The Tunnel is an amazing crime show from Canal + and Sky Atlantic, dark, sometimes spooky, and always good fun. The show tackles major global issues — from terrorism, refugees, and border crime to ageism, infidelity and sexism. When combined with the show’s cracker-jack cast, beautiful cinematography and spooky overall vibe, you have a truly powerful crime series. And we just happen to be re-broadcasting the show on WGBX 44, and streaming all three seasons on WGBH Passport.
Here are nine of our favorite scenes from all three season – just a small sample of what the series has to offer.
SEASON ONE
Season One of The Tunnel follows the self-proclaimed ‘truth terrorist,’ a man who ‘punishes’ society for their own lack of morality. It’s this case that introduces Elise, a brilliant, but reticent French detective, to Karl, a jovial, if volatile English detective.
EPISODE ONE: ELISE GETS DRESSED
Episode one of Season One has a quick scene where Elise freshens up at her desk, changing her shirt and putting on deodorant. It’s simple, but a total crash course in her personality – she doesn’t have time for social niceties, and she doesn’t care what you think. She’s there to get a job done, as quickly and efficiently as possible. It’s a scene that’s both funny and the perfect representation of her stubborn, socially-awkward ways.
EPISODE THREE: BENJI & SOPHIE
When we meet Benji, we instantly know something is up with him. He has an aura of creepiness that follows him, from his spartan home to the rainy night in which he bumps into Sophie, a teenage runaway in the street. But rather than the gruesome outcome we expect from this initial interaction, Benji is concerned and earnestly takes care of young Sophie, reminding us everyone has different facets to their personalities, from good… to very, very bad.
EPISODE FIVE: MUSIC & FIDELITY
What starts as a discussion of music — Elise went to see the Spice Girls with her parents at 14, and Karl is a ‘tart’ as he’ll dance to anything — goes down a rabbit hole that digs into the loam of their individual philosophies. Elise’s disdain and fear of relationships contrasts with Karl’s desperate hold on monogamy and opens the door on a possible history of philandering. It’s a short conversation, but a lovely way to show their contrasts as their friendship builds.
SEASON TWO
Taking on religion, infidelity, and the strength of family ties, this season of The Tunnel holds a lot in store for Karl and Elise, bringing them closer through an international case that involves a plane crash, brainwashing, and atheist terrorism.
EPISODE FIVE: HUMAN RIGHTS
Rosa has an impressive resume: daughter of a famed activist and member of an atheist terrorist cell. After a violent encounter in her hospital room that leaves Karl with teeth marks on his arm, they argue with her father in the hallway — where he reminds them that despite what she’s going through, she’s still his daughter. It’s a powerful moment that talks about race and violence, as well as a poignant reminder that criminals still have human rights.
EPISODE SIX: THE BEST CAR CRASH IN THE WORLD
No spoilers, but this season literally contains one of the best car crashes captured on film. The episode follows as a character (no spoilers, remember?) flees from a particularly aggressive villain. And just when that character thinks they’ve escaped, they are t-boned by an SUV, tumbling end over end – with the camera operator still in the passenger seat! It’s somehow even more impressive when you see how they shot it in the extras after the episode.
EPISODE SEVEN: BFFS
The final episode of the season sees a lot of dramatic moments, but none are quite so emotional as a simple car ride with Elise and Karl. After a romance seems to go belly-up for Elise, she confesses her concerns and disappointment in herself to Karl as they drive through town. As he comforts her, she seems unable to stop herself from confessing. Karl is her best friend. Such a simple confession seems so much larger when it comes from someone as closed off as Elise, and it’s clear Karl feels the size of this declaration. The scene is heartfelt and truly lovely.
SEASON THREE
Karl and Elise join forces a final time to work against a criminal duo self-styled after the Pied Piper. As children go missing and lives are threatened (and lost), Karl and Elise’s friendship begins to crumble under the strain. This season is definitely the creepiest of the three.
EPISODE 1 & 2: THE PIED PIPER
The first episode hits hard when three young children are kidnapped from their beds at night, and three young refugees are left in their stead. This act in itself is nerve-wracking, as is the clear xenophobia we see from the parents and the police around the kidnapping. But when the kidnapped children are found, they are accompanied by the eeriest animated retelling of the Pied Piper. Complete with a Bosnian lullaby being whisper-sang, this video takes the case from scary to surreally terrifying, adding a whole new layer to the season.
EPISODE 2 & 3: THE BARN CABARET
The hits keep coming with this season of The Tunnel, and episode two ends with a bizarre bacchanal in an old barn. Through jittery, red-cast shots, we are shown a group of wary men, sitting in glory watching a gas-masked, bustier-clad dancer. As they watch her, they appear to grow drugged; and once they are fully dazed, a gas-masked butcher emerges onto the scene. Like the Pied Piper animation from episode one, this scene is granted something otherworldly by its cinematography, lighting and costuming — making it feel larger than life.
EPISODE 3: THE DANSE MACABRE
When Elise and Karl are tipped off to the location of the perverse cabaret, their investigation of the site uncovers a series of underground paintings, surrounded by skeletons, and featuring the headshot of different anonymous man serving as their face. As Elise and Karl explore each painting, the tension and unease continue to grow – until Elise’s leg catches on a trip wire, revealing the ultimate intent of this queer art gallery.
Not much more can be said about the series without giving away the mysteries and elegant cat-and-mouse games that the criminals engage in. And with every season, what starts as a seemingly cut and dry case becomes increasingly complex in its moral politics. Beautifully told and elegantly shot, we’re sure you won’t forget this series – especially not it’s final moments.
