Genre: Crime Thriller, Mystery
Language: English
No. Of Seasons: 3
No. Of Episodes In Each Season: 6
Original Network: Seven Network in Australia
Original Release Dates Of 3 Seasons: 9 Feb 2016, 5 Jun 2017, 15 Oct 2018
Director: Peter Templeman, Jennifer Leacey and Rob Sarkies
Cast: Rebecca Gibney, Geraldine Hakewill, Stephen Peacocke, Ryan Corr, Nicholas Bell
Introduction:
Made somewhat on the lines of 'Thelma and Louise' and 'Fugitive', 'Wanted' is a chase based TV series, filled with twists and travels.
The Plot:
Lola Buckley (Rebecca Gibney), a bold, no-nonsense and fiesty supermarket teller and Chelsea Babbage (Geraldine Hakewill), a hard-working plain Jane styled senior accountant, share the same bus spot during the late night hours for returning back home post the working hours.
During on such late night, while waiting for their respective buses, they happen to witness the murder of a car driver, which was the result of a drug and money exchange gone wrong between him and two masked goons. Lola shoots one of the two goons in defence, in order to save Chelsea's life and both of them end up getting abducted by the other goon, who is eventually assassinated by Ray Stanton (Nicholas Bell), a high ranking police officer.
Though caught innocently in the wave of crime, they unwillingly sink deeper and deeper into it, as they happen to possess both the drugs and it's price money, all of it belonging to someone extremely powerful and well connected. They cannot report or return it to the police as they are tainted even at the highest level and they cannot destroy or lose the same, as they would be as good as dead without them.
What follows is a series of chase sequences woven intrinsically with slices of Lola's and Chelsea's pasts and presents. While the duo come across a series of bad and threatening guys, they also encounter a few good and helping ones. Bullets miss them by a hair's breadth and they also learn to shoot and throw a mean punch when necessary. Even their family members are caught and tortured.
This continues for the first two seasons of the TV series.
By the end of it all, they successfully dodge all of their enemies and take care of the matter at the highest level, thereby putting an end to the anti social activities on a national level!
The third season of the TV series opens with both of them behind the bars, anticipating to be released soon guilt-free and that too with accolades, as promised by the higher authorities.
They soon realise that the concerned authorities plan to keep the accolades to themselves and make them the escape goats!
This makes the duo strike a deal with a hardened and seasoned inmate, who assists them in their escape from the prison in lieu of information about her daughter who seems to be incommunicando and missing, suspectibly on the account of her overpowering and dangerous boyfriend.
Once outside the prison, Lola and Chelse embark on an altogether different chase, wherein they shield themselves from getting arrested, track down the concerned daughter and her boyfriend along with a human trafficking racket and with great effort and risk end up freeing the girls caught up in the aforesaid racket!
Series Analysis:
'Wanted' is quite well scripted and directed. Both the protagonists are brilliant in their acting. They are extremely natural, always in continuity and never over-the-top. The TV series is filled with surprises. But everything happens in a flow without any major thud or bang. Thankfully, there is no nudity.
The cinematography is extensive and quite good. The first two seasons cover Sydney, Queensland, Thailand and New Zealand. The third season covers the vast expanse of South Australia including Flinders Ranges and Adelaide Hills.
Conclusion:
It's an engaging and tension-free watch.
