The Messenger

The tale completes after 8 episodes. It's a mini series, not a yearly tv show. All loose ends are tied neatly at the end. I do see a tendency for others to stop watching after or 3 episodes, . But if you simply march past you will be glad you did. Everything happened for a reason, there is no filler.

It is a whimsical tale, with flawed human beings coping as they can. It is also a tale of deep friendship, and deep loyalty. This is one of the most rewarding parts of the series. Friendship is a strong glue here.

The lead character has a natural caring warm personality, and can be selfless to a fault. He does not force it. It is who he is. The friends love each other, and where it may go further it does not hurt their deep friendship.

This is a great family watch for awards 14 and up. There are a small number sexual encounters though no nudity and brief. More implied than acted out. There is mild cursing , also used sparingly. The show manages to touch upon a wide number of social issues and coming of age topics.

The ending is satisfying and worth the journey. Acting is superb.

I binged this series across two days and loved it. It was quirky, charming and offbeat. It expertly borrowed genre elements from mystery, drama, dark comedy and coming-of-age to create an entirely new world that felt fresh and original.

William Mckenna's performance as Ed was a clear standout. He brought a warmth and humourous charm to the screen that always had me rooting for his character.

This show makes me so excited about the direction Australian Television is going in.

If you're looking for a feel-good but also feel-everything (joy, heartache, laughter, tears) kind of series, look no further than The Messenger.

Here's hoping there is a s02!

I blindly walked into this series with no expectations. I finished this series and am all the better for it. Tears and laughs, joy and pain, love and heartache, it all happened, and as unexpected as they were, they were the result of the believability of the situations, presented in a somewhat unbelievable way.

If you want to escape over budgeted flicks with eye popping CGI and effects, if you want to dive into a corner of the world with real probelms that's all hidden behind a curtain of mystery and wonder, check out this series.

The acting is great, the plot is fun and touching in a way that is rarely seen in television today. And best of all, finish it and your heart will be lighter, your smile bigger, and your step into life outside the screen will be just a little bit better for it.

There are moments in The Messenger that are some of the most beautiful and heartfelt I have seen on television. I am talking about the young actors who play the four friends, each undergoing unresolved crises in their lives. The interplay between them is wonderful to watch, wrenching at times. None more so than William McKenna who plays the titular role and nails his character with a gifted array of non-verbal communication, a glance here, an anguished look there. He is never less than compelling to watch and surely great things lie ahead of him.

The series is a nice change from the usual fare and it is good to see quality Australian drama. Production values are top notch and cinematographer Geoff Hall evokes a period feel even though the story is rooted in the present.

The episodes unfold slowly and there is a dip in momentum about half-way through, but stay with it as the final episodes resolve into a satisfyingly warm conclusion that will stay with you for a long time.

For me the acting, cast, direction, and production values are all fine, it's the script that is the problem. I've watched 5 episodes so far and I'm really struggling to get much further, it's becoming repetitive and less interesting as it goes on. As soon as I heard Cowboy Junkies Sweet Jane being played around episode 2 or 3 they really lost me, it just reminded me how cliche the show was. That was an edgy song for mainstream movies in the 2000's, it's just really unimaginative in the 2020's. And that is what the whole script lacks, imagination. The writers needed to go on some kind of Thai full moon party retreat or Peruvian assisted mediation camp. I'm sorry guys, love seeing Lithgow, but the show is boring me to tears.