Top Of The Lake

What can I say about Top Of The Lake? What a right royal depressing mess of a series. Queenstown, New Zealand must be a complete shithole, yet it's portrayed as a great place for a holiday in the ads. The series is full of just the worst people, police and locals, and no-one seems all that bothered that a 12 year-old girl is pregnant. Ugh... I'd like to give the show a thumbs up or a thumbs down, but the series has some really intriguing stuff and some excellent acting from Elisabeth Moss (whose Australian accent is, for the most part, pretty spot on) and most especially Peter Mullan, who's always good. But, it's mixed in with completely unexplained nonsense and 'dues ex machinas' that seem to be the only things that move the plot along instead of careful plotting. After this and In The Cut, I'm convinced Jane Campion has no idea how to write a mystery and should stick to the moody drama, which is the best stuff here.

Also, why was this shown in 7 parts when the 6 part series runs better with proper endings? That must have been even more fun to watch. And to think the ABC passed on this intriguing mess because of the casting of Elisabeth Moss and instead went with Serangoon Road, possibly the most uninteresting show the ABC has done in a while. Oh, sorry, that was the appalling Cliffy, God what a dud that was.

Series 2 of Top Of The Lake four years later and back in Australia and it's still a bizarre mix of moody drama and all over the place mystery that not really that mysterious. Took me a couple of minutes to remember the vibe of the first series and it all came flooding back soon after. Crazy scenes with out there characters, incredibly random castings, things that would never happen in other mystery procedurals and random throwaway bits which are both bizarre but also more memorable than the nuts and bolts plotting. I seem to like this series of Top Of The Lake better than the first and it does have a memorable character in 'Puss' played by Swedish actor David Dencik who is so far out there, but everything he does is fascinating even up to the last scenes of the series. Gotta say I was more fascinated by this show than any other TV show I've seen recently, but it's absolutely bonkers, so I can't recommend it to those who like things easy.

Tags: Elisabeth Moss, Robyn Malcolm, Genevieve Lemon, Robyn Nevin, Skye Wansey, Erica Englert, Griz Pomirska, Lauren Dawes, Alison Bruce, Alice Englert, Gwendoline Christie, Merlynn Tong, Angjee Douangphoumy, Thien Huong Thi Nguyen, Marny Kennedy, Jenny Wu

Elisabeth Moss

117732kb 1min 48sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in singlet top, very nippy, lengthy)

10230kb 9sec 1920x1088 (panties)

27628kb 25sec 1920x1088 (getting eaten out)

33380kb 31sec 1920x1088 (bra)

31664kb 29sec 1920x1088 (panties)

33752kb 31sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in singlet top, bra peeking out, various down blouses)

47036kb 43sec 1920x1088 (brief bra, plenty of cleavage in singlet top, bra peeking out, shorts, down blouse)

24282kb 22sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in singlet top, panties, shorts)

86034kb 1min 20sec 1920x1088 (breasts possibly full frontal nudity from a distance, bra, aborted sex scene)

3074kb 2sec 1920x1088 (breasts)

90112kb 1min 23sec 1920x1088 (side-boob, strategic 'nude', patch over breasts, 'nude' under covers, in bath)

5038kb 4sec 1920x1088 (down blouse)

40802kb 36sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in nightie, braless)

35818kb 32sec 1920x1088 (breasts, side-boob, bare back, sex scene)

132082kb 2min 03sec 1920x1088 (bra, lengthy)

4020kb 4sec 1920x1088 (upskirt)

26708kb 1min 04sec 1920x1088 (in towel)

6197kb 22sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in T-shirt, down blouse)

9507kb 37sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in singlet top, shorts, nippy)

23170kb 28sec 1920x1088 (one piece bathing suit)

9080kb 10sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in wet blouse, down blouse)

8781kb 25sec 1920x1088 (one piece bathing suit, shorts)

115609kb 2min 22sec 1920x1088 (one piece bathing suit, shorts, lengthy)

41011kb 1min 38sec 1920x1088 (breasts, bra and panties, getting eaten out, lengthy)

53606kb 2min 43sec 1920x1088 (bra, plenty of cleavage in singlet top, shorts, nippy throughout, very lengthy)

35985kb 1min 24sec 1920x1088 (brief breasts, bra, plenty of cleavage in open shirt, sex scene)

Robyn Malcolm

67906kb 1min 05sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in nightie, bra peeking out)

87060kb 1min 20sec 1920x1088 (bra and panties)

29374kb 27sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in nightie)

13378kb 12sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in nightie, upskirt)

Genevieve Lemon

47854kb 55sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in petticoat, brief sex scene, upskirt)

Robyn Nevin

38008kb 33sec 1920x1088 (bra also full frontal nudity from Robyn Malcolm, Griz Pomirska, Lauren Dawes and others, breasts from Alison Bruce, strategic 'nude' from Genevieve Lemon)

Skye Wansey

13344kb 12sec 1920x1088 (full frontal nudity also full frontal nudity from Griz Pomirska)

Erica Englert

9930kb 9sec 1920x1088 (breasts, sex scene)

Griz Pomirska

5904kb 5sec 1920x1088 ('nude' from a distance)

3302kb 3sec 1920x1088 (bum)

Unknown Woman

3824kb 3sec 1920x1088 (bra)

Alice Englert

29768kb 52sec 1920x1088 (see-through top to bra)

43187kb 50sec 1920x1088 (bikini, nippy)

21557kb 39sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in singlet top)

64747kb 2min 41sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage, short skirt, very lengthy)

Gwendoline Christie

3958kb 8sec 1920x1088 (in towel)

Merlynn Tong

51232kb 1min 52sec 1920x1088 (brief breasts, see-through bra and G-string, lengthy)

13288kb 23sec 1920x1088 (see-through top to breasts, panties)

65718kb 2min 01sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in singlet top, shorts, girl-girl kiss with Alice Englert, lengthy)

58390kb 2min 12sec 1920x1088 (Merlynn in see-through bodysuit to bra and panties, Angjee Douangphoumy in bra and panties also Sereena in bra and panties, lengthy)

60837kb 1min 11sec 1920x1088 (Merlynn in one piece bathing suit, Angjee Douangphoumy in bikini)

Angjee Douangphoumy

9391kb 19sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in underwear, panties)

5375kb 11sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in underwear, panties)

17492kb 28sec 1920x1088 (bra and panties)

16753kb 28sec 1920x1088 (negligee, panties)

29490kb 43sec 1920x1088 (bra and G-string also Jenny Wu in negligee and panties)

58390kb 2min 12sec 1920x1088 (Angjee in bra and panties, Merlynn Tong in see-through bodysuit to bra and panties also Sereena in bra and panties, lengthy)

60837kb 1min 11sec 1920x1088 (Angjee in bikini, Merlynn Tong in one piece bathing suit)

Thien Huong Thi Nguyen

18339kb 32sec 1920x1088 (brief breasts, bra and G-string)

42921kb 1min 35sec 1920x1088 (brief full frontal nudity mostly just breasts, G-string)

Jenny Wu

5374kb 8sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage in negligee, panties)

Marny Kennedy

39951kb 49sec 1920x1088 (panties pulled down, shorts)

Unknown

8072kb 11sec 1920x1088 (plenty of cleavage)