The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 10 – Review
First Reaction – The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 10 is an enjoyable return for the series.
Where to Watch
The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 10 DVD and The Brokenwood Mysteries Complete Series 1 – 10 DVD Box set out on 2 December 2024 from Acorn Media International.
Director: Awanui Simich-Pene, Katie Wolfe, David de Lautour, Jacqueline Nairn
Writer: Timothy Balme, Mike Smith, Nic Sampson, Karl Willetts (Screenplay)
Cast
- Neill Rea (The Warrior’s Way)
- Fern Sutherland (The Mountain)
- Jarod Rawiri (Boy)
- Cristina Serban Ionda (Out of Season)
Plot: Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd arrives on assignment in Brokenwood, a small town where memories – and animosities – run deep.
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes per episode
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 10
Brokenwood-o-saurus
Brokenwood-o-saurus follows Detective Mike Shepherd (Rea), Kristen Sims (Sutherland), D.C. Daniel Chalmers (Rawiri) on their latest case. A dead body is discovered in the stream next to the announcement of a dinosaur discovery by Maggie Sturridge (Briant). The case sees the team investigate the local dinosaur enthusiasts as the town prepares for a dinosaur pun rebranding.
This brings us a welcome return for the team, it reminds us of the charm of the locals. It shows how every member of the town has a different way of treating the police and the mystery involving strangers. The mystery keeps us guessing and has plenty of twists and turns, along with a suspect list. (4/5)
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead follows the town coming together to celebrate the Day of the Dead in a Mexican-themed event. However, in the aftermath of the celebrations, a dead body is discovered. The team must investigate everyone who had a stand at the festival, this leads them down a path of colourful characters who all have motivation.
This episode shows a celebration spiralling out of control. It creates a series of events where small business owners are against each other trying to stay afloat in the area. We get plenty of suspects and secrets being held back by the locals. It keeps you guessing well and has plenty to offer in the episode and the community together. (4/5)
Publish or Be Damned
Publish or Be Damned follows Gina discovering a body at her writer’s retreat. This brings in Mike and the crew to investigate the other guest who might have motives for targeting the victim. The team learns of the different figures at the retreat and why the leader was targeted.
We follow the typical style, that lets the investigation create plenty of suspects and have a connection to the locals. It doesn’t have the same feeling of being part of the community as the first two but draws from people from different worlds coming together for an event. (3/5)
Love You to Death
Love You to Death follows the detectives investigating the murder of the local dentist’s wife. They learn he has a stalker who wants to get too close to her and the team searches for other motives from around the town. It shows how the stalker was getting too close, and people have been pushed the wrong way.
This episode brings us another great mystery to solve and it leans slightly more into the comedic nature of the mysteries. However, it also addresses mental illnesses and how they can spiral out of control. It is a more relaxed episode and like most of the show, has twists and turns a plenty. (4/5)
House of Screams
House of Scream follows the murder of a high school jock at the local scream house Halloween festival. The team investigate the murder and learn how his elite mentality rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. It shows victims of his bullying and the family business his father bought out.
This continues a trend for the series, that has created unpopular people being the latest victims. It dives more into high school problems and coming from wealth. This give us the mystery behind who is the killer and how far they would have gone to get revenge on the family. (4/5)
Three Gold Leaves of Jesus
Three Gold Leaves of Jesus follows the team investigating the death of an actor playing Jesus. The clues suggest members of the local church and people connected to the victim know the victim’s mental health problems. Meanwhile, the detective maybe facing changes that could have ripple effects on what they are used to.
The final episode of the series does struggle with the final case taking a back burner for the other side of the story. It teases something that hasn’t been suggested at any point of the series. This shows how us how close the team is and how they do everything together. (3/5)
The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 10
The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 10 is the latest series of the New Zealand based crime series. In this series we see the victims being more nasty people who get their comeuppance for their actions that have pushed people the wrong way. It leads to the mysteries being focused on who would go that far, and if they feel guilty for their actions.
This is great to watch the community coming together again, the crimes feel unique and by the end of the journey we see life lessons. We get plenty of different scenarios which present mysteries that could go in many different directions.
Final Thoughts –The Brokenwood Mysteries Series 10 is a welcome return to the series.
