Review

Matt Mitcham is at the isolated grave of his Mother, and proving once again he has a few Roos loose in the top paddock is doing the self flagellation thing. Meanwhile Robin and Johnno have come home to the Crib after Robin's mother's funeral. Robin is in shock but answers a call to come into the Station as Jamie, Tui's friend, has been arrested for shop lifting. Seems that it's the kid's third offense and for some reason he has roofies, the date drug, on him. Robin can get nothing out of him and neither can Al, even with using a low grade torture approach.

Robin wants to raid Matt Mitcham's compound as she is certain there is a drug lab there, but Al isn't keen for various reasons the least being there is no probable cause. Meanwhile Matt is calling in the troops to find Tui over the weekend, offering a $10K reward but only wanting serious Bushmen or bikies apparently. A group does find Tui but it ends in a fatal incident that is going to have ramifications for all involved. A scan of Bob Platt's computer that Robin has in her possession following Caroline Platt allowing her to take it, turns up some very interesting photos. Seems Bob isn't the innocent we all thought he was and there is definitely something very nasty going down in Lake Top.

Since this is the penultimate episode time to clear up some confusion with the imdb.com episode listings for Top of the Lake. The imdb are following the seven episode release from the U.S while we are following the sixth episode release that the BBC sent Downunder. While no one is missing out on anything the Downunder release has slightly different plot lines in each episode due to the slightly longer episodes. Okay clear as mud? - cool rocking on here. I also wanted to mention the excellent piano driven theme that composer Mark Bradshaw provides, it's both evocative and eerie driving home the atmosphere that Directors Campion and Davis are striving for.

To the episode itself, a number of plot threads are starting to come together in a convincing pleat that promises one hell of a revelation in the final episode. We learn that Robin's mother inhabited one of Matt Mitcham's properties, which underlines a notion we got last episode. Robin also questions Detective Al Parker about his 2 million dollar water front mansion, not something you are going to be able to afford on a cop's salary, which he blithely explains as having got cheap from some American who needed to flee the Country ASAP. I was wondering when that particular coin was going to drop. Robin is also perfectly aware that Matt has a drugs lab in his compound somewhere and is after a warrant to search the property, something Al is of course putting every obstacle he can in the path of. Further Johnno warns Robin that she is treading dangerous ground and should get out of Lake Top, though he admits he doesn't have the ability to follow her to Sydney, having had a drugs conviction.

If anything however the episode belongs to Jamie and Tui, two Kiwi kids doing the best that they can. Yes we find out Tui is alive and hearty and we also find out Jamie has been happily supplying her with supplies under the noses of the various interested adults. Naturally Matt is going to put his oar into the water here and bring trouble to paradise but in so doing it will be fatal. We learn Tui really doesn't want to go home but not the reason why, I'm expecting something fairly drastic in the final episode and got to say the hints being delivered aren't promising anything terribly pleasant.

I guess the major indication that something might be slightly odd in the Kingdom of Lake Top is the information two programmers extract from Bob Platt's computer for Robin. Firstly we learn that the demised Bob had one heck of a fetish involving being treated like a baby. There's probably a name for that but heck if I know what that is. The other photos discovered hidden on the computer's file system indicate Bob also visited a "brown room" and I've got to say if this is hidden away from prying eyes then I'm not expecting the room to host the local train spotter club meetings.

Detective Al Parker once again indicates interest in Robin, and Matt sets up a meeting with her to find some common ground. Neither is satisfied with the outcome they receive.

The major question I have is whether or not Matt, and quite possibly Al, are also involved in the "brown room". Guess I'll find out next episode, but for sure given the size of the local population I would be very surprised if the duo weren't at least aware of the room.

Must admit I still am not getting the Womin's Collective over in Paradise. They get screen time every episode but really are not proactive in any sense. In this episode Jamie and Tui seek help from the collective, are feed, and have more of G.J's existential musings to be going on with. Not quite sure how this all fits together really, beyond the women being simply a plot device. A lot of focus is on the electric guitar playing Melissa so I'm expecting her at least to be somehow involved in the final confrontation or resolution.

With a character's death in this episode providing the final block with quite some force I'm expecting something explosive next week. I have this feeling Robin will be presented with the right due cause to search Matt's compound, from there things could unravel in dramatic fashion. I am also reminded of Johnno warning Robin against digging too deep. There's simply this feeling I have that things are not going to end well for a number of the characters, the secrets run too deep in Lake Top to be rooted out without major cost.

Guess a lot of this review was spent musing on the final episode, which is a shame as The Dark Creator was well passed excellent. Great performances all round, excellent development of the plot arcs, and the further indication that something very wrong is going down in Lake Top. I'm simply blown away with each episode of this excellent mini-series, one of the best television shows to have ever been developed in New Zealand.