Mystery Road: Origin
| Mystery Road: Origin | |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring | |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers | |
| Production company | |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC TV |
| Release | 3 July 2022 – present |
| Related | |
| Mystery Road (film) Goldstone, Mystery Road (TV series) | |
Mystery Road: Origin is an Australian television crime mystery series. It is a prequel to the TV series Mystery Road, which first aired on ABC TV from 3 June 2018. Both series are a spin-offs from Ivan Sen's feature films Mystery Road and Goldstone. Aboriginal Australian detective Jay Swan is the main character, played by Aaron Pedersen and the first TV series, and by Mark Coles Smith in Mystery Road: Origin. Season 1 aired from 3 July 2022.
Synopsis
[edit]Season 1
[edit]Prequel to Mystery Road (2013 film)
The year is 1999, and a young Jay Swan moves back to his home town of Jardine to join the local police force. He must cope with his estranged father Jack and his feelings for local girl Mary Allen, as well as contending with a mysterious gang of robbers.
Season 2
[edit]Prequel to Mystery Road (2013 film).
Six months on from the previous season, Jay and Mary are settled into a small town in Mary’s mother's country, and Mary is working at a local hospital.
Cast
[edit]Season 1
[edit]- Mark Coles Smith as Jay Swan
- Tuuli Narkle as Mary Allen
- Toby Leonard Moore as Abe
- Daniel Henshall as Patrick
- Steve Bisley as Peter Lovric
- Salme Geransar as Anousha
- Lisa Flanagan as Catherine
- Clarence Ryan as Sputty
- Caroline Brazier as Geraldine
- Hayley McElhinney as Max
- Serene Yunupingu as Lartesha
- Kelton Pell as Jack Swan
- Leonie Whyman as Cissy
- Nina Young as Fiona
- Jayden Popik as Xavier
- Grace Chow as Cindy
- Megan Wilding as Ziggy
- Ling-Hsueh Tang as Poppy (2 episodes)
- Geoff Morrell (6 episodes)
Season 2
[edit]- Mark Coles Smith as Jay Swan
- Tuuli Narkle as Mary Allen
- Geoff Morrell as Philip
- Helen Morse as Sister Kelly
- Robyn Malcolm as Sgt Simmo
- Nicholas Bell as Garry
- Steve Le Marquand as The Cowboy
- Aswan Reid as Swayze
- Shantae Barnes-Cowan as Lana
- Luke Carroll as Joey
- Eloise Hart as Anya
- Marley Sharp as Sam
- Scarlett Yarran as Scarlett
Episodes
[edit]| Series | Episodes | Originally released | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | |||
| 1 | 6 | 3 July 2022 | 7 August 2022 | |
| 2 | 6 | 21 September 2025 | 26 October 2025 | |
Season 1 (2022)
[edit]Mystery Road: Origin went to air on Sunday 3 July 2022 and ran until 7 August. All six episodes were made available on iview.[1][2] The writers include Blake Ayshford, Steven McGregor, Kodie Bedford, Timothy Lee and Dylan River.[2]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [3] | Directed by [3] | Written by [3] | Original release date [4][3] | Australian viewers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Dylan River | Blake Ayshford | 3 July 2022 | 410,000[5] | |
|
Newly qualified detective Jay arrives back in his hometown hoping to reconcile with his estranged father. He witnesses a robbery. A lawyer from out of town reads the police file for an unsolved murder. Jay meets his father in a bar which is held up. | |||||||
| 14 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Dylan River | Steven McGregor | 10 July 2022 | 309,000[6] | |
|
A cattle truck is stolen then dumped. Jay suspects the robberies are connected. The police raid a car scrapyard. There's a confrontation and a gang of neo-Nazis are arrested. Jay takes Mary and her family to the ball. His father should be there but doesn't turn up. Jay finds him dead. | |||||||
| 15 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Dylan River | Timothy Lee and Dylan River | 17 July 2022 | 328,000[7] | |
|
Jay thinks Jack was murdered. He finds a cannabis farm that Jack ran. Mary tells Anousha she feels guilty for her brother's death. Jay delivers the eulogy at Jack's funeral. Ziggy confesses to killing Joshua. | |||||||
| 16 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Dylan River | Kodie Bedford and Steven McGregor | 24 July 2022 | 302,000[8] | |
|
Ziggy is held in custody. Lucas escapes. Jay thinks Jack and Sputty were involved in fraud as part of government works contracts. Xavier holds up Max. Police go to an incident at a brothel and find Lucas there. | |||||||
| 17 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Dylan River | Blake Ayshford and Dylan River | 31 July 2022 | 305,000[9] | |
|
Gerry's house is ransacked. Jay realises the gang have been protesting about a massacre of aborigines. Anousha notices a photo of Abe in police uniform. Peter tells Jay off and he resigns. | |||||||
| 18 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Dylan River | Blake Ayshford and Dylan River | 7 August 2022 | 263,000[10] | |
|
Jay intervenes in another robbery. Anousha has disappeared. Mary gets a lift from Rex and he kidnaps her. Jay stops him and senses something is wrong. Rex has been killing troublemakers and dumping their bodies in an old mine. Mary finds Anousha. Peter was involved in the fraud. Jay arrests him and Paddy. Jay asks Mary if she wants to come with him on his new posting. | |||||||
Season 2 (2025)
[edit]Season 2 of Mystery Road: Origin went to air on Sunday 21 September 2025 and ran until 26 October. All six episodes were made available on iview.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [11] | Directed by [11] | Written by [11] | Original release date [11] | Australian viewers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Wayne Blair | Steven McGregor | 21 September 2025 | N/A |
| 20 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Wayne Blair | Jada Alberts | 28 September 2025 | N/A |
| 21 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Jub Clerc | Erica Glynn | 5 October 2025 | TBD |
| 22 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Jub Clerc | Samuel Paynter | 12 October 2025 | TBD |
| 23 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Wayne Blair | Gary Hamaguchi | 19 October 2025 | TBD |
| 24 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Jub Clerc | Steven McGregor | 26 October 2025 | TBD |
Production
[edit]Season 1
[edit]Mystery Road: Origin was filmed in Western Australia, around Kalgoorlie, Boulder and Coolgardie.[12]
Mark Coles Smith plays a younger version of Swan.[13][1]
Season 2
[edit]In June 2023, Mystery Road was renewed for a fourth series. It is another prequel series under the "Origin" title,[14] and went to air from 21 September 2025.[15][16]
Jub Clerc co-directed with Wayne Blair. Simkin and Jowsey again produced, while the executive producers were Ivan Sen, Brett Sleigh, and Rachel Okine.[17]
Mystery Road: Origin was filmed in south-western Western Australia around Pemberton.[18][19]
Release
[edit]Season 2 premiered on Sunday 21 September 2025 at 8.15pm on ABC TV, with all episodes available to stream on ABC iview.[citation needed]
Reception
[edit]Season 1
[edit]In The Sydney Morning Herald, Kylie Northover gave Mystery Road: Origin a rating of five stars,[12] while The Guardian gave it four (out of five).[1]
Season 2
[edit]Anne Rutherford of Australian Book Review gave season 2 of Mystery Road: Origin 4 out of 5 stars, writing: "The scripting in season two is a little more uneven than in earlier seasons – occasionally the dialogue is less nuanced and a few moments are overly reliant on the music to carry the dramatic impact – but, directed by Wayne Blair and Jub Clerc, the characterisation is strong and, as is usual for Bunya Productions, the casting and performances are superb". She singles out Robyn Malcolm (Sergeant Simmo), Aswan Reid (Swayze), Shantae Barnes-Cowan (Lana), and Luke Carroll (Joey) for extra praise.[20]
Awards and nominations
[edit]Season 1
[edit]Season 1 of Mystery Road: Origin won an Equity Award for Most Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.[21]
Other awards include:
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12th AACTA Awards | Best Television Drama Series | David Jowsey, Greer Simpkin | Won | [22] |
| Best Screenplay in Television | Episode 3 – Timothy Lee, Dylan River | Nominated | ||
| Episode 6 – Blake Ayshford, Steven McGregor, Dylan River | Nominated | |||
| Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama | Mark Coles Smith | Won | ||
| Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama | Tuuli Narkle | Won | ||
| Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama | Steve Bisley | Nominated | ||
| Daniel Henshall | Nominated | |||
| Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama | Hayley McElhinney | Nominated | ||
| Best Direction in Drama or Comedy | Dylan River | Won | ||
| Best Cinematography in Television | Tyson Perkins – Episode 3 | Won | ||
| Best Costume Design in Television | Terri Lamera – Episode 3 | Nominated | ||
| Best Editing in Television | Nicholas Holmes – Episode 3 | Won | ||
| Best Production Design in Television | Herbert Pinter – Episode 3 | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Music Score in Television | Vincent Goodyer – Episode 3 | Nominated | ||
| Best Sound in Television | Luke Mynott, Wes Chew, Trevor Hope, Dylan Barfield – Episode 3 | Won |
Home media
[edit]| Series | Release date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1/A (U.S.) |
Region 2 (UK) |
Region 4 (Australia) |
Region 4 (New Zealand) | ||
Season 1
|
13 December 2022 | 31 December 2022[23] | 31 August 2022[24] | TBA | |
- Key
- = Indicates availability only on DVD
- = Indicates availability on both DVD & Blu-ray
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Buckmaster, Luke (3 July 2022). "Mystery Road: Origin review – Jay Swan is back and as great as ever". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Mystery Road: Origin premieres in July. Every mystery starts somewhere". ABC. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Mystery Road Episode Guide". Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
- ^ "Mystery Road – Listings". Next Episode. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- ^ Knox, David (4 July 2022). "Sunday 3 July 2022". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 4 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (11 July 2022). "Sunday 10 July 2022". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (18 July 2022). "Sunday 17 July 2022". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (25 July 2022). "Sunday 24 July 2022". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (1 August 2022). "Sunday 31 July 2022". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (8 August 2022). "Sunday 7 August 2022". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Mystery Road: Origin – Season 2 Listings". Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ^ a b Northover, Kylie (30 June 2022). "Five stars: ABC's new Mystery Road crime series is as cinematic as TV gets". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Network. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ Knox, David (21 August 2021). "Mark Coles Smith to star in Mystery Road: Origin". TV Tonight. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
- ^ Knox, David (10 June 2023). "Mystery Road: Origin to return in 2024". TV Tonight. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ "Mystery Road: Origin returns for season two this September". FilmInk. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ Buckmaster, Luke (20 September 2025). "Mystery Road: Origin season two review – outback sleuth Jay Swan's latest outing is classily executed but a little hackneyed". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ^ "Mystery Road: Origin series 2 (2025)". Screen Australia. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ "Screenwest welcomes 'Mystery Road: Origin' back to Western Australia for season two". 21 November 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ^ "Second season of acclaimed crime drama Mystery Road: Origin to screen in September, showcasing Pemberton's beautiful forests". Screenwest. 22 August 2025. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ^ Rutherford, Anne (25 September 2025). "'Mystery Road: Origin Season 2: The next instalment in a hard-hitting franchise' by Anne Rutherford". Australian Book Review. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
- ^ "Equity Ensemble Awards". Equity Foundation. 9 May 2023. Archived from the original on 12 August 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
- ^ "Winners & Nominees". www.aacta.org. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
- ^ "Mystery Road: Origin [DVD]". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ "Mystery Road - Origin". sanity.com.au. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
External links
[edit]Mystery Road | |
|---|---|
| Films |
|
| Television series |
|
- Mystery Road
- 2020s Australian drama television series
- 2022 Australian television series debuts
- Australian English-language television shows
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
- Television shows set in Western Australia
- Television shows set in the Outback
- 2020s Australian crime television series
- Neo-Western television series