Maison Close: Season 2 (DVD)

Set in a lavish 19th Century Parisian bordello, the provocative and popular French erotic drama Maison Close invites American audiences into a sumptuous, stylized world where desire and power reign. Following the tumultuous conclusion of Season 1, we return to the ladies of “Paradise” to find that times are tougher than ever, as the brothel faces both financial ruin, as the women navigate their hard-won independence, and an over-reaching local government enforcing a return to the Moral Order that threatens the house’s very existence. Seeking protection, Vera, Rose and Hortense establish a new and dangerous alliance with Mesca, a local mobster, and his violent, greedy gang.

Soon our heroines are stuck between a reactionary police force intent on putting the brothel out of business and the violent hoodlums lured by the riches of exploiting the women more than ever. Before long, a true war of the streets breaks out among rival gangs, and once again the women will have to fight for their own survival. By turns both erotic and political, this uncompromising, finely crafted television series is the perfect mix of style and substance, a richly compelling period drama with unmistakably modern flair that reimagines age-old themes–and the world’s oldest profession–in bold new ways.