Friendship Tested by Shadows of the Past

Read Time:5 Minute, 30 Second

TV SERIES REVIEW
Darby and Joan (Series 2)
TV-14 –

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Crime
Year Released: 2025 (Series 2)
Runtime: 6 x 44m episodes
Writer(s): Phillip Gwynne, Glenys Rowe, and others
Cast: Bryan Brown, Greta Scacchi, Jolene Anderson, Anna McGahan, Sigrid Thornton, Steve Bastoni, John Jarratt, Yasmin Honeychurch, Miriama Smith
Where to Watch: available on DVD and digital July 28, 2025

RAVING REVIEW: There’s an ease to slipping back into DARBY AND JOAN that’s hard to find in most contemporary mystery dramas. The pairing of Bryan Brown’s wry, world-weary ex-detective Jack Darby and Greta Scacchi’s inquisitive, warmhearted nurse-turned-sleuth Joan Kirkhope has always been the hook, but Season 2 proves that this show has more in its tank than just chemistry and charm. Picking up a year after their initial run-ins across the Australian outback, the duo is more comfortable in each other’s company but just as entangled in trouble — this time with stakes that are personal, and potentially deadly.

Jack’s main focus this season is clearing his name. A scandal from his past, long left festering in whispers, resurfaces with enough force to derail his life. What sets this season apart from the lighter tone of the first is how it builds this throughline into an ongoing investigation, without losing the episodic pleasures of the show’s “mystery of the week” structure. Joan, true to form, refuses to let him chase the truth alone. Her curiosity is framed not as nosiness but as a deep sense of loyalty. This trait continues to anchor the series when its plots wander into the more implausible corners of crime-solving television.

There’s a comfort-food quality to how the show balances its escapism with genuine tension. One moment, you’re taking in sweeping shots of Queensland’s coastlines or umber-tinted desert towns; the next, you’re being reminded that someone is following Jack and Joan’s every move. The tone still lands firmly in “cozy mystery” territory — there’s no graphic violence or relentless cynicism here — but the sense of being hunted gives the season a slight edge over its predecessor.

Scacchi continues to shine, bringing Joan a grounded warmth that avoids the caricature often associated with older female amateur detective roles. Brown plays Jack with just the right mix of gruff exterior and reluctant vulnerability, and their scenes together have a lived-in vibe that feels earned rather than scripted. While the central relationship remains platonic, the unspoken understanding between them is as compelling as any slow-burn romance.

Jolene Anderson’s Detective Inspector Liz Darby adds tension by blurring the line between ally and obstacle, while recurring guest stars bring texture to each stop on the duo’s travels. Sigrid Thornton, Steve Bastoni, and John Jarratt all leave their mark, and the show uses their appearances to deepen the stakes without distracting from the core partnership.

The writing is sharp, with dialogue that feels natural for its world. However, some of the episodic cases lean on coincidence more than clever deduction. This is where the show’s strength in character work helps carry it — even when the mystery’s resolution feels a bit convenient, the journey there is bolstered by the banter, the small emotional beats, and the sense of camaraderie that has been built from the beginning.

Locations aren’t just backdrops; they’re part of the narrative texture. A fishing village feels distinctly different from a sunbaked cattle station, and each new setting subtly shifts the structure of the mystery it hosts. It’s also a savvy production choice: the scenery is part of the series’s draw, and it offers something few other mystery shows do with such consistency.

The show never needed to reinvent itself. Those who found Series 1 a bit too gentle for their tastes won’t find an overhaul here. This is still a cozy mystery at heart, albeit one with better pacing, higher stakes for its leads, and a stronger connective thread between episodes. Its appeal lies in consistency: a charming partnership, picturesque settings, and a refusal to give in to the darker trends of modern crime dramas.

DARBY AND JOAN’s second outing works because it knows its audience and serves them exactly what they came for — just with a bit more seasoning. The chemistry between Brown and Scacchi remains the show’s strongest asset, and the mysteries are engaging enough to hold attention without straining credulity too far.

It’s a series that invites you to travel along, not because you’re chasing a body count or high-octane chases, but because you want to see where these two end up next — geographically and personally. And while its tone might remain lighter than the more intense dramas in the crime genre, something is refreshing in that restraint.

In the end, this season lands as a warm, satisfying continuation — an easy recommendation for fans of the first and an appealing entry point for newcomers. It doesn’t demand binge-watching, but it rewards those who do. The road ahead for Jack and Joan is still uncertain, but if this season proves anything, it’s that their company is worth the trip.

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