Can You Hear Me? (2018 TV series)

Can You Hear Me?
Genre	Drama Comedy
Starring	Mélissa Bédard Ève Landry Florence Longpré
Country of origin	Canada
Original language	French
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	30
Production
Production locations	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Running time	23 minutes
Original release
Network	Télé-Québec (Canada) Ici TOU.TV (Canada) Club illico (Canada) Netflix (International)
Release	December 15, 2018 (2018-12-15) – May 11, 2021 (2021-05-11)

Can You Hear Me? (French: M'entends-tu?) is a French-Canadian television series that is broadcast on Télé-Québec starring Mélissa Bédard, Ève Landry, and Florence Longpré as best friends who live in a low-income neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec. The series premiered in December 2018, and ran for three seasons, concluding in May 2021. The first two seasons of the show are distributed internationally through Netflix.

Cast

• Mélissa Bédard as Fabiola Noël
• Ève Landry as Carolanne Tremblay
• Florence Longpré as Ada Bartoletti
• Mehdi Bousaidan as Nassim
• Sophie Desmarais as Amélie
• Isabelle Brouillette as Bianca (Season 1-2; recurring Season 3)
• Victor Andrés Trelles Turgeon as Keven (Season 1-2, guest appearance Season 3)
• Marie-Aimée Cadet as Madan Torino
• Aliyah Elisme as Bébé
• Fayolle Jean Jr. as Jean-Michel (Season 1)
• Guy Jodoin as Alain (Season 1)
• Christian Bégin as Pretzel (Season 1)
• Mani Soleymanlou as Frank (Season 2-3)
• Floyd Lapierre-Poupart as Henri (Season 2)
• Fabiola Nyrva Aladin as Tessa (Season 2-3)
• Marc St-Martin as Léon (Season 2-3)

Episodes

Series overview

Season	Episodes		Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
1	10		December 15, 2018 (2018-12-15)	February 16, 2019 (2019-02-16)
2	10		January 13, 2020 (2020-01-13)	March 17, 2020 (2020-03-17)
3	10		March 23, 2021 (2021-03-23)	May 11, 2021 (2021-05-11)

Season 1 (2018–19)

No. overall	No. in season	English title	French title	Original release date
1	1	"The Girls from the Block"	Les filles du bloc	December 15, 2018 (2018-12-15)
Ada, struggling with controlling her anger, has difficulty regularly attending her court-ordered anger management therapy sessions, and is hostile to the idea of opening up to her therapist, Amélie. Her best friend, Carolann (nicknamed Caro), is struggling to suppress anxiety over an incident with her now ex-boyfriend Keven, which has left her extremely reclusive and reluctant to talk. Fabiola (Fabi for short) rounds out the trio of best friends; she is a shift lead at a burrito shop, is in a toxic, one-sided relationship with her co-worker Jean-Michel, and takes care for her invalid grandmother. The trio, downtrodden and living in a low-income neighbourhood of Montreal, will often resort to any means necessary to get money or other sorts of gratification, whether it is busking at a metro station or, in the case of Ada, prostituting herself. After a day spent hanging out around town, a text from Keven sends Caro into a severe panic attack, of which Ada uses the few tips she learns from therapy to help calm Caro down, while Fabi obtusely sings "Amazing Grace."
2	2	"Even If the Ground is Shaking"	Même si la terre tremble	December 22, 2018 (2018-12-22)
Ada continues - albeit begrudgingly - her anger management therapy with Amélie. She also must contend with her mother Bianca, whose drug use renders her incapable of taking care of herself or the small apartment they both call home. She also continues to resort to her "by any means necessary" tactics to satisfy her wants and needs, as well as the wants and needs of those near and dear to her, such as Pretzel, a trans prostitute, and Marcel, a neighbourhood acquaintance who has a handy transport bicycle. Meanwhile, Fabi finds out her sister Valérie, also struggling with illicit drug abuse, has abandoned her daughter Bébé at her apartment, and must also act as temporary caretaker to both her niece and her mother. As for Caro, she routinely experiences flashbacks of a party where she suspects she may have gotten pregnant, and resorts to shoplifting pregnancy tests at a drugstore to verify this. It is also revealed that she is estranged from her family; her mother calls her to give family updates, but while Caro picks up, she does not respond, and abruptly hangs up mid-call.
3	3	"I Exist"	J'existe	December 29, 2018 (2018-12-29)
The gang busk at a metro station to help Fabi with her audition for a community gospel choir that she dreams to be part of. Performing a song written by Ada, "Tu pues du bat" (English: Your Dick Smells Rank), the explicitly vulgar song fails to win over an audience. Caro is revealed to be pregnant, but while at a health centre seeking an abortion, she runs off. She attempts to call her mother, but when her abusive father -- the reason Caro is estranged from her family -- eavesdrops on the call, demanding where she is, Caro is triggered and hangs up. Ada continues her struggles to take care of her mother; when Pretzel - in a conversation with Ada - accidentally lets slip that Ada's mother is a survival sex worker who frequently gets in altercations with other prostitutes, Ada, who was only vaguely aware of this, is led to believe her father is a client of her mother. Fabi's audition goes well - with her singing an original song of hers - though her lack of confidence leads her to believe otherwise. The gang go to a bar to cheer Fabi up, where Ada unsuccessfully flirts with the new barman. Meanwhile, Fabi's sister, Valérie, returns to keep an eye on Bébé, but upon finding out Fabi threw out her drugs, Valérie experiences intense withdrawal symptoms and becomes maniacal, forcing Fabi to abruptly leave the bar. Ada, having dealt with similar situations with her mother, saves the day by offering a handjob to a bar patron in exchange for a taxi ride from the bar to Fabi's place, and showers cold water on Valérie, which forces her to sober up and calm down.
4	4	"Three Little Cats"	Trois petits chats	January 5, 2019 (2019-01-05)
Ada confides in her friends what she learned about her mother. Fabi reminds her of her worth, and suggests finding a place of her own. Ada, worried over her mother, is initially hesitant, but warms up to the idea. After Caro reveals she is pregnant and attempted an abortion, Fabi's off-putting remarks lead Caro - who was supposed to babysit Bébé for a few hours - to storm off. With no one available, Ada offers to watch Bébé with her mother, which proves a great challenge. Caro reveals to Keven in a text message that she is pregnant, which enrages him. Ada finds a run-down apartment rental, and snags the space by having sex with the building superintendent, Alain. Following that, Ada receives a call from Caro that Keven is trying to break into her place under the guise of "wanting to talk about her pregnancy." Ada makes it over just as Keven breaks into the apartment and into Caro's room. Thanks to a serendipitous moment of a police siren wailing outside the apartment while Ada feigns a call to 911 on her dead cellphone, Keven is scared off, though not before physically assaulting both Caro and Ada. Meanwhile, Fabi misses out on her second audition for the community choir, after her sister Valérie, fails to show up to babysit Bébé, and Bébé ends up physically sick. Ada's day is somewhat made better by running into Nassim, her bartender crush, who invites her to come play ping pong. However, that feeling of euphoria is quickly neutralized when Ada discovers her mom has been evicted from their current apartment for failing to pay the rent.
5	5	"Our Silences"	Nos silences	January 12, 2019 (2019-01-12)
Due to Bianca's failure to pay the rent, her and Ada's move to the new apartment is much sooner than anticipated, and her new building superintendent, Alain, offers to pay her in exchange for sexual favours, to which she is offended that he thinks of her as a prostitute. Following a failed busking session with Marcel, an impromptu session with Amélie, and a random encounter with Nassim, Ada seems to making progress personally (despite still giving in to her anger at times). Fabi and Jean-Michel decide to have a little tryst in the staff room at their work, but she accidentally breaks his nose while he is performing oral sex on her. Caro is still debating whether to terminate her pregnancy, and Fabi's staunch pro-life stance does not help the matter any further. Realizing she has no clean clothes at home, she goes to the laundromat, where she suddenly experiences a miscarriage. Ada - who was helping Pretzel retrieve a rosary that fell through a sewer grate - and Fabi - waiting for medical attention at the pharmacy with Jean-Michel and his broken nose - receive word via phone call, and immediate rush to Caro's side to comfort her. Upon returning home, Ada runs into Alain, and feeling bold, changes her mind about his paying her for sexual favours, and demands he pay her $500 for their next encounter, $300 more than what he initially offered.
6	6	"It's Not a Problem"	Spa grave	January 19, 2019 (2019-01-19)
The trio enjoy a day trip to a spa. Ada has sex with one of the masseuses, but finds the quiet relaxation to be unnerving (though during a brief moment of sleep, Fabi and Caro draw a penis with permanent marker on her face). Fabi experiences a deep tissue massage for the first time, and manages to submerge herself into a cold dip pool. Caro gets over her fear of being touched and has a therapeutic foot massage, but her recent miscarriage and lingering memories of her rape lead her to get drunk on (and completely vomit out) the free champagne offered to spa clients. Ada decides to take Caro to see Amélie, who, despite concerns that this could compromise her professionalism, helps Caro under duress from Ada. Upon heading home, she crosses paths with Nassim (though she is dismayed that he barely acknowledges her and focuses his attention on a mystery woman with him), and finds Alain in her apartment, who fixed her leaky faucet in the hopes that she would have sex with him. When she initially refuses, he threatens to kick her and Bianca out of their place for not settling all their debts with him. With no way to properly pay him, Ada relents, and imagines a musical fantasy sequence of the trio at the spa to take her mind away from her and Alain having sex.
7	7	"Dying on Stage"	Mourir sur scène	January 26, 2019 (2019-01-26)
After a racial slur pushes Fabi over the edge, she goes to therapy too. Following a bad night at her favourite bar, Ada makes a horrific discovery.
8	8	"I'll Be Thinking about You"	J'penserai à toi	February 2, 2019 (2019-02-02)
Jean-Michel tries to smooth things over with Fabi. Caro finally finds her voice. Ada has a frank conversation with her bartender crush, Nassim.
9	9	"My Dad is the Best"	Le plus fort c'est mon père	February 9, 2019 (2019-02-09)
Ada sets a boundary with her mom. Caro tries to work up the courage to confront her father. Fabi and Ada learn what happened between Caro and Keven.
10	10	"We Were Beautiful"	On était beau	February 16, 2019 (2019-02-16)
Ada returns to her apartment in a drunken stupor, still greatly worried about Caro and what to do to protect her. Fabi and Caro come over to help her sober up, and Ada and Fabi suggest that Caro go to the police to report Keven's abuse and her rape. Caro warms to the idea, but hesitates and ends up not following through. Before her last visit with Amélie, Ada encounters Nassim, who tells her that despite his conflicting feelings about her, she makes him happy. At their last session together, Amélie reminds Ada to make good decisions for herself and no one else. However, almost immediately following the conclusion of their sessions, Ada encounters Keven, gives in to her fury at and leads him to her apartment - under the guise of Caro being there - and viciously assaults him, of which she is arrested, convicted and sent to prison. Nassim, thinking she has ghosted him again, discovers the truth from a newspaper headline. Fabi visits Ada in prison, furious at her still-lingering immaturity, and despite Ada's pleas to stay and talk a little longer, Fabi abruptly leaves.

Season 2 (2020)

No. overall	No. in season	French title	Original release date
11	1	"Ada"	January 13, 2020 (2020-01-13)
After spending two tortuous years in prison, with none of her friends and family coming to visit her (with the exception of her former therapist Amélie), Ada is released and moves into a halfway house. With both Fabi and Caro refusing to speak to her after her assault on Keven - which resulted in Ada's imprisonment - she hits rockbottom. Flashbacks of how the gang of three met as children are interspersed with Ada's attempt to self-harm, though the singing of Tessa, a fellow halfway housemate whose soothing voice reminds Ada of Fabi, foils her plans. Tessa and Ada become fast friends, and Ada's spirit is rejuvenated with Tessa's presence in her life. Tessa then leaves the halfway house after some time, reminding Ada to get her problems sorted. A stroll in her old stomping grounds reminds Ada of her former flame Nassim as she passes the pub, and a distant supermarket encounter of Caro looking dejected and sporting a bruised eye greatly concerns Ada, who finds her way to Fabi's apartment to try to get her to help Caro.
12	2	"Fabiola"	January 20, 2020 (2020-01-20)
Fabi's life is on an upswing: she quit her old job and is now a beneficiary attendant for Henri, a young, jovial quadriplegic. She is the primary guardian of her niece Bébé, and she is a star member of the community choir she had auditioned for several years prior. Despite this, Fabi is estranged from Ada, and any attempts at contacting Caro fail. At choir rehearsal, Fabi has an awkward introduction to new member Léon, who is enamoured with her looks and her voice and wishes to ask her out (of which his advances are rebuffed). Upon returning home, Fabi is surprised by her sister Valérie, who, despite having ghosted Fabi and Bébé for a year, claims she has quit her drug habit, found stable housing, and wants to be in Bébé's life. Initially unreceptive and outright unwilling to her sister's request, Fabi warms up to the idea but isn't fully convinced. After Valérie leaves, an interspersed scene shows how Ada came into possession of her turtle, an animal that Fabi now takes care of. Ada shows up unannounced at Fabi's door to inform her about Caro, thus revealing that the events of the previous episode converged with the timeline of this episode.
13	3	"Carolanne"	January 27, 2020 (2020-01-27)
Caro continues to experience physical and verbal abuse from Keven since getting back together with him, which is exacerbated when the police are called to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance at their place. Keven leaves to cool off his anger, while Caro goes to her job at a local bookstore, owned by an elderly, benevolent man named Hans, who can infer from afar that all's not well in Caro's life. After an afternoon spent with her mother at the bar and a trip to the grocery store (the same grocery store where she is spotted by Ada from afar, thus revealing this episode also has a converging timeline with the previous two), along with interspersed scenes of the trio as children busking, Caro is surprised with a romantic dinner by Keven, which leads to them having passionate sex. However, after letting slip that she met her mom for a drink, Keven once again becomes enraged and gaslights Caro into thinking her mother is a poor influence and that drinking one beer will lead Caro into an alcoholic spiral. She then receives an unexpected text from Fabi, needing her urgent help.
14	4	"Enfin (English: Finally)"	February 3, 2020 (2020-02-03)
Fabi and Ada slowly rebuild their friendship, and figure out a way to help Caro. Ada suggests that Fabi feign an emergency and require Caro to help, which Fabi does, and Caro acknowledges, but does not respond. A visit to Caro's cousin Karine informs the duo that Caro moved back in with Keven, and that she works at a bookstore whose logo features an anchor. After looking high and low throughout the neighbourhood, Ada and Fabi find Caro's workplace, and ask Hans to relay a message to Caro (hiding in the back) that they love and miss her, and for her to come hang out at the bar in the evening. Caro manages to sneak out - under the ruse that she forgot something at work - but cannot bring herself to physically enter the bar, as the fact that Ada is back in her life still angers her. Fabi attempts to mediate, and Ada offers space between them. Being in an emotional state, the trio awkwardly embrace, unaware that Keven had followed Caro out of the apartment, spying on her and disgusted by Caro's white lie.
15	5	"Bianca"	February 10, 2020 (2020-02-10)
Fabi continues to act as primary caregiver for Bébé, but is still hesitant to allow Valérie back into the picture, refusing to answer her calls for a visit. Caro is once again subject to Keven's physical and verbal violence, after he finds out she snuck out to hang out with Fabi and Ada, but avoids further harm with a lucky break out of the apartment. With nowhere to go and no one to turn to, Caro attempts to visit her mother, but her father refuses entry or contact. At a local diner, Caro encounters Bianca, Ada's estranged mother, who works there. In their conversation, Bianca still holds a grudge against Ada for everything that has happened to her over the last two years and considers Ada's prison sentence as a comeuppance, expressing gladness that Ada received no visits. After a childhood flashback of Ada standing up to Caro's father, Caro finally decides to go to Fabi's apartment and admit that Ada being back in her life is creating conflict and confusion. Meanwhile, Ada meets Amélie for an unsanctioned appointment to seek advice on how to get Caro to leave Keven. Amélie reminds Ada that the decisions are not hers to make, but to guide Caro in the right direction so she makes that decision to leave. Ada runs into Nassim at the bar, but when she offers her apologies, he coldly rebuffs any chance of reconciliation. After an encounter with a staff member results in Ada becoming verbally violent, she is expelled from the halfway house. With nowhere to turn, Ada goes to Fabi's, is greeted by Caro, and breaks down. The three realize that they need each other more than ever.
16	6	"Marcel"	February 17, 2020 (2020-02-17)
After getting expelled from the halfway house, Ada finds a new place, but her new roommate - Caro's cousin, Karine - has a personality that Ada feels certain to clash with. She also gets to better know Marcel, her socially awkward, soft-spoken friend who owns a delivery bike and has never been kissed. While at work, Fabi has a discussion with Henri that changes her viewpoint on love and relationships; at choir rehearsal, while she again rebuffs Léon's romantic pursuits, she quickly changes her mind and accepts his offer for a dinner date at his place. Meanwhile, at the bookstore where she works, Caro runs into Frank, the police officer who previously responded to the domestic disturbance call at her place. Despite his cryptic reminder to her that he can "help her with her pest problem," Caro is left uncomfortable. Not wanting the police to be involved, but also not wanting to incur Keven's wrath, Caro follows a trick her mom would use on her father, and laces Keven's beer with ground-up dramamine, which sends him into a deep sleep, allowing her to sneak out for a clandestine meetup with the gang at the bar. Fabi and Caro tease Ada for choosing to live with Karine, while Nassim - on shift at the bar - appears to have feelings for Ada again.
17	7	"Nassim"	February 25, 2020 (2020-02-25)
The trio are back as they were before, but all is not as it seems. Caro struggles with telling her mother to leave her abusive father. Ada tries to reconnect with her mother, but hits a snag.
18	8	"Line"	March 3, 2020 (2020-03-03)
Ada finds employment and meets an old friend, which creates minor jealousy with the other two members of the original trio. Fabi's life appears to be on an upturn, but upsetting news threatens upend all that.
19	9	"STOP STOP STOP"	March 10, 2020 (2020-03-10)
Caro finally carries out a plan to leave Keven. Ada has a moment of realization. Caro and Ada console Fabi, after she receives distressing news about Bébé.
20	10	"Keven"	March 17, 2020 (2020-03-17)
Fabi, still distressed at having no contact with Bébé, receives a proposal from Léon to move in with him, which she warms to the idea. Valérie returns with Bébé, allowing Fabi custody, on the condition that she not be excluded from Bébé's life. Ada informally meets with Amélie over pizza, and is advised to break all contact with her mother, who is a negative influence over her. Amélie also reveals that she permits unsanctioned, pro bono meetings with Ada because she reminds her of someone in her life who she lost. Nassim, who finds himself falling deeper in love with Ada, takes her on a surprise trip to a lake, a place she has always wished to see but has never gone to visit. They go for a plunge in the water (though they are quickly forced out due to the shore being private property) and say they love each other for the first time. Caro's spirits are lifted now that she has left Keven - to which her bookstore boss Hans observes and is pleased to see - but after she firmly rejects Keven's grovelling and pleas to get back together once and for all, Keven refuses to accept the end of their relationship and viciously assaults Caro, rendering her unconscious. Keven is arrested and charged for breaching a restraining order and attempted murder, while Ada and Fabi, who were informed by Caro's mother Line, can only helplessly watch from behind police lines as Caro's bruised and battered body is taken away to the hospital.

Season 3 (2021)

No. overall	No. in season	French title	Original release date
21	1	"Attache à pain (English: Bread clip)"	March 23, 2021 (2021-03-23)
Caro makes a long and arduous recovery in the hospital from her vicious assault, and is presently living with her mother. Ada and Nassim have taken a pause in their relationship, which bothers her more than she wishes to disclose. Léon and Fabi get married, and all their friends and family gather to celebrate their union.
22	2	"Sac de chips (English: Bag of chips)"	March 23, 2021 (2021-03-23)
Caro returns to academic studies, excited for what the future might bring her. Fabi now works at a nursing home, and despite the challenges, loves it there. Ada gets fired from her retail job and still finds herself standoffish with her roommate, Karine.
23	3	"Café filtre (English: Brewed coffee)"	March 30, 2021 (2021-03-30)
Fabi and Léon move into a new apartment in a more high-end neighbourhood. This, and Caro's commitment to school, make Ada feel isolated and left behind. Meanwhile, Ada and Karine continue to struggle to get along as roommates.
24	4	"Danse en ligne (English: Line dancing)"	March 30, 2021 (2021-03-30)
Line, Caro's mother, is coming out her shell and involving herself in social activities. She invites her daughter to join her, but Caro is a little apprehensive. Ada strikes up a friendship -- though possibly more -- with someone who is just as broken as she is.
25	5	"Chapeau melon (English: Bowler hat)"	April 6, 2021 (2021-04-06)
Léon, a social worker by trade, falls into deep distress when a woman under his care unexpectedly dies by suicide, and his sudden change in behaviour worries Fabi. Caro encounters someone from her recent past while spending the evening at a country bar. Ada's continued beef with Karine extends to her neighbours.
26	6	"Lapin lapin !!! (English: Bunny bunny!)"	April 13, 2021 (2021-04-13)
As a way to get Fabi from constantly worrying about Léon and his unchanging state, the group goes to spend some time at Karine's family cabin. What is supposed to be a time of rest and relaxation turns into hijinks and horror and a life-changing revelation for Ada.
27	7	"Hot-Dog mou (English: Steamed hot dog)"	April 20, 2021 (2021-04-20)
Four months after the cabin getaway, it is revealed that Ada is pregnant, but hasn't fully accepted her current reality. Her therapist, Amélie, gives her the sobering truth that she needs get her life in order. Caro starts seeing Frank, the police officer who helped her with her domestic violence case, and he reveals his feelings to her. Fabi takes advice from Ada about how to heal her fractured relationship with Léon.
28	8	"Crème glacée (English: Ice cream)"	April 27, 2021 (2021-04-27)
The trio learns that Ada is going to have a baby girl. Caro slowly opens up to her new beau, Frank, about her feelings. Fabi struggles with a resident at work, but is slowly seeing improvements with Léon at home. Ada spends the day with Tessa talking about her pregnancy and lack of a love life, and decides to hook up with Dave.
29	9	"Dentier (English: Dentures)"	May 4, 2021 (2021-05-04)
Caro decides to confront her dark past once and for all, so she can move on with her life. Ada has awkward run-ins with Nassim (whose paternity she confirms, but her conflicting feelings for him she conceals) and her mother Bianca (who is still freeloading off her daughter and has no interest in truly reconciling). Fabi has a breakthrough with a testy resident at work.
30	10	"Drame disco (English: Disco Drama)"	May 11, 2021 (2021-05-11)
Caro has graduated from her academic program, and finally discloses to Frank that she loves him. Ada, worried about the lack of a father figure in her daughter's life, is reminded by Amélie in a therapy session that families come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, and her nearest and dearest have already formed a safe and loving family. Upon arriving home, Ada is chastised by Karine for not disclosing where she had been, but understanding that Karine is merely stressed about the welfare of her and her baby, Ada responds gently and compassionately to Karine. Caro, along with Ada, Fabi, Tessa and Karine, attend Line's very first public theatre show, a performance of Michel Tremblay's Albertine en cinq temps, and Ada is emotionally moved by Line's monologue. Upon the play's conclusion, Ada imagines a fantasy disco musical sequence, where she, Line, Caro, Tessa, Karine and Fabi celebrate their familial bond. Stopping at Marcel's family convenience store on their way home, Ada and Karine are caught up in an armed robbery gone wrong. While Marcel tries to wrestle the robber into submission, a shot is accidentally fired into Ada's chest, and despite being rushed to hospital, Ada dies. From this point on, mostly dialogue-free scenes reveal the events that follow Ada's untimely demise, where Ada's personified spirit sometimes observes from afar: Karine, Line, Fabi and Caro grieving at the news of Ada's death; Nassim learning the news but also finding out his daughter had survived; Karine informing Dave of Ada's passing; the baby arriving home; and Nassim's first few days of fatherhood. Ada's ashes are scattered into a lake in the presence of her loved ones. Fabi, Caro and Karine clean out Ada's old room and discover items of sentimental and salacious value. Bianca, hoping to mooch off her daughter once again, is given shocking news by Karine instead. The episode (and series) ends with a series of time jumps: Marcel is still driving his delivery bike; Fabi and Léon are expecting a child of their own; Caro is now an instructor; Karine sells weed; and Nassim struggles as a single father in raising his daughter as a petulant child, a rebellious teenager, and as a young adult. However, with the love and support of those who loved and cared for Ada, her daughter - named Mia - grows up to become a successful attorney, with the spirit of her late mother never far away.

External links

• Can You Hear Me? at IMDb
• Can You Hear Me? on Netflix