When was the last time a crime drama genuinely surprised you? Not just with a twist ending, but with its very essence? Treasure & Dirt, a BBC co-production directed by Madeleine Gottlieb, is that rare beast. It’s not just a whodunit; it’s a where-dunit, and the 'where' is as much a character as any human being.
The Crime That’s Almost Beside the Point
Let’s get the macabre out of the way: a man’s been beheaded in the opal-mining town of Nulla. Gruesome, yes, but what’s truly fascinating is how little the show cares about the actual crime. Personally, I think this is a bold move. Most crime dramas treat the mystery as the main event, but Treasure & Dirt uses it as a Trojan horse to smuggle in something far more intriguing: the town itself.
Nulla isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing entity with its own rules, rhythms, and secrets. From the moment Detective Ivan Lucic (Michael Dorman) lands and is greeted with the casual question, ‘Are you here for the decapitation?’ you know this isn’t your typical procedural. The town’s self-policing system, its cast of eccentric characters, and its surreal, almost dreamlike atmosphere make it feel like a place that exists outside of time and reality.
A Town That’s Stranger Than Fiction
What makes Nulla so compelling is its strangeness, but it’s not the over-the-top, Twin Peaks-style weirdness. It’s subtler, more insidious. There’s a sense that something is fundamentally off, but you can’t quite put your finger on it. The cinematography, with its faded, weather-beaten look, adds to this unease. It’s as if the town itself is a character, watching you, judging you.
One thing that immediately stands out is the way the show treats its characters. They’re not just quirky for the sake of quirkiness; they’re real in their weirdness. Take the self-proclaimed ‘Mayor,’ played by Mark Mitchinson, who we first meet lounging in a spa, sipping a piña colada in rainbow bathers. In another show, this would be played for laughs, but here, it’s both hilarious and unsettling. What this really suggests is that Nulla’s strangeness isn’t just for show—it’s a reflection of a deeper, more unsettling truth.
The Detective Duo That’s More Than Meets the Eye
Lucic and his rookie partner, Nell Buchanan (Liv Hewson), are an unlikely pair, but their dynamic is one of the show’s strongest points. Lucic is your classic gruff detective, but there’s a vulnerability to him that’s rarely explored in this genre. Buchanan, on the other hand, is sharp and resourceful, but she’s also navigating the complexities of being an outsider in a town that doesn’t take kindly to them.
What many people don’t realize is how much the detective duo’s relationship mirrors the town itself. Both are layered, unpredictable, and full of secrets. Their investigation into the beheading becomes a journey into the heart of Nulla, and by extension, into their own psyches. This raises a deeper question: can you ever truly solve a mystery in a place where nothing is as it seems?
The Broader Implications: Australia’s Off-the-Map Realities
Treasure & Dirt joins a growing trend in Australian television and film—think Deadloch, Population 11, The Cars That Ate Paris, and Wake in Fright—that uses remote, isolated locations as microcosms of larger societal issues. These places aren’t just settings; they’re characters in their own right, with their own rules and realities.
From my perspective, this trend speaks to something deeper about Australia’s cultural identity. The outback, with its vast emptiness and harsh beauty, has always been a place of myth and mystery. Shows like Treasure & Dirt tap into that, using the landscape as a metaphor for the human condition. If you take a step back and think about it, Nulla isn’t just a town—it’s a reflection of our own fears, desires, and contradictions.
The Future of Crime Drama
What’s most exciting about Treasure & Dirt is what it suggests for the future of the genre. It proves that crime dramas don’t have to rely on shock twists or gruesome murders to captivate audiences. Instead, they can focus on place, atmosphere, and character.
In my opinion, this is where the genre needs to go. We’ve seen enough cookie-cutter detectives and formulaic plots. What we crave now is depth, complexity, and a sense of place. Treasure & Dirt delivers that in spades, and it does so with a confidence and originality that’s rare in television.
Final Thoughts
As I reflect on Treasure & Dirt, what stays with me isn’t the crime or even the characters—it’s the town. Nulla feels like a place I’ve visited, a dream I can’t quite shake. That, to me, is the mark of great storytelling. It’s not just about what happens on screen; it’s about what lingers in your mind long after the credits roll.
So, if you’re looking for a crime drama that’s unlike anything you’ve seen before, Treasure & Dirt is it. But be warned: once you step into Nulla, you might not want to leave. And even if you do, it’ll leave a piece of itself with you.
