I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to crime shows. Most are over the top and unrealistic with plots that are tired and done to death. Mystery Road has the right amount of tension and intrigue. It's not fast paced but it doesn't need to be. There is enough going on behind the scenes with great little sub-plots to keep you interested. What about the actors? I've always been a fan of Aaron Pedersen and he doesn't let me down. A wonderful performance. The rest of the cast was solid and believable. I didn't want the series to end its that good.
111 Reviews
Slow burn
asmith-3878526 June 2018
Quality Plus Series
marlynn111117 June 2018
when was the last time you watched a good series from the outback?
jazfro11 June 2018
I get the points made by other reviewers about the shortcomings of this series.
Yes, there are holes in the details of the script, and some of the dialogue could be better, and we all could find improvement in the acting.
And yes, it's an Australian production, so it's a slow burner, it's a cultural thing.
But when was the last time the ABC (or anybody else?) put out a watchable drama series located in the WA outback? The scenery and locations alone are atmospheric.
We should welcome good drama that comes from a different place and perspective. Not all police procedurals should be based in the USA.
So this one ain't perfect, but it's certainly worth a watch.
If you want the music....
trancelucence24 August 2018
Loved the mini-series, and the music, and want to mention that I watched it on Acorn with closed captions on and it provides the name and singer of every song, so that's one way you can track down most of the music. I must add that I don't agree with those who opined that Judy Davis was too old to play the police chief. She was near the end of her career, obviously, but you'd want someone experienced, mature, forceful, decisive, etc., and those qualities increase with age and experience. It ain't a beauty contest (though I love her expressive face). I thought she played it just right, very real, flaws intact. Extremely good acting by all concerned. Enjoyed this mini-series very much, watched it straight through.
Loved it!
marilynjrock7 June 2018
The biggest star is the scenery
Coburgkiwi12 June 2018
I tuned in for Aaron Pederson, not having seen the previous 'Mystery Roads'. Tho the series traverses some familiar themes eg the darker side of a remote town with a bunch of colourful characters, a crime that exposes a whole bunch of secrets, a cop with a chequered past and estranged from family etc etc, but the story still had enough mystery and red herrings to keep me watching till the end. Just to see all those actors together - Pederson, Colin Friels, Judy Davis, Deb Mailman, Tasma Walton, against the stunning backdrop of the harsh and huge - but beautiful - Kimberley .... wow. Ernie Dingo in the last episode was a revelation - as was the man who played the young Scottish backpacker in the scene where he leapt out of the car , tensed to face the thugs. Evocative music and evocative use of scenery. And the sense of no matter how far away you go, you can't escape your past or who you really are. I really enjoyed this!
A gripping crime drama set in a remote Western Australian community
Tweekums7 October 2018
This six part Australian drama is set in a remote corner of Western Australia. Two young men have gone missing from a cattle station, one an indigenous man who was expected to become a football star, the other a back-backer. There is some evidence that they were victims of a crime. Local police officer Emma James calls in Detective Jay Swan, himself a Native Australian to assist with the investigation. As the case progresses things are learnt about the missing boys as well as various local secrets coming to light. Swan's task isn't made any easier when his wayward daughter and his ex-wife turn up in town.
This was a really gripping series set in a part of the world I don't think I've seen used in such a series before. It may be set in the vastness of West Australia but the community still feels claustrophobic. The central mystery is intriguing and the characters are interesting. Aaron Pedersen is great in the lead role and Judy Davis is impressive as Officer James. The fate of the boys is revealed sooner than I expected but that didn't matter. We still need to discover who did what and why. There are numerous possible motives and the identity of the guilty is far from obvious. Overall I'd certainly this to fans of crime dramas who are looking for something a little different.
This was a really gripping series set in a part of the world I don't think I've seen used in such a series before. It may be set in the vastness of West Australia but the community still feels claustrophobic. The central mystery is intriguing and the characters are interesting. Aaron Pedersen is great in the lead role and Judy Davis is impressive as Officer James. The fate of the boys is revealed sooner than I expected but that didn't matter. We still need to discover who did what and why. There are numerous possible motives and the identity of the guilty is far from obvious. Overall I'd certainly this to fans of crime dramas who are looking for something a little different.
Slow Build up with beautiful landscapes
meme-361378 June 2018
Starts off good, with characters you are starting to get to know. It is a slow build up with a good story line, but it starts to drag after episode 3. The performance by two actors is a standout Wayne Blair who plays Larry Dime and Crystal Swan (Madeleine Madden). Both actors are a slow fuse, they start off as insecure and irresponsible slowly progressing to be vulnerable and conditioned by circumstances and the people who have let them down. Both actors use silence as a force to communicate more than words could. Especially Madeleine Madden, she brings complexity to her character. The only performance that was a let down was that of the actress playing Shevorne Shields, she had one look in the entire series with no range at all. A few tears shed and violent outbursts and that was it, she had a lackluster performance, she couldn't use her eyes or body language to communicate her characters vulnerability. It was unfortunate as she is one of the key characters and she made the series hard to watch. Her acting should have been stronger, and her line delivery was horrible. The rest of the cast were good especially Judy Davis. Give the show a shot, the story line is done before it is some of the actors performances which are why it should be watched and of course for the beautiful landscapes and natural beauty.
AWESOME OUTBACK MYSTERY
janarra-rhiamon8 June 2018
As a retired lawyer I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to police shows. I had heard about the movie Mystery Road and it sequel. I therefore watched this series. It has the right amount of tension and intrigue.This series live up to the prior 2 films. There are plenty of believable plot and sub-plots. It really made this series awesome.
I didn't want the series to end its that good. I look forward to future Mystery Road series. All the actors gave award winning performance. The photography was amazing. Told a story with an accurate, believable Aboriginal sub-plot.
Season 2 Shooting Off Target!
spookyrat130 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I liked the original movie. Thought Goldstone the sequel was even better. Season 1 of the TV series was quite good, which brings us up to Season 2.
It looks great. The location scenery in Broome and around the Dampier Peninsula is just stunning. The acting is by and large good. But what's happened to the story this time around? Things frequently just don't add up.
We get constant aerial shots of Gideon. It's a decent-sized town with a quite large hospital. Yet we're supposed to accept it only has a police station with 2 officers; Owens and Fran! Even the exterior shots of the station has it looking too large for just 2 officers. No civilian staff manning the counters? No one else! It just doesn't ring true. 2 officers to look after a fairly large town 24/7? Pull the other leg. Then after the bodies keep piling up, the only support to rock up, is an internal affairs guy who stays around for one episode and then leaves, exhorting Jay to be careful, whilst he tries to organise some reinforcements to come some time in the future.
It was great seeing Swedish actress Sofia Helin - famous for her iconic role as Saga in The Bridge - playing Professor Claire Sims, the Swedish archeologist. But again, nothing seemed credible about her character and back story. It seemed she was on an official dig. But where was her team? Archeologists don't just wander on to sites of indigenous spiritual significance in this day and age and start digging. Yet seemingly this is what the series wanted us to believe. In the first couple of episodes Amos appeared to be some sort of indigenous liaison person for her, but that soon got swallowed up by other events. She finds evidence on site of a possible murder and then doesn't report it to the police. Just crazy! She waits to tell us in Episode 6, she was scared to do the obvious. Wow!
Editing/continuity ... what happened? There are so many loose ends happening in this storyline, in an otherworldly effort to recreate a "western frontier" atmosphere, it just seems no one bothered to oversee whether things were continuing to make sense. Some brief examples to follow.
Did we ever find out who pointed the gun at Shevorne's head back in Episode 3 or 4? She's then (assumedly) forced to make a call to Jay, drawing him into aa ambush, from which he escapes. That's it! Jay never seeks out Shevorne to find out what was going on and viewers are left head-scratchingly, none the wiser too. Just move forward!
In Episode 5 Jay and Fran climb into his vehicle , pull rifles out, bravely stating that they're going to rescue Mary, who we know is in danger. But then they're shown going to Amos and later to Jimmy? Rescuing Mary was clearly a low priority on the to do list.
In the final episode Fran is shown busting up Owens's boat's engine, for very justifiable reasons. However we also find out that Simon needs it to escape, which prompts a 3 way shoot out between Simon, Mary and Owens. Simon takes off, pursued by Jay shortly thereafter and then we find out, that Simon has already, whilst on the run, been able to organise a new boat with a new driver to attempt a fresh getaway. Laughable! This is kids' stuff.
I don't really know what the problem was. Perhaps the 2 directors, Warwick Thornton and Wayne Blair, failed to establish with the left hand, what the right hand was doing. But plenty of TV series have multiple directors, though this was the first time for Mystery Road.
It surely must be time now after 2 movies and 12 TV episodes to develop Jay Swan's character further. Aaron Pedersen has bucket loads of charisma, but one feels he's spinning his wheels in the same rut, because the script's aren't doing him any favours, by insisting he plays an aboriginal modern day equivalent of Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name, whose dialogue generally consists of a varied range of grunts, groans and 1 word sentences. Similarly Tasma Walton's ex-wife Mary, seemed to be in a re-run of Season 1's narrative, even going as far as to give her a "new" daughter, Shevorne, in Season 2, to substitute for Crystal from Season1. A real positive was Jada Alberts' Fran, who played a completely different side-kick, to that of Judy Davis's character from Season 1.
Mystery Road has the fundamental resources there to continue to be an entertaining, even thought-provoking series. But based on the what we saw in Season 2, is in dire need of some stronger scripts and more pro-active editing and direction. My score of 7 should be seen as a collective score for the movies and TV series.
It looks great. The location scenery in Broome and around the Dampier Peninsula is just stunning. The acting is by and large good. But what's happened to the story this time around? Things frequently just don't add up.
We get constant aerial shots of Gideon. It's a decent-sized town with a quite large hospital. Yet we're supposed to accept it only has a police station with 2 officers; Owens and Fran! Even the exterior shots of the station has it looking too large for just 2 officers. No civilian staff manning the counters? No one else! It just doesn't ring true. 2 officers to look after a fairly large town 24/7? Pull the other leg. Then after the bodies keep piling up, the only support to rock up, is an internal affairs guy who stays around for one episode and then leaves, exhorting Jay to be careful, whilst he tries to organise some reinforcements to come some time in the future.
It was great seeing Swedish actress Sofia Helin - famous for her iconic role as Saga in The Bridge - playing Professor Claire Sims, the Swedish archeologist. But again, nothing seemed credible about her character and back story. It seemed she was on an official dig. But where was her team? Archeologists don't just wander on to sites of indigenous spiritual significance in this day and age and start digging. Yet seemingly this is what the series wanted us to believe. In the first couple of episodes Amos appeared to be some sort of indigenous liaison person for her, but that soon got swallowed up by other events. She finds evidence on site of a possible murder and then doesn't report it to the police. Just crazy! She waits to tell us in Episode 6, she was scared to do the obvious. Wow!
Editing/continuity ... what happened? There are so many loose ends happening in this storyline, in an otherworldly effort to recreate a "western frontier" atmosphere, it just seems no one bothered to oversee whether things were continuing to make sense. Some brief examples to follow.
Did we ever find out who pointed the gun at Shevorne's head back in Episode 3 or 4? She's then (assumedly) forced to make a call to Jay, drawing him into aa ambush, from which he escapes. That's it! Jay never seeks out Shevorne to find out what was going on and viewers are left head-scratchingly, none the wiser too. Just move forward!
In Episode 5 Jay and Fran climb into his vehicle , pull rifles out, bravely stating that they're going to rescue Mary, who we know is in danger. But then they're shown going to Amos and later to Jimmy? Rescuing Mary was clearly a low priority on the to do list.
In the final episode Fran is shown busting up Owens's boat's engine, for very justifiable reasons. However we also find out that Simon needs it to escape, which prompts a 3 way shoot out between Simon, Mary and Owens. Simon takes off, pursued by Jay shortly thereafter and then we find out, that Simon has already, whilst on the run, been able to organise a new boat with a new driver to attempt a fresh getaway. Laughable! This is kids' stuff.
I don't really know what the problem was. Perhaps the 2 directors, Warwick Thornton and Wayne Blair, failed to establish with the left hand, what the right hand was doing. But plenty of TV series have multiple directors, though this was the first time for Mystery Road.
It surely must be time now after 2 movies and 12 TV episodes to develop Jay Swan's character further. Aaron Pedersen has bucket loads of charisma, but one feels he's spinning his wheels in the same rut, because the script's aren't doing him any favours, by insisting he plays an aboriginal modern day equivalent of Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name, whose dialogue generally consists of a varied range of grunts, groans and 1 word sentences. Similarly Tasma Walton's ex-wife Mary, seemed to be in a re-run of Season 1's narrative, even going as far as to give her a "new" daughter, Shevorne, in Season 2, to substitute for Crystal from Season1. A real positive was Jada Alberts' Fran, who played a completely different side-kick, to that of Judy Davis's character from Season 1.
Mystery Road has the fundamental resources there to continue to be an entertaining, even thought-provoking series. But based on the what we saw in Season 2, is in dire need of some stronger scripts and more pro-active editing and direction. My score of 7 should be seen as a collective score for the movies and TV series.
Slow Burn Heaven :)
ShakyCamMustDie23 August 2018
Finished binge-watching this series with my wife last night (3 episodes one night, 3 episodes the next) and we both LOVED it. If you are into a "slow burn" series that is satisfying throughout, this one is for you.
Mystery Road (2018) had these wonderful qualities:
* Beautiful cinematography! Some of the best we have seen * Well-balanced, appropriate and intriguing background music * Clear, direct dialog * Great, simple, non-cliched story with some pleasant twists * Pitch-perfect pacing, especially in relation to the story environment
It also thankfully included:
* NO Shaky/Nauseating too-close or shaky camera work - YAY!! * NO overused/emotional epic music drowning every scene * NO overdone swearing (there is very little and only where appropriate) * NO obligatory adds-zero-to-the-story sex scenes * NO cast of wanna-be underwear models with clothes to match
It was SO refreshing to watch an entire series that was neither too short nor too long (the latter of which happens a LOT lately). Also refreshing that the entire experience was left to us to actually enjoy - we never once felt like they were trying to manipulate our emotions or club us over the head with an agenda of some kind. Everything was left to unfold and we felt like we were part of the experience. Simply wonderful.
There were several times where you could feel a "standard" series would have headed straight down Cliche Road and Mystery Road did not! NICE!! All the characters felt like real people with real issues without resorting to the same-old, same-old. It was great!
Did I mention the stunning cinematography? Perfect use of just a little drone camera work that added a very special something (which you will have to see to appreciate). Zero shaky-cam. Zero nose-hair-cam. You could actually feel the area like you were there - which is what good cinematography should do!
Overall we found Mystery Road (2018) to be like a wonderfully slow-cooked meal with all the flavors and smells perfectly balanced. There was just enough so you finished with a full, satisfied feeling, while still wanting a little more.
Hopefully there will be more! And more series put together this well!
Mystery Road (2018) had these wonderful qualities:
* Beautiful cinematography! Some of the best we have seen * Well-balanced, appropriate and intriguing background music * Clear, direct dialog * Great, simple, non-cliched story with some pleasant twists * Pitch-perfect pacing, especially in relation to the story environment
It also thankfully included:
* NO Shaky/Nauseating too-close or shaky camera work - YAY!! * NO overused/emotional epic music drowning every scene * NO overdone swearing (there is very little and only where appropriate) * NO obligatory adds-zero-to-the-story sex scenes * NO cast of wanna-be underwear models with clothes to match
It was SO refreshing to watch an entire series that was neither too short nor too long (the latter of which happens a LOT lately). Also refreshing that the entire experience was left to us to actually enjoy - we never once felt like they were trying to manipulate our emotions or club us over the head with an agenda of some kind. Everything was left to unfold and we felt like we were part of the experience. Simply wonderful.
There were several times where you could feel a "standard" series would have headed straight down Cliche Road and Mystery Road did not! NICE!! All the characters felt like real people with real issues without resorting to the same-old, same-old. It was great!
Did I mention the stunning cinematography? Perfect use of just a little drone camera work that added a very special something (which you will have to see to appreciate). Zero shaky-cam. Zero nose-hair-cam. You could actually feel the area like you were there - which is what good cinematography should do!
Overall we found Mystery Road (2018) to be like a wonderfully slow-cooked meal with all the flavors and smells perfectly balanced. There was just enough so you finished with a full, satisfied feeling, while still wanting a little more.
Hopefully there will be more! And more series put together this well!
S1 better then S2
surfisfun1 April 2021
S1 writing was better.
I like its not a fast show.
Would be nice if S3 would have a better overall writing, more$ for cast/production, and do the nearly impossible: a later season that surpassed previous ones.
Watch season 1 and give a try to s 2 with FF at the ready.
I like its not a fast show.
Would be nice if S3 would have a better overall writing, more$ for cast/production, and do the nearly impossible: a later season that surpassed previous ones.
Watch season 1 and give a try to s 2 with FF at the ready.
2nd Season was awful
cliffmacdev12 September 2020
I cannot believe just how horrible the 2nd Season was especially compared to a brilliant 1st season. The director should be ostracized for taking such brilliant actors and such a great script and simply destroying it. Just everything was bad. I haven't done a review in years but I was compelled to because of the atrocious content after such a wonderful 1st series.
Another great Australian drama
sharonm19728 October 2018
Fell upon this completely by accident while channel hopping, but having watched other Aussie mystery dramas like Glitch, I know I like the style of this kind of show. It's a slow burner but that's what I like about Australian shows. It's enough to keep you hooked but without going all out guns blazing every episode. I hadn't heard of any of the actors other than Deborah Mailman, who I loved in Secret Life of Us and Aaron L McGrath who was excellent in Glitch but I liked Aaron Pedersen's character once he'd warned up a bit from his spiky persona in the beginning.
I had kinda guessed who the protagonist would be before the ending but that still didn't make it any less enjoyable and I hope they do another follow up series or another storyline. I haven't seen the related films either but may give them a watch as apparently there's nods to those in the series (Although I don't think it's imperative that you've seen the film's to watch this series). Finally, the cinematography in this show is stunning. Wide shots of barren landscapes and starry skies. Overhead shots of dusty road tracks and shadows. Drone filming has never been utilised so well. It's truly beautiful. The moody soundtrack is good too. Well worth a watch.
I had kinda guessed who the protagonist would be before the ending but that still didn't make it any less enjoyable and I hope they do another follow up series or another storyline. I haven't seen the related films either but may give them a watch as apparently there's nods to those in the series (Although I don't think it's imperative that you've seen the film's to watch this series). Finally, the cinematography in this show is stunning. Wide shots of barren landscapes and starry skies. Overhead shots of dusty road tracks and shadows. Drone filming has never been utilised so well. It's truly beautiful. The moody soundtrack is good too. Well worth a watch.
So good
ajax-200919 June 2018
We binge watched this series over two days and my partner said it was the best show he has seen in a very long time and I agree. It was just brilliant, very well put together, the landscapes beautiful, the characters real and relatable, the music just perfect. Loved the story with all its twists and turns. The themes of injustice and trauma were well woven into the storyline. A great well rounded and focused crime / mystery series. Really hoping for a series 2.
S1: Leans a bit much on the style at times, but generally solid and engaging
bob the moo9 March 2019
I'd not seen the film which this series follows on from, but mostly this didn't make too much difference and shouldn't put the casual viewer off (aside from suggesting spoilers to the film by virtue of where characters are when the show opens). The series Mystery Road sees Jay Swan assigned to missing person report in an outback cattle ranch, where a ute (an?) is found abandoned with nobody around. In investigating the circumstances, secrets are revealed the situation, and the wider community, threatening those involved, and Swan's own family.
The show opens with one of its main strengths, which is Australia itself - bright, hot desert, and open skies packed with stars. This cinematic and engaging imagery continues throughout the whole season, regularly offering shots where you can feel the oppressive heat, and the sense of space. Within this canvas, the show plays out at a slow pace, but offering enough in the way of reveals and twists to keep you interested. It doesn't totally pull off a sense of escalation, but it does keep a steady pace and level of intrigue which satisfies even if it doesn't ever blow the roof off. The cast match this approach and all turn in performances that convince of place and climate (weather and political). Pedersen is enjoyably tough in the lead, but is well matched by Davis, and the supporting turns are mostly strong even if not quite as good as these two.
It may lean a bit heavily on the style at times, but mostly this is a solid and well-paced thriller that evokes the place and people well, delivering a sense of oppressive heat that comes from the narrative as much as from the weather.
The show opens with one of its main strengths, which is Australia itself - bright, hot desert, and open skies packed with stars. This cinematic and engaging imagery continues throughout the whole season, regularly offering shots where you can feel the oppressive heat, and the sense of space. Within this canvas, the show plays out at a slow pace, but offering enough in the way of reveals and twists to keep you interested. It doesn't totally pull off a sense of escalation, but it does keep a steady pace and level of intrigue which satisfies even if it doesn't ever blow the roof off. The cast match this approach and all turn in performances that convince of place and climate (weather and political). Pedersen is enjoyably tough in the lead, but is well matched by Davis, and the supporting turns are mostly strong even if not quite as good as these two.
It may lean a bit heavily on the style at times, but mostly this is a solid and well-paced thriller that evokes the place and people well, delivering a sense of oppressive heat that comes from the narrative as much as from the weather.
Danger Ahead!
A_Different_Drummer19 December 2020
Based on the rock-solid movie of the same name (done in 2013) S01 was a great beginning, maybe a little slower than the film, but all the bits and pieces were where they belonged. And then along comes S02 and - BLAM - the only "mystery" is why anyone would want to watch it in the first place. By S02, all the fire and optimism is gone from Aaron Pedersen's character, even his vocal delivery seems mumbled and uncertain. Worse, the script slows down so much that zny "viewer connection" to the story becomes only wishful thinking. Sad.
Plot and characters top notch
gerrymsw11 September 2018
Could Have Been Excellent, Bit of a Yawn Fest
aew-102 October 2018
I sat down and watched the film (2013) of the same title before tackling the TV series. The film is excellent, with an aura of mystery as the title implies. The acting and dialogue is natural (in an Australian way). The story is enigmatic, requiring one to concentrate.
For the TV series, the location has been shifted from Queensland to Western Australia with the same protagonist, the detective. I thought his acting was not so natural this time round; acts as if he is in a constant bad mood.
In the intervening years since the film, I sense that PC (inclusion and diversity) has crept into the ABC and Australian films: thus, the senior sergeant is now an officious humourless woman and one of the constables is of Indian descent; as we are a good 1,000 km from the capital city, is this likely? The other constable is a bit of a caricature - the bungling, inept cop. Also, one of the town's inhabitants is a convicted paedophile, released during the time line of the series!
Still the story is intriguing; we will have to see how it develops.
Up to part 4 now: as is common with these series, after a strong start, the story has started to drag - slow pace and much unnecessary fill - 5 minutes of tedium and then a short burst of interest (something that is actually related to the plot) followed by more tedium.
For the TV series, the location has been shifted from Queensland to Western Australia with the same protagonist, the detective. I thought his acting was not so natural this time round; acts as if he is in a constant bad mood.
In the intervening years since the film, I sense that PC (inclusion and diversity) has crept into the ABC and Australian films: thus, the senior sergeant is now an officious humourless woman and one of the constables is of Indian descent; as we are a good 1,000 km from the capital city, is this likely? The other constable is a bit of a caricature - the bungling, inept cop. Also, one of the town's inhabitants is a convicted paedophile, released during the time line of the series!
Still the story is intriguing; we will have to see how it develops.
Up to part 4 now: as is common with these series, after a strong start, the story has started to drag - slow pace and much unnecessary fill - 5 minutes of tedium and then a short burst of interest (something that is actually related to the plot) followed by more tedium.
A MUST-SEE
corneswanepoel10 July 2018
Season 1 was great...unfortunately, season 2 fell flat
msflute-275102 January 2021
I really enjoyed season 1. The story and characters were captivating and intriguing.
Season 2 just fell flat. The actress who played the "professor" was as dead as a door nail. No emotion or acting ability at all. The story line was too politically correct and just went no where after a while. The character Jay kept the story together as best he could, but overall it fell flat. The writers and directors of season 2 really didn't do it justice.
So watch season 1, you'll be glad you did. But skip season 2.
Season 2 just fell flat. The actress who played the "professor" was as dead as a door nail. No emotion or acting ability at all. The story line was too politically correct and just went no where after a while. The character Jay kept the story together as best he could, but overall it fell flat. The writers and directors of season 2 really didn't do it justice.
So watch season 1, you'll be glad you did. But skip season 2.
Fantastic!!
lauraseskey-179-20246619 August 2018
Season 1 grabbed me; Season 2 ok, but not so much..
canuckteach8 October 2021
It was a long time ago that I sat through Season 1 & enjoyed it, but I don't recall who got nailed for the main crime. That's because these Aussie-Brit series distract you with conflicts between the main guy & others, or with his obvious character flaws, so much so, that the BIG REVEAL slips past you. After some wait, I embarked on Season 2. As I recalled, Detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pedersen) is gruff, phlegmatic, and abrasive-but straight, determined & brave.
This time, a headless body is found on a shoreline in a distant territory, which means Jay shows up, sweaty & grumpy, suspecting everyone & responding to most questions by glaring & walking away. (A character in a popular Brit series does this, too and it usually means no romantic life. Colleagues or suspects HAVE to put up with that, but a spouse WILL not). A few things I noticed in this series: Swan never wears a flak-jacket, but in the outback, anyone can fire a rifle at you & it will be days before anyone is searching (might be a useful equipment upgrade); Swan overlooks formalities like search warrants, or proper arrests-do Aussie detainees die frequently before the case goes to trial, or something (so, who cares about procedure?); and, like James Bond, Swan goes into danger with no backup, situations that in reality call for surveillance and a supporting team. No one else even knows where he is. Me? I take a Swat-team, tanks, & Satellite-coverage. It is obvious drug gangs are behind the mayhem. Not the kind of fight you go to with an army-knife.
I also hope that customs and speech habits of the native folk are legitimate? I mean: I am Canadian- so I don't know. What if the writer is just guessing at how Maori elders & women behave? Ha ha, a big con on us foreigners. In series 2, we have an old native guy with a cane, threatening the police and a dumpy-looking blond archeologist who keeps digging up rocks or body parts. Finally, the women stand up to him. Hmmmm.
I now note here at IMDB that the series is based on a decent 2013 movie with the same guy. Maybe I will chase that film down, too, and see if I can get a feel for these characterizations. Meantime, I will plow through Series 2 & see whodunit.
7/10.. but stay clear if you can't stand mumbling, or people who walk away without explaining themselves.
This time, a headless body is found on a shoreline in a distant territory, which means Jay shows up, sweaty & grumpy, suspecting everyone & responding to most questions by glaring & walking away. (A character in a popular Brit series does this, too and it usually means no romantic life. Colleagues or suspects HAVE to put up with that, but a spouse WILL not). A few things I noticed in this series: Swan never wears a flak-jacket, but in the outback, anyone can fire a rifle at you & it will be days before anyone is searching (might be a useful equipment upgrade); Swan overlooks formalities like search warrants, or proper arrests-do Aussie detainees die frequently before the case goes to trial, or something (so, who cares about procedure?); and, like James Bond, Swan goes into danger with no backup, situations that in reality call for surveillance and a supporting team. No one else even knows where he is. Me? I take a Swat-team, tanks, & Satellite-coverage. It is obvious drug gangs are behind the mayhem. Not the kind of fight you go to with an army-knife.
I also hope that customs and speech habits of the native folk are legitimate? I mean: I am Canadian- so I don't know. What if the writer is just guessing at how Maori elders & women behave? Ha ha, a big con on us foreigners. In series 2, we have an old native guy with a cane, threatening the police and a dumpy-looking blond archeologist who keeps digging up rocks or body parts. Finally, the women stand up to him. Hmmmm.
I now note here at IMDB that the series is based on a decent 2013 movie with the same guy. Maybe I will chase that film down, too, and see if I can get a feel for these characterizations. Meantime, I will plow through Series 2 & see whodunit.
7/10.. but stay clear if you can't stand mumbling, or people who walk away without explaining themselves.
Season 1 ok, Season 2 excruciatingly dull
lighterthanair-825697 December 2022
I loved Mystery Road (2013) and Goldstone was awesome, I think I gave them both a 9. And Aaron Pederson is always great, kind of a blended Denzel Washington/Mark Wahlberg, but he flatlined in this series. Maybe due to the script which gave him limited dialogue. The first season was average or so-so. But the second season was painful to watch. The side stories (the archeologist and Phillip and Zoe) were filler material and completely unnecessary and uninteresting. So why did I finish? Because I knew it would involve long distance rifle shot! I blame all the directors and writers. If they do season three, get that original writer/ director back.
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