La Faille

La Faille (English: The Flaw) or The Wall (French: Le Mur) is a French Canadian television crime drama series of three seasons, with a total of 25 episodes, which started broadcasting on Club Illico in 2019. The series is written by Frédéric Ouellet, directed by (first two seasons) and Daniel Roby (third season), and produced by Dominique Veillet for /Quebecor Content. The first season of eight episodes was broadcast in Canada from December 12, 2019 and in France as The Wall: Cover Your Tracks from April 26, 2020 via 13ème Rue. The second season, La Faille 2 or The Wall: The Chateau Murder (French: Le meurtre du château), of nine episodes was broadcast from October 17, 2021. La Faille 3: La Verger or The Wall: The Orchard, the third and final season of eight episodes, was aired on November 16, 2022.
The first season is set in the mining town of Fermont, north-eastern Quebec, Canada. Fermont's major structural feature is popularly known as the Wall, which comprises self-contained residential, commercial, recreational and educational buildings. In La Faille the main protagonist, detective sergeant Céline (Isabel Richer), is sent from provincial capital Quebec City to investigate the murder of a stripper-prostitute, inside the Wall. Assisting Céline is local uniformed policeman Alex (Alexandre Landry). Céline encounters her estranged daughter Sophie (Maripier Morin) who is married to the mine-owner's son Lou (Jean-Philippe Perras). In France season one's broadcasting was halted in mid-July 2020 when French-Canadian singer-songwriter Safia Nolin aired allegations of sexual assault and racist statements by Morin. Morin publicly apologized, Nolin did not lodge any official complaint and the artistic community pressured Club Illico so that broadcasting was resumed.
During the second season, Céline is back in Quebec City and investigates the murder of a civil engineer – found encased in concrete in a Château Frontenac bathroom. Alex, on compulsory leave for post-traumatic stress disorder, unofficially investigates the case, going undercover at the château. Sophie joins her father William (Bruno Verdoni) to hunt industrial secrets related to the city's major engineering projects. Céline is partnered with rookie detective Daphne (Naila Louidort). Before filming of the third season began, Morin was removed from the cast, after further allegations of inappropriate behavior had been raised. For the third season, Céline traveled to her fictitious hometown of Applegrove in Eastern Townships (or Estrie). Alex responds to a skeleton found in her uncle's orchard, which is identified as Céline's long-missing grandmother. Céline and Alex are joined by Estrie police officer, Johnny. The squad becomes enmeshed in feuds between local families. Complications increase when the squad finds links to the bordering abbey of Saint-Benoît-du-Lac and reinvestigate the historical murder of Céline's cousin.
Cast
Credits:
Isabel Richer as Céline Trudeau: Quebec City-based Sûreté du Québec (SQ, English: Provincial Police Force of Quebec) detective sergeant, 48-years-old, born in Washington, raised in Applegrove, mother of Sophie, ex-wife of William.
Jade Charbonneau as Céline Jolicoeur (16-year-old): cousin and best friend of Véronique.
Alexandre Landry as Alexandre (Alex) Théberge: Fermont policeman, assists Céline, married to Fabienne, later moves to Quebec City, diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Becomes homicide detective sergeant.
Maripier Morin as Sophie Taylor: Ricard Mine's communications officer, married to Lou, Celine's estranged daughter, later returns to Quebec City, resumes contact with her father, William.
David Savard as Martin Landry: SQ medical examiner, Celine's friend.
Benoît Gouin as Jacques Larocque: SQ commander, Céline's boss, political appointee.
Season 1 additional cast
Credits:
as Louis-Philippe (Lou) Ricard: Ricard Mine's director, son of Jules and Diane, Sophie's husband
Patrick Hivon as Bruno Lamontagne: mine worker, Justine's regular customer, angry and violent father of Anthony and Grégoire (died), Nathalie's ex-husband
Éveline Gélinas as Nathalie St-Onge: Bruno's ex-wife, Anthony and Grégoire's mother
Xavier Huard as Alain Turgeon: Fermont police researcher, Nathalie's lover
Marc Messier as Jules Ricard: Ricard Mine's owner and Fermont's main employer, married to Diane, Lou's father
Élise Guilbault as Diane Tremblay-Ricard: Fermont mayor, Ricard's wife, Lou's mother
Stéphane F. Jacques as Marc Desautel: Fermont police lieutenant, Alex and Geneviève's boss
Alexa-Jeanne Dubé as Geneviève Bédard: Fermont crime scene analyst, Alex' co-worker
Noah Parker as Anthony Lamontagne: Bruno and Nathalie's elder son, Grégoire's brother
Marianne Fortier as Raphaëlle Fournier: Justine's younger sister, Anthony's girlfriend
Denis Trudel as Robert Fournier: mining engineer, Claude's brother, Justine and Raphaëlle's uncle
Kim Despatis as Fabienne Dubé: Fermont paramedic, Alex's wife, murdered
Catherine St-Laurent as Léa Valois: Fertek bartender, Justine's friend
Vincent Kim as Pao Beauchemin: mine worker, Diane's clandestine lover
as Dave Bélanger: Fermont computer, phone and electronics store owner, murdered
Dominique Quesnel as Hélène Fournier: Justine and Raphaëlle's mother, Claude's wife
Normand Daoust as Claude Fournier: Justine and Raphaëlle's father, married to Hélène
Mélanie Langlais as Justine Fournier: stripper-prostitute, murdered
Kim Lavack as Jérôme: Fermont paramedic, Fabienne's co-worker, murdered
Monique Spaziani as Suzanne Desmarais: mother of murdered Steven Desmarais
Schelby Jean-Baptiste as Fanette Jasmin: Fermont news reporter, works for Diane
Season 2 additional cast
Credits:
Naila Louidort as Daphné Constant: rookie SQ detective, mentored by Céline
Bruno Verdoni as William Taylor: Céline's ex-husband, speculator, industrial spy, father of Sophie
Marie Bernier as Sylvie Cadieux: Château Frontenac concierge, Nathan's friend
Felix-Antoine Duval as Adrien Lacombe: château bellhop, steals from guests, mentors Alex
Jean Marchand as Hubert Philippin: civil engineer, pled guilty and served time for bridge collapse; researched better construction materials, murdered
Romane Denis as Joanie Prévost: medical student, bridge collapse survivor, daughter of Samuel, elder sister of dead Felix, stays at château
Genevieve Boivin-Roussy as Esther Smith: Montréal university lecturer, civil engineer, hired to recommend Quebec's "third link", Hubert's research assistant and lover, murdered
Bruno Marcil as Samuel Prévost: Joanie's father, won prize of a week's stay at château, assaulted Hubert, fled when under suspicion
Émile Schneider as Nathan Gignac: tourist taxi driver, friend of Joanie, his sister Anne died in bridge collapse
Manuel Tadros as Edmond Chamfort: major builder, coerced Hubert into accepting all guilt for collapsed bridge, schemes to recover his reputation, Bernard's father, murdered
Charles-Aubey Houde as Bernard Chamfort: building contractor, Edmond's son
Julian Casey as Geoff Peterson: wealthy businessman, owns Château Frontenac, owns construction business, his wife Anne (Nathan's sister) died in bridge collapse
Amélie Grenier as Patricia Fleury: Joanie's mother, Samuel's wife
as Esposito: SQ uniformed police in Céline's squad room
Macha Limonchik as Monique Desjardins: deputy minister of transport
Season 3 additional cast
as Jean "Johnny" Léger: Applegrove local policeman, assists Alex.
Clifford Leduc-Vaillancourt as Johnny Léger (24 year-old): rookie local policeman, investigates Véronique's 1986 murder.
Gilbert Sicotte as Léopold Jolicoeur: Céline's uncle, brother of Louise and Françoise, father of Véronique.
David Boutin as Simon Savard-Jolicoeur: Louise's second son, Karen's lover, involved in smuggling across US-Canada border with Sandford.
as Father Sébastien: Saint Benedict Abbey's abbot, manages finances poorly.
Maka Kotto as Father Isaac: Sébastien's deputy, takes over after Sébastien's murder.
Daniel Parent as Kevin Savard-Jolicoeur: Louise's oldest son, married Claire, father of Xavier. Involved in clandestine deals.
Ian Thibault as Kevin Savard-Jolicoeur: Claire's fiancé.
Marcel Sabourin as Father Gabriel Robin: elderly monk at abbey, Marie-Thérèse's lover, Léopold's biological father.
Dorothée Berryman as Louise Jolicoeur: Céline's aunt, mother of Kevin, Simon and Émile. Lives with Kevin.
Sébastien Ricard as Damien Morency: cousin of Morency "sisters", Céline's former infatuation, schemes to acquire abbey lands.
as Claire Collins: daughter of local impoverished bluebloods, married Kevin in 1986.
Debbie Lynch-White as Karen: owns Applegrove hotel restaurant, Simon's lover, involved in clandestine activities.
Patrick Drolet as Émile Savard-Jolicoeur: Louise's mentally disabled son. Befriended by his cousins Céline and Véronique. Bullied by Morency "sisters", scorned by Simon.
Phillipe Vanasse-Paquet as Xavier Jolicoeur: Claire and Kevin's son, Simon's cousin, sometime assistant.
Gary Boudreault as Jacob Duguay: abbey groundsman, handyman and gift shop attendant.
Emma Elle Paterson as Véronique Jolicoeur: Léopold's 17-year-old daughter, Céline's cousin and best friend.
Aurélia Arandi Longpré as Olivia Asmussen: Elena's daughter, young woman held hostage by Simon and Karen. Xavier's love interest.
Felicia Shulman as Suzan McNeil: farmer, Sandford's ex-wife.
Charles Papasoff as Sandford McNeil: former local policeman, Johnny's former boss, Suzan's ex-husband. Involved in smuggling with Simon.
Élisabeth Locas as Marie-Thérèse Jolicoeur: mother of Léopold, Louise and Françoise. Céline's long missing grandmother.
as Antoinette Morency: Damien's female cousin, one of the Morency "sisters".
Maxime Cormier as Francis Morency: Damien's male cousin, one of the Morency "sisters".
Anana Rydvald as Elena Asmussen: Olivia's mother, convicted arms smuggler, blackmailed by Simon and Sandford.
Lise Roy as Françoise (Mère de Céline): Céline's long-estranged mother, Léopold and Louise's sister. Attempts reconciliation with Céline.
Filming
Season one was shot mainly in Fermont, some segments were filmed in Saint-Zénon or Terrebonne. Several interior scenes were shot in a disused shopping centre in Saint-Hubert, the Complexe Cousineau. Others were filmed in Quebec City.
Episode guide
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
References
2019 Canadian television series debuts
2022 Canadian television series endings
2010s Canadian crime drama television series
2020s Canadian crime drama television series
French-language television shows
Television shows set in Quebec
Club Illico original programming