'Balthazar' Episode 5 is the goriest so far and showcases Raphaël's knack for solving crimes with ease
Throughout the first four episodes of 'Balthazar', the show was strongly bound by several fascinating factors.
Apart from showcasing some of the most wicked crime cases unfold in Paris, we were also exposed to the rather intriguing characteristics of the lead characters Raphaël Balthazar and Bach and how their relationship evolves from being simply platonic to strangely sexual.
The French crime-thriller series is just two episodes away from concluding and the creators have used the latest edition to present us with what we've been waiting to witness since Acorn TV first aired 'Balthazar'.
Episode 5 of 'Balthazar' deals with Raphaël and Bach's investigation surrounding the gruesome death of two individuals, whose bodies are butchered beyond recognition and dumped in the deep waters of a lake.
When Raphaël stumbles upon a floating human head, the ever-enthusiastic forensic expert takes matters into his own hands and goes looking for the rest of the body parts, quite assertive that they are stuck somewhere beneath the surface.
As the episode progresses, we see the experts put together several pieces of evidence, only to realize that the body parts belonged to Christophe Guaino and Donien Bartoli, the father of the accused and a headmaster respectively.
For years, they dissimulated Alex's history of repeated offenses involving multiple sexual assaults and rape incidents.
The mother of one of the victims, Alex's girlfriend and one of his lady professors stage the merciless killing of his father and the headmaster to get even with them for all the heinous crimes they committed in the past.
However, the last but one episode of 'Balthazar' offers us a lot more to relish on besides cracking a case that made us sick to our stomach!
Raphaël’s former lover's spirit tells him to "remain with the living" rather than indulging in casual chattery with the dead, who definitely deserve credits for leaving him with the job he does best. This prompts the protagonist to meet with the families of the victims, whose killing holds uncanny resemblance with that of Lise's.
Meanwhile, through his own projection, he comes to a realization about his feelings for Bach, which he had been dodging for a long time now. On the other end, we see Bach's marriage falling apart because of her increasing involvement with Raphaël, which has now exceeded beyond the needs of their profession.
Episode 5 leaves us with two major questions as the series steers towards its end. One, if Raphaël can detach himself from the subject of his delusions and accept the reality for what is it and two, if Bach's conscience can help her settle once for all, by choosing between her career and family.