MYSTERY ROAD: SERIES 1

I've been a fan of Australian Outback mystery stories since I read my first Arthur Upfield novel about the half-Aborigine, half-White detective Napoleon Bonaparte more than 40 years ago. Upfield had a knack for describing the people and places of the Outback in such a way that you, as a reader, felt you were walking side-by-side with "Boney" as he solved the crime. In many ways, "Mystery Road" put me in mind of those Upfield novels: One of the detectives, for example, is half-Aborigine and half-Whte and - like Boney - he gets called in because the crime is complicated and requires his unique skills to solve it. Another example: The on-site investigator is an Outback veteran who, although stumped by this crime, has a lot of local knowledge and has been around long enough to know when she (in this case) needs help and is unafraid to ask for it. Another similarity: The on-site cop - a Senior Sergeant portrayed by Judy Davis - follows rules and regulations whereas the investigator she calls in - portrayed by Aaron Pedersen - doesn't always. That results in the inevitable clash, which lasts the entire series although it never quite boils over. One last similarity: In Upfield's novels Boney is a man caught between two worlds - Aborigine and White. In "Mystery Road" detective Jay Swan is in a similar situation. The plot of this series seems straightforward at first: Two local boys have gone missing while they were checking watering stations on one of the Outback's gigantic stations (what the Australians call ranches.) When Swan arrives, however, he begins to see that there is a much larger case to investigate. This larger case involves murder, blackmail, drug smuggling, and a wrongfully accused former Aborigine community leader. Davis does, I think, a remarkable job of portraying Senior Sergeant Emma James. She is old enough to have risen to that rank and tough though compassionate. Pedersen, who played the same role in an earlier movie, is sometimes a little too intense but manages, I think, to play the role of the outside investigator convincingly. The supporting cast does a professional job and the cinematography gives viewers a real sense of the Outback and its unique challenges. All in all, a very good series worth 5 stars.

I had not always been a fan of Australian movies or tv productions. Then, I found several rally good westerns made and produced in Australia began to change my mind. When I purchased and watched the Australian series Mystery Road, I found not only the acting and writing was good, but the production and direction was excellent (this was for the Mystery Road series, Season 1 and 2, NOT the Mystery Road movie, which was god awful by comparison!). Season 1, was really good, and then, Season 2 was also really good, and, unlike most U.S. production companies that screw the audience and fans when they cancel a series, this short 2 season series actually had an ending, instead of some cliff-hanger at the end expecting to continue the story in the next season, only to have the series cancelled. I'm not sure why the series was cancelled, and why there was no season 3, but it might be that the main character was somehow not available, or would not continue to star in the production. My conclusion caused by the soon to be released Prequel to the Mystery Road series, "Mystery Road Origin", staring a much younger actor, playing a younger version of the same main character. If you want to watch a great TV series, watch the Mystery Road Season 1 & 2.

absolutely terrific. a must watch.

Complex story with multiple threads that wind through the whole season. Well written but story is dark and intense with adult story themes and unnecessary cursing. We were glad there was good resolution at the end of season one so we didn't have to buy season two to find out the end.

Positives: 1. Wonderful scenery. You can track the shooting locations down on Goggle Maps, which gives you some sense of how very remote and isolated this little town really is. With a little searching, you can even find the water hole. 2. Interesting plot. I got the feeling early on that water and drugs were at the bottom of the mystery, but the facts unfolded slowly, with plenty of false leads. 3. Reasonably good acting. They did their best with a storyline that took a long time to unfold properly. 4. Not a lot of pointless violence (that is, violence for the sake of spectacle, or as a cheap way to move the plot along). 5. Not a lot of pointless explosions and various other superfluous stunts. 6. This movie requires focus...an attention span is needed to weed out the key clues from all the other information being offered. Negatives: 1. The cop and detective spent a long time searching for clues without much success. This might mirror the reality of real-life investigations, but it got boring to hear individuals who obviously knew some or all of what was going on repeatedly deny any knowledge. In particular, the young female bartender, who obviously was a central figure in the unravelling of the mystery, was tiresome with her numerous repeated denials of any knowledge. 2. The pace of the first four episodes was a bit slow. The entire six-episode series reminded me of many of the double LP albums from years ago. Example: the White Album (actually two LP's) was very good, but it would have made a spectacular single album with some obvious deletions. Similarly, this story could have easily been told in four or five rather than six episodes. Elimination of some of the repeated denials of knowledge would not have detracted from the film. 3. There are a couple of plot holes. For example, how can a young woman send an innocent man to prison for ten years and avoid all punishment for her lies? Do people really offer to purchase land by sending checks for two million dollars across town? Bottom-line: I don't want to sound overly critical, as most of my critical observations are personal opinion that others may not share. This film was well-done, generally interesting, and had the "feel" and frustration of a real-life investigation in which little if anything is obvious, and nothing is as it first appears. Four stars; I look forward to the shorter movies featuring the same characters, two of which are available at present (April, 2020).

Gorgeous settings in Outback Australia, great script, timely topics, and superb acting from an impressive cast. One of the best mystery series we've seen this year. I would definitely recommend this video to my friends and family.

We so enjoyed the twist & turns of this series. It was interesting to see parts of Australia. The characters are well developed & acting was perfect.

Loved the movies that preceded this series and i wondered if the tv show would be as good. I was not disappointed. Some amazing photography in the series - right from the opening frame. I was concerned I wouldn't like the co-star, Judy Davis, as much as I liked Aaron Pedersen - I should not have been worried...both of the leads are excellent. And the supporting cast is excellent as well. Can't wait for Season Two!