Barely a year after the pilot’s broadcast, “Le Replacant”, worn by JoeyStarr in the skin of Nicolas Valeyre, returns this evening on TF1 with a new double episode which deals with homophobia. And the strong point of the series remains its pretty cast.
Launched in April 2021 on TF1 in the form of a pilot, the series Le Remplacant, in which JoeyStarr plays Nicolas Valeyre, a non-conformist French teacher, immediately established itself as one of the big successes of last year on Front page .6.6 million viewers were there, with a very good audience share of 33% on the priority target of women purchasing managers under 50 years old.
It is therefore logical that the channel has ordered new episodes which arrive on the air this evening and see JoeyStarr, but also Barbara Schulz, Héléna Noguerra, Stéphane Guillon, Armelle, Sébastien Chassagne and Nadia Roz, re-enlist in their roles members of the teaching staff of the Lycée Marie Curie.
Still written by Joris Morio (Les Grands, Let’s Dance), the two unreleased episodes of this Monday, March 21, which form a single plot of 2×52 minutes, deal with an important subject and, unfortunately, still sadly topical in a society that is nevertheless evolving in the right direction on issues related to sexuality and gender: homophobia.
It all starts when Xavier Meilleur (Stéphane Guillon) is the victim of an involuntary coming-out. His fellow teachers support him in his desire to punish the culprit: a sophomore named Diego (Louis Sotton).
Only Nicolas Valeyre refuses to believe in the homophobia of this high school student with a flayed character. Against the advice of everyone (or almost), and in a desire to educate rather than punish, he then takes the student under his wing.
A situation that will take an unexpected turn for the substitute teacher who will soon find himself at the center of serious accusations. On the verge of losing all legitimacy and being excluded from national education, Nicolas Valeyre will then have to fight to remain faithful to his values. And for that, he will have no choice but to confront his own demons.
Already available for a few days on Salto, this sequel to the Substitute takes up the ingredients that made the success of the pilot, which was part of the current trend of the strong comeback of school series, from Sam to La Faute to Rousseau, via The school of life. Even if one can regret the little place granted to the majority of the teachers, and in particular to the characters of Barbara Schulz and Sébastien Chassagne, both excellent.
JULIEN CAUVIN / EXILENE / TF1
We also wish the subject of homophobia had been covered a bit more in-depth, although it’s nice – and rather clever – to see the series play with the tough guy image of JoeyStarr, whose character attached to this student accused, wrongly or not, of homophobic acts.
Less hard-hitting and less catchy in its school cases than La Faute à Rousseau for example – the 2×52′ format perhaps not being the most appropriate – Le Remplaciant fortunately makes up for it in terms of its casting, which is very fair overall. JoeyStarr remains the great strength of the series.
But the performances of the young actors who surround him, and in particular Laure-Kenza Aazizou, Alexander Ferrario, Mahia Zrouki, Iliès Kadri, and Louis Sotton, very good at the center of these episodes devoted to Diego, are also to be applauded.