En 2018, a small miracle occurred off the coast of British Columbia, in the Pacific. After three years without recorded births of orcas, notably due to lack of food, a female named Tahlequah gives birth to a calf… who immediately loses it. In mourning, she carried his body for seventeen days, before letting it sink into the depths of the ocean.
It was from this tragic story that the idea for the miniseries was born. Shoresof which France 2 is broadcasting the first two episodes this Monday, January 6. An ambitious fiction, in its form – particularly careful – as in its substance, which combines quality entertainment and ecological reflection.
Shores : an intriguing mystery
It begins with the disappearance of a trawler and its crew in the English Channel, after an unexplained shipwreck: was it an earthquake that was the cause? Electromagnetic interference? A supernatural phenomenon? To locate the wreck, which remains untraceable, Ifremer (the French Research Institute for the Exploitation of the Sea) sends Abigail Dufay (Fleur Geffrier, seen in the very successful Drops of God et The Spies of Terror), an oceanologist who knows the city well having come from there. The boat even belongs to his father, Henri Dufay (Thierry Godard), a local shipowner. But she hurriedly left town years ago, after a family tragedy that left her broken.
ALSO READ The most anticipated series of 2025When she returns, she has to confront an entire community of sailors in crisis and the ghosts of the past. Her investigation takes her through the troubled waters between the authorities, environmentalists fighting against overfishing and the establishment of a wind farm at sea, as well as fishermen, ordered to stay in port even if it means losing their livelihood. bread. Among them, her ex (Guillaume Labbé, who recently lost his shirt in Escort Boys), who has not forgiven him for his departure, nor has his son-in-law who believes he is responsible…
None are prepared for the hurricane that awaits them. Indeed, the more her research progresses, the more Abigail becomes convinced: an unknown creature is waiting in the abyss and is at the origin of the extraordinary events which have multiplied since its arrival. What if she had to save her to save herself?
Themes and a genre anchored in the spirit of the times
It is first of all a question of ecological emergency in this intriguing Shores. And for good reason: its creators, Jonathan Rio and Monica Rattazzi, both grew up by the sea and were made aware of environmental issues faced with the scarcity of living things, the degradation of the seabed and their pollution. There is then a question of social emergency: the necessary preservation of natural environments comes up against the economic difficulties of a community based on (over)fishing. Deprived of its main activity, it threatens to collapse with unemployment and depression as its only horizon.
ALSO READ The five series not to be missed in JanuaryThis double imperative is reflected in the underlying tension which electrifies the six episodes without breaking their almost contemplative rhythm. But the series, which is riding the fantasy trend, is not sailing in calm seas. Indeed, a storm of emotions shakes up the souls of its characters, in search of redemption. Because it is also and finally a question of intimate urgency. Poignant, Shores revolves around an unspeakable loss and the long road to overcoming it. By unraveling the mystery of the trawler's disappearance, which resonates with her own pain, while working to reconnect the link between man and nature, Abigail begins to borrow it. And to heal.
A striking atmosphere and performers
Narratively mastered, Shores also turns out to be very accomplished formally. The photography subtly plays with contrasts to create a hypnotic, vaguely threatening atmosphere with dark luminosity. As for the skillful camerawork of David Hourrègue (to whom we already owe the series Germinal), it enhances the austere but striking beauty of the Alabaster Coast, where the series was partly filmed. The director takes care of each of his shots, notably composing magnificent scenes of the ocean, the true hero of the series. But he also films his characters as closely as possible, striving to capture every crack and every feeling, which Audrey Ismaël's soundtrack echoes.
ALSO READ Camilla Läckberg: “Erica is my baby; TF1 and the producers are its nannies” Thus directed, the distribution turns out to be remarkable. It is led by Fleur Geffrier, an actress currently in high demand. We understand why. She is stunning in the skin of Abigail, in perfect balance between the fragility of this bereaved woman and her strength of life. Very invested in the role, the actress learned to dive, passed her boating license (which she obtained the day before the first clap) and faced the vagaries of the winter weather to do justice to the fight of her alter ego.
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At his side, Thierry Godard, as a protective father and boss of cornered fishermen, offers one of the most touching scenes of the series, forced to fire his employees to save his company. His despair, his dignity pierce the screen. Fans of Big Blue will also appreciate seeing Jean-Marc Barr in his favorite element, who plays André, Abigail's godfather and sea rescuer consumed by guilt.
Accompanied by Guillaume Labbé and Olivia Côte, they invite the viewer to embark with them on a fantastic odyssey. We forgive the ending… which never ends, with overtones that are a bit too heroic and tearful. Because, apart from a few skiffs, Shores also took us away.
