Home > Categories > Entertainment > Television > The Brokenwood Mysteries: Season 2 review
Case Five: Leather & Lace
The Brokenwood Cheetahs are a local rugby team of legendary status. Their losing streak of 50 straight games has broken national records. So when their hapless coach, Arnie Langstone,is found dead - stripped naked and strapped to a goalpost- some think it might be blessing in disguise - perhaps now they might start winning again. But amidst this DSS Mike Shepherd is perplexed by several other issues. Firstly, why was a pair of women's underwear stuffed down Arnie's throat? And what do the neatly embroidered initials 'G.G.' signify? But then a second body is discovered and Mike and his team are stretched to the limit. Is this the work of a serial killer or merely a puzzling co-incidence?
Case Six: To Die Or Not To Die
When a young cast member of The Brokenwood Theatre Society collapses and dies at the end of a performance of Hamlet, the initial belief is that it was from natural causes. However,Mike detects there is 'something rotten in the state of Brokenwood' when he gets a whiff of a lethal poison. In doing so he uncovers a complex web of ego driven dissention amongst the troupe. Was Ben Faulkner expended to create opportunity for another young rising star? Or can his death be linked to the words of the Bard himself? And how did Jared end up playing the lead role? As Mike and his team investigate the hidden secrets of this curious group of thespians,'To be or not to be' takes on a whole new meaning.
Case Seven: Catch Of The Day
The bucolic coastal waters off Brokenwood support a thriving fishing industry. But when Jared discovers a severed human hand in a crayfish pot, it appears to be harbouring something far more sinister. Who does the hand belong to and are they still alive? The finger is pointed at the Keely family; fishermen for generations who are very protective of their patch. But what about the deceased's wife who was out at sea,out of cell phone range and out for a good time? And the volunteer fisheries officer seems to be a man who is doing God's work as much as protecting the marine life. As Mike, Kristin and Breen set about fathoming the dark undercurrents of the coastal sea they will be surprised by what lies beneath.
Case Eight: Blood Pink
Holly Collins is not only DSS Mike Shepherd's favourite country musician she's also playing in Brokenwood. Unfortunately it turns out to be her final gig. When she is found electrocuted it appears to be a rock'n'roll suicide. But then again it could have been a drunken accident- or, as Mike suspects, it is perhaps something less obvious. With a careless note scrawled in lipstick the only clue,Mike has to set aside his personal interest in the victim and strike the right note with Holly's dysfunctional band members: Slim Fingers, Waylon Strings and Jesse James. But the more he finds out,the more he needs to know and the less he likes what he learns.
Product reviews...
I have really enjoyed the first season so when I noticed that this was available for review I was more than happy to apply and wait and see if I was successful. I really enjoy crime stories and seeing how the mysteries are solved.
Season 2 was great, with some interesting murders (still grateful that the gory stuff was not shown) and a bit more depth to the characters and some humour, like "it looks like you have hit a smurf" which gave me a good giggle. I liked how the characters put their foot in their mouths and had to try and get out of sticky situations, I don't have a favourite character as they all have strengths and weaknesses. Some of my favourite scenes were in the episode where the theatre was the focus, the cheesy and obvious cliches (the show must go on) and the references to Shakespeare as I love plays and poetry.
The episodes were 90 minutes each which was a good length to get a bit of detail but not too long winded. I still would like the option to play all instead of having to select each episode individually but it was good to be able to read the plot summaries and having the option for subtitles for the hearing impaired. There was no bonus features, it would have been interesting to see the bloopers and maybe deleted scenes. There was also some amazing scenery.
I'm not sure if there is going to be anymore episodes but I am hoping there will be, there are so many more mysteries and ways the characters can grow. It is great to support Kiwi talent, most the actors I had not previously heard of but I was able to easily recognise Robyn Malcolm.
I can guarantee that this will be a much watched series in my collection.
Random listing from 'Entertainment'...
Touring seven NZ hotspots from 18-28 May 2016.
• 18th - NELSON : Theatre Royale Nelson
• 20th - CHRISTCHURCH : Isaac Theatre Royal
• 21st - DUNEDIN : Glenroy Auditorium
• 25th - TAURANGA : ... more...
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"There's more to a person than the things they have done"
from 'Eastenders' TV show.