The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Sports, the Bard, Fishing and Country Music

Reviewed by Michael Reuben May 6, 2016

The second series of New Zealand's Brokenwood Mysteries capitalizes on Series 1's strengths, with some minor adjustments by the creative team. Det. Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea) has settled into his new home town, and his cherished 1971 Holden Kingswood car is now a familiar sight in Brokenwood's environs. Gone is Tania, the witness from one of Shepherd's old cases with a new identity, whose past he was determined to keep a secret, even from his police colleagues; a postcard in Series 2's first episode informs us that Tania has started fresh somewhere safer. Shepherd continues to tell tales about his many ex-wives, and hints about his past are dropped over the course of these four episodes, but Series 2 concentrates on the here and now.

Shepherd's working relationship with Det. Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland) has become more familiar and easygoing. Shepherd no longer feels the urge to crack inappropriate jokes at a crime scene, although he still engages in his peculiar habit of conversing with corpses. Off-key remarks are now the province of Sam Breen (Nic Sampson), the red-headed constable who in Series 2 has graduated to plain clothes and a more active role. Less seen in these episodes is Shepherd's vineyard keeper, Jared Morehu (Pana Hema Taylor), who remains an indispensable part of the local scene, but is no longer called upon to provide Shepherd with deep background or special services. The town's Russian coroner, Gina Kadinsky (Christina Ionda), continues to be a mordant highlight of the show, whether referring to Hamlet as "the Russian play" or comparing an autopsy to making borscht.

The size of Brokenwood's population has never been disclosed, but it's clearly the kind of place where you would expect to see the same faces over and over. Building on that small-town ethos, head writer Tim Balme repeatedly brings back minor characters in these episodes, some from Series 1 and others who are introduced in Series 2, then unexpectedly pop up in later cases. "The Big Smoke", the unidentified city from which Shepherd first arrived, remains a distant presence, the source of inquiries by phone and an occasional visit from Shepherd's immediate superior, Hughes (Colin Moy). For the most part, though, Brokenwood keeps to itself.

Leather & Lace (disc 1) Sept. 27, 2015

Brokenwood's local rugby team, the Cheetahs, are best known for their extraordinary losing streak, which currently stands at fifty games. When the naked body of Coach Arnie Langstone (Phil Vaughan) is found tied to one of the goal posts on the playing field, suspicion falls on the team's members, many of whom were openly dissatisfied with Arnie's leadership. The coach adopted a notably gentler approach to the game after one of his players was grievously injured on the field ten years ago, and many Cheetahs blame Arnie's softer style for their epic losses. But the investigation turns toward cherchez la femme, after the Brokenwood detectives find a fancy pair of women's lace panties at the scene, hand-embroidered with the letters "GG". The same initials were signed to the last text on Arnie's phone inviting him to a meeting, but the sender's identity proves difficult to establish. As Shepherd and Sims look into Arnie's background, no one can identify any particular woman in his life other than ex-wife Barbara (Rebecca Swaney), who has moved on. By chance, though, Shepherd learns that Arnie was a regular at Brokenwood's local library, where the newly arrived librarian is named Gloria Ginsberg (Jody Rimmer).

As Shepherd and Sims carefully track the movements of each Cheetah on the night of Arnie's death—most of them were drowning their sorrows over the team's latest loss at The Frog & Cheetah, the pub sponsoring the team—the investigation is shortly complicated by the discovery of a second body. The young woman is identified as Dena Clarke (Julia Hyde), an out-of-town visitor killed near the road after her car ran out of gas. Are the two deaths connected, and if so, how? And why are there so many red dresses on display?

The case is a particularly unhappy experience for Constable Breen, who is both a member of the Cheetah team and part of the group that found Arnie's body. Shepherd bars Breen from participating in the case, since, at least in theory, he too is a suspect. Indeed, Shepherd goes so far as to put Breen on leave, and the unlucky constable finds himself stuck at home, assigned domestic chores by his wife and yearning to get back to the company of murderers.


To Die or Not to Die (disc 1) Oct. 4, 2015

Everyone loves the Bard, except for Mike Shepherd, who snoozes through a performance of Hamlet by Brokenwood's local theater group, to the embarrassment of the accompanying Sims, who is something of a Shakespeare enthusiast. What brings the pair to this particular production is the presence of their friend Jared, Shepherd's vineyard keeper, in the title role. Although he is a stage novice, Jared has been catapulted into stardom after being "discovered" by the director and leader of the company, Ralph St. John (Peter Hambleton). But Jared's debut takes an unexpected turn when the actor playing Laertes, Ben Faulkner (Nick Davies), collapses and dies during the curtain call. Although asthma is initially blamed, Shepherd suspects poison, and he turns out to be right.

The theater company is rife with intrigue and eccentricity. The deceased recently ended a relationship with the actress playing Ophelia, Juliet Phelps (Holly Hudson), to the great distress of her overprotective mother, Ruth (Robyn Malcolm), the production's stage manager. In a classic example of small-town coincidence, Ruth Phelps just happens to be the former high school English teacher of Constable Breen, who is terrified of interviewing her because he still owes her an assignment (on Shakespeare, as it happens). The late Ben Faulkner was also the subject of unwanted attentions from Gray Jenkins (Bruce Phillips), the production's supplier of props and costumes, whose life partner, Neil Bloom (Pete Peleton), is conveniently a pharmacist with easy access to a variety of toxins, and whose mother, "Smelly Nelly" Jenkins (Brenda Kendall), is a possum trapper with a cache of cyanide.

Faulkner's death clears the way for his understudy, Billy Franks (Dan Veint), who has his eye on Juliet, but, alas, to no avail. The young lady is besotted with Jared. Meanwhile, the company director, Ralph St. John, who insists that his name be pronounced "Rafe Sinjin" and brags that he worked with Sir Ian McKellan in The Lord of the Rings, frets that the show can't go on after such a tragedy, while Paula Worthington (Miranda Harcourt), who plays Gertrude, insists on continuing, because the proceeds are earmarked for her charity to benefit orphans. Though Paula was reportedly fond of her dead castmate (possibly too fond), she seems more concerned with her dogs, Sebastian and Viola (named after the twins in Twelfth Night).

The method by which Faulkner was poisoned remains as elusive as the motive. After a second attempted poisoning, Shepherd acquires a new appreciation for Shakespeare, because, in this investigation as in Hamlet, it turns out that the play's the thing.




Catch of the Day (disc 2) Oct. 11, 2015

Brokenwood Beach becomes a crime scene when a surfing Jared finds a crayfish "pot" in the water cut loose from its moorings. The fisherman's trap bears the number 66, which Jared interprets as the sign of the devil, but of even greater concern is the fact that the pot contains a severed human hand. An elderly man (Ken Blackburn) walking his dog just before Jared finds the pot was nearly run down by a vehicle fleeing the beach, but the gentleman suffers from both deafness and color-blindness, making his account less than helpful. (He does seem to enjoy talking to Breen, though.)

As Shepherd and his team search for the rest of the body, they are drawn into the rivalries of Brokenwood's shellfish industry, where the Keely family, which have fished the local waters for generations, is locked in bitter competition with a slick newcomer, Shane Pullman (Jason Hood). Complicating the situation is the fact that Pullman has persuaded Liam Keely (Kevin Keyes) to lease him the fishing rights for Liam's territory. Liam's brother, Tommy (Cohen Holloway), considers this an unforgivable family betrayal.

The Keelys haven't been the same since the family patriarch, Des (Ken Reinsfield), was killed five years ago in a fiery boat explosion that left his daughter, Liza (Kate McGill), badly burned. Although the death was ruled accidental, Liza believes her father was murdered. So does her feisty mother (Judy Rankin).

The body to which the hand belongs is eventually found, and the victim had no shortage of enemies. The roster of suspects expands to include an officious fishing inspector, Noel Cleland (Stephen Papps), who insists on being addressed by his title as if he were royalty; the victim's widow (Ingrid Park), who presents herself at the Brokenwood police station with a lawyer already in tow; and the lawyer himself, Dennis Buchanan (Shane Cortese), who appears to have more than a professional relationship with both his client and her deceased husband. There may be plenty of fish in the sea, but a lot of other things can be found beneath the waves.


Blood Pink (disc 2) Oct. 18, 2015

Mike Shepherd's fanatical devotion to country music finally gets an episode all its own, when a concert by Shepherd's favorite New Zealand performer, Holly Collins (Bronwyn Turei), produces multiple shockers. First, Holly announces at the conclusion of her performance that it will be her last outing with her long-time band, because she's relocating to Nashville to pursue superstardom. Then, the next morning Shepherd is called to the band's hotel after a member is found dead in a bathtub holding a guitar, to all appearances a suicide with a note scrawled on the bathroom mirror in lipstick (in a distinctive shade called "Blood Pink").

Adding to the confusion is the fact that almost everyone involved with the band seems to have disappeared: the performers, the roadies, manager Ritchie Mathis (Eryn Wilson) and, of greatest concern, the five-year-old daughter of the fiddle player, Lucy Choo (Roseanne Liang). The child's absence prompts the New Zealand equivalent of an amber alert, overseen by Constable Breen. Meanwhile, Shepherd and Sims explore the thicket of crisscrossing relationships and rivalries within the band, both personal and professional.

Guitarist Waylon Strings (Jordan Mauger) is currently paired with Holly, after sleeping with every other woman in the group (and fathering Lucy Choo's missing child). The drummer, Jessica "Jesse" James (Colleen Davis), who was dumped by Waylon, is now paired with Ritchie the manager. (She responds to Sims's incredulity over these romantic hijinks with one of the episode's best lines: "Ever heard of Fleetwood Mac?") Jesse and Holly also have an unspecified professional dispute that predates the star's surprise announcement that she's breaking up the band. The bassist, Slim Fingers (Peter Daube), is a former heroin addict who, when he finally appears, says he was so drunk that he can't remember how he ended up with cuts on his forehead and someone else's blood on his sleeve.

At the concert, Shepherd meets two fellow country music fans, Celia Lazenby (Jacque Drew) and Rayleen Hogg (Yvette Parsons), who proudly announce that they have attended every performance by Holly Collins and have the autographed ticket stubs to prove it. With their accumulated knowledge of trivia and gossip, Celia and Rayleen prove to be indispensable sources in Shepherd's unraveling of the mystery.

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Brokenwood Mysteries continues to be shot digitally by the same pair of cinematographers responsible for Series 1, Marty Smith and Rewa Harre. Acorn Media's two 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-rays for the second series are comparable to the previous discs, with a clean and noiseless image, sharp focus and plenty of fine detail. The show continues to take advantage of the verdant New Zealand countryside, but Series 2 expands its palette to encompass the blues and greens of the ocean and the grays of the overcast sky. (As Breen notes, New Zealand is three large islands; so you're never far from the seashore.) The visual balance of open spaces and contemporary objects remains an essential element of Brokenwood's aesthetic.

Dr. Gina's morgue looks less sickly pale in these episodes, perhaps a sign of the extent to which she is warming up to Shepherd's presence. (When Sims attends an autopsy in her senior's place, the doctor's demeanor returns to its former frostiness.) Night scenes feature deep blacks, the better to conceal nefarious deeds. The average bitrate on these four episodes is higher than on the Series 1 discs, at an average of 27.99 Mbps, and the encode is first-rate.

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The soundtrack for Series 2 of Brokenwood Mysteries continues the show's love affair with country music, with each episode featuring multiple credits for songs by New Zealand singer-songwriter Delaney Davidson, Canadian transplant Tami Neilson and assorted other artists. Neilson and her brother Jay are also credited with the incidental score. All of the gentle country sounds are soulfully rendered in lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0. The remainder of the sound mix is comparable to that of Series 1, with one notable difference: To my American ears, the New Zealand accents are often thicker in these four entries than in previous episodes. The English SDH subtitles are a useful aid.

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Cast and Crew Interviews (1080p; 1.78:1; 3:06): The title is misleading, as no crew members appear. Interviewed separately, Neill Rea and Fern Sutherland discuss how their characters have evolved since Series 1.



• Photo Gallery (1080p; various; 1:34): A slide show including both publicity stills and behnd-the-scenes photos.



• Trailers: At startup, disc 1 plays trailers for Acorn TV, The Detectorists and Chasing Shadows, which can be skipped with the chapter forward button and are not otherwise available once the disc loads.

The Brokenwood Mysteries: Series 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Brokenwood's homicide rate is astonishing for such a small population, but the same applies to most police procedurals. (New York City has many more murders on TV than in real life.) Even when the plots rest on contrivances, the show succeeds because of its unique locale and the chemistry among its recurring characters, which has grown even stronger in Series 2. A third series is currently in production. Highly recommended.