"Criminal Tropics" or crime in French Caribbean representation

At the end of 2019, France 2 aired a new police procedural series: “Tropiques Criminels” [t/n: “Criminal Tropics”].

Commander Melissa Saint-Rose, originally from Martinique, was transferred from the Métropole to Fort-de-France. She teams up with Captain Crivelli. Relations are tense between the two policewomen. They are totally different but complementary.

This Wikipedia synopsis raised all the red flags but I was hoping to see, if not original representation, at least an effort in the performance. Efforts were made, but they neutralized each other to fall back into the same negative clichés conveyed about Caribbean people from generation to generation. Here are my top 5 clichés that this series represents.

A Martinique with diversified landscapes

Each episode is titled after a location where the crime to be solved took place. Villas with swimming pools, a police station without air conditioning and with faded paint, luxury hotels, the hoods of Fort-de-France, the villa, the beach, the botanical garden, the mountain, the river... All these interchangeable places filmed the way they were made it impossible to bring out the visual specificity of Martinique. We could have been in Guadeloupe, French Guiana or Reunion Island, what difference doest it make? In the same way that New York City isn’t Los Angeles which isn’t Atlanta which isn’t London, why is it so difficult to give a visual identity to our islands?

A Martinique with a limited culture

“Tropiques Criminels” unfolds with the same dynamic as “Murders in Martinique” by Philippe Niang broadcast in 2016. The uprooted Black Martinican character who knows nothing of its cultural heritage faces the White (Martinican) character who explains the culture to the Black Martinican character. This dynamic is usually reflected through the characters’ take on legends and beliefs with a hint of Creole which the Black character cannot speak but the White character is fluent in. In “Tropiques Criminels”, I don't remember Gaëlle speaking Creole. It’s forensic doctor Aurélien who does. On the other hand, Gaëlle has a perfect understanding of Creole since she even manages to translate a dancehall song as she’s listening to it... Sure, why not? But at the same time, we have an acculturated Melissa. She’s offered a Creole/French dictionary by a White teacher who invites her to go out with a sweet note in Creole. Why does this show insist on showing Creole as a language mastered only by White people who weren’t even born on the island ? Why can’t Creole be represented as a language spoken by Black people ? Why isn’t Martinican culture presented in a positive light when shown by Black characters?

A predominantly White Martinique

There are 5 recurring police characters including the forensic doctor. Black characters are the minority. Doctors, directors, teachers are white. The junior employees are Black. Why... (SIGHS).

Black masculinities

Television perceives the Black man as a threat. It is then necessary to neutralize him either by isolating him, or by making him look naive, or by overplaying his virility. In “Tropiques Criminels”, there are only two recurring Black male characters: Lucas, Mélissa's teenage son, and Lieutenant Aurélien Charlery.

Lucas is the opposite of his twin sister Jade. He’s in perpetual confrontation with his mother. He smokes, gets arrested, dates a woman in her forties when he is 17... The wild and hypersexualized black teenager cliché? Double checked.

As for Aurélien, he’s always ready to be an attentive ear, a shoulder to lean on and the naive one who wants to please everyone without even being asked to. The infantilized and harmless Black man cliché ? Double checked.

In the characters related to an investigation, there isn’t one single Black man potrayed in a positive light. Young or old, frail or strong, fathers, sons or husbands, they are or have been violent, even when they aren’t guilty of the crime the police officers are investigating on. The Black man is violent cliché ? Triple checked.

Black Love is impossible

The laws of French TV prohibit Black characters to fall in love and especially to be happy in love with other Black characters. In “Tropiques Criminels”, there isn’t one single happy Black couple in the course of 8 episodes. Except for the one made of 17-year-old Lucas sleeping with 40-year-old Clementine.

Melissa lives in White spaces because she doesn't know anyone, why not? But the series strives to stage only mixed couples except for Gaëlle who fools around with Black men but wants to build a future with a White man. With only two mixed relationships portrayed, “Tropiques Criminels” still reinforces the White man/Black woman scheme and every time, the relationship fails. The White man gets back together with a White woman and the Black woman reacts with openly expressed anger. On the other hand, the Black man/ White Woman scheme is true and beautiful love. Why. is. this ?

I feel like I'm repeating myself from review to review of French TV shows. Is it me going around in a loop or French shows going around in circles? On the "bright" side, there were the character of a loving Black father (but he's broke and unemployed), Black gay characters (but victims of homophobia), a character of a Black woman who is a manager (but she's murdered), characters of Black teenage girlfriends (but they're burglars)... Mélissa Sainte-Rose and Gaëlle Crivelli showing feminist solidarity to face their misogynist boss. Yay?

Photo : Sylvie Castioni/BestImage