This is the 4th episode of the second season of the Australian police procedural drama City Homicide. I gave this series a go when it started. I was pleasantly surprised. The Australian feel for this drama is really nice. Much like British shows, City Homicide is quite different from American ones.
That means that not a lot of Americans will be watching the show. In fact, I’m willing to bet that not a lot of people outside of Australia watch it. Nevertheless, it’s a really nice drama. The cases are surprising and the insider politics that the crew has to deal with are also very interesting.
The acting is good as well all around, apart for a few minor glitches along the way in female guest stars. What really sets City Homicide apart is the overall quality of the show. The cinematography is really top notch. Superb shots of Melbourne and beautiful post processing make this show a must for people enjoying visual eye candy of the architectural type.
One thing that I do like is that there aren’t fifty CSI techs running around finding evidence. The detectives themselves have to do the work. This sort of thing comes from the popularity of the CSI TV shows. I think of The Sweeney when I think of City Homicide, and that’s a great thing. I recommend this show without reservations.
City Homicide is a nitty gritty police drama. I recommend City Homicide.
Warning: Spoilers ahead.
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I thought that this episode was good. I like the Kiwi connection. The crime was terribly cold blooded. However, there was some excellent cinematography in this episode, great shots on bikes.
The story itself was good as well. It was well executed.
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A yummy mommy and two of her kids are on the beach. A man with tribal tattoos walks up to her and kisses her. She slumps down and he leaves with her bag. He used a towel to muffle the sound of a gun. He killed her.
Her name is Melanie Steadman. The boy is named Tama, that’s Mauri for Thomas. A witness says that Melanie’s new beamer is missing. He calls Melanie a serious MILF.
Unbeknownst to the investigators, the killer is on the scene. He’s got the keys to the beamer.
They get the address from the kids and investigate. They have been here for two years. She’s an Aussie. She just came back from New Zealand. The beamer is dark blue and leased.
The news from Auckland says that the husband is named Richard Steadman. The husband is on the way over. He’s an architect.
The woman Myriam Tophler is a bit of a stumbling block for Mapplethorpe and Matty. She’s the woman from Social Services looking after the kids.
Wolfie is investigating the man who he saw kissing his wife. His name is Joss McGovern. He’s divorced and has two sons.
Tophler says that the girl is terrified. She won’t say anything. The mother is divorced. Matty is able to get through to Tophler. Mapplethorpe and Matty can talk with the kids.
Tama says that they were playing. Kate isn’t talking.
Wolfie is talking with Mr. Steadman. He says that they were trying to work it out. Richard wants to see his kids.
Mapplethorpe doesn’t know it, but the killer is hanging around. He sees Mapplethorpe getting ready to drive the kids and the dad away. He’s got “M-A-N-A” tattooed on the digits of his right hand. He comes near and he starts shooting. The boy is safe. The dad steps in front of his girl to save her. He gets shot. Mapplethorpe throws a bag at the villain on a dirtbike. He escapes before she can get a clear shot.
Mapplethorpe says that the target isn’t Steadman. It’s the little girl, Kate. She might have recognize him from somewhere.
Mr. Steadman’s sister is arriving to be with the kids. Steadman made it through. He is told that Kate might have seen the killer. They tells him that they know that some properties in dispute. They are worth over 2 million.
Joyner says that uniforms found the beamer. He must have nicked the bike at the swimming pool. That’s where they found the car.
Detective Superintendent Bernice Waverly tells Wolfie that the kiwi consulate is probing into their treatment of Steadman. It’s starting to get political. He says that he was treated like a criminal. Wolfie retorts that the victim was Australian and she was killed on Australian land.
Bernice knows that Wolfie has been looking into Joss McGovern. Wolfie says that it’s personal. Bernice tells him to be very careful, he’s putting his job in jeopardy. If she can find out, so can others.
Freeman and Matty talked to the lawyers. They tell biased accounts of what happened. Freeman thinks that she skipped out on Steadman with the kids and he wants him back.
The sister says that Melanie started sleeping around. That’s why they divorced. That’s what Steadman told her.
Freeman tells Wolfie that Steadman did a runner. His body is found in the parking garage of Melanie’s apartment. They want Shirley to see if the girl will tell her anything. Mapplethorpe is still trying to find out something out of the girl. She doesn’t say anything, but keeps drawing devil heads.
They found that Steadman made a call from the hospital to an New Zealand cellphone.
Shirley says that what Kate draws is a Tanipha, a monster. The family will pitch in. Shirley goes for a walk and she’s followed by the killer. He tells her to get in the car now. She knows him.
Wolfie tells Bernice that he was checking up on his wife’s new boyfriend. Bernice says that she told ethical standards that she authorized the search. She tells Wolfie that he needs to talk with his wife.
Rawiri Shanklin is the man that Steadman called. He’s the killer. He’s got gang ties and is well known to the Auckland police. He’s involved in the building trade.
Tophler leaves for the day. Shanklin is waiting outside. Shirley is looking at Kate. Mapplethorpe is there. Shirley wants to see Wolfie. She wants to take the kids home.
She leaves and calls Shanklin. He tells her that he didn’t have a choice. He didn’t want to kill Steadman, but he had to. Tophler comes back. Shanklin takes his gun and moves toward her.
Shirley is adamant. She wants to leave with the kids. Wolfie introduces her to Bernice, who tells her that she’s got one chance. They want to know where Rawiri Shanklin is. He’s making a homemade silencer out of a plastic bottle and trying to kill the girl.
He goes in for the shot. He’s surprised that Mapplethorpe bursts in with a gun. Duncan and Matty have him cornered on the outside.
Tophler isn’t dead. She was stuffed in the trunk.
Mapplethorpe tells Shirley that she unlocked the window so that Shanklin could get a clean shot.
Shirley was a copper. She’s involved with Shanklin. She met him when she was a cop in Auckland. Mapplethorpe tells Shirley that Shanklin is selling her out. They get her to confess to what happened.
Wolfie calls Linda. He wants to talk. Linda is with Joss at a book festival. She says that they stopped talking years ago.
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Relevant Posts
- City Homicide S01E01-02
- City Homicide S01E03
- City Homicide S01E04
- City Homicide S01E05
- City Homicide S01E06
- City Homicide S01E07
- City Homicide S01E08
- City Homicide S01E09
- City Homicide S01E10
- City Homicide S01E11
- City Homicide S01E12
- City Homicide S01E13
- City Homicide S01E14
- City Homicide S02E01
- City Homicide S02E02
- City Homicide S02E03
memoirs on a rainy day 
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