One doesn't read Simenon's Maigret mysteries simply for setup, epiphanous moment, and denouement. I would say the same is true of watching this series. Getting to and finding out "Who did it?" matters, yes, but only a bit. The best parts are the lingering moments in between. Manuel Palmari is murdered soon after a jewel robbery gone bad (a policeman is killed). In "Maigret's Patience" we find Maigret continuing to suspect that Palmari is behind a string of jewel heists. For some time, he's visited with Palmari and has had his mistress Aline followed. We first met Manuel and Aline in a previous episode "Maigret on Trial" (aka Maigret Defends Himself). This episode "Maigret's Patience" continues that thread. (And to correct another reviewer Palmari and his mistress ARE in that book and thus in that episode "Maigret on Trial" and in fact their presence is crucial to that plot.)
Maigret questioning of Aline is taut. He knows she knows something, but what? The murder happened in Manual's apartment but who could have gained entry? No surprise, Maigret focuses on Aline and the apartment building's tenants. We meet a few of them-little peaks into their lives. There is a second thread involving finding the person who shot the policeman. While this is not in the book it's a reasonable addition to the story and adds tension to the search for the gang, especially the one who shot the cop and the one who shot Manual, the suspected leader of the gang. The story generally follows the book quite well, though a key relationship involving an old man is shifted from one character (in the book) to another (in this episode), but this shift doesn't affect the arc of the plot. If anything, it gives it more poignancy.
The conclusion is well done and is one you'll remember.
Maigret questioning of Aline is taut. He knows she knows something, but what? The murder happened in Manual's apartment but who could have gained entry? No surprise, Maigret focuses on Aline and the apartment building's tenants. We meet a few of them-little peaks into their lives. There is a second thread involving finding the person who shot the policeman. While this is not in the book it's a reasonable addition to the story and adds tension to the search for the gang, especially the one who shot the cop and the one who shot Manual, the suspected leader of the gang. The story generally follows the book quite well, though a key relationship involving an old man is shifted from one character (in the book) to another (in this episode), but this shift doesn't affect the arc of the plot. If anything, it gives it more poignancy.
The conclusion is well done and is one you'll remember.
