Review by lor_

I guessed this spinoff was a clever way of getting around the twin writers/actors strikes halting American film & tv production, as even the American characters hail from a different (UK) union, but the pilot played nicely and was both topical (capitalizing on the US/Aussie partnership on nuclear-powered submarines) and dealing with some serious issues.

Of course it takes time to get into the characters and actors, as evidenced by some mixed early reactions, but I recall how I was won over immediately when "Castle" debuted yet it initially encountered resistance (thought to be too derivative in the relationship of the 2 leads) before settling in as a hit. I enjoyed the cultural clash built into the varied nationality regulars and liked the fresh faces on view. Aussie TV cop shows are quite well-done, for example the recent Lucy Lawless "My Life Is Murder" series, this has a quality to it that is appealing. And especially intriguing is offbeat lead Olivia Swann, whose character's willingness to bend the rules (or break them) is promising for future editions. Plus the scenic locations.

With the strikes ending, I look forward to seeing Rocky Carroll on here pretty soon (the pilot merely name dropped "Vance"), and probably some crossover episodes.