This review may appear to be submitted on a bizarre page, but it's the only logical place, at least until IMDb creates a separate page for it. This is actually the second season of the Belgian mystery/thriller series "Beau Séjour", but it logically doesn't contain the number two in the title because it's entirely unrelated to the first series. The storylines aren't connected, none of the actors or actresses from the first season returned, and both the setting and background are totally different. In season I, which turned into a successful international Netflix-series by now, the titular "Beau Séjour" is a ramshackle hotel located in Limburg; the most eastern county of Flanders, Belgium. In season II, "Beau Séjour" refers to the name of a sailing yacht owned by a family in the most western country of Flanders.
And yet, the two series are inseparable, since they were written and directed by the same gifted team and both feature the exact same principal premise; - namely that of a protagonist who died but still wanders around and as a ghost and remains visible to a selected group of people, and this until the mysterious circumstances of her/his death are cleared out.
For my in-depth review of "Hotel Beau Séjour", please check the main page, as the rest of this essay is solely dedicated to "Sailing Yacht Beau Séjour".
Maurice Teirlinck arrives back home at the Belgian coast, near to the family he has forsaken for seven years. But, during a storm on his first night back, he wakes up on the deck of his sailboat and witnesses his own dead body dangling on the mast, tied around the neck with a rope. Maurice is later joined by his grandson Jasper, whom he never met before, and the boy also turns out to be dead; - seemingly killed at sea and his body washed ashore. Whilst trying to figure out what happened to him, Maurice learns that several members of his family and one former close friend can still see and interact with him, but nobody can see Jasper. Throughout his search, the old family wounds and unprocessed dramas are torn wide open again, and it looks as if dark secrets from the past prevent Maurice to find eternal peace.
Thanks to the intelligent script, the tight direction and the stupendous performances from the ensemble cast, "Beau Séjour" is captivating and intense from start to finish. However, the series is also a typical example of "the chase is better than the catch" principle; - meaning the suspense and mystery continue to mount and mount towards a point where the denouement can't possible meet all the expectations or answer all the pondering questions. Therefore, it's much more fun to keep guessing for clues and linking events together, rather than finding out what actually happened to Maurice and his family. Creators Kaat Beels and Nathalie Basteyns clearly realized this as well, since the enigmas are upheld until halfway in the last episode. You won't hear me say the finale is disappointing, but the building up towards it was definitely more exciting.
Like in the first series, "Beau Séjour" makes terrific use of filming locations, notably the Belgian coast, the dunes and the port. There are several grisly sequences, as well as authentic drama and solid action.
And yet, the two series are inseparable, since they were written and directed by the same gifted team and both feature the exact same principal premise; - namely that of a protagonist who died but still wanders around and as a ghost and remains visible to a selected group of people, and this until the mysterious circumstances of her/his death are cleared out.
For my in-depth review of "Hotel Beau Séjour", please check the main page, as the rest of this essay is solely dedicated to "Sailing Yacht Beau Séjour".
Maurice Teirlinck arrives back home at the Belgian coast, near to the family he has forsaken for seven years. But, during a storm on his first night back, he wakes up on the deck of his sailboat and witnesses his own dead body dangling on the mast, tied around the neck with a rope. Maurice is later joined by his grandson Jasper, whom he never met before, and the boy also turns out to be dead; - seemingly killed at sea and his body washed ashore. Whilst trying to figure out what happened to him, Maurice learns that several members of his family and one former close friend can still see and interact with him, but nobody can see Jasper. Throughout his search, the old family wounds and unprocessed dramas are torn wide open again, and it looks as if dark secrets from the past prevent Maurice to find eternal peace.
Thanks to the intelligent script, the tight direction and the stupendous performances from the ensemble cast, "Beau Séjour" is captivating and intense from start to finish. However, the series is also a typical example of "the chase is better than the catch" principle; - meaning the suspense and mystery continue to mount and mount towards a point where the denouement can't possible meet all the expectations or answer all the pondering questions. Therefore, it's much more fun to keep guessing for clues and linking events together, rather than finding out what actually happened to Maurice and his family. Creators Kaat Beels and Nathalie Basteyns clearly realized this as well, since the enigmas are upheld until halfway in the last episode. You won't hear me say the finale is disappointing, but the building up towards it was definitely more exciting.
Like in the first series, "Beau Séjour" makes terrific use of filming locations, notably the Belgian coast, the dunes and the port. There are several grisly sequences, as well as authentic drama and solid action.
