The Code

Australian thriller 'The Code' brings to mind the classic BBC thriller 'Edge of Darkness', with its story of nuclear secrets, dodgy corporations and untrustworthy government. But we make dramas differently now, and the pace is much faster - which is not altogether a bad thing, although the slick graphics and camera-work are sometimes distracting. There are also some disappointing clichés: the genius hackers who can do just about everything, and the expository graphics that the computers conveniently display for the sole purpose of telling us that they're currently being hacked. Another point of critique is that, apart from the good guys, just about everyone else seems utterly ruthless and violent, in a way that slightly beggars belief: our heroes are asked to make constrained choices, but the motivations of the villains are seemingly explained by villainy alone. That said, the plot is both superficially clever and substantially intelligent, and there's some genuine emotion in the relationship of the central protagonist and his socially limited brother. And for Europeans like me, a chance to get a glimpse of the bleak beauty of the Australia itself.

Like many Australians I have been let down by the calibre of television in this country. Never did I think I would award 10 stars to an Australian show. That was under I started "The Code". I didn't expect much from this show, in fact I thought a "Samson & Delilah" esque plot would evolve from the synopsis. How wrong I was.

There are several plot lines running concurrently. One is set in the bush in a remote town where Alex (a VERY unrecognisable Lucy Lawless) has set up shop as a bleeding heart teacher. Two of her students take her car for a joyride. Cut to Canberra where we get a glimpse into the surprisingly thrilling world of Australian politics. My personal favourite is watching the complex relationship between brothers Ned & Jessie unfold, Ned being an internet journalist who uncovers the story of the missing teens & Jessie being a brilliant but troubled computer geek. This is all tied together beautifully with the Australian version of the NSA on the trail of our would be heroes. Gripping stuff.

This is every bit as slick & well developed as its Hollywood counterparts, in particular Homeland (before it went weird). Give it a go, you will not be disappointed.

This is definitely one of the best TV series that Australia has put out in so long, it gets you sitting on the edge of your seat, There no other series like it that I have ever watched and best of all it suits just about anyone. I think there is something for everyone, but I wouldn't let young kids watch it. There is action, mystery, thriller comedy and drama all wrapped up in one big bundle of awesome watching....You never know what is going to happen next. I do however just wish that the seasons went longer., its not as if our country is poor or lacking in exceptionally good actors. All the acting and actors in this series are top class, The story line is believable, and unpredictable and it encompasses the way the world really is, touching on subjects that are perhaps politically "sensitive", making it really good entertainment. I give it a 10 with no hesitation.

On the basis of the opening episodes, Shawn Seet's production looks to provide plenty of interest. A sophisticated political thriller set in Canberra and the outback, THE CODE focuses on the efforts of journalist Ned Banks (Dan Spielman) to find out the connection between governmental politics and a mysterious accident involving the death of a teenager. The quest leads him into several inexplicable and often traumatic incidents; his brother Jesse (Ashley Zukerman) is taken into custody for having hacked a government website, and roughed up in the process. When Jesse returns home, he is so traumatized that he can hardly communicate. No one can be trusted in this world of shadows: Jesse's girlfriend is not quite all that she might be, while Ned's ex-girlfriend Sophie (Chelsie Preston Crayford), a high-ranking member of the government's spin-doctoring team, has a relationship with her oleaginous boss, who knows what's happened to Jesse, but will never let on.

Stylistically speaking, THE CODE borrows some conventions from US series such as NUMB3RS - for example, the flashing of computer- screens and computer-generated information on screen to advance the plot. The basic situation owes a lot to NUMB3RS too: Jesse might be suffering from panic attacks, but he is also a computer genius, working in cahoots with his more staid yet respectable brother Ned. Nonetheless director Seet shows that there is a firm filial bond between the two of them: Ned reveals a touching concern for Jesse's welfare, especially when forced to leave home on a business assignment.

THE CODE makes much of the contrast between town and country; the endless plains of the outback, with lonely buildings placed here and there suggests a wild, untamed world, one where it is very easy to get lost. This is precisely what happens to teenager Clarence Boyd (Aaron L. McGrath) at one point. The city world of Canberra is one of gleaming glass buildings and perpetual shadows - a fitting context for a world of politicking in which people try to get the better of one another by fair means or foul. Most government officials' principal interest consists of saving their own skin - which is why they treat Jesse so brutally as someone who has inadvertently fouled up their organization.

The only criticism of the series so far is that director Seet tends to advance the plot through exposition - where characters explain things to us through dialog - rather than incident. This strategy tends to slow the pace of the drama up somewhat. Once the basic situation have been established, however, the drama unfolds smoothly, offering several surprises along the way. Definitely worth staying with.

It took me several episodes to get intrigued enough to continue watching this Australian TV series based on political control within the Australian government which is reminiscent of the Dick Chaney "Whitehouse" cover up years regarding WMDs.

The first few episodes were extremely slow due to plot development, but forgivable as it is probably indicative of what life is really like Down Under in Canberra and the outbacks of Australia. It was not until I saw episode 3 when I decided to invest more time in this better than average production.

The plot is strong enough to gain interest early in the episodes, but started to wain in the latter parts of the series.

The show was well cast and many of the actors gave strong performances including the leads Spielman and Zukerman . However, having said this, I felt that Zukerman's character, Jessie, was over the top irritating. Zukerman did an admirable job in developing his character early on in the series, but one has to wonder if he had to chronically snort chili peppers during each scene in order to personify this character who was mildly autistic (constant tearing, with chronic red eyes and runny nose). His performance became progressively grating and contrived, which made it difficult to watch the scenes he was in without wanting to slap him over the head. I understand Zukerman won the Australian best actor TV award for this role, so perhaps I was the only one that felt this way.

I gave this show a 7 because it has merit early on and is well worth seeing until you get bored or just tired.