Susan Granger’s review of “Territory” (Netflix)
‘Still yearning for more “Yellowstone”? Netflix now offers “Territory,” a one-season, six-episode Western series with a smidge of “Succession” and a dollop of “Yellowstone.”
Set in Australia and featuring many familiar Aussie actors, the story revolves around a huge cattle ranch – called a ‘station’ – in the vast Northern Territory.
Said to be bigger than the entire country of Belgium, Marianne Station belongs to the Lawsons. Stubborn, ornery Colin Lawson (Robert Taylor) is the patriarch. Defying tradition, he has passed ownership of the property to his younger son Daniel (Jake Ryan) because his older son Graham (Michael Dorman) is an alcoholic.
Graham is married to Emily (Anna Torv), who comes from the Hodge family of disgraced cattle thieves, and she has a meddling ‘ex’ named Campbell Miller (Jay Ryan). That’s all background.
Emily’s voice opens the series with an ominous warning: “People say the Territory has two seasons: drought and flood. And it’s true. Everything up here is trying to kill you: the climate, the land, the animals.”
Sure enough, Daniel is immediately killed, leaving a huge power vacuum which business-savvy Emily is determined to fill and hoping her daughter Susie (Philippa Northeast), who’s home from agricultural college, will eventually take charge.
But then there’s Sandra Kirby (Sara Wiseman), a despicable mining billionaire who owns ‘mining rights’ to some valuable Marianne Station property. Complicating matters: Sandra’s son Lachie (Joe Klocek) falls in love with Susie,
Meanwhile, Marshall (Sam Corlett), Graham’s estranged son from a previous marriage, shows up with two disreputable pals: Rich (Sam Delich) and Sharnie (Kylah Day).
Fortunately, writers Ban Davies and Timothy Lee, working with director Greg McLean, interject intriguing Down Under jargon and folklore along with authentic Aboriginal actors (Clarence Ryan, Hamilton Morris, Tuuli Narkle) into the sudsy melodrama.
On the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, “Territory” is a derivative 7. All six episodes are streaming on Netflix but, unfortunately it has not been renewed for a second season.
