Ep 2. Simon

In season one's episode two of The Returned titled Simon, the series continues to explore the mysterious and otherworldly happenings in a small French mountain town, where the recently deceased have started coming back to life. In this episode, we see a focus on the story of Simon, a young man who died in a bus accident four years ago.

In the opening scenes, we see a distraught Adele, Simon's former fiancé, watching as her new partner becomes agitated and violent, prompting her to flee. Meanwhile, Camille, another returned character from the season premiere, eagerly explores her old room and reconnects with her twin sister Lena, who has grown up significantly in the four years since her death. Camille's presence in the house creates tension between Lena and her mother, who is still struggling to come to terms with her daughter's sudden reappearance.

We then quickly shift to Simon, who awakens from a morgue drawer, overwhelmed and confused by his new reality. Simon sets out to find his fiancé Adele, hoping to find answers about his return from the dead. As he journeys through the small town, he finds himself becoming increasingly isolated and vulnerable, with no one able or willing to help him.

Throughout the episode, Simon's journey is cut with flashbacks to his life before his death, which provide some insight into his character and motivations. We see him as a romantic and creative young man, deeply in love with Adele and working as a musician. We also learn about his struggles with addiction and his rocky relationship with Adele's father, which ultimately led to the couple's separation.

As Simon moves through the town, he begins to experience strange and unsettling phenomena, leading him to believe that he may not be the only returned in town. He becomes increasingly desperate to understand what is happening to him and reconnects with a sympathetic nurse who had attended to him in the morgue. Together they discover that there are others like him, and they begin to piece together the mysteries behind their return.

The episode builds to a genuinely suspenseful conclusion, culminating in a shocking reveal that raises the stakes and sets the stage for future episodes. By the end of the episode, we are left with more questions than answers, but the slow burn of intrigue and suspense promises to keep the audience engaged for the long haul.

Overall, The Returned's season one, episode two, Simon, serves as an excellent continuation of the eerie and unsettling atmosphere introduced in the premiere. The world-building and character development are top-notch, and the writing and direction do a fantastic job of keeping viewers on edge and engaged. With promises of more mysteries to unravel and dark secrets to uncover, The Returned maintains its status as a must-watch supernatural thriller.