Bad Seeds sow fab drama over five nights
The same night the Lampton girls watched The Shining, Julia Stevens was brutally murdered in her home. At least that’s how Karen Lampton (Jodie Hillock) remembers things when the police come to her and obstetrician husband Simon’s (Matt Minto) Remuera, Auckland, home.
Keen to establish his whereabouts on the evening of their neighbour’s demise, Detective Sergeant Marie Da Silva (Madeleine Sami) and Detective Richard Bennett (Vinnie Bennett) are confused when his testimony conflicts with hers.
He claims he was at the office delivering twins.
Things look even murkier when the detective duo discover Stevens had sent Simon Lampton threatening emails just days before and that he has an aggravated assault record from
his youth that he hasn’t told his wife about.
She also doesn’t know about the affair he’s having across town with the mysterious Mereana (Keporah Torrance).
Not that Simon is the only suspect.
His live-in arborist brother Ford (Dean O’Gorman) also has issues with his timeline, there’s Julia’s ‘‘separated, about-to-bedivorced’’ husband, while Roza (Chelsie Preston Crayford), the gaffe-prone second wife of wouldbe Prime Minister David Hallright (Xavier Horan), is definitely acting like she’s hiding something.
Set up as New Zealand’s answer to Doctor Foster, Broadchurch and Liar, this adaptation of Kiwi author Charlotte Grimshaw’s critically acclaimed 2010 and 2012 novels The Night Book and Soon certainly throws viewers into the middle of a crisis among the affluent of Auckland from the off.
Using Grimshaw’s gripping prose and twisty-turny narrative, The Bad Seed (which continues Monday through Thursday nights at 8.30pm, TVNZ1 and is available to view on TVNZ OnDemand) director Helena Brooks (Funny Girls, 800 Words) and screenwriters SarahKate Lynch, Joss King and Michael Beran have crafted a solid Secrets and Lies-esque thriller.
It’s certainly likely to provide plenty of ‘‘watercooler talk’’ this coming week.
Based on Sunday night’s first episode, the decision to showcase the story across five consecutive nights (a la Foster) should just heighten the intrigue and interest.
In truth, despite the Dexterlike soundtrack and nods to other dark, overseas dramatic mystery inspirations, Bad Seed actually feels most like 2013 Kiwi series Harry.
Although set in a very different part of the City of Sails, this boasts the same contrasts between shadow and light, complex characters and a comedian in a key dramatic role (Sami here, like Harry’s Oscar Kightley, demonstrating a tougher side than viewers will be used to seeing).
And like Harry, this also boasts an impressive ensemble cast, that also includes Amanda Billing, Michelle Langstone and Calvin Tu¯ teao.
Sure, the dialogue is sometimes a little too trite (‘‘We all pretend to be someone we’re not,’’ Horan’s politician portentously states), but the cast sell it and, coupled with some atmospheric cinematography and spot-on pacing, Bad Seed has the potential to grow into a gripping five-nights of appointment viewing.