45/23
Land grabs threaten to destroy the fading dynasty
Tale
When Lawson’s massive cattle ranch is left without an heir, rival Australian factions see a chance to seize control. The series was filmed in the Northern Territory and South Australia in places so remote they are barely inhabited – let alone shown on screen. Locations include the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park – with special permission from the traditional owners – and Tipperary Station, a real working cattle station that is so big it has its own airfield and school.
It could make for a lovely stage drama
There are some shows you start watching and have high hopes for. This series is about a family with a huge amount of land in the Oz outback. The country and its charisma are unfortunately ruined by some extremely poor scriptwriting.
They try but the characters fail to form a family that you engage with
It’s very dramatic, the characters are borderline caricatures, and there’s way too much totally unbelievable stuff going on. As a viewer, you want to be swept up in a family story with deep, complex characters. There’s way too much crime and drama going on, which is again poorly written.
There’s a foundation with the setting and a good cast that they can build on
Apparently people are constantly shooting, robbing, and hurting each other in the great land down under. So I really wanted to like it, but the writers have turned it into a second-rate crime show that, despite some great actors, doesn’t deserve a high rating. I’ll have hope for a second season though if they show down the drama and violence a lot and let smart people handle the writing.