The narratives are skilfully woven making it a thrilling affair. But when Detective Sam Cheddid (Louisa Mignone) is called to testify, she provides details about Kate Lawsons images of Claire in various ominous poses, in addition to other evidence. The way that Kates theme of death is portrayed is a lovely example of self-surrender. The plot-point, which reveals that Steefan is also left-handed, only seems to be a red-herring. At one point, Holly (Charlotte De Bruyne) even asserts that it's reasonable to assume a murder legally never took place in Roos' death, as the question of intent to kill was not an unassailable fact by any means. He claims that he has not been hostile toward any of her sisters for a very long time, and Claire tried to get in touch with him to learn more about her family and even expressed a desire to see him. But the beauty of De Twaalf is that each of these characters, as unlikeable as they are, are so well-drawn and acted that you never feel theyre cartoonish they feel human, albeit extremely flawed. Even though Kate was involved previously in a similar case while she was a teenger, the court discourages jury members from being prejudiced and biased. Your email address will not be published. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { They are twelve distinct individuals with disparate thoughts who juggle their varied issues, contributing their struggles to the judgment and crafting a new scene inside their heads. eventAction: 'render' }); As our favorite crotchety diagnostician Dr. House once told us, everybody lies. The Belgian courtroom drama makes it to the UK. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Swedish Crime Drama Though the story itself is wholly fiction, at its heart,The Twelve is described by its showrunners as a reaction to political events in Belgium where for a time some major criminal justice procedural rules were subject to change. MEAWW is an initialism for Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. The Twelve flew under the radar this summer when it landed on Netflix, and Im glad I circled back to it. According to Nathans testimony, he and Kate were friends while attending the same art school. Kates artistic expression faces numerous obstacles. Along with penning poems and singing Rabindra Sangeet, she enjoys exploring the World of Cinema because one day she sees herself behind the lenses. This didnt bother me, in fact I found it fascinating. When one of his illegal immigrant employees got injured at his constriction site, he just left him on a bench and fled. First, the aftermath of Delphines struggle with Mike. The Twelve, a Belgian series on Netflix, opens with jury selection for a scandalous case against a woman, Frie Palmers (Maaike Cafmeyer), who is accused of killing her best friend 19 years earlier and mortally wounding her own child three years earlier. Diane, her sister, must have known this but chose to be her supporter because it was an accident. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Were they right, or at least justified in their decision? The series finale has been left slight open-ended, which has angered some viewers and critics. With this, based on the decision of the jury, Frie gets sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment, while Steefan walks free. To be honest, I truly did not know if Frie was guilty, even up to deliberation. If it sounds complicated its really not, and bingeing this series is a great way to dig into the intertwining storylines and keep up with whos doing what. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. For me the setting free of Delphine was great, that Mike fellow if I came across a person like that in real life I would certainly slap him myself. As per legal norms, a panel of 12 jurors and a substitute is assigned to hear the evidence of the defense and prosecution to form an unbiased decision. The sequestered jury is continuously being educated by the false media reports that claim that Kate has committed murder in the past. }); The only evidence that may have shown Claire had choked to death in the final scenethe negatives of those photographswere destroyed by Diane, thus handing her a verdict for her wrongdoing. For this fraudulent accusation, he was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. I recommend it. if(document.querySelector("#adunit")){ When it comes to Rose's murder, they look at all possible suspects including Stefaan. Please support Ready Steady Cut today. Very confusing. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. His failure to act appropriately to save the life of a worker at his construction site makes him feel bad. document.querySelector("#ads").addEventListener('click',function(){ In his new nation, Farrad (Hazem Shammas), an Iraqi immigrant and former lawyer who drives a cab for a living, eagerly awaits the arrival of his family. But the toll of Stefaans past and Fries manipulative ways soon get on top of her during the court case. Diane reiterates that Claire fled and was not killed, at least not by her adoring aunt. Due to this incident, she starts believing that no matter how close someone is to you, they have the potential to harm you. All rights reserved. She enters the box and admits her adultery with Nathan, despite her lawyers being unhappy with her choice. Its the gloves and Britts necklace that eventually give her away. British Crime Drama Mr. Corby contends that Madam Crowns concerns are unfounded and that Claires body was never discovered. The multi-layered and unique approach makes for a compelling watch and in the end, it is all about how jurors like Delphine (Maaike Neuville), and Holly Cuesters (Charlotte De Bruyne) try their best to stay impartial despite their troubled pasts. "We found it thought provoking to focus on the ordinary people that get drawn by lot for jury duty. We know as an audience, at the end, that hes innocent bc of the scenes we're privy to, but the jury doesn't. They also dismiss the professor as not having motive to kill Bre. PBS When the police arrived at Dokics house, they discovered that he was driving Belinda to the hospital. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function(event) { He brings up a few old, biased stories that the court ignores. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), He claims that creating art is not always a method to unwind but may also be a challenge. Kate went back home and told her family everything after Belinda passed away from a head injury. Using its character-driven premise, it creates an immersive experience by purposely confusing viewers and ending on an ambiguous note. In the closing moments of 'The Twelve', the court concludes that Frie is guilty of killing her best friend Brechtje, but is innocent when it comes to her daughter's murder. This is no cushy jury job, this is serious business where every move will be scrutinised and pored over by rolling news stations and by people on street corners. Sundance Now Nol is a recovering sex addict and sells information to a tabloid journalist, only to later assist in saving the life of his fellow juror Delphine (Maaike Neuville). Creators Sanne Nuyens and Bert Van Dael manage to roll out an intriguing story with 'The Twelve'. With this, based on the decision of the jury, Frie gets sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment, while Steefan walks free. window.googletag.cmd.push(function() { The final verdict sees Frie not guilty. The Twelve makes a concerted effort throughout its ten episodes to separate law from morality. The house mistress of Claires hostel, Ms. Fiona West (Danielle King), testifies and explains that Claire regularly fled. (LogOut/ German Crime Drama eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), The story is directed collectively by five talented Australian filmmakers and is based on the Belgian TV series Da Twaalf. The story unfolds with the murder trial of a 14-year-old teenager, Claire Spaces(Coco Jack Gillies), after a prominent hiatus. However, early in the show itself, its established that no juror is perfect. Theyre all influenced by their pasts, their personal lives, and their vices. HBO We all have our different backgrounds as a person, and maybe it's next to impossible to be completely 'free of bias.' He even gives all of Delphine's sacrifices purpose by giving up his jurist seat so she can take over as substitute. The ten-episode drama follows Maaike Cafmeyer's Frie Palmers, a headmistress accused of a double murder, her daughter Rose (Estelle Sys), and best friend, Brechtje (Lynn Van Royen). Quite simply, the series is about how there are different perspectives to a case rather than a solid opinion or viewpoint. However, psychiatrist Dr. Tahlia testifies that Kate has Borderline Personality Disorder, a psychiatric illness that causes significant mood swings, unstable relationships, difficulty controlling impulsive emotions, and even self-destruction. Change). Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Which brings me to my one beef about this series. So, like Kates art, the reason for her punishment is also open to interpretation; if it is for killing Belinda, or Claire, or the trust of a sister, or anything else. The Twelve episode 10, the finale, brings matters to a close, and while it has been a long perhaps too long road to get here, the journey has for the most part been worth it. (LogOut/ When he goes to retrieve it, he finds two major surprises inside its pages: black gloves, and a delicate gold necklace that spells "amour" both subject to many questions during the trial for their absence. Trevor is a middle-aged man without a strong personal opinion who frequently sides with the majority. The jurors wrestle with their own intriguing personal dramas as they weigh the evidence against Frie. The show reveals several times that the incision was deliberately made in a way only to injure the girl and not kill her. Two heinous crimes, but is this complex character who has been through deep pain and loss guilty? The day begins with the jurys selection of fourteen individuals representing a variety of backgrounds, to hear Kates case. At one point, Holly (Charlotte De . Joeri is wracked with guilt over the death of an undocumented immigrant on his construction site, and eventually begins to believe he deserves the strictest punishment possible. The authorities discovered a video from Claires phone in which she could be seen imitating the violent sexual absurdities known as Scarfing, also known as auto-erotic asphyxiation, by suffocating herself with her school tie, which was later recovered as a piece of evidence from the sea. She is with the team as an additional juror until one day she is hospitalized. Learn how your comment data is processed. Belgian Crime Drama In court, Kates ruthlessness and creepiness are described to the jury by Madam Crown Solicitor Lucy Bloom (Marta Dusseldorp). Later evidence shows that his claims regarding his argument with Claire were inaccurate. Mexican Crime Drama Arnold is a homophobe but ultimately the most clear-eyed about how the justice system is supposed to operate. It may or may not be in favor of the guilty and the innocent. Dr. Kantor, a forensic specialist, informs the court that sodium hypochlorite, a potent industrial bleach, was discovered in some photographs and the wheelbarrow, indicating that she attempted to clean those items, probably in an effort to obliterate evidence. Every once in a while, a lawyer will yell out, Is this relevant? or something, but theres no formality to it. Additionally, she says that Claire asked her to tape her while scarfing because she was so enraged by everyone. Amazon Prime The court procedures seem very lax. Her violent father cooked up a scenario in which Kate went home and saw them in a conjugal position. (LogOut/ hitType: 'event', Best of 2019 These cookies do not store any personal information. I dont know Belgian law, so maybe it really is this way, but during witness testimony, the judge will turn to the defendant and ask, Is this true? And it's a good one. Dont miss our other great reviews. } Garry assists Georgina Merrick (Brooke Satchwell), a fellow juror and mother of three, in leaving her mentally abusive and overbearing husband. To what extent this constitutes a satisfying ending will probably be determined by personal taste, but I think by any metric it constitutes a ballsy one. Mr. Otto Bell (Toby Schmitz), the proprietor of the art gallery where Kate is set to show, swears in court that Kates work was the main attraction of his establishment. We now wonder what the situation is ? Comparatively, the jurors have a much neater time in their own stories. The Killing Times Top 20 Crime Dramas Of The Year 2020: Part three, 10-6 The Killing Times, Australian version of The Twelve set to premiere in June The Killing Times, The Twelve season 2: Everything we know as filming begins in Belgium The Killing Times, Mindhunter season 3: David Fincher speaks. Because of this, she believes that even if Frie has killed her daughter, her guilt has already punished her enough. Despite the fact that Kate loved her niece dearly, Diane determines that her sister deserves this outcome only. Diane was quite close to her sister, but she gave up when she learned that Kate and Nathan were having an affair. The struggle that took place in front of her house and in Nathans car was also caught on neighboring CCTV. Did Frie kill Britt? And Delphine, too, becomes increasingly terrified at Mikes pathetic behaviour. While the daughters mystery gets resolved to an extent, Brechtjes murder remains to be one big mystery even after the shows credits start rolling. She also informs the court that Kates most recent body of work focused entirely on death. Young queer with severe anger management issues, Vannessa Young (Catherine Van-Davies), wants to get pregnant with her girlfriend, Zoe. An alcoholic and a gambler, Garry Thorne (Brendan Cowell) lives alone with his two dogs. If some questions still remain about Fries precise motives, they make for ambiguous grace notes to a season that otherwise ended quite conclusively. media-tech companies with hubs around the world. Were then introduced to the case itself. gads_event = event; The damnation returns to Kate in this way. After an entire season of red herrings, shady behavior, and a whole litany of potential suspects, it was the accused who was guilty after all. A lie? None of the jurors treat it as such either, which leads to a problem there isnt a majority vote, which is whats required. eventAction: 'click_image_ads' Ready Steady Cut is operated by Hart-Wilson Media Limited Furthermore, even after his lie-detector test, his polygraph analyzer had concluded that he lied about not killing Brechtje. Later, Diane testified that her ex-husband was very controlling towards his own daughter. Amita (Aretha-Mae Collins), a friend of Claires, recorded this video. It looks bad for Frie, because she recently lost custody of Roos to Stefaan and his new wife Margot. Cobra Kai season 5, episode 10 recap the ending explained. Dutch Crime Drama "We hope The Twelve shows both sides after ten episodes because this is very much how we feel,'" they said. And I can see why you go on such a journey with Frie, the jurors and the other characters (including, I should mention, a brilliant turn by Josse De Pauwas wily defence lawyer Ari Spaak), and invest time and emotional effort, you feel as though youre owed a payoff. It's not that simple either. Throughout the series, we get to know the personal lives of several jurors, as well as that of Fries ex, Stefaan de Munck (Johan Heldenbergh), who is the plaintiff in the case. Forthright and free Holly is the foreman on the jury, but shes hiding a past that soon comes to light. The case in The Twelve stems from the relationship between the morose Frie and her ex, Stefaan. She claims that after seeing Claires internet video of drinking and dancing, her father, Nathan, became enraged, dragged her outside, and started an argument with her until Kate intervened. To begin with, were introduced to Delfine Spijkers (Maaike Neuville), who rushes into the courtroom and is anxious as the selections for the jury is made. So lets further discuss their motives and what drove them into making the decision that they made. ga('ads.send', { When you subscribe, you will receive not only the list, but a new foreign crime drama recommendation each week in your email In Box. Your email address will not be published. Frie handles it badly, in ways that make her seem unstable. This revelation changes everything and nothing all at once. When Kate arrived at the scene, she seized Claires phone out of anger and brought Amita to her house. Connected to both cases is Stefaan De Munck a man who got together with Frie after the murder of his (pregnant) partner Brechtje, also Fries best friend. Required fields are marked *. Now a lie detector test can have its inconsistencies, but Steefan did just fine when the analyzer asked him about his daughters murder. In the end, once can draw several theories out of the shows well-thought-out premise. pg.acq.push(function() { Tonight Youre Sleeping With Me Ending, Explained: Who Does Nina End Up With? This trial featured people from many different walks of life, all of whom perform acts of both common heroism and pettiness, and possess positive and negative qualities. In some sense, is this absolving the jury of their responsibility and an example of the show slightly chickening out of its central premise? We are one of the worlds fastest growing Madam Crown emphasizes that the theme is entirely about the abyss or existential terror of facing a young persons death, which ties into the brutal nature of the murder, but Mr. Bell diverts her attention by praising Kates art as beautiful and provocative. On the other hand, Jorie had done something similar. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Each episode soon settles down into a solid, repeatable and durable format to start with we get a flashback to Frie and Brechtjes previous life, then we get some present-day action from the jurors and their lives, then a meaty slice of the trial, and then a cliffhanger, which usually involves a member of the jury or another flashback. We see Corrie Dsouza, an employee of a charity shop and the jurys foreperson, as she tries to flee from the painful memories of discovering her parents homicide. Along with this, the show suggests that a left-handed person most likely made the incision. ga('ads.send', { She seems guilty, as many jurors explain helplessly; we ultimately learn that she is in both cases. The jurors decide not to rule in Frie's favor after she is deemed guilty of killing Brechtje. eventCategory: event.slot.getSlotElementId(), And the deliberation is different, too. Luxembourg Crime Series It all bubbles up into a brilliant but slightly controversial finale. Baby Mia Jade Riley: Parents Lani and Tom Riley speak out after dog attack killed their 5-week-old infant, Kyle Sambrook: Hiker falls 100ft to death while carrying his dog in one hand through 'appalling' weather, Bruce Willis's mom Marlene 'not sure if her son still recognizes her' as 'aggressiveness' creeps in, Killer mom Lindsay Clancy was suffering from drug withdrawal and had 'worst side effects,' says friend, Julia Faustyna: 21-yr-old girl who claims to be Madeleine McCann admits to making 'pornographic videos' in past. }); This event scars her, and she carries the guilt of this incident with her. } Looking for more of the best in foreign TV? The owner of the boat, Wood Duck, Mr. Harmon (Josh Quong Tart), claims that Kate had access to his boat and keys, but he thinks his boat was unharmed and wasnt used in any crimes. Since Belgian courtroom drama, De Twaalf (The Twelve in English), won a screenwriting award at Cannes in 2019, there's been a distinct buzz building around it as deals were made to distribute it around the world. Their lives as they knew them are over for it, not fixed as they hoped it would be by taking Frie so earnestly to trial. And, with the level of detail that comes with a complex trial with plenty of evidence to be reviewed, De Twaalf really does lend itself to watching over a weekend. [] Maybe one day there will be a good answer to it. It wasnt clear to me why Noel brought up the issue of talking to the press. Mum-of-three Delphine is the reserve member of the jury but plays a major role in The Twelve. These photographic flashes at a particular time interval are captured on CCTV. Romanian Crime Drama Polish Crime Drama It is the apology she never made to Belinda for her true wrongdoing. Throughout The Twelve, Kates teenage years are frequently brought to our attention. That's why there's no sense of victory for Stefaan (Johan Heldenbergh), Nama (Souad Boukhatem), and her mother Lutgard (Jolente De Keersmaeker). Films Who murdered rose in The Twelve? However, he's completely willing to fall on his own sword for his sleazy addict brother Bjorn (Dominique Van Malder), who suggested the hare-brained plan to leave the worker on a public bench anyway. }); Some shows are worth their salt. ga('create', 'UA-67136960-15', 'auto', 'ads'); Now, Kate feels compelled to speak because she fears that if she stays silent, the jury will never understand her predicament. What Happens To Him In The End? Weve seen a courtroom/jury drama on these shores very recently thanks to the Welsh crime drama, 35 Awr, which also features both the case and the lives of the jurors, but I have to say De Twaalf is much more intense in comparison, mostly because its pretty much entirely humour free. Who is Kate Lawson? Yet Roos dies anyway from an infection. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Moreover, according to him, she did not finish her photo shoot; the last picture was unfinished, but it was never done due to the upsetting event. Also, there are no objections. How Is He Related To Pope? hitType: 'event', Frie is guilty of both acts of violence, and she's confessing as much to her attorney all these years later at last. Can she and her marriage survive the trial? Unlike other courtroom dramas, The Twelve is not limited to the verbal scuffles between attorneys or the graphic depictions of criminals and their dangerous actions. Their decision may have been made, however, the scintillating part that remains a mystery is how the jurors manage to judge Frie. The young boy with the headphones, who eventually identified himself as Ethan, never speaks during any of the sessions but instead holds up a mirror in front of everyone to show them how miserable they are while pretending to be objective and ideal. As the jurors get to know each other, so do we theres Delphine, who Ive already mentioned; young, headstrong Holly Ceusters (Charlotte De Bruyne) who is revealed to have experienced her own trauma several years ago (she returned from a night out to find her parents tied up at home, brutally and senselessly murdered); Arnold Briers (Peter Gorissen) who is grieving the loss of his wife and lives in a noisy apartment block, the constant din compounding his loneliness; sex addict Nol Marinus (Piet De Praitere) who is feeding insider info of the case and his fellow jurors to a journalist for cash; uptight Carl Destoop (Zouzou Ben Chikha) who is trying to deal with his daughter Juliettes recent autism diagnosis, even though he may be on the spectrum himself; and alpha-male Joeri Cornille (Tom Vermeir) who becomes involved in a moral quandary when an illegal worker falls from scaffolding at the building site his company owns and tries to cover it up. Because of the expense to the state, trial rules were temporarily modified to limit juries to just four laymen and three judges, blending the legal concepts of a jury trial and a bench trial, but the idea was ultimately ruled unconstitutional and abandoned. AsFrie Palmers (Maaike Cafmeyer) stands on trial for allegedly killing her daughter Roos (Estelle Sys) after losing custody of her to her ex-husband, she's also accused of murdering her best friendBrechtje Vindevogel (Lynn Van Royen), who once dated Frie's ex-husbandStefaan De Munck (Johan Heldenbergh). Spanish crime drama Russian crime drama Above all, he rejects the notion that Kate could truly murder her niece in order to bring her death art to life. So going by this explanation, the decision of the jurors was flawed. He was utterly disturbed by his unjust imprisonment, and for that, he lost a prestigious scholarship because he could not submit his assignment on time. While its not a grisly murder drama, it is a compelling human drama, with no easy answers. Between the jury and the court, though, a decision is made: Frie is found guilty of murdering Britt, but not Rose. Its the home video footage that swings the vote, despite Stefaans overwhelming suspiciousness, and as Frie is being led away shes sure to cast further aspersions on him. After Brechtje was killed (with what Stefaan thought was his baby inside her), Frie began a relationship with Stefaan, which eventually bore baby Roos. As Van Dael and Nuyens stated, "The interesting fact for us was that our series encompasses both the good and the bad of the jury system. Our review will follow tomorrow, but until then weve put together a whos who guide there are a lot of characters, a lot of intertwining stories and some real twists and turns. Outer Banks Character: Ward Cameron, Explained: Did He Survive In Season 3? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The final episode of The Twelve shows the ultimate verdict: Frie is convicted of the murder of Brechtje, but is not found culpable for her daughter Roos' death. A Man Called Otto Ending, Explained: Does Otto Find A Reason To Live? The Twelve is one of the most acclaimed Australian TV series and features a scintillating courtroom drama where twelve regular individuals with regular lives not only serve as a jury in a horrifying murder case, but also become emotionally invested . And its a good one. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ And the series buzz is well justified the 10-part thriller expertly manages to interweave tense, courtroom scenes with the lives of some of the 12 jurors, making it a rich, immersive and intense character-driven whodunit. Finnish Crime Drama As a result, their final word in the case is only a reflection of who they are and their sense of justice. Although there is disagreement among the public regarding sufficient evidence to establish Kates crime, her defense attorneys argued that Kate should not be accused of murder unless there is concrete evidence that Claire actually died, since no dead body has yet been found. Dont miss our other great reviews HERE! A thousand intersecting cruelties and blessings occurred because of the complexity of individual lives slamming together for the sake of an imperfect method to punish crime. pg.acq.push(function() { Kate Lawson is a well-acclaimed photographer and artist from Sydney. Required fields are marked *. We think it raises the question more than answering it. Its insinuating that she may have committed both crimes by letting her lawyer find the gloves and necklace. }); But what reason would she have had to kill Brechtje? Towards the end, he simply feels betrayed and heartbroken by the world and chooses to turn his back on everyone in the jury. Moreover, Fries fingerprints were also found on the broken window, which was used for causing the incision.