Dead Lucky

Rachel Griffiths and Yoson An turned in good performances, but the plot is thin to say the least, the other characters one dimensional, terrible wooden acting, (the accents were cringeworthy). We watched all 4 episodes, so something got us hooked - cinematography was good - but director and scriptwriters should be ashamed to have wasted such great talent.

When I started the 1st (of only 4) episodes, I thought it was a mistake. It looked to be really cliche, and the characters seemed like "TV characters". You know: characters who don't behave in ways that actual humans do out here in the real world. By the 2nd episode, the unexpected plot twists, which kept this long-time TV viewer guessing, overshadowed that. Gained 2 stars simply for very creative plotting. I'm not disappointed that there won't be (AFAIK) another season, because the characters aren't compelling enough on their own and I don't think lightening could strike twice in terms of a really creative plot.

It's weird that all the other reviews so fare are either 10s or 0-3 and the comments either damning or lauding, it just seems to be a normal detective thriller to me. Maybe it's the cross-cultural Chinese foreign student element that creates the huge reaction but since SBS specializes in multicultural progamming you'd think viewers would expect that. A normal well plotted twist-and-turn detective thriller for mine.

Many of the reviews - unfortunately by Americans - try to place this in an environment they understand - existing US gangster and cop shop shows.

Don't.

It casually introduces other elements - like overseas students trying to pay their university fees by working in corner convenience stores. Being exploited and underpaid is a running theme that many reviewers missed, relative to why one of the students ultimately goes missing. No spoiler there.

It also introduces (in a backhand way) Chinese prejudice against gweilos: when this same Chinese student is dating a man originally from Iran. And not telling her parents back in China.

It contains more twists than the usual cops and robbers inhabiting pay TV. Rachel Griffiths is outstanding, as are some of the minor actors playing overseas students. It needs quite a grasp of Australia and Sydney, particularly.

Well done to all who have put their talents to work in this production. This goes along with some of the best British produced shows of the same genres and for someone to say it was like an American production is an insult. If I do have a negative (and I have to hunt for it) is being filmed in Sydney so many of the land marks around Sydney are being used. Many productions I have seen shows Banangaroo as a back drop. Maybe use some of our provisional towns would not only make a change but may help some of our small struggling towns.