Mystery Road: Origin

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.