The Circuit

I absolutely loved this series and all of roller coaster ride that it was. The cast was superb and their characters were well thought out and written with some depth.

The town of Broome is the main focal point of the territory from which the circuit judge and his court reside but we're treated to stunning views of the outback and various villages and communities. The scenery is often stark, desert like and yet has a beauty to it's ruggedness unlike almost anywhere else. The communities of Aboriginals are often portrayed as places of strife and lost opportunity, much like our own First Nation Reserves here in Canada, but, despite all their troubles, the people are portrayed with love, caring and dignity. The personal journies and growth of all the travelling circuit crew, compromises made by the judge to try to assist with the defendants and plaintiffs were touching and sensitive. I felt invested in the outcomes and cared about the fates of all of them.

Aaron Pedersen, Gary Sweet and Kelton Pell were the three main actors, but the surrounding cast was all terrific and I was sorry to see that there were only two seasons. I would have watched more, as I saw some really monumental progress in how the two communities of people were starting to work together.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea because of the grittines but I certainly think that if more people watched it that they might look at other cultures with more respect and compassion.

I went into this with low expectations, mainly due to the underwhelming performance of Aaron Pedersen in a previous series (Homicide). Even though he is not a particularly distinguished actor, Pedersen is smart enough to let other actors shine in this series. And wonderful actors they are, natural and heartfelt. The stories all resonate, especially during the first season. Highly recommended.

It's difficult for me to properly rate this season as I could only bare to finish one episode (episode 4).

I must agree with another reviewer in his or her comment that the style of the camera work is highly distracting. In all truth, within the first few minutes of watching the first episode, I began to get a headache due to the crash zooms, sudden pans, deliberately shaky hand-held shots, and the quick cuts. I realize that this was a popular technique for a few years and many directors had a go with it, but director Catriona McKenzie seems to have embraced it thoroughly. Thankfully, that fad was short-lived and will hopefully never rear its ugly head again.

Episode four is the only episode in season one that wasn't directed by Catriona McKenzie or Richard Frankland (who it seems also followed this methodology). The story is fine, along with the acting, etc. However, when skipping so many episodes one is left, unfortunately, to decide which is worse: missing character stories or risking a possible stroke.

Having been added to streaming service Stan The Circuit is well worth a watch. Consisting of only two seasons this up close and personal examination of hard life in the Kimberly region of northern Western Australia pulls no punches.

Brilliant series. Nothing matches it these days unfortunately.