biba_yu Review of The Twelve

The Twelve (2019–2023)

Compelling character, interesting story but has issues

[6/10 · 20 March 2021]

Story is very complex, with lots of characters who have interesting stories, from which some are connected, some are not. Acting is on point, well done. Case of double murder is very interesting and got my attention from the start. I was hooked from episode 1. Also, Belgian series like in all other northern European countries, have that cold, grey winter quality, which gives a sense of hopelessness and depression. There is no usual glamour we are used to from Hollywood movies, most colors are grey, black and possibly brown. There is a certain sense of doom. Characters look like ordinary people, which I like. They have their own life and personal stories, nothing glamorous about it, just like in real life. But they still manage to be interesting to follow. However, on the bad side, spoilers coming... some character's stories have absolutely nothing to do with the case and go nowhere. They just show us how personal lives of jury can affect the case. Problem is, in such high profile case, most of jury looks totally not interested in case. They are too obsessed with their own problems and look at the case through their own issues. Maybe that was a point though. The most problematic is the last episode. After so much investment into showing us how many witnesses actually lied and how much inconsistencies are in all the testimonies, and how even police detective lied (personally, I really hated her! She was so unprofessional), and social worker lied, and all witnesses lied. Most "professionals" were totally unprofessional. That detective woman lied, planted "evidences", and without any doubt from the start of investigation had one single person decided as suspect. Then she led investigation strictly into proving she is right. Even if she was, that is scary and unprofessional. Social worker forged case against mother because her dad was in relationship with mother of woman who is step mom of murdered child. How is she not arrested? Lawyer in case who is in relationship with witness? For God's sake! Then they just served us surprise ending in last 2 minutes and left us audience feeling like idiots. I was very disappointed, nothing was explained! If you pack crime case in 10 hours at least bother to explain whole case in details, and end it properly. We didn't watch this just for abused mother of 3, or dude who left his worker to die. We wanted to know what happened.