Aller Simple
| Aller Simple | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | No Return |
| Genre | Murder mystery |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Yan Turgeon, Rafaël Ouellet |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original languages | French, English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 42 min |
| Production company | Sphere Media |
| Original release | |
| Release | January 12, 2022 |
Aller Simple (English: One-way) or No Return is a French Canadian television murder mystery series, which was broadcast from January 12, 2022.[1]
Description
[edit]The first season of six episodes was directed by Yan Turgeon, with writers Bernard Dansereau, Annie Piérard and Étienne Piérard-Dansereau.[1] The second season, also with six episodes, was broadcast from September 13, 2023, and was directed by Rafaël Ouellet, while Dansereau, Piérard and Piérard-Dansereau were writers.[2][3] Season one follows seven passengers, who are invited to travel by helicopter to a French-Canadian billionaire's home.[4] En route the helicopter experiences problems and the pilot sets down in a woodland. Nearby is a cottage, where the passengers stay while the pilot attends to the 'copter and its damaged radio. Next morning one of the passengers is dead. Aller Simple stars Anick Lemay as detective Juliette Michaud and Jean-Nicolas Verreault as Thomas Rouclair, her wheelchair-bound husband across both seasons.[5]
Cast and characters
[edit]- Anick Lemay as Juliette Michaud: police detective
- Jean-Nicolas Verreault as Thomas Rouclair: Julitte's husband, wheelchair-bound, former fraud investigator, jailed for drink driving
- Jules Philip as Lieutenant Gobeil: Juliette's boss
- Métushalème Dary as Joëlle: police detective, Juliette's assistant
- Dominick Rustam-Chartrand as David: police assistant
Season one only
[edit]- Luc Picard as Denis Théberge: retired university professor, Ethics lecturer
- Caroline Dhavernas as Julie Sicotte: business woman
- Marc Beaupré as Guillaume Frenet: helicopter pilot, Robert's employee
- Rémi-Pierre Paquin as Pierre-Luc Jodoin: art dealer, Manuela's lover
- Éric Bruneau as Éric Dubois: Véronique's husband; unscrupulous, high-price defence lawyer.
- Nathalie Doummar as Manuela Farouk: engineer, Pierre's personal assistant, clandestine mistress
- Anie Pascale as Anne-Renée Lanctôt: former advertising agent, recovering alcoholic
- Samian as Éli Mandokan: retired police detective, security consultant
- Madi Chirara as Me. Marois: lawyer's assistant, works for Éric
- Karine Lagueux as Myriam Ladouceur: Pierre's wife
- Lamia Benhacine as Nancy: lawyer's assistant, works with Marois
- Sasha Migliarese as Amélie: police IT support
- Carla Turcotte as Cassandra Vanderski: prostitute, Denis' neighbour
- Mélanie Dumais as Enqêteure: Guillaume's wife
- Vlad Alexis as Félix: police IT assistant
- Alex Bisping as Thibaud Gagné: police detective
- Germain Houde as Robert Beaulac: billionaire, six people given false invitation to his town, Samuel's father
Episode guide
[edit]Season one
[edit]| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Falling" (Tomber) | Yan Turgeon | Bernard Dansereau, Annie Piérard, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | January 12, 2022 | |
|
Helicopter at an airstrip. Guillaume checks in passengers, Anne, Éli, Denis, Éric, Julie, Pierre and Manuela. Guillaume challenges uninvited Manuela but Pierre insists. Pierre lies to Myriam: dining with Robert. Citing unfavourable winds, Guillaume takes them east instead of west. Helicopter shudders; Guillaume: controls unresponsive. He land in woodland clearing. Guillaume: radio damaged. Mobiles: no reception. Marois unable to reach Éric. Denis alerts group: nearby cottage; all passengers trek there. Beaulac's butler: house renovations, Robert not here. Éli berates Éric for defending mafia boss. Guillaume sabotages helicopter's radio: removes capacitor. Éric discovers drink cans, Dstroy. Anne refuses to drink, goes to bedroom. Underneath bed are Dstroy cans. Other passengers eat dinner; most denigrate Éric's unscrupulous attitude. Guillaume enters: radio broken. Éli vents against Éric; then goes to bedroom. Denis sees Anne's passed out, drunk. Denis kisses Anne. Éric describes rapist's acquittal due to poor police procedure; rapist later murdered two women. Pierre to Manuela: not told Myriam about affair. Although tempted, Julie reconsiders seducing Éric. Marois reports Éric missing to Juliette. Next morning, Anne vomits outside. Pierre makes coffee. Manuela finds Éric's phone outside. Éric's bed's unslept. Butler to Juliette: calls asking for Éric and Pierre. Passengers discover Éric's corpse. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Spying" (Épier) | Yan Turgeon | Bernard Dansereau, Annie Piérard, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | January 19, 2022 | |
|
Passengers believe Éric died by accidentally falling from tree. Éli takes photos with his mobile. Juliette interviews Myriam, who provides invitation letters. Juliette: no guests at Beaulac's. Annie rages, empties Dstroy cans. Flashback: Annie and two men devise Dstroy: sweetened, caffeinated, high alcohol content. Annie's advertising targets underage drinkers. Present: Nancy, Marois: do not know Pierre. Juliette to Gobeil: Éric, Pierre kidnapped, no ransoms. Thibaud: found Éric's car. Annie: details five Dstroy–related deaths. Passengers sympathetic, but Annie's distraught. At airstrip, no authorised flights, Pierre's car. Guillaume unofficially used airstrip. Guillaume writes in notebook. Pierre cautions Manuela: keep affair private. Some passengers suspect Guillaume of stranding them. Passengers create SOS sign. Juliette interviews Enqêteure, who cannot contact Guillaume; employer not known. Annie finds camera behind mirror. Men bring Éric inside: prevent animals feeding. Manuela to Gullaume: capacitor missing. Juliette: Enqêteure bought expensive vehicle. Five passengers eat meal, discus ethics, culpability. Denis finds Anne's corpse; apparent overdose. Eli collects his gun, mobile. Nancy: Éric's confession video on social media shows edited cottage footage of Éric justifying legal defence strategies for vile, rich clients. Marois alerts Juliette. Juliette: more videos to follow. Julie and Éli wonder why no help has arrived. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Betray" (Trahir) | Yan Turgeon | Bernard Dansereau, Annie Piérard, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | January 26, 2022 | |
|
Éli checks his gun, knocks on Guillaume's door – he's gone. Robert does not recognise Guillaume. Guillaume contacts Enqêteure via satellite phone. Éli holds Guillaume at gunpoint, for questioning. Guillaume: helicopter too large, controls unresponsive. David researches Guillaume. Joëlle: no sign of helicopter. Denis suggests they walk out; others decide to remain. Juliette learns Pierre accompanied by his pregnant mistress: Manuela. Juliette: second video features Annie as Dstroy's advertiser. Passengers move Annie's corpse, downstairs. Manuela notices Pierre's stolen artwork from Annie's room. Juliette asks Myriam about Pierre's business. Manuela realises Pierre would never leave Myriam. Myriam: Pierre cheaply bought artworks from nuns, who had no idea of their worth. Denis leaves with backpack. Amélie: video creator uses hidden website. Éli and Pierre prepare firewood. Pierre drinks root beer. Manuela moves out of Pierre's room. Gobeil: HQ want statement clearing Robert. Juliette asks Robert why he paid Guillaume $500,000. Julie and Manuela look for missing Denis. Robert explains his son Sammuel donated to Guillaume for his son's medical treatments. Robert: Samuel's humanitarian, travels incognito. Nancy claims Guillaume's money helped her son. Nancy updates Guillaume on police investigation. Pierre's ill, vomiting in toilet. Éli to Julie, Manuela: Pierre's poisoned. Guillaume leaves note for kidnapper. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Escaping" (Fuir) | Yan Turgeon | Bernard Dansereau, Annie Piérard, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | February 2, 2022 | |
|
Éli leaves cottage, checks tree where Éric died. Julie, Manuela look after Pierre, who is getting sicker. Guillaume checks note: no response. Éli to Manuela: tree too difficult to climb. Thomas follows Juliette's case online. Thibaud: Guillaume deposited money offshore. Éli reads Denis' letter to Cassandra. Samuel: in Africa; not Guillaume's friend. Gobeil: prepare press statement dissociating Robert from kidnapping. Juliette deduces Samuel lied. Returning Denis: worn-out, limping; discovered swamps, no cabins, no trails. Denis: Cassandra was his student, lover. Felix: third video: details Pierre's schemes. Thomas: Éli investigated organised crime. Thomas: online speculation by "Marika": policeman's next. Guillaume hides knife. Amélie: trawls for "Marika". Corpses moved into shed. Manuela: Éric had no tree resin, hence murdered. Julie asks Denis to distract Guillaume, outside. Éli, Manuela find radio's conductor in Guillaume's room. Éli reads Guillaume's notebook, has rehearsed speeches. Guillaume threatens Denis with knife. "Marika" describes Denis' ethics case studies, which match videos. Denis had hired Guillaume, ran off. Denis tasers Guillaume and kills him. Éli approaches, Denis claims Guillaume attacked him. Denis plays victim, blaming murders on Guillaume. Remaining passengers congregate in main room, while Denis watches. When they sleep, Denis takes Éli's gun, leaves. Soon gunshots are fired. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Correcting" (Corriger) | Yan Turgeon | Bernard Dansereau, Annie Piérard, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | February 9, 2022 | |
|
Flashback: Denis challenges ethics of social media, political correctness. Present: Denis shoots gun; claims Guillaume ran past. Thomas breached parole upon leaving house. Joëlle: Éli's informant killed to catch criminal. Denis drugs Éli's coffee; leaves cottage. Denis shoots Guillaume's corpse. Thibaud: Denis untraceable since selling his house. Denis washes bloodied arm. Éli follows blood trail. Enqêteure: Guillaume used satellite phone; took Denis on flights. Denis lived at motel. Passengers surround Guillaume's corpse. Manuela's surprised by Denis' accurate shooting. Inside cabin, Denis checks online; loads shotgun with special cartridge. Éli: captured gangster, using informants. Denis poisons Pierre's drink. Manuela cares for Pierre. Denis begins making Éli's video. Student's video: Denis defends sexual predators; blames females' clothing. Social media pillories Denis. Flashback: Denis rails against university leaders; he's sacked. Present: Amélie: Samuel's in Vietnam. Another missing person: Julie. Joëlle: Denis was Cassandra's client. Éli: when gangster suspected informant, Éli removed him. However, Éli's boss returned informant, blamed Éli after informant was killed. Manuela finds Denis' shotgun. Forensic analyst: Denis used arsenic; made special shotgun cartridge, which self-explodes. Denis misjudged Éli's ethical behaviour. Denis swaps special cartridge with standard issue. Juliette provides Thomas' alibi. Upon leaving his cabin, Denis encounters Éli with shotgun. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "Dying" (Mourir) | Yan Turgeon | Bernard Dansereau, Annie Piérard, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | February 16, 2022 | |
|
Denis: just found cabin; asks Éli to enter. Éli leaves shotgun outside; realises Denis' lying. At gunpoint, Éli forces Denis to activate computer. When distracted by CCTV showing Manuela, Denis shoots Éli's leg. Manuela: Pierre's not breathing. Guillaume's video: transported paedophile victims to Samuel. Denis returns to cottage; Pierre's died. Éli's tied up. Cassandra: Denis wants to teach ethics to ordinary people; took computer classes; learnt Cassandra was Samuel's victim. Denis deliberately turns up gas, saves Manuela, Julie. Juliette confronts Robert: where did Guillaume deliver Samuel's victims? Robert provides cottage's location. Denis to Éli: used social media to air ethical debates. Manuela discovers Denis not listed as passenger. Manuela, Julie want to leave; Denis reassures them by handing over shotgun. Éli cuts ties, retrieves his gun. Amélie: Denis' live streaming. Joëlle: rescue helicopters 14 minutes away. Denis: Julie responsible for Bangladesh factory collapse. Julie, Manuela stand to leave. Denis takes out gun; order them to sit. Bangladesh owners were jailed, no trial for Julie. Julie triggers explosive shotgun: loses her head. Denis provokes Manuela, who stabs him. Police arrive; Denis survives. Year later Thomas released from home detention. From prison, Denis phones Juliette: America TV series want to interview you. | ||||||
Season two
[edit]| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | "Worship" (Adorer) | Rafaël Ouellet | Annie Piérard, Bernard Dansereau, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | September 13, 2023 |
| 8 | 2 | "Regret" (Regretter) | Rafaël Ouellet | Annie Piérard, Bernard Dansereau, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | September 20, 2023 |
| 9 | 3 | "Honour" (Honorer) | Rafaël Ouellet | Annie Piérard, Bernard Dansereau, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | September 27, 2023 |
| 10 | 4 | "Resuscitate" (Ressusciter) | Rafaël Ouellet | Annie Piérard, Bernard Dansereau, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | October 4, 2023 |
| 11 | 5 | "Assume" (Assumer) | Rafaël Ouellet | Annie Piérard, Bernard Dansereau, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | October 11, 2023 |
| 12 | 6 | "Survive" (Survivre) | Rafaël Ouellet | Annie Piérard, Bernard Dansereau, Étienne Piérard-Dansereau | October 18, 2023 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Dumas, Hugo (February 16, 2022). "Finale sans retour pour Aller simple" [Final Without Return for Aller Simple]. La Presse (in French). Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Nolin, Stéphanie (May 2, 2023). "Découvrez l'intrigue et la distribution de la nouvelle saison d'Aller simple" [Discover the plot and cast of the new season of One-Way]. showbizz.net (in French). Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Vedette, Ed (September 9, 2023). "Anick Lemay et Jean-Nicolas Verreault prennent la pose avec les jeunes fermiers d'Aller simple" [Anick Lemay and Jean-Nicolas Verreault Pose with the Young Farmers of Aller Simple]. Novo Moi (in French). Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Ahearn, Victoria (September 6, 2022). "Deals: Vice, This Place, Sphere Media, Fuse TV". PlayBack. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
- ^ Nolin, Stéphanie (September 10, 2023). "Critique de «Aller simple : Survivre» ou un autre excellent chassé-croisé de mystères" [Review of "Aller simple: Survivre" or another excellent back-and-forth of mysteries]. showbizz.net. Retrieved October 9, 2024.