Over the past few months, I've watched decent-to-good TV series that took their time developing their narrative and managed to capture my attention from beginning to end. I'm talking about shows like Alien: Earth, Foundation Season 3, Peacemaker Season 2, Queen Mantis, Task, Atomic, Gen V Season 2, and, of course, even Pokémon Concierge Part 2. We live in an age where everyone is vying to be the next king of trash content. And in this sea of mediocrity, finding these series that still respect the narrative tools they employ to tell a story with relevant themes and commentary is, to be honest, refreshing and comforting.
Of course, this positive air has been tarnished by these films disguised as miniseries and series. These are projects that barely had a plot for a feature film, but to fit into the Netflix binge-watching model, they've apparently expanded into the serialized format. Examples of this phenomenon are Hostage, Two Graves, Curses, Black Rabbit, and Billionaires' Bunker. I'm not sure of the intention behind the creation of Nero the Assassin, but it certainly leans more toward the latter category of series than the former.
Creators: Jean-Patrick Benes, Nicolas DigardMartin Douaire
Stars: Pio Marmaï, Alice Isaaz, Olivier Gourmet
Created by Jean-Patrick Benes, Nicolas Digard, Martin Douaire, and Allan Mauduit, and written by Raphaelle Richet, with episodes directed by Ludovic Colbeau-Justin and Mauduit, Nero the Assassin tells the story of the eponymous assassin in the city of Lamartine. He works for Vice-Consul Rochemort, considered the best in the business. One of his last missions was to assassinate Tancrede, the man to whom Rochemort's daughter, Hortense, was engaged. Why? Because that wouldn't have been a profitable union for Rochemort's expansion program. Instead, he wants Hortense to marry the Prince of Segur, something she evidently opposes.
Furthermore, Rochemort has managed to hire the One-Eyed Witch to get rid of the Consul, and the payment for her work is Nero's soul. However, when the One-Eyed Witch discovers that Nero has an illegitimate daughter named Perla, she cancels her plans to assassinate him and dedicates herself to finding her. That said, since Rochemort has transgressed ethical boundaries by hiring the One-Eyed Witch, Nero runs to Segur to complain to the prince and the archbishop about the vice-consul's illicit activities. On the way there, Nero kidnaps Hortense to keep Rochemort at bay and also kidnaps Perla to prevent her from falling into the hands of the One-Eyed Witch. The success or failure of his endeavor is the crux of this series.
Narratively, Nero the Assassin is the equivalent of that GIF of a bus about to crash, but it never does, and we only see a montage of shots of the bus nearly crashing. For context, the writers introduce magic into a complicated affair about an illegal power grab and then refuse to address the elephant in the room: the magical element. They take the characters on a convoluted, almost absurd journey through the picturesque landscapes of France, giving the impression that they've switched genres and become an adventure Western. Only after episode 6 do they get to the heart of the matter, and even then, all we get are crumbs.
There are a few comments about religious fanaticism via the cult called the Penitents. Parallels are drawn between the disruption of the ecological system due to the disappearance of magic and climate change. However, that's about it: vague hints. Once they're done with that, the focus returns to the interpersonal drama and the political tug-of-war between those who wish to rule France. If it wasn't already clear, the writing of the drama and politics is extremely poor, which makes the tradition-based story all the more compelling. And when that desire to learn about this fictional world is approached in an unsatisfactory way, the overall viewing experience is inevitably frustrating.
This is where my theory that Nero the Assassin was meant to be the first part of a movie comes in. If you analyze the project thoroughly, strip away everything irrelevant to the main plot (and there is a lot), and focus on the action sequences, drama, and world-building, I suppose you have on your hands a good first installment in a franchise that is clearly trying to emulate the style of Martin Bourboulon's Three Musketeers films.
However, as a series, there is just too much unnecessary nonsense that contributes nothing important to the narrative. And, look, I'm all for using pointless side quests to delve deeper into the world these characters inhabit. But if that's not being done right, and all we're getting is a bunch of exposition that tells us nothing about the characters we don't already know, then what's the point of the whole exercise? It affects the pacing, and by the time you get to the meat of the matter, your attention has already started to wane.
Credit where credit is due: the tremendous effort invested in the visuals is evident. The production design, costume design, art direction, hair and makeup, visual effects, special effects, and computer animation—everything looks top-notch. The French entertainment industry is having its moment in the spotlight when it comes to action; therefore, every time the series goes into combat mode, it gets interesting. The sound design and soundtrack are brilliant. So, yes, it's enjoyable at times. But overall? A resounding no.
From an acting standpoint, Pio Marmai has to do most of the heavy lifting. Yann Gael, Alice Isaaz, Olivier Gourmet, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Camille Razat, Lili-Rose Carlier Taboury, and the rest of the cast all have their moments to shine. But in the end, it's Marmai who remains etched in your memory, and earns the right to stay in your memory. He's as good at creating complex action choreography as he is at empathizing with Nero in moments of dark comedy.
He literally bares it all to convince you that he's not in this business just for the money and that he'll do anything to entertain you. And yes, for his sake, I was hoping the script would pick up pace and match Marmai's acting prowess. Unfortunately, it never did. Is Nero the Assassin worth watching? Yeah, I don't know. If you're a Marmai fan, my recommendation doesn't matter. If you just want to watch it, I'm warning you that the first six episodes are a drag. The last two aren't a piece of cake either. There's dazzling action. If you feel like you want to dedicate eight hours to it, go ahead. Also, I'd like to urge the artists to make a movie if they have the material for it; don't turn it into a series; it's not worth it.
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