There were a couple of years where I just stopped watching TV shows. The main reason for this was the fact that they take up so much time when compared to movies, but last year I decided to dip my feet into the world of television again and have loved shows like Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Black Mirror, The Bridge (original version) and many more. Recently I watched this Australian show, which because of its length, just six episodes, was nice and short.
So what is The Code about? The first episode initially confuses. There is a girl who is missing, a bloodied young man, developments in parliament and a storyline about a journalist and his hacking brother who has some psychological issues. As a viewer it is extremely difficult to get a grip on it all, but it is something I can appreciate (as long as it does make sense eventually). Slowly everything comes together in an exciting way at the end of the first episode and I wanted more.
The journalist Ned Banks, who has to publicise a story about one of the ministers, sees a reference in his story to a small town called Lindara. He decides to head there and as the show progresses it becomes clear something big is going on and actively is being hidden. His brother Jesse, with his computer skills, manages to find out more but this endangers both him and his brother
It makes The Code a tense show, in which the story isn’t only focussed on the story of the journalist and his brother, but on other characters as well. There are events taking place in Lindara, but also in the Australian parliament. The creators of the show actually got permission to film at the actual location, which adds a lot of authenticity. It is a show with a lot of drama and the personal relationships come across well. Because the show mixes its settings between “the big city” and the barren plains outside of town it also has a visual diversity, making the show feel bigger. Towards the end of the show the stakes increase a lot resulting in an ending which satisfies. The Australian ABC has ordered a second season of the show.
