Privileges: Season 1 Episode 1 – Recap and Review

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Episode 1 “Do Not Disturb” Recap and Details

• Director(s): Marie Monge, Vladimir de Fontenay
• Writer(s): Marie Monge, Vladimir de Fontenay, Dominique Baumard
• Public Release Date (HBO Max): March 27, 2026
• Check out more of our “Privileges” coverage.
• Images © of HBO

Just A Girl In Need Of A Chance/Change: Adele, Deborah, Esther, Michel

Thanks to an attempted murder charge, Adele was sent to prison, but with less than two years left on her sentence, she tries to get a conditional release, even if just to go to a day program. The problem is, like in the US, most employers in France don’t want to take someone on with a charge like Adele. But one place, The Citadel, which is notably strict, seems willing.

Adele takes it, things are arranged with her mate, Deborah, to take her there and back by 8 PM, but Adele is quickly met with why people don’t last and why her social worker didn’t think this would be a good match. Never mind a slightly shady interaction with a co-worker, but then there is Esther.

She isn’t cruel or trying to be an ass, but she is particular, especially with luggage staff. She wants them to do their job and have minimal, if any, interaction with guests. Which is fine, since Adele is not a chatterbox. However, it is a hit-the-ground-running type of job, and while Michel is a good team lead, he isn’t trying to give Adele time to warm up and get things under control either.  

Till I Collapse: Édouard, Esther, Michel

Let it be clear, though, from the top down, things aren’t easier for others. Édouard, the general manager of The Citadel, is dealing with being the #2 hotel in the area and a famous person, Honey B, having their location leaked and fans let in. Michel is accused of doing so, but Édouard doesn’t fire him. It doesn’t seem to be due to blackmail, but a familiarity that complicates things.

Esther is made none the wiser, though, and is tasked with making up for Michel’s mistake by trying to find a Boa, since that is Honey B’s favorite animal. As you can imagine, getting a snake that isn’t the average person’s pet and can’t be bought at a PetCo-like location makes this mission hard, if not impossible. But Édouard is generally fair, protects his staff, but for such loyalty, he is quite demanding.

Note, not just on them but on himself. Which, paired with smoking and doing coke, seems to have a negative effect on his health. In fact, when we met him, he was recovering from collapsing, thankfully in private.

We Protect Our Own: Adele, Édouard, Esther

With being accused of stealing, and basically sexually assaulted when accosted by her accuser, Adele ends up in an odd place. The Citadel operates on the principle that the customer is always right, so Adele thinks she is about to be fired. Note, she had a nice interaction with Édouard, who seems to like her, but why would he get involved in her affairs? He might be the one who greenlit or allows this program to continue, but he isn’t going to overrule Esther for nothing.

Adele seems to realize this. So, with someone from her past having exotic animals, she steals one. Note, she barely gets away with it. Her ride abandons her, she has to steal one of her former associates’ motorcycles, and on top of that, the cops end up chasing her. Luckily, she had just enough time to stash the boa into a trash receptacle, and the trash didn’t get taken while she was in custody.

However, the major win is that she calls Édouard, and while he doesn’t answer the first time, he does call her back, and seemingly handles everything. He takes care of her ending up in custody, with the charges dropped, and her staying out past her 8 PM curfew. It seems he truly values what she did, despite initially downplaying it and reiterating that the official policy of The Citadel is not to take the type of initiative she did.

Yet, he does reward her with the chance to bathe in one of The Citadel’s rooms and hires her to be a concierge. Esther doesn’t agree with this decision, but isn’t willing to put up a significant fight against it either.

New Characters in Episode 1

Adele (Manon Bresch)

• Character Summary: With an attempted murder charge on her record, Adele knows life is going to be hard. Add in having cut off most of her former associates who got her put into prison, and she has few stable friends or allies. But, with wanting to make a way and get out of prison as much and as soon as possible, Adele is desperate for options.

Deborah (Eva Huault)

• Character Summary: Deborah is one of Adele’s remaining friends, who often acts as her chauffeur to and from The Citadel.

Esther (Anne Azoulay)

• Character Summary: Esther leads the support staff at The Citadel and runs a tight ship. This makes Adele do her best to impress her, but Esther sees Adele’s tattoos and knows her background, which leads to preconceived notions.

Michel (Alain Cauchi)

• Character Summary: Michel is one of The Citadel’s top baggage handlers, but also a bit of a troublemaker. Luckily for him, however, a personal connection to Édouard keeps his job relatively safe.

Édouard (Melvil Poupaud)

• Character Summary: Édouard is the general manager of The Citadel, who strives for it to be one of the top hotels in the world. Mind you, not just through incomparable service but also ethically ambiguous tactics, if need be.

Review and Commentary

Highlights

Adele Is Easy To Attach To [84/100]

Beyond the superficial of the tattoos, the scrappy puppy looks, and getting to see a Black female lead, in a non-American production at that, what Adele’s draw comes from is her not feeling like a common character. Adele’s coming from the seedier part of France, which isn’t often highlighted, is a draw. Add in an attempted murder charge, which isn’t immediately explained, and it leads you to ask, “Who pissed her off to the point of being in a life-or-death situation?”

Though who knows, there is always the chance we’re underestimating who she is. She might seem like someone who was at the wrong place at the wrong time, but what if she was actively dangerous? Without your usual dose of familiarity, Adele doesn’t feel beholden to any archetype or limited destinies. Thus, presenting a character who could hold a multitude of surprises.

The Secrets Of The Citadel [82/100]

It is hinted by Esther that Édouard may have used someone like Adele before, and something terrible happened. With it being the first episode, naturally, we don’t know what happened. On top of that, there is the need to question Édouard’s own backstory. Why would someone looking to have the top hotel anywhere allow people with records to work there? Did he come up through the program? Maybe a family member? Speaking of family, who is Michel to him?

Even beyond Édouard, there is a need to question who these staff people are? What led them to work at the Citadel? Granted, I don’t foresee us seeing them outside the hotel, but I feel like anyone who chooses such a people-heavy job must have a backstory. Esther alone, there is something about how she is that makes you wonder how she earned her place and keeps it despite her potential to bump heads with Édouard.

The Revolving Guests We May Meet [81/100]

Édouard’s goal is to have those like Honey B and another guest he hires an escort for be repeat customers. With that in mind, and their personalities, I wonder who else we may meet? Will The Citadel be like a hospital in a medical drama where each week a new handful of people are staying there or will we just focus on a week, maybe a month, of time? Never mind, will there be a balanced focus between staff and guests, since it seems a few staff members could stir up some trouble, maybe romance, for Adele?

Overall

Our Overall Rating [82/100]

What primarily draws interest with Privileges is Adele. While everyone else has potential, she is the type of protagonist you want to see succeed, learn from her failures, and yet also slip up every now and again. Never to the point of being unable to redeem herself, but enough to see her vulnerable, get to know her beyond who she wants people to see, and truly feel like you got to know her.

What To Check Out Next

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