New Seasons of ‘Broadchurch,’ ‘Wentworth’ and ‘Dicte’ on Netflix

In recent weeks, new seasons of some of our favorite foreign TV shows have appeared on Netflix. This is good news, as with the notable exception of River, offerings in this category have been a bit thin recently. The new seasons of Broadchurch, Wentworth and Dicte all live up to expectations. Without revealing much, here is a closer look at each show.

Broadchurch Season 2

The Latimers’ ordeal continues

If you thought the Broadchurch season 1 finale meant the end of the case involving the murder of young Danny Latimer, think again! Perhaps, taking a page from The Fall, the writers have found a way to continue a seemingly resolved investigation without losing any tension or suspense. To compound the situation, another case from Alex Hardy’s past has returned. It turns out he had a secret not shared with his police partner, Ellie Miller.

Despite the continuation of the first season case, Broadchurch season 2 picks up several months later. Hardy is no longer on the force, and Miller has moved to a different district. Events quickly conspire, as we might expect, to bring them back together. The second season will draw you in as quickly as the first, and the cast addition of the always excellent Charlotte Rampling is an unexpected bonus. Plan ahead so that you can watch all eight episodes! It has already been announced that there will be a Broadchurch season 3.

Wentworth Season 3

It’s been over a year since we reviewed Wentworth season 2; The long wait for Wentworth season 3 pays off, but if you don’t remember the events of season 2, it’s worth reading through some season 2 episode summaries or rewatching the last two episodes. There is no recap or “previously on Wentworth” to refresh our memories.

Season 3 episode 1 jumps right into the usual scheming and head games between Bea, Ferguson, Frankie, Vera and the others, but it does not feel tired or cliched. Enough has changed in the constant power struggles to keep the series fresh while we try to figure out the long term game plan of the main characters. Though it felt like there was some hope for the future in season 2, for most inmates, things now look rather bleak. And, yes, there will be a Wentworth season 4.

Dicte Season 2

While not at the very top of our Netflix TV shows list, we found the first season of Dicte to be a refreshing mix of crime and drama with interesting mysteries and real-life issues facing Dicte, her colleagues, family and friends. Dicte season 2 continues in much the same vein. It would be possible to begin the episodes without having seen season 1, but you would miss out on the backstories and some enjoyable TV watching.

As before, each case spans two episodes, but the personal storylines are continuous. Dicte still manages to – somewhat improbably – always find herself in the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time, but it’s a small knock against a foreign TV series far better than most shows on the US networks.