Here we have a younger and earlier Jay Swan, played now by Mark Coles Smith, who, while still young, has formal acting training, and a career dating back to 2003. He is sufficiently talented, and quite strong in the role. Clearly, Aaron Pedersen will now be moving on to other opportunities (and out of success, he was excellent in his establishment of the Jay Swan character). My first take, not all the way through yet, is that this series with its new, younger star and supporting cast, could play out for many years to come. I so much prefer this kind of story to the slick shoot-em-ups that are so widespread (and overdone) in American movies and television. These are stories driven by characters and relationships. Action, being secondary, is actually more engaging and harder hitting. In fact, there's plenty of action as well, including some very original ideas, but it's not what engages you. The action supports the story, and doesn't drive it. This is a promising start to what I hope will be years more of the Mystery Road franchise. Easy 10 star rating in my opinion.
Review of Mystery Road: Origin
