THE SHOW: The Berken Case (in France it is called Peur sur la Base, which means “fear on the base” – why change it?) is a French television movie. It stars none other than your faves and mine, Audrey Fleurot (Spiral, A French Village) and Philippe Lefebvre (Detectives). “Wait, Al,” you’re saying. “Both of them in one thing? This is an embarrassment of riches!” Oh, but wait, it gets better.

THE FORMULA: Get this: Audrey Fleurot is Odessa Berken, a maritime cop on the naval base in Brest. Berken is, you know, hot-headed, ambitious, has a conflicted past, is in kind of complicated relationship with the medical examiner (Lefebvre) – yes, fine, we’ve seen all that before. But, have we seen it with Audrey F? And have we seen Madame in une uniforme de flic, pushing perps against walls and swinging crowbars on bad guys? I’m telling you, this red-headed goddess of small screen courtrooms and Nazi bedchambers is glorious to behold in the daylight. She elevates what would otherwise be a perfectly entertaining murder mystery to a crackling thriller and Lefebvre is smart enough to stay in his lane and watch.

[LOCATION] WAS LIKE ANOTHER CHARACTER: Three cheers for whoever had the idea to set a story in Brest. I can’t recall watching anything before that showcases this part of historic Brittany, and it was honestly pretty fascinating. An important port city with all kinds of naval activity, Brest also features the Téléphérique, a cable car system that connects the city center to the outskirts. That means many amazing shots of, and from, the sky tram going past the city’s medieval castle and over the crashing waves of the Bay of Biscay. You have to admit that’s cool (and weird – the only other one like it in operation is in Japan).

TWISTS AND/OR TURNS: When a soldier dies in extremely suspicious circumstances, Berken and her crew are called in on the case. Things get awkward when it turns out Berken’s own brother, also a soldier, is there, and more awkward still when the death seems to be connected to another crime. Something shady is going on, and Berken seems to be the only one stubborn enough to get to the real truth.

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT: Apart from seafood, Brest is famous for its many creperies. What could be better when indulging in the perfect Audrey Fleurot than doing the same with an assortment of sweet and savory crepes? Do it like a real Breton and serve up some apple cider alongside.