A year on from his discovery and dismantling of a small-town drug syndicate that resulted in 6 murders, journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold) has now returned to his hometown of Port Silver with his new love, Mandy (Bella Heathcote). However, a desperate phone call from an estranged childhood friend leads Martin to a bloodied crime scene, with Mandy there holding the weapon, and no recollection of what has happened.
The small-town murder mystery formula isn’t strayed too far from in Scrublands: Silver, often rehashing elements that worked for the first season to take audiences on a twist-and-turn filled ride that is just as pulpy and melodramatic as its predecessor, but far less exciting. Martin’s journalistic investigation follows the same beats as he goes well outside of professional jurisdiction to find out the truth.
As with season one, how the mystery begins ends up becoming far more convoluted and distant from its origins, as crimes and people from the past (some of whom aren’t even introduced until the final episode) add unnecessary layers to the plot. And even though the stakes should feel much higher considering his partner is at the center of the investigations, the muddled execution of the story leaves a bit to be desired.
The pacing of the show is often halted by flashbacks to Martin’s past, in which interactions with his uncle, brother, and childhood friends become a new mystery for the audience to solve, and something that often has Martin struggling to reconcile with an event that happened in the town when he was a teenager. As his investigation grows deeper in the present day, the secrets from his past begin to uncomfortably emerge. But this B-story is a little too underdeveloped, with the flashback scenes causing more head-scratching than closure.
Another curious head-scratcher that stands out is the choice of needle-drops throughout the series. Each episode features at least one popular song, ranging from Foo Fighters to Jose Gonzalez, used in different emotional moments seemingly to heighten the scene. But more often than not, these songs distract from what is happening because they either don’t match the moment, or strangely enough, feel too well-known to feature in an Aussie crime melodrama.
Replacing Greg McLean for this new season, director Ben Young helms the four-episode series, bringing a more visually darker aesthetic, which matches both the tone of the plot and the wintry, wet seaside setting. His direction, along with the cinematic photography from Michael McDermott, prove that Australian television can also be held in the same regard as other prestige shows out there.
Joining Luke Arnold and Bella Heathcote is a cast varying in levels of quality with the performances. Considering the more prestigious, cinematic presentation of the series, there are unfortunately performances that are better fitted for daytime soaps, with line readings that stick out negatively. However, there are standouts alongside the two lead stars, which include David Roberts as Martin’s uncle, Vern, and Luke Pegler as Nick, Mandy’s kayaking lawyer.
Scrublands: Silver attempts to heighten the stakes through a far more personal story for returning journalistic investigator Martin to endure. However, by not straying far enough away from the familiar beats of the first season, the show feels repetitive, which isn’t made better by noticeably odd song choices and varying qualities of performance.
All four episodes of Scrublands: Silver premiere exclusively on Stan April 17.
