Mystery Road: Origin

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.