Top of the Lake

Season One Review: I've been looking at the reviews of the first season of this series, and I feel most of the negative ones are from people who simply wanted a very different show. There are inexplicable comparisons with Twin Peaks and complaints about the quality of the mystery, as though this is a series in which the central mystery is the selling point.

It's not a classic mystery story, but neither is it meant to be (and neither was Twin Peaks, so when people complain it's not a good mystery "like Twin Peaks" I am profoundly puzzled). Instead it is the exploration of a created world. The story is shambling, with odd strings that seem untethered, but so is life. Yes, you could strip out Holly Hunter's brilliant performance as a down-to-earth guru, toss out Robin's mother, toss out all sorts of things, and you could have a short, standard mystery, but why would you want to do that?

Top of the Lake is a fascinating look at a brutal, beautiful world. The beauty comes from the landscape, the brutality from the men, who are remarkably awful. I can see why some people would complain about a show where almost every man is a monster, except for a couple of crazy ones and one passably nice guy. It doesn't bother me, but it's the one criticism I've read that I wouldn't argue against.

The show is not about the mystery but about character. There is enough mystery and plot to keep that part involving, but this is more about Robin's inner struggles and outer determination and passion than anything else.

I wish more of the reviewers here talked about the mini-series that exists instead of the one they wanted.

Season Two review: I had thought Top of the Lake was a mini-series and was surprised there *was* a season two. It is less scenic and even grimmer than the first season. There is more grit and less quirk, but there is still the complexity of character and the dark view of male-female interactions (i.e. A lot of the men are jerks).

It was interesting, but not so much that I'm eager for a third season.

I don't know what some of the reviewers were complaining about. Season 2 was just as good as season 1! I enjoyed the mystery surrounding these cases and how they keep personally affecting Robin. Well done!

This is clearly a wonderful piece of work with very precise character development that is lacking in many current productions that have a lot more money to work with. There is a boatload of really skilled actors, a great writer/director, a story with motives slowly and carefully revealed and a beautiful location. As well it is a clever detective story. What more could you want. All the characters seem like real people in that they have all suffered or struggled in some way and are quite imperfect and have all wound in the same place. Really worth a look if you like good stories by professionals who get to tell the story the way they want.

I do not want to include any spoilers in this review, well because I want you to enjoy this miniseries as much as possible. Top of the Lake tells the story of a young girl named Tui and a detective named Robin. That's all I'm going to you. The best part of this miniseries is its slowness. Most shows bore when they get slow, but this show draws you in and makes you appreciate its slow pace. For god sakes, it took "The Killing" two seasons to tell me who killed the girl. That is definitely too slow, and the girl's family in that show was very boring. This is so unlike this series. You cannot group these two together. It is a very unique insight into humans and our reasonings. With many twists and turns, I highly recommend this show. I have a feeling that this show will have many nominations this year at the Emmys. Tip: The show is available on Netflix, and may be reairing on the Sundance Channel in America or BBC in the UK.

Top of the Lake follows you around long after you've finished an episode (or the entire series, for that matter). It operates with a sophisticated sense of naturalism, which probably initially alienated many viewers begging to be bashed over the head with plot details. This is not simply a subtle noir, but a meditation on identity, which provides the necessary ammunition for some powerful performances from Elisabeth Moss, David Wenham, Peter Mullan and Holly Hunter, as well as others.

This is an atmospheric detective story, not an action-packed whodunnit. You will find yourself both disgusted with and moved by humanity as the finale's credits roll.