TV Binge: The Returned

The Returned was a critically acclaimed French drama that aired on Channel 4 in the summer of 2013, evidently drawing less viewer interest than it deserves judging by the second series’ recent move to More 4. This is disappointingly so, as The Returned was so riveting and horrifying a programme, if more viewers had given it a chance it surely would have ensnared its grip upon their memories forever.

Set in a sleepy French town in the Alps, we see 13-year-old Camille wake up dazed in a mountainous ditch, mystified as to what has happened. When she returns home to her family, she learns from their horror and bafflement that she died in a bus crash three years ago. There are, however, more that have been resurrected, hoping to resume their lives again.

As the programme unfolds, the other ‘returned’ protagonists try to win back their living loved ones, from the Byronic Simon who tries desperately to win back the love of his fiancé Adele, oedipal brothers Toni and Serge, and an ominous little boy named Victor who seeks a home-comforting damaged soul Julie.

Surprisingly however, the dead returning to life are not the only strange occurrences taking place in this town; featuring a prostitute medium, the perplexing falling of the water levels, and a cannibalistic killer loose on the prowl, the end of every episode will have viewers gaping in wonder, hungry for questions to be answered.

On paper, The Returned sounds like a cheesy zombie programme—it sounds like it should portray the undead as dead-eyed, flesh-eating cadavers, shuffling around their home towns, plaguing their loved ones with terror and misery. The Returned is nothing as clichéd as that—the dead persons in question return unscathed, intelligent, and completely unchanged as to how they were before they died, with absolutely no recollection of their apparent fatality. It also does not conform to the average supernatural/zombie show—it is not strewn with blood, gore and terror throughout the duration like the series; instead it plays on using a sinister tone, gently building this sense of dread, so that when something truly shocking does happen, it has even more impact on the viewer—and there are some truly stomach-churning scenes.

This sense of the sinister is further helped by a brilliant soundtrack by Glaswegian musicians Mogwai, who recorded the album Les Revenants specifically for the series. The ambient yet chilling sounds that they have created compliment the drama spectacularly, stirring fear when we anticipate it, and elation with a happier scene.

There have been different interpretations to what a programme like The Returned could possibly represent; some have argued that it is about resurrection, and others have even argued it could be an analogy for the Holocaust. Overall, however, The Returned is essentially a philosophical exploration of death and the grieving process, handled in the most mature manner—unlike other supernatural programmes. The soundtrack is excellent, and with a plotline so peculiar, it is a must-watch if you need something spooky to entertain you during these cold autumn nights.