UNTAMED - First Episode

In UNTAMED, a woman's body is found in Yosemite National Park. What led up to her death, and are other people in danger? In the heart of one of America's largest nature reserves, two climbers are terrified when a woman falls off a cliff. The climbers escape unscathed, but the woman unfortunately doesn't survive the fall. Emergency services are quickly called, initially assuming it was an accident or suicide. But then, evidence of a crime is suddenly discovered... This briefly describes the opening minutes of the Netflix series UNTAMED, which premiered on July 17, 2025.

It takes a while before we learn more about the characters' backgrounds.

ISB agent Kyle Turner (Eric Bana) is assigned to the case. Despite his gruff and arrogant demeanor, he immediately takes a meticulous approach. He tries to determine the victim's identity and is the first to suspect foul play. He doesn't expect much support from his colleagues, but that's a good thing. He's a loner and therefore doesn't welcome the help of young park ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago). Nevertheless, her boss sends her out to help Turner, so they can get a clear picture of the situation as quickly as possible.

The story of UNTAMED is a combination of mystery and thriller with drama. While this combination is anything but original, I haven't often seen a story like this set in Yosemite National Park. While the series was filmed elsewhere, and not all locations look equally good, you still get the feeling of being in the wilderness. What I found disappointing was that the creators apparently felt the need to overemphasize certain sound effects. As a result, the sound effects are sometimes very harsh and unrealistic, which detracts from the atmosphere and believability of the series.



Kyle Turner prefers to travel on horseback because he believes it's the fastest way to reach the park's difficult spots. He has many inner demons, and this becomes particularly painfully clear in his interactions with his ex-wife, Jill (Rosemarie DeWitt). He leads a lonely life and enjoys sinking his teeth into the cases presented to him. He suspects he knows the victim, and this makes him even more determined to find out more about her.

The trailer for Untamed piqued my interest and the first episode did not disappoint.

During their search for clues, Turner and Vasquez encounter an unexpected situation. I saw this typical "jump scare" coming a mile off, but it still made me jump out of my seat, despite the fact that it all looked incredibly fake. Fortunately, the dialogue in the series feels natural, and the story is captivating from the start. It takes a while before we learn more about the characters' backgrounds. This can prevent the viewer from immediately empathizing with the characters, but thankfully, that's not the case with UNTAMED. Despite the gentle buildup, the viewer immediately feels a connection with the characters on screen.

The trailer for UNTAMED piqued my interest, and the first episode didn't disappoint. After watching the first 48 minutes, it's clear there's still a lot to discover about this suspicious death and the characters in the series. I have a few minor quibbles here and there, but nothing that truly detracted from my enjoyment. The theme, combined with the location where the story takes place, gives the series something new and distinctive. Six episodes of this miniseries have been released, and I can't wait to continue watching.