This Jane Campion chronicles police detective Robin Griffin (Elisabeth Moss).
The first season takes place in New Zealand. Pregnant 12-year-old Tui tries to kill herself and then later disappears. Robin investigates uncovering some dark town secrets. The first problem is that the stakes aren't high enough. Usually shows like these start with a dead body. This lack of starting overwhelming damage robs this show of much needed initial drive. The second problem is Elisabeth Moss. She just doesn't have the presence of a police detective. She's too flustered and lack the strength of a more traditional police detective. The biggest problem I had was the weird Holly Hunter character. It's a creation that smells too much like Hollywood. If there's any charm to a show like this, it's the pseudo-realism of a local culture. She's basically an outsider that destroys the local flavor.
The second series has Robin alone and haunted transferring to Sydney. Miranda Hilmarson (Gwendoline Christie) is an adoring beat cop. A china girl prostitute is stuffed into a suitcase and dumped into the sea. Mary (Alice Englert) rebels against her mother (Nicole Kidman) dating the charismatic and much older Alexander 'Puss'. Robin is more compelling this time around dealing with the personal fallout from the first season. It feels more real this time. The mother daughter story is frustrating at times. At least, this season starts with a dead body. It may be a trope but it's a useful trope to drive the initial investigation forward. Clichés are clichés for a reason. Some of this works. I find the second season better than the first.
The first season takes place in New Zealand. Pregnant 12-year-old Tui tries to kill herself and then later disappears. Robin investigates uncovering some dark town secrets. The first problem is that the stakes aren't high enough. Usually shows like these start with a dead body. This lack of starting overwhelming damage robs this show of much needed initial drive. The second problem is Elisabeth Moss. She just doesn't have the presence of a police detective. She's too flustered and lack the strength of a more traditional police detective. The biggest problem I had was the weird Holly Hunter character. It's a creation that smells too much like Hollywood. If there's any charm to a show like this, it's the pseudo-realism of a local culture. She's basically an outsider that destroys the local flavor.
The second series has Robin alone and haunted transferring to Sydney. Miranda Hilmarson (Gwendoline Christie) is an adoring beat cop. A china girl prostitute is stuffed into a suitcase and dumped into the sea. Mary (Alice Englert) rebels against her mother (Nicole Kidman) dating the charismatic and much older Alexander 'Puss'. Robin is more compelling this time around dealing with the personal fallout from the first season. It feels more real this time. The mother daughter story is frustrating at times. At least, this season starts with a dead body. It may be a trope but it's a useful trope to drive the initial investigation forward. Clichés are clichés for a reason. Some of this works. I find the second season better than the first.