Top of the lake *contains spoilers*

[fairgame84]

Finished series 2 and I'm a bit confused about ep6.

1. Why was Brett buried in the sand and how long had he been there?

Was he waiting for the Police or for just anyone to lift the box of his head? Who buried him? You can't bury yourself that well.

1. Was Mary actually held hostage? It looked like she woke up in her parents basement.

There was something else as well but I've forgotten.

Just watching series one now which so far is better than series 2 imo.

Good summary by moving on.

The only thing I'd disagree with is Nicole Kidman. I think she was really good in this. She's much better when she's playing oddball characters and has something to sink her (false) teeth into . I think she was horribly miscast in the recent Big Little Lies so I was pleased to see a return to form.

I think Isadore was supposed to be the mildly comic 'ivory tower academic' who sees everything in terms of literary myth wasn't she? So she thought Mary's escape with the passport was just an example of 'setting out on the journey' rather than putting her in mortal danger. I found her quite amusing but only in tv life!

So, someone, tell me how we knew the cafe lady was his wife rather than mother?

Also, what was the point of the Pixie party - arranging a gathering of all the clients together to discuss what had happened to the surrogates? What was that going to achieve?

NK's part was great, and I thought she was good in it I must say.

But I repeat - someone must have put the box on his head! Who??

How did they know that Brett was going to be at the beach?

I found Miranda quite annoying and unbelievable as a police officer - though I thought most of the police officers acted very unprofessionally.

What was the point of Pixie, and the dummy in her mouth?

Was she obsessed with babies? I don't know, I'm at a bit of a loss about the whole series.

I know it's all a bit more relaxed over in Oz (stereotypes abound) but that was some horizontal policing.

Why was there no police liaison at the house when Mary was kidnapped and why, when she was reported safe, did they not send police round pronto to question her? She was witness to two murders and had somehow escaped her kidnapper (who managed to perfectly bury himself, put a box over his head and stack a couple of beer bottles up next to the box all without being seen.. and why didn't they comb the beach at night when they found the dead taxi driver?) and nobody seemed that arsed about talking to her about it all?!

There were aspects of it that I thought were well done, but the whole Miranda thing didn't work. And why have the thing with her and Robin's brother? Was that whole thread one big plot device so that he could strip off and give her his beach ware without being embarrassed about getting his cock and bollocks out?

Weird.

Robin's classic 'cop falling apart' bit didn't work for me either as there was no discernible bit in the series that showed her being an amazing crime-solving cop really at any point. I found her character vacant and passive but not in a tortured soul kind of way... more like in a "I can't believe this script/not sure how to react here/this has got to be a joke" kind of way. I couldn't believe Robyn's complete adoration of Mary either... The sudden intensely close relationship? Mary falling asleep on Robin's chest? Robin wanting to see her empty bedroom? I don't know if I bought it. Just a bit weird, actually.

And that the chief, Miranda and Robin wouldn't have all been taken off the case for their direct involvement seemed beyond implausible, really. Too many weird links. Maybe believable in a small-town cop kinda story like the first TOTL (or Hot Fuzz haha) but in Sydney?

I also missed the massive leap in narrative that got us from 'Mary is kidnapped' to 'Brett is buried in the sand (which I found vaguely hilariously mighty boosh-ish) and Mary is back home and Puss is cooking a stew.'

What I loved about the first Top of The Lake was how nuanced and eerie it was, the suspense and the scenery - and how well written and believable the characters were. This was just a bit ridiculous, to the point of parody.

Still binge watched it though, innit

Well that's six hours of my life I'll never get back. Jeez Louise it was ludicrous!! Why on earth would a girl like Mary like Puss? Remind me never to get murdered in Australia, shit policing. They knew where Cinnamon lived but didn't bother to go round?

That said I'd watch Elizabeth Moss in anything. Should I watch the first season?

Oh thank goodness I am not the only one left baffled by China Girl. I just finished episode 6, am alone in my cottage and had no one to say WTF?! to until I found this thread.

Questions:

What was the point of all that dramatic abduction tension if it wasn't Mary beneath the (implausibly undisturbed) box?

Why was Robin's Rohypnol rape disclosure met with such a meh reaction and how the fuck was her rapist allowed to 'confront' her?

Who decided to populate a Sydney police department with small town stereotypes and small minds?

Where did the melodrama between Robin and Brianne of Tarth come from?! They'd only been thrown together for a handful of days.

What was the point of Pixie's death? What was the point of Pixie? WHY WERE THERE SO MANY POINTLESS TANGENTS, CAMPION? WHY, WHY, WHY???

I have to conclude that either someone killed off the editors before shooting began or that China Girl script meetings were a weird collaborative experiment where everyone's ideas made the cut.

Whatever happened, for me the anticlimax was strong with this one. Aside from the stunning aerial shots of Robin in the tide pool, and the wedding reception tableau, it was a real disappointment.

Who was Pixie??!!

The receptionist at the fertility clinic who killed herself, Muchas

Yes, Pixie was the receptionist. I presume she was there to have whispered conversations with Miranda so we could realise she was using an illegal surrogate too. But wasn't that signposted (with great neon arrows) by her behaviour already?

Oh of course!

Also greatly confused by Mary's red headed pal who used the school camera to film Puss's manifesto and didn't think to tell anyone.

Yes! She confided in Mary's mum about the chess cafe but no mention of Puss's surrogate revenge video? Oh-kay

And the stalky homicide cop. Did Robin really need an additional creep to add to her collection?!

Why didn't she stand up for herself against said stalky homicide cop? I would have shut that shit down instantly - why wouldn't a hard-talking cop? Oh wait, she wasn't a hard-talking cop at all.

Perhaps she was doing an Offred-style angry inner monologue instead?!

Think you've hit the nail on the head, Coffee, she was still chanelling Offred. That actually makes a lot more sense!

Glad to find this - like others I was WTF at the end. Same questions - box on Brett's head, who covered him perfectly in the sand. How did Mary escape? Why did NK not phone the police to say Mary was safe - surely there would have been a liaison officer at their house? What was Brett planning to do- shoot beachgoers? The Brett storyline made no sense.

The main police guy, Adrian (whose surrogate had left in the group with Puss) said they had no grounds to stop the women or Puss - but they did - they were all material witnesses to a murder - there was Mary's phone call evidence, CCTV evidence and evidence of the tapes being edited. There would have been forensic evidence at the brothel. The Thai girls were also persons of interest in the Cinnamon murder enquiry. Robin could have had Puss stopped for assault. Just bonkers!

What are the chances???? eh - that both Robin, Miranda and Boss man all have a personal investment in the case.

Do you think NK had the idea to have a grey poodle perm, big freckles and false teeth - she looked so distracting and older than Pyke - out of tune with the rest of the styling on the show.. Pyke and her seemed to have no connection - very strange. Really strange passive reaction to Mary being involved with Puss too. That creepy Fathers and daughters dance - is that a real thing in Oz?? Do you think Robin will be pregnant?

That was the shortest thing I have watched in a long time . I'm so confused and there was no ending or conclusion ??? Bizarre ! The cop with that moustache looked like a Kevin Webster 80s reject ! Yuck ! I'd never shag anyone with a tash so couldn't blame robin for turning his advances down

Shitest not shortest

Please help me understand what happened. Not sure why but I watched the second series dirt and then the first. What the feck happened about Al Parker attacking Robin in the police station?

Loved the pathologist. I went back to the second series, it was great to see Tui and Noah.