Mystery Road: Origin

Having just watched the movie and both seasons of the show I was very skeptical about how Mark would portray a young Jay Swan but I have to say he does absolute wonders as an actor, his mannerisms and approach to the character are phenomenal and remind me so much of Pedersen's Swan. It really does feel like we've take a step back in time with this show and character, highly recommend!

Excellent production, character development, acting is amazing. Even bit parts nail it. If you enjoyed mystery Road you will love this. Very, very Australian. And if you've been in places like Jardine, yep it nails it.

It would be hard to step into the shoes of the brilliant Aaron Pedersen, but as we enjoyed all the Mystery Road's, including Goldstone, before were prepared to take the risk. We were worried about the character development and if an authentic young version of Jay Swan would come across but no matter bc Mark Coles Smith didn't disappoint. You can see the likeness in the brooding temperament, the thinking man's scowl and then once or twice, that dazzling smile breaks through. The series delivered complexity and depth and our lead was matched with an equally strong cast.

Didn't see that twist though.

We hope ABC continues to write this series eventually linking the stories of young Jay to the older version.

Contrary to all the glowing reviews, I thought the action was so slow that I could barely keep track of the plot line from week to week. Despite that, I loved the actor playing young Jay Swan. He is quite believable as an earlier vision of the brilliant older Swan. He was the only reason I persevered through all 6 episodes.

If this series had had a tighter plot line or fewer episodes to concentrate the flow of the story, it would have been greatly enhanced. I truly appreciate the Australian and New Zealand programmingon on acorn and especially those involving Aboriginal plot lines. It's an insight into challenging world, not unlike our US tribal nations struggles. I just wish this series' writing was half as good as Mystery Road.

The film 'Mystery Road' introduced us to Detective Jay Swan. This series takes us back to the early days of his career. It is 1999 and he is returning to work at the outback town where he grew up. He doesn't get off to a good start; he stops at a petrol station and gets caught up in an armed hold up. As the thieves speed away he finds himself being arrested by one of his new colleagues. That mistake being sorted he sets about getting settled in. Life is made slightly more difficult by his father, a former rodeo star. He also starts to take an interest in local woman Mary Allen. Meanwhile young lawyer, Anousha, is looking into the death of Mary's brother which was officially closed some time ago but she thinks he may have been the victim of foul play.

I really enjoyed the stories about the older Jay Swan but was unsure how this prequel would compare. It turned up rather well. The opening scenes really pulled me in as Jay stops to pick up his father on an outback road followed by the events at the petrol station. After this the pace is fairly languid with plenty of time spent between the moments of action. Some may think it is too slow but I felt it added to the story which has a timeless feel. It could almost have been set at any time; although historically there wouldn't have be an Aborigine in the police. The issue of race is important but this doesn't feel like a polemic; instead it is just a natural part of the story. The cast is really solid throughout; especially Mark Coles Smith, who plays our protagonist Jay Swan. The location itself can be considered a character; one can almost feel the heat and sense of isolation. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of earlier 'Mystery Road' stories although it isn't necessary to have seen those to enjoy this.