Ep 5. Optical Illusion (Episode 5 of 12)

Captain Marleau is a French crime thriller television series, with each episode featuring the eccentric, yet highly effective police captain, Corinne Marleau, solving complex crimes in her own unique style. Episode 5 of the series is titled "Optical Illusion" and is set in a small French village called Entraunes.

In this episode, Marleau is called to Entraunes to investigate an unusual case. The owner of a local art museum, Théo Clément, has been murdered, and his body is found lying in the middle of one of the museum's exhibitions. The exhibition, titled "Optical Illusion," consists of various pieces of art that play tricks on the viewer's perception.

Marleau immediately suspects that the killer might be someone who has a deep understanding of optical illusions. As she dives deeper into the investigation, she discovers that the museum owner's wife, Delphine Clément, who was supposed to be on a business trip, is actually in town. As Marleau questions her, she reveals that she and her husband were going through a rough patch in their marriage and had separated, but she returned home to try and patch things up.

Soon after, Marleau discovers that the museum's accountant, Francis Rabelais, had embezzled a large sum of money from the institution. Rabelais becomes one of the prime suspects in the case, and Marleau starts to unravel a web of lies and deception surrounding the murder.

As the investigation progresses, Marleau uncovers a secret relationship between the victim's wife, Delphine, and Rabelais. The two had been carrying on an affair, and Rabelais had threatened to expose their relationship to the victim. As a result, Marleau narrows down her focus to Delphine and Rabelais as the potential suspects.

During the final moments of the episode, Marleau catches the killer red-handed. The murderer turns out to be someone who had been working for the museum's exhibition and had been thoroughly familiar with the optical illusions showcased in the exhibition. The person had committed the heinous act in an attempt to pin the crime onto someone else. But with Marleau's sharp wit, the culprit is brought to justice.

In conclusion, "Optical Illusion" is an exciting and alluring episode of Captain Marleau that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats with complex and intriguing plot twists. With excellent performances from the lead actors, the episode showcases the strength of the show's character development, while also providing suspenseful crime mystique engulfed in the town of Entraunes.