Tatau: Review: Series 1 Episode 2

Despite a great deal of pressure, Kyle continues to try to save Aumea…

By the time we get to the end of this episode of Tatau, it seems as if everyone has a hidden agenda – the two British boys are about the only ones who aren’t secretly working in some way with other people for reasons yet to be explained. At least we do get some form of explanation of the old Maori man that Kyle can see, and we know that he’s not hallucinating him (well, ok, maybe he is, depending on how you qualify seeing ghosts!).

Joe Layton and Theo Barklem-Biggs centre the piece as Kyle and Budgie, the former knowing that the way he is coming across is beyond weird, but desperate to do what he can; the latter becoming increasingly worried about his friend, and willing to push the bonds of friendship as far as he can in order to – as he sees it – save him. This grounding makes the other characters not appear quite as outlandish as they could come across otherwise (or as clichéd – the priest and the paterfamilias both hiding secrets which could ruin lives if exposed).

There’s enough intrigue to keep viewers hooked, and hopefully some backstory will start to unfold shortly…

Verdict: The mystery continues to build successfully. 7/10

Paul Simpson