The Returned is a show about the dead returning to small French town, Annecy, and all the events that follow. While a passive audience member may think there is nothing more to this other than the obvious themes such as bereavement and loss, life vs death, domestic struggles etc, The Returned is actually a very thought provoking series. If you know where to look.
While the returned may be allegoric for women, men, the ‘Other’ in French society or even just France, I think the returned embody the LGBTQ+ community and the never-left embody the media and common societal perceptions of this group.
The first member of the returned ‘horde’ we are introduced to is 15 year old Camille who died during a coach crash on a school trip 4 years ago. When she first returns, she comes home and explains her confusion to her family about why she woke up in the middle of the road and how long it took her to come home. For a short while, Camille is not told her fate and her entire family allows her integration into this scene 4 years after death. This could be symbolic of an accepting family and people being safe to come out to their families and being made to feel no different to anybody else. This could especially be the case when compared with other members of the returned who are not greeted quite so kindly. For example, Simon DeLaitre- who we learned died 10 years prior - is greeted with distress and fear by his living fiance. We go on to discover that Simon actually ended his own life the morning he was due to marry Adele. This could be allegoric for those members of the LGBTQ+ community who are in heterosexual relationships for years before discovering who they truly are or those who cover up their identity because they are made to feel shame for it and refuse to reveal to their partners where their mind is truly at.