Patrick Brammall changes gears in new Australian thriller Last Seen

A thriller about a kidnapping can go one of two ways. The first way is that the person who was kidnapped is dead, which means it’s really just a murder investigation and the people doing the investigating don’t know it. The second way is that the person who was kidnapped is still alive, which opens up a number of more interesting possibilities.

It’s not exactly a spoiler to reveal that Apple TV’s new series Last Seen is an example of the second kind of kidnap drama; the first episode is basically a string of ‘she’s dead, really, we promise’ moments, which all but guarantee that things are not what they seem. Oh, and the trailers give it away, so there’s that. So the dramatic focus is firmly on Ian Ridley (Patrick Brammall) and right from the start it’s clear he isn’t in a good place.

A father unravelling

Sneaking out after what seems like a one-night stand with Polly (Taylor Ferguson), we see Ridley in quick succession on the phone to his heavily pregnant ex Debbie (Jessica Wren), who wants their old baby cot for her new child, then being berated by his AA sponsor (Daniel Henshall) for missing the meeting where he was going to get his six months sober chip. But as he was busy boning not boozing, he gets the chip anyway.

Ridley is an emergency services dispatcher in the small coastal town of Port McKenna, where both big storms and domestic violence are current problems. He’s smooth on the phone but not so good with the management side of things; turns out Polly is his co-worker, and her slack approach to showing up on time has the rest of the crew offside.

All of that stops mattering when he’s confronted with real news: the bones of a small child have been discovered in the nearby forest, uncovered in the recent storm. Everybody knows to stay out of his way on this one, because 11 years ago his then three-year-old daughter Maggie was kidnapped. She was never found. Could this be the closure his ex is looking for, and the bad news he’s been dreading?

Hints and teases

There’s a minor mystery stirred into this situation, but it feels like a bit of a cheat. This first episode is firmly focused on being a study in grief and loss; having Ridley turn vigilante (briefly) might be required on a genre level, but it feels a little out of place when the emotional drama is where the real interest lies.

Being a former cop and former local chief means the current boss (Zahra Newman) is a little more forthcoming both with the evidence and with the forgiveness when he starts doing a bit of his own investigating. Unfortunately, everything seems to be pointing one way: Maggie is finally, officially, dead.

So that’s it? The remaining five episodes are just going to be Ridley trying to move forward with his life? Considering how badly he goes off the rails once it seems certain that Maggie is dead, that doesn’t seem entirely out of the question.

Only hang on a second, isn’t that mysterious local handyman played by Brendan Cowell, who basically had Patrick Brammall’s career 20 years ago? Why would someone so high up in the credits be playing a character who seems completely unrelated to everything that’s happened so far?

While the opening episode does give a little more away, it’s not until the second (Apple TV is releasing the first two episodes at once, before shifting to a weekly schedule for the remaining four) that Ridley gets a panicked call at his day job that he believes may have come from his now presumed dead daughter. Good thing he’s got a rock-solid reputation in the local community as a level-headed man who wouldn’t go off on a wild goose chase based on a grief-stricken fantasy oh wait.

Patrick Brammall shows us what he’s got

Based on a US novel, Last Seen is a bit of a slow starter of you’re looking for white knuckle mystery thrills. It spends a lot of time making sure we really get to know Ridley before the plot kicks in. It’s time well spent. Best known for Colin From Accounts (and three scenes in The Devil Wears Prada 2), Brammall’s comedy chops are no secret; this really gives him a chance to stretch himself dramatically and he grabs it with both hands.

Across the six episodes, the story has its fair share of turns, and while there are no big surprises for genre fans, the twists are well-thought out and the rug-pulls keep things moving quickly. It’s the kind of drama where one character’s actions sends ripples through the cast of characters. Ridley is a man on a mission, and we spend plenty of time seeing how that mission disrupts those around him.

Which is to say this is a solidly-crafted thriller where character counts. The supporting cast all have their turns in the spotlight, and Cowell and newcomer Chole Jean Lourdes turn out to be a compelling double act. The setting does a lot of work here too, with the Victorian coast being both desolate and welcoming. It’s a great place to hide out, not so great when you’re on the run.

Apple TV’s first foray into Australian-made drama is clearly designed to be a safe bet. Last Seen is a pacey crime drama that uses the local landscape to tell a globally friendly story featuring an Australian lead with international fame. While many of the pieces here are familiar ones, Brammall’s consistently compelling performance as a distraught father makes it something more: sometimes bets pay off.

The first two episodes of Last Seen premiere on Apple TV on 9 September, with new episodes following weekly

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