Not much Belgian entertainment washes up on our shores, making this offbeat mystery series notable for its U.S. DVD release. There’s a reason it’s here, as it is a refreshingly unique show, even as it shares certain basic similarities with some UK fare.
Buy Chantal Seasons 1 & 2Maaike Cafmeyer stars as Chief Inspector Chantal Vantomme, newly promoted and assigned to a sleepy rural burg in faraway Flanders. She doesn’t particularly want to be there, instead determined to test to become a Chief Commissioner and move back to the big city as fast as possible. The setup recalls similar fish-out-of-water premises like Death in Paradise and Doc Martin, with one substantial wrinkle: the locals are all mesmerizing oddballs that turn even basic interactions into unpredictable comedic possibilities. The show runs a fine line of devolving into parody, but stays just far enough on the side of realism to allow for semi-serious crime investigations.
The slackers in Chantal’s new police station are led by her second-in-command, the gruff dimwit Inspector Cloedt who fancies himself a Wild West sheriff, right down to his non-regulation cowboy hat. The Western motif continues with the local bar owner who also cosplays in cowboy gear, and another local man who follows the way of Native American warriors, including full makeup, headdress, and a teepee in his backyard. These yokels are so far off the grid that they’re free to wallow in their delusions, at least until Chantal shows up and attempts to bring a touch of structure to the free-wheeling community.
In the similar shows, the lead is an unrepentantly uptight stickler, but here the star is a weird character in her own right. She’s fairly frumpy, she’s not precious about protocol, and her mugging, dour expressions make her nearly as amusing as any of the mullet-sporting weirdos she encounters. She’s not fully on board with the local shenanigans, but she’s also a savvy enough character that she can roll with whatever she encounters, including rampant misogyny.
The show is played for laughs, so the crime investigations are largely immaterial, providing impetus rather than intrigue. The real entertainment is just watching the bizarre characters interact, with Chantal quickly growing accustomed to her new town and threatening to derail her grand career ambitions. Part cozy mystery, part comedy, and all charmingly acted, Chantal is a Belgian delight.
The DVD set includes all 14 episodes of the first two seasons spread across four discs housed in a standard-size DVD case. Season 3 completed its broadcast run this past spring, so it’s curious that it is not also included here, but as the show is still in active production any complete box set is still a ways off. While no bonus features are provided, the English subtitles are excellent and the DVD picture quality is fairly robust. The set offers just over 11 hours of content, bringing the Belgian Wild West to the real West.
