Troppo–Second season bests the first of Aussie mystery thriller

Review by C.J. Bunce

Passionate performances and sharp writing in the second season of the Aussie tropical noir mystery series Troppo propel the series to the top of the class this streaming season. An adaptation of the Candice Fox novel Redemption Point, it’s worth looking in detail how a series that was promising in its opening season can return with such powerful performances, actors who hit the ground running, and a story upping the intrigue and the stakes.

Troppo, Australian lingo for “messed up by the tropical heat,” sums up this sweaty show surrounded by swamps and murder, streaming now on Amazon Freevee via Prime Video. A top-notch show without sex and gore? Where do we sign up? Starring Thomas Jane as an American ex-cop and Nicole Chamoun as your typical or atypical tattoo artist/private eye, count it as your next must-watch show.

Key to the success of this season seems to be the all-around commitment of co-producer and star Thomas Jane, whose character takes a backseat to his co-lead this season–a wise decision that means everything for the show. Filmed in Queensland, the show stars Jane as Ted Conkaffey, an Indiana Jones lookalike with similar rough and rogue qualities. Discussed in the first season, Conkaffey was accused of murdering a child, but he was actually in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sydney police increase their pursuit of Ted this season, the first of two key storylines that connect the dots with last season and explain why both Conkaffey and Nicole Chamoun’s Amanda Pharrell aren’t your ordinary heroes.

Chamoun simply dazzles this year, something she could have done last year with a better script, no doubt. This season we see the impact of going to jail for 12 years on her for a murder she didn’t commit, and for being a person who brings bad tidings to everyone she touches. She cannot bring herself to even enter a car because of the ghosts of her past, explaining why she was riding a bike all over town last season. This season Conkaffey accepts his role as private eye mentor slightly more wholeheartedly than last year, convincing Amanda to ride with him in his car (saving a lot of time getting from point A to B)and ultimately prompting Amanda to get her own rig. But we see her fighting with herself at every step, more so than you’ve ever seen a woman struggle with anything in any series before, often endangering her and getting her into more trouble. It’s gritty, it’s real, it’s incredibly believable. One moment she is almost childlike with glee, the next she is imprisoned in her own thoughts.

Amanda is fixated on Twist, played again by Simon Lyndon. Deeply involved in the creation of all her problems, he becomes the target of the next murder inquiry. But only she thinks he did it. Who dropped a smoldering dead body off a cliff onto the site of a couple out in the woods for a lover’s lane tryst? Amanda and Ted are hired by the girlfriend of the son of the smoldering man. Everyone in town seems to be connected or related, and a local self-help group and drug ring is also part of the morass. Whodunnit? It almost doesn’t matter. It’s the chemistry Jane and Chamoun put together that keeps you hanging on the wit, outrage, courage, and resentment in every conversation between them. Remember the buddy cops on Alien Nation? They are very much like that.

Conkaffey still has his live-in geese from last season, which have practically become his trademark for the show, a great addition to every scene at his home. The circumstances back home allow Radha Mitchell to return as his wife Kelly, bringing their daughter for a visit. Kelly is an atypical wife in this kind of TV crime drama, jilted but also steadfast in her support for her husband. Sure, he’s accused of some bad stuff, but even when evidence could implicate him, she does not flinch, a fresh twist for TV viewers. Hopefully she returns for a Season 3.

Lyndon plays Twist as the best kind of antagonist, full of those things that make him bad, but carrying enough lingering mysteries to stir up doubt–did he or didn’t he? His nephew Raph is played by Ethan Lwin, and Raph’s girlfriend–who hired the Conkaffey and Pharrell–is played by Miah Madden. The ultimate outback trip continues with the broad and fascinating mixture of cultures on the Continent.

The best new edition for the series is Zindzi Okenyo as recently scuttled cop Sweeney (Harrow), who carries out a great love-hate relationship behind the scenes of the murder and mayhem with Amanda. And Ling Cooper Tang is back again as Hench, a great foil for Sweeney and original character in the mystery drama genre.

Thomas Jane (The Expanse, The Predator, Medium, The Punisher) as this washed-up, scruffy fellow with Issues has never appeared so mature and confident in a role. The high point of the season, Chamoun is poised for this to be her breakout role, hopefully springboarding her into many more. She is the actress to watch this year. Watch her work back-to-back with Veronica Mars and you’ll find some surprising story commonality.

We’ve seen some good series out of Australia, like Harrow, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Mystery Road, Glitch, and Deadloch, and you’ll want to add Troppo to that list. Will Season 3 take us to Sydney, or is there more darkness to be found in the far north outback of Queensland?