Three years after the broadcast of the finale of season 3, the series “Les Bracelets rouges” returns to TF1 with a new season 4 centered on a new group of sick teenagers. Is this new version as successful as the previous one?
The Red Bracelets teenagers have not said their last word. A little over three years after the broadcast of the last episode of season 3, the hit series adapted from the Spanish format Polseres vermelles is making a comeback this Monday, September 11 at 9:10 p.m. on TF1 for a new season 4 in the form of a reboot, which gives pride of place to a new generation of sick adolescents.
Exit Thomas (Audran Cattin), Clément (Tom Rivoire), Roxane (Louna Espinosa), Mehdi (Azize Diabate) and Côme (Marius Blivet), who are not returning in this fourth season – their respective stories having come to an end ago is three years old -, and place for Benji, Gabriel, Zoé, Emma, and Nathan who will quickly touch your heart.
Same hospital, but new generation of Red Bracelets
This “suite” of the Red Bracelets takes us back to the pediatrics department of the Léonard de Vinci hospital in Arcachon, which was already the setting for the first three seasons.
The opportunity for TF1 viewers to find a large part of the nursing staff of the establishment, including doctors Catalan and Riffier. But also to meet a new group of Bracelets.
First there is Benji, the “heart” of the group, suffering from a degenerative disease, and who has been going to the hospital for years. His best friend, Gabriel, is in a wheelchair following a terrible car accident. United in adversity, they will meet Zoé, admitted for a broken arm, but whose analyzes reveal that her state of health is more serious than expected.
Forced to stay in hospital as she prepares to take her entrance exams to Oxford, Zoe shares her room with Emma. She is waiting for her mother’s test results to obtain a kidney transplant.
Finally, Nathan is admitted to the emergency room, the victim of a surfing accident, and finds himself in the same room as Gabriel, who will have to live with someone he would have liked never to see again…
Zoé and Nathan, who have just arrived, must learn to live in this place while outside, they had their lives mapped out. Emma dreams of going out when Gabriel feels better in the hospital than anywhere else.
All different, but all sick, the new Red Bracelets will get to know each other and trust each other, even when some of them fear each other. However, it is always in friendship that they find the strength to fight and keep hope, even if for Benji there is none left…
PHILIPPELEROUX/VEMA/TF1
Who is it with?
Benji, Gabriel, Zoé, Emma and Nathan, the new teenagers of season 4 of Red Bracelets are respectively played by Léo Lorleac’h (King), Noé Wodecki (When we cry wolf), Esther Blanc, Kali Boisson (ASKIP) and Noah Deric (Un Si Grand Soleil).
Always on the side of the new characters, fans of the series will also find Maxime Pipet in the role of César, another teenager from the hospital who will befriend Zoé, but also the actor and imitator Michaël Gregorio, who lends his traits to Darius, a young intern who also happens to be Zoé’s big brother.
The doctors and nurses camped by Lionel Abelanski, Guilaine Londez, Juliette Lamboley, Diouc Koma, Emilie Gavois-Kahn, Stéphane Debac and Vincent Deniard are back.
While the parents of the new heroes are interpreted by Blandine Bellavoir, Emilie Caen, Samira Lachhab, Yannig Samot, Nadège Beausson-Diagne, Evelyne El Garby Klai, Olivier de Benoist, Liliane Rovère and Anne Suarez.
PHILIPPELEROUX/VEMA/TF1
It’s worth checking out ?
Let’s say it bluntly: this new season of Red Bracelets, which marks the start of a new era for TF1’s teen series, is a real success. The hospitable and intimate journey of the different characters is told with as much accuracy and depth as ever, between dramas, rage for life, disillusionment, friendships and budding love stories.
We immediately fall under the spell of Benji, Gabriel, Emma and the others, who have nothing to envy to their predecessors, quite the contrary, and whose group dynamics are somewhat different from what we saw in the first three seasons.
Still just as touching and moving – especially when it comes to the contrast between the hope of most of the heroes to escape and the daily life of Benji who no longer really has hope – this fourth season composed of six episodes also surprises with its really nice moments of comedy.
And by the will of the screenwriters Cécile Berger, Solenn Le Priol, Pascal Fontanille, Winnie Vatimbella and Alexandre Manneville to go where the series had not yet gone before, by dealing in particular with the harassment suffered by Gabriel high school, the the only gay character in the group. A terrible ordeal which will unfortunately follow him to the hospital.
JEAN-CLAUDE LOTHER / VEMA / TF1
Once we have finished watching the series, we realize with pleasure that we have never missed the old characters – without obviously taking anything away from the many qualities of seasons 1 to 3 – and that the characters of the parents, perfectly played by Samira Lachhab ( Tomorrow belongs to us), Emilie Caen (What have we done to the Good Lord?), Yannig Samot (Balthazar) or Nadège Beausson-Diagne (Plus belle la vie), never steal the spotlight from the teenagers who are the true beating heart of this new generation.
Six young actors who are simply amazing, spark throughout the six episodes, and already seem to have a bright future. In short, this new version of the Red Bracelets is really all good and we are already hoping for a season 5 which will continue the adventures of this endearing little band.