Television
‘Deadloch’ — An Absurdly Funny Show About Death and Water
A dark comedy/crime/thriller/mystery show about women running a town and men getting murdered. What fun, right?
I dived into Deadloch without knowing what I was getting into. Apologies for the pun right off the bat — I just wanted to match the pace of the show. No, the show is not about puns.
It’s about a killer, of course.
A show named Deadloch, about a town named Deadloch. Come on, we’re just asking for something to match this vibe. What does that best? Definitely death.
But since the show is filled with material that people could find inappropriate (I’m looking at some people specifically) — I’m here to balance your expectations.
So, come on, take a dip in the world of Deadloch before cannonballing in there. Because you will cannonball. There is no other way to get invested in this show.
Crudity — I meant Nudity, or Both Actually
Heads up, people! Lots of nudity in this one. The show leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. And some of the conversations that most of the characters have with one another are just…enlightening.
The dialogue writer must’ve been having a field day when they were writing these conversations because oof, there are some pretty heavy topics of discussion.
But talking isn’t by far the most concerning thing. The nudity and everything else related to it are also what you should keep an eye out for. Er — or not keep an eye out for. Whatever floats your boat.
Speaking of.
Boats!
What’d you expect? We’re in Deadloch. Somewhere in Australia. I have no clue where, (it’s in Tasmania) but there’s water. Lots of it!
Loch literally means lake, I believe, in Scottish. So there’s that.
We have boats. There’s a sloop and some other types of boats. I seriously don’t know much about them. But I do know that when a boat is parked somewhere, the correct terminology for it is: the boat is moored somewhere.
I learned that from the show.
What I also relearned was…
Discrimination
Of course, there is discrimination in the show. How is anything going to be fun if a wild and quirky show like Deadloch doesn’t poke fun at everyday prejudice?
But get this.
The discrimination is against the men. Well, some of it is. Most of it is still aimed at women.
The town of Deadloch isn’t as boring as some would think. It is being run by a female mayor or mayorette (a dude in the show keeps calling it that). Most of the businesses in the town are owned and run by women. Even the head sergeant of the police force is a woman.
If I was a man, I’d feel threatened. Like, how is the community even afloat with so many women at the helm of everything?
Even the men think so. And what has them more worried is the murders. Some really gruesome stuff.
The Deadness in Deadloch
There’s lots of it in town. We’ve got murders and they’re all…creative. The nudity warning applies to the murders as well since the very first one shown in the very first episode, during the very first scenes, is of a man in the nude.
Literal nude, no censor, no far-up camera shots. Just all up in the viewer’s face, very close camera shots and extremely unsettling to witness.
Also, one of the two teenagers who witnessed the body drops a cigarette at the dead body’s, um, uh, privates(?). So, they showed that, which was…awkward, in the least. Borderline unnecessary, in the most. And quite hilarious, if we’re promising to never speak of the scene ever again after this.
And then there’s more murders.
All of men.
Only of men.
You see a pattern? I see a pattern.
Dulcie: “Jesus Christ, Jimmy.”
Eddie: “You’re not wrong.”
Lesbians
If half of the town is being run by women, half of those women are lesbians. But you’ll hear exaggerated claims from the men, who believe that the entire town is being run by lesbians. No, cut that, man-hating lesbians.
I didn’t say that. A dude in the show did. Well, lots of dudes in the show did.
But that’s not the point. The point is, the show is progressive and its progressive in most of its terminologies and conversations. It’s also a dark comedy, so expect some jokes on that same progressiveness.
A Specific Kind of Humor and Crime
Look, everybody in the show is borderline psychotic. All the adult men, and all the adult women. If there are non-binary people in there, they are also crazy. Even the teenagers seem completely out of it most of the time.
But that’s what makes this show so fun. Like, everybody could be the killer.
The show thrives on absurdity and eccentricity. The most awkward of moments are bundled up with humor that it makes you question your own sanity.
We all know, murders are bad. But the show revels in the specific demographic of the murder pool — all white heterosexual cisgender men.
And that’s what makes the show so comedic.
From the get go, the show has its own identity and its own voice. It’s not just about a crime. It’s not just about humor. And it’s definitely not following the typical trope of women being targeted as victims.
It’s about a town named Deadloch, where all the dead bodies are found by the lake.
The killer is as intelligent and punny as the creators and writers of this show. They don’t filter out anything from this town. They show it in it’s true form, in its raw and real state of ridiculousness and authenticity.
Time for a Swim
If you’ve come this far and you didn’t flinch at any of the warnings, you’re ready for that swim in Deadloch.
It’s going to be cold for sure, but it will also make you laugh and tickle you in the feelings. And the music in the show is just haunting. I wasn’t expecting such orchestral finesse from a comedy show, but it delivered.
So, there’s that. All the big things you need to be aware of before watching the show, and coming back here to tell me of the things I missed. Now go watch Deadloch directly, or spend more time deciding by watching this trailer instead.
Hope you enjoyed reading this piece on the Australian TV show, Deadloch. You can find and support more of my work here on Medium. Thank you for reading!
