The Gone

I wasn't going to watch this as I often find NZ dramas can be poorly acted or with thin story lines but eventually gave an episode a go. I was drawn in after about 20 minutes and ended up watching the full series over 3 nights.

Acting was good by both the NZ and Irish contingent. Story line was also good and tense at times. I think the blend of Irish and NZ themes worked well together. As someone who watches a lot of UK crime dramas I think this stacks up pretty well with some of the better ones.

Scenery beautiful and score pretty good. Definitely recommend to anyone who likes well paced crime dramas.

If you've watched Series 1, ploughed through Series 2 struggling to remember the previous plot, and are hoping for a conclusion......dream on, Series 2 ends on a cliff hanger.. We were gearing up for a gathering together of all the strands, who did what etc... it didn't help, obviously another series in the pipeline but can I be bothered?

Like most Kiwis I suffer from cultural cringe, and I was only watching because I know someone who knows someone on the show.

Therefore I was pleasantly surprised by a mostly well acted crime drama. Yes, there are some clichés like the cop with a troubled past, and someone returning home to their small town to confront some unresolved family dramas. Acushla-Tara Kupe is very good as Diana Huia. Richard Flood does a solid job. There's a nice blend of Maori culture and language.

The story is well-paced, and New Zealand's scenery makes an impression as always. I hope it finds an appreciative audience overseas, we're too harsh on our own.

I really enjoyed this series, and it was perfect for bingewatching on a rainy weekend.

As a fan of Scandinavian-set noir crime series, I've been looking forward to The Gone, and to see how it would work. I wasn't disappointed.

The weaving of Kiwi and Irish themes, cast and cultures worked really well. Sometimes, this approach can feel forced but for The Gone it felt authentic and relatable.

Wonderful Kiwi cast and New Zealand scenery. Leads felt like a good match and were genuine and relatable.

The plot line wasn't overworked, but there were still enough twists and turns to keep me hitting 'Next episode'.

Can't believe the reviews some are giving. Poor sound combined with muffled speech and thick accents thrown in. My hearing that bad but found it hard to follow. Combine that with long drawn out episodes and you end up falling asleep as the dialogue drags along. I persevered up to season 2 episode 3 when I couldn't take any more. Not one usually to give in but life is just too short.