Mystery Road: Origin (2022– ) User Reviews

Deadly. Bang on origin story

[speaktomenow · 8/10 · 6 July 2022]

Amazing. I was dreading this being a bad prequel with sub standard acting compared to the original Mystery Road with the amazing Arron Pederson. But...wow. This is stunning. Phenomenal acting, brilliant cinematography and photography that just stuns you. Have you ever seen the outback? Yeah I have. I live here and this is it - bang on accurate: feel the dust.

This is the outback writ large on film. Seriously congratulations to everyone involved in this, it's a creative credit to the original, and a new and impressive addition to the Mystery Road series and movies. 10/10.

Look me up, see my reviews, I hate almost everything. I bloody loved this. Gold star folks. If you haven't watched the original series, do yourself a favour and get into that. Then, watch this and thank me. I can't recommend this highly enough. Aussie TV at its best:

meets expectations

[A_Different_Drummer · 7/10 · 10 July 2022]

Fan service writ large for the target audience. Two things set MR apart from almost every other police show on TV. The locale. And the pacing. If the pacing were any slower, viewers would be able to paint the garage between scenes. But with that slow pacing comes a constant unflinching sense of perpetual dread, and that is what makes MR a standout.

Didn't disappoint

[joannaegart · 8/10 · 23 July 2022]

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.

Mark works magic!

[reecebuckton · 10/10 · 8 July 2022]

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!

Absolute magic

[lakeshore-98711 · 10/10 · 7 July 2022]

Having seen all the other Mystery Roads and Goldstone with the great Aaron, I was anxious about how his younger self would act, he has achieved total mind-meld with Aaron and put his own stamp to perfection on the character, if you like the series you will be amazed at how good this mini series is, brilliant and totally Australian in every way, just awesome.

Awesome

[buffo-27296 · 10/10 · 14 July 2022]

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.

Absolutely the best TV to come out of Australia

[salispahic · 10/10 · 5 July 2022]

First, the camera work is amazing. I will not mention any scenes that I find amazing, because I do not want to spoil the feeling, but... this series is worthy for just that.

Acting is really good. I really believed the actor was a young Swan.

Directing is probably the best part. I loved the Killing (first series) and the True Detective (first series) and this Mystery Road: Origin is there, right there with these two. Really good.

Screenplay is probably the weakest part, but it is still fairly good.

Casting is outstanding but...

[campbelld-62167 · 6/10 · 20 October 2022]

Physical resemblances to the Jay and Mary characters from the previous movies and series is remarkable and it has the same slow, depressing atmosphere as well. You can count the smiles on two fingers. Not one of the characters has any joy on their lives. Ultimately a very depressing addition to the Jay Swan saga. I am a huge Aaron Pederson fan but the series is just slow moving and leaves me feeling a bit empty. Virtually everyone is depressed and has a gloomy outlook on life. Granted, these are poor people with little or no future but the bleakness just about outweighs the story. I was hoping young Jay would have been a bit more upbeat. Even after his first night with Mary he didn't crack a smile.

Confronting but entertaining

[annandlucy · 10/10 · 23 July 2022]

I too was unsure as to how anyone could match the talent of Aaron P, however Mark Coles Smith was excellent in his portrayal of a younger Jay Swan.

With respect to the storyline, the underlying themes of colonisation and all of its sins (e.g. Dispossession, Aboriginal slavery on stations, Aboriginal men wearing neckchains, whitefellas and foreign investors raping this beautiful country for minerals, deceiving the original inhabitants so as to gain access to their lands, etc. Etc.) are confronting to viewers who know this to be the true history of our modern-day Australia. It is vital to see all of this up on the screen and this series does just this.

I really enjoyed the character portrayals and found them to be realistic, given the setting. I have lived in places like 'Jardine' and know that these unusual characters exist in such vast, isolated, desolate locations. The cinematography work was spot on and highlighted the unique qualities of such isolated Australian desert-scapes.

Thanks for another great series with the gorgeous Jay Swan. I hope that this doesn't end here!

Glacially Slow But Picked Up!

[martimusross · 6/10 · 19 January 2023]

Mystery Road - Origin

This prequel got off to a slow and lumbering start, it was just insufficient to start the show with "soap" like issues.

However, as the show progressed, at a very decided pace, it started to establish a crime and potential suspects, they couldn't help themselves with the woke inserts and predictable indigenous issues that lacked heft. We had some terrible stereotyping and really there was little new here.

Mark Coles Smith made a fine Jay Swan and he did look uncannily like a young Aaron Pedersen. Overall the acting was crisp but the story lacked narrative impetus, as this rate they would get through a couple of cases a year in this hick town.

I'm giving this a 6 outta 10 meaning worth watching but it could have been so much better!

Brilliant drama

[damian_hoy · 10/10 · 27 July 2022]

This is what top Aussie drama looks like. Well done to the ABC. Brilliantly written, filmed and acted.

Mark Coles Smith is outstanding. He will be a big name actor. I can't wait to see what he does next.

Camera work 10. Acting not 10

[Nico333 · 7/10 · 10 July 2022]

Always the issue with Australian productions, Mystery Road suffers from middling to bad acting and probably direction and problematical pacing. Add to that a panoply of tropes and a whiff of the ole SBS inclusive drama I got the feeling I'd seen this all before. Some of the leads are really solid, others are just over- or undercooking it most of the time. So there's that.

The big plus for me was the cinematography, absolutely top shelf. But boy was this sloooow, and with so many scenes that had little point, (and big red herrings) and that went on for far too long and could have been chopped. A three or four parter might have been a better option.

Hate to be critical, but...

[lsskater · 5/10 · 19 October 2022]

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.

As good as the others in the Mystery Road storyline

[lhunt-9 · 10/10 · 8 January 2023]

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.

A good prequel but really slow

[eagles-21887 · 8/10 · 11 July 2022]

A good show to watch if you are prepared to sit though the many slow bits. Great photography and on the whole some good acting. Looking forward to future series.

A solid Australian prequel

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 28 January 2023]

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.

Mood (season 1)

[allisonjoys · 9/10 · 28 October 2022]

There is a mood with this show along with the music that I totally dig. I also love the gritty location and the way nothing is new or clean. The sets (buildings, vehicles, interiors) are completely believable.

I can't complain about any of the acting. Everyone did an excellent job. All actors were authentic and looked like normal people which I appreciate.

I admit I went into this expecting to be disappointed. Boy was I wrong. I look forward to the next season.

It's interesting that my review must be 600 characters. It's as if they want all reviews to contain spoilers because there's no way to fill that quota with them.

Boring but with decent finale

[jerryp65 · 6/10 · 21 July 2022]

The whole series is slow and and acting mediocre. The plot is boring and the story is rather predictable. Only the last half hour is ok. They could've fitted all this in a movie and leave out the obnoxious brother part for one. And the gangsters, who look like amateurs.

Gorgeous Australian noir

[ecoslor-55035 · 10/10 · 7 August 2022]

I liked the original Mystery Road and I think I liked this even better. Gorgeous scenery and having grown up in a country town myself, though not in Australia, I would argue that what some reviewers pass off as slowness is a nod to the pace of country life. While I prefer city life, I really liked the show's sense of pacing and the story of a place where not much happens, everyone is up in your business, and secrets keep building up over the years.

Good casting

[gallagherkellie · 7/10 · 22 March 2023]

The casting choice was great for this series! The Jay Sean actor did such a good job at playing a young Aaron pederson/Jay Swan and so did the Mary actress. Good to know they were always the the same haha Apart from that, it was very slow like others are saying. But not so slow that I stopped being interested. The scenery was beautiful as usual, and the way it's shot is amazing.

The storyline was a bit confusing at times, maybe due to not a lot happening? I feel like there's still a couple of unexplained points or plot holes, but all in all another sad, slow, gripping tale set in a small rural indigenous town.

Beautifully done

[jeffpsy · 8/10 · 24 October 2022]

The first concern I had about this prequel was, will the young Jay Swan resemble Aaron Pedersen enough to be credible in the role? No worries there. Mark Coles Smith was an uncanny match with Aaron Pedersen. The filmmakers couldn't have chosen any better. While the series is indeed a mystery, it is a kind of slow burn, in which the beauty of the landscape and the atmosphere are every bit as important as the plot.

With each episode we become more engaged with the characters, and more tuned in to the racial politics. Those looking for a ton of action, and a neat linear plot might be disappointed. For my part, I was bowled over by the quality of the acting, both from the aboriginal and Anglo cast.

By the end of the series, the loose ends of the plot were resolved, but the poetry and mood lingered. It left the viewer feeling that they had traveled to a very special place and time.

... exhausting

[bjarias · 5/10 · 21 July 2022]

... really tried hard liking this show, but try as I might could not get past midpoint in the series... it really did not need to be six episodes in length... its-weary-dreary-plodding-nature just wears you down to the point you really don't care any more what happens to any of its characters.

LOVE THIS SHOW

[jodycraven-45072 · 10/10 · 6 September 2022]

KEEPS ME ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT EVERY SHOW......CAN,T GET ENOUGH OF IT......MUST WATCH. I GIVE THIS TV SERIERS 10 OUT OF 10.....MYSTERY ROAD IS A SERIERS YOULL KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE AND MORE CAN,T GET ENOUGH OF IT.... GREAT STORY LINE AND AMAZING CAST...LOVE IT.... THE CREATORS SHOULD THINK ABOUT MAKING A BIG SCREEN MOVIE ???.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Binge Watch

[vkammerer-34719 · 10/10 · 13 October 2022]

I liked the original Mystery Road with Arron Pederson and was reluctant at first to watch the 2022 version. Was I wrong! Episode One was slow and I wasn't too impressed, but the story got better and better episode by episode. I binge watched the entire season last night until 5 a.m. This morning. Wow! What a performance by the entire cast! So much to learn about Australia's outback, the people, the challenges of native Aborigines, and the not so subtle racism. Mystery Road: Origin is complete with suspense, action, romance, corruption, crime, and amazing photography of the outback. There are people you'll absolutely despise in the beginning, like the dad, brother, the mob, but in the end you'll cherish them. There are moments of frustration that made me want to stop watching Mystery Road, but at the same time kept me watching hoping some of the characters "get theirs" and they did!

The Asian policewoman Cindy looks like journalist Vicky Xu.

[andrewmile · 10/10 · 25 August 2022]

Grace Chow looks so similar to Journalist Vicky Xu, who is an Australian policy analyst and journalist known for exposing human rights abuses in China. In March 2020, Xu was the lead author of a report, Uyghurs for Sale, stating many Uyghurs from Xinjiang had been moved to China proper for forced labour. This led to a campaign of harassment against Xu, including death threats and smear videos.