Screen Queen TV reviews: The Hack, Mystery Road: Origin, Slow Horses, The Kim Kardashian Heist
The Hack
Wednesday, streaming on Stan
When TV is done right, it can be genuinely transformative. Not only in terms of audience experience — though immersing yourself in a good old binge-watch can certainly appear to stop time — but in terms of society as a whole.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Good TV gets people talking; shines a light on long-buried injustices and has the capacity to move the needle on popular consensus, prompting laws to be changed, charges to be laid and power to be held to account.
Stan’s excellent new seven-part limited series, about the phone hacking scandal that brought down Britain’s bestselling newspaper the News Of The World back in 2011, has all the hallmarks of one such series.
Written by Adolescence creator Jack Thorne and produced by the team behind global success Mr Bates vs The Post Office — two series that unequivocally set agendas and changed minds (and even UK law, in the latter’s case) — it delves into the events that played out between 2002 and 2012, interweaving two real-life stories.
The first looks at the work of investigative journalist Nick Davies (David Tennant, who is absolutely terrific as always), who uncovered evidence of widespread phone hacking at the paper. Running in tandem is the story of the investigation into the murder of private investigator Daniel Morgan, led by former MET police detective Chief Superintendent, Dave Cook (Robert Carlyle, also sensational).
The way the stories intersect is genuinely genius, with Thorne’s fingerprints all over this. And there’s a stacked guest cast, including Steve Pemberton (who plays Rupert Murdoch), and Toby Jones, who plays Davies’ editor.
This will get you raging, and is sure to be one of this year’s most talked-about series.
Agenda-setting television.
Mystery Road: Origin S2
Sunday, 8.15pm, ABC
Detective Jay Swan (Mark Coles Smith) of the Mystery Road universe has always been synonymous with wide, open desert vistas. So it’s a tad discombobulating to see him here, nestled amongst the karri forests of WA’s South West — he’s a fish out of water.
Jay has travelled to the tiny town of Loch Iris with partner Mary (Tuuli Narkle), whose mother grew up there. Life’s about to get a whole lot more complicated as Jay is thrown headfirst into investigating several troubling crimes, some which hit extremely close to home.
This might be my favourite season yet. Beautifully shot, impeccably acted, unsettling and quietly menacing — this is Aussie drama at its finest.
Don’t miss this one.
Mother And Son
Wednesday, 8.30pm, ABC
I say Arthur — we’re back! Everyone’s favourite dysfunctional mother and son duo are returning, so get ready for plenty of unhinged behaviour from Denise Scott’s Maggie. Thrilled this got a second season.
Slow Horses
Wednesday, streaming on Apple TV Plus
Imagine being one of the MI5 operatives working out of Slough House and having to just . . . keep turning up to work. PTSD much? Season five continues their stories with a new nailbiting case and I’m obsessed. You will be too.
Inside The Kim Kardashian Heist
Tuesday, streaming on Max
Remember when Kim K got robbed at gunpoint for millions of dollars worth of diamonds? Wild! This three-part doco looks at the crime, speaking with those close to it, including one of the gang members who carried it out, and the investigators who solved it. Nuts.
Originally published on STM
