Warning: Slight spoilers ahead!
If you’re a fan of Australian serial killer Mick Taylor (John Jarratt) and the Wolf Creek films, then does the Pop TV Network have a treat for you. Starting Friday October 14, they will be airing the 6-episode Wolf Creek miniseries (which originally aired on the Australian streaming network, Stan back in May). My only word of warning is that it’s about an episode and a half too long.
Although the cinematography in this show is stunning. I could easily just take in the images, both the landscapes and the gore, and feel like I came away a winner.
Writers Peter Gawler and Felicity Packard trade off on episodes while Tony Tilse directs the first five with Wolf Creek creator Greg McLean directing the finale, and at 46 or so minutes apiece, we’re looking at about three feature films’ worth of material here. Unfortunately, Wolf Creek doesn’t really lend itself to a lot of expansion. The story goes a little something like this: ex-pill addict Eve Thorogood (Lucy Fry) is on a forced outback excursion with her family to help her kick the habit that cost her her spot on the American Olympic track team. In the opening minutes of the opening episode they come across walking talking embodiment of Australian clichés, Mick Taylor and before you know it, everybody’s brutally murdered.
Except Eve, who Mick believes to be dead. It’s a little sloppy that he’d just wave off her body’s disappearance as dinner for a crocodile when he’s so meticulous about gathering everybody else up, making a nice stack, and then setting them and their camper on fire. But we’ve got to have a story, right? So Eve sets out to find Mick and take revenge for killing her family.
And for the first three episodes, Wolf Creek is pretty great. In that third episode, “Salt Lake,” Eve’s character develops organically from almost-victim to determined seeker of revenge. She cuts her hair, stops wearing the short shorts, and wounds the guy who attempted to rape her. At this point, I was thrilled with where the series was heading. “Salt Lake” is easily the best episode of the series.
But then the wheel-spinning starts.
We’ve got a subplot with the detective in charge of her case, Sullivan Hill (Dustin Clare), having marital problems, another with a group of bikers trying to find her to take their own revenge after she accidentally kills their brother, and another with an escaped convict named Johnny (Jake Ryan). None of these subplots amount to anything in the end. They literally are there to provide filler to stretch to a full six-episode run.
They’re not really bad story elements, and they’re not poorly done. It’s just that, ultimately, they have no bearing on what happens between Eve and Mick. Although an argument could be made that Hill’s problems with his wife lay a groundwork for his emotional attachment to Eve, but even then, it’s kind of inappropriate and more than a little creepy.
The finale, which gives us a glimpse into the secret origin of Mick Taylor is serviceable enough, but really wasn’t needed (particularly as there’s a prequel novel, Wolf Creek: Origin, that does the same thing). The last thing I want is a humanized psychotic murder-machine. It was enough to have Eve track him to his home, although I still can’t figure out why he gave her the clues to find him. Having Eve switch roles to become the hunted is almost pulled off, but there’s some sort of emotional connection hinted at and never explained or explored. For some reason, Mick seems to sympathize with her until they’re actually face-to-face. There’s got to be some reason why he killed the rapist earlier in the season in a manner totally outside of his regular modus operandi. He was punishing that guy for some reason that’s never really explained or explored. Instead, we get an entire storyline about bikers seeking revenge.
And while the finale does bring everything home (quite literally) it suffers from not being able to provide a solid ending. We all know Mick can’t die in order for the franchise to continue, and he’s not a supernatural being, so he’s untouchable. And to kill Eve after six episodes of development would have been a slap in the face. So the show tries to have its cake and eat it to, It’s definitely worth the ride, especially if you’re already a fan of Wolf Creek, but even at six episodes, it’s a little long.