Mystery Road

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.

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.

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.

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!

It keeps your interest, that you can't wait to watch the next episode. The music and scenery are great!