UNTAMED is a crime series with plenty of drama. The story takes place in Yosemite National Park, where Officer Kyle Turner investigates a series of crimes that appear to be connected. After a tragedy a few years ago, Kyle Turner (Eric Bana) lost everything he held dear. He lives only for his work, which he performs from a small cabin in the heart of Yosemite National Park. His past has shaped him into a gruff man. Although he doesn't exactly come across as friendly, he is one of the best ISB (Investigative Services Branch) special agents. In the Netflix series UNTAMED, we follow Kyle as he solves crimes in the wilderness area while grappling with his past.
While I didn't find the story unique, it wasn't predictable either.
The discovery of several bodies in the park suggests something major is going on. Kyle is one of the first to realize this and decides to investigate it together with his new colleague, Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago). Naya is the mother of a son and originally from the city. However, she's on the run from her ex and has therefore moved to this area. The question is whether she is truly safe in the park, or whether her past will find its way back here.
UNTAMED starts off as a mysterious miniseries that feels unique because of the locations it takes place in. However, it quickly becomes apparent that the actual story isn't particularly exceptional. The buildup is well done. My only regret was that there weren't more surprising elements. Fortunately, the ending makes up for this somewhat. I didn't see the plot twist in the final episode coming. While it was surprising, it also felt a bit forced. As if the creators wanted to come up with something grand for the ending to close out the season.
The only colleague who still supports Kyle is his former mentor, Paul Souter (Sam Neill). Together with Kyle's ex-wife, Jill (Rosemarie DeWitt), they try to help him confront and process his past. However, Kyle refuses to hear about this and becomes obsessed with the crimes taking place in the park. From a nomadic tribe to indigenous people, they all appear in the series. Kyle seems to have some old grudges with hunter Shane Maguire (Wilson Bethel). However, this doesn't stop Kyle from pressing him for information during his investigation.
While I didn't find the story unique, it wasn't predictable either. However, after watching the six episodes, I still had some unanswered questions. Not so much about the cases being worked on, which are clearly wrapped up. I was wondering what would happen next with some characters' personal situations. Because the focus is so much on Kyle, those things seem to be somewhat forgotten towards the end. The series is nice and short, making it easy to binge. Still, I would have been happy with one more episode to tie up some loose ends.
It was fun to get a glimpse into this branch of crime fighting.
Kyle is a complex character. It's easy to dislike him, but the more you learn about him, the more you understand him. Eric Bana beautifully conveys Kyle's inner struggle. He truly carries the series. The beautiful surroundings in which everything takes place also add significantly to the story. I would have liked to see more of this, not so much in terms of atmospheric shots, but rather in the locations where scenes are set. Before watching this series, I didn't know there was a special agency in America that solves cases in nature reserves. It was fun to get a glimpse into this branch of crime fighting.
Ultimately, I thought UNTAMED was a decent series. Not exceptional, but entertaining. The mix of drama and crime is well-done. There's room for improvement, but the foundation is solid and it's easy to watch. A little less than two weeks after its release, it was announced that there will be a second season. Personally, I'm very curious to see what kind of story they'll come up with for it. UNTAMED season one has a clear beginning and end, after all. What has already been announced is that Eric Bana will return for the next season. This season will also take place in a different location than Yosemite National Park. Exactly where and which former cast members will return is still unclear at this time.
Mike (1995) has been a member of MySeries since 2016 and is mainly active on the English version of the site. Since 2018, he has been actively translating news articles, columns, reviews and basically everything that ends up on the Dutch site. The original articles, columns and reviews were actually written by others. During the week Mike can be found at IKEA, where he is a national systems specialist and occasionally also in the classroom to teach an English lesson. In addition, Mike logically enjoys watching series and has actually been spoon-fed this from an early age. The genre doesn't matter, there is a place for everything in the otherwise busy life.
