he kidnapped Laurene and Sylvian to keep Bertrand apart from Laurene, and to not have an illegitimate son in conflict with Bertrand. I felt so sad for Le Prosecutor. The question I want answered is what force recreated Sylvian.

    1. Elizabeth Echevarria

      I love this series! Never get tired of watching over and over again. I wanted the prosecutor to find happiness too! I agree with you Barbara, it makes sense. Lauren has 2 brothers. Did you notice at last episode Lauren is with the wounded woodsman, she has a blue hat then she returns back with no hat. I hope there’s a 3rd season.

  11. I am watching season 2 now, and I am mesmerized by this series. I’m binge watching, one episode after another, I love the idea of Nature fighting back, I love the use of crows, since they are such an intelligent bird. I just read that there will be a season 3, and it will drop, perhaps in June 2020, I hope that this is true.

  12. How did they get the “beasts” DNA? Did they take the body back to the hospital? Or did Laurène not tell people she found the body?

  13. HI. I also loved the series. While watching , I was thinking it was more like an American show then a French show. The town of Villefrannce was like an American mountain town. Laurene and especially Teddy Bear dressed and looked like lumberjacks, certainly not French folk.. Given the French.disdain for anything American, I wonder if that is why it wasn’t popular in France? I am just saying……

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