At Sydney’s Hoyts Entertainment Quarter, the red carpet for Deadloch Season 2 felt a little less like a premiere and a little more like a warning. The global hit crime-comedy is back – but this time, it’s sweatier, stickier, and far more dangerous.
Created by Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, the new season trades the chilly, insular tensions of Tasmania for the sweltering Top End, pushing the series into what can only be described as its “tropical gothic” era. And according to the cast and creatives, that shift in setting doesn’t just change the scenery – it fundamentally reshapes the story.
Season 2 finds Detectives Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami) in Darwin, initially investigating the death of Eddie’s former policing partner, Bushy. But when a body part turns up in the remote town of Barra Creek – and with local police stretched thin by the disappearance of two backpackers – the pair are pulled into a far murkier case.
What follows is a sticky, sweat-soaked descent into crocodile-fuelled tourism, cagey locals, and a landscape where danger feels both immediate and ancient. As the humidity builds, so too do the questions from our Peter Gray – not just about the case, but about the secrets simmering beneath the surface.
For Sami, that change in environment brings Eddie uncomfortably close to home.
“I feel like season one was very much Eddie as a fish out of water in Tassie,” she explains. “This season, it’s more like I’m a fish back in a stinky pond that I really don’t want to be in. There’s a lot coming home to roost for her – she’s being confronted by things she hasn’t dealt with. It gets complicated for Eddie, being back up in Darwin.”
That emotional complexity is layered on top of the show’s famously dense and fast-paced dialogue – something Sami admits is both a gift and a challenge.
“They absolutely nail the scripts. The detail, the gags… it’s kind of a nightmare for me as an actor, because I’m often having to learn paragraphs of tongue-twisters and very vulgar jokes,” she laughs. “But it’s also an absolute delight. Occasionally I get to chuck in my own lines, but ultimately it’s all decided in the edit – so I’ll see tonight how many made it in. ‘Suck a fuck’ is probably mine.”
That balance between razor-sharp comedy and genuine emotional weight is something the entire cast points to as the show’s secret weapon.
“I feel like the scripts nail it,” says Nina Oyama. “They balance things perfectly – there’s real, truthful content in there that speaks to social issues, but it’s layered with hilarious jokes. There are episodes this season where I cried, and then immediately started laughing because a joke undercuts it. That’s why the show works so well.”
For Oyama, that emotional whiplash is part of the joy of performing in the series – even if her character hits a little close to home.
“My character is kind of like me if I didn’t know how to behave as a regular person,” she jokes. “I’m naturally very apologetic and deferential, and I don’t know that much about murders – but the general vibe of being stressed and nervous all the time? That’s very easy for me to play.”
That sense of personal connection extends across the ensemble, particularly for Shari Sebbens, who relished the chance to return to her roots in the Northern Territory.
“I heard season two was filming in Darwin, and I’m born and raised there. I love crocodiles, I love fishing, and I love swearing,” she grins. “So I was like, ‘I am gunning for a role in this.’ And I was so freaking lucky to get one.”
For Sebbens, the shoot felt less like work and more like a homecoming.
“It felt like a bit of a holiday – being back home, no makeup, just really relaxed. Obviously there are big differences – I don’t have three kids, I don’t work in child welfare – but there are definitely similarities that were really fun to lean into.”
That lived-in quality is something the actors actively build together, even with scripts that are already so tightly constructed.
“I think there’s always a bit of us that seeps in,” Oyama adds. “The characters are really clear on the page, but you bring your own rhythm, your own instincts. Especially working with Sharri, we’ve built such a great dynamic that it starts to feel really lived-in. It’s like… the characters are theirs, but we get to colour them in a bit.”
For Alicia Gardiner, that complexity is what makes Deadloch such a rare acting challenge.
“You can get a script where, within a single page – sometimes even a single line – you’re laughing, but also questioning yourself and the world,” she says. “That’s such a gift, but it’s also really hard. You can’t just say the lines – you have to find that balance between comedy and truth.”
It’s something the cast had to discover in real time.
“At the start of season one, none of us really knew what we were doing,” Gardiner admits. “But about halfway through, we found the voice of the show. And now in season two, that voice is really solid. It’s that constant push and pull the whole way through.”
According to its creators, the move to the Northern Territory only sharpened that voice – and raised the stakes.
“Season one was written over many, many years,” explains McLennan. “But with season two, moving into a place like Darwin, it naturally opened up different territory. The setting itself really dictated a lot of the story.”
“It’s such a specific, incredible place,” she continues. “And it’s a massive undertaking to shoot up there. So it felt like, ‘Okay, we’re here – we have to make this count.’ There’s definitely a weight to it.”
McCartney, meanwhile, offers a slightly more sleep-deprived perspective: “I completely agree,” she laughs. “Also, my wife had a baby three weeks ago, so I can currently see through time and space.”
Even the newcomers felt the show’s uniquely unhinged creative energy – including Luke Hemsworth, who leans fully into the ego of his character.
“The gloves are off,” he says. “That’s one of the best things about being part of this show. The Kates put everything on the page, and then on set it becomes this constant exploration – what’s funnier, what’s more offensive, what’s more relevant?”
“It’s incredibly creatively involving, because you’re always trying to top yourself – to come up with something funnier every single time.”
And that sense of escalation – of pushing further, digging deeper, and getting just a little bit weirder – is exactly what defines Deadloch’s second season.
Because in Barra Creek, nothing stays buried for long.
All six episodes of Deadloch Season 2 are now available to stream on Prime Video.
