Today, Stan offers a trip to paradise when it finally unveils Eden.
When we begin the journey, we are treated to a few flashes of a night that will change everything before being taken back to the present where two people return home to Eden. Scout Lewis (Sophie Wilde) is excited to see her best friend, Hedwig (BeBe Bettencourt), after her first semester at Julliard.
A lot has changed while Scout’s been away – Hedwig’s been running in bad circles, which includes movie star Andy Dolan (Cody Fern), who returns to Eden for personal reasons.
Upon Scarlet’s return to Eden, we are introduced to her mother Saranya (Alexandria Steffensen), who runs a successful wellness centre and expecting a baby with Huckleberry (Dustin Clare). Her friend circle also includes Fred (Hunter Paige Lockwood), who she was dating before her departure.
Rounding out the cast is Ezra Katz (Samuel Johnson), a mid-career police officer saved from an embarrassing incident by being bough under the win of his cousin Octavia (Leanna Walsman); Octavia’s husband Superintendant Lou Gracie (Christopher James Baker), whose own Sergeant, Ben Drysdale (Claude Jabbour), is hiding a few secrets.
When the girls reconnect and attend a party, the events of the night will have consequences not just affecting themselves but for the whole town, when someone disappears.
Created by Vanessa Gazy and a female writing team, Eden grips you from the first episode as secrets are revealed. Once the disappearance happens in the pilot, each episode focuses on a different resident, which add to the overall mystery, the show also plays with time so different perspectives are given for events, making it a compelling watch that keeps you on your toes.
The cast is a mix of seasoned and emerging talent, all who are given a lot to work with due to the complex story elements and twists. There isn’t a bad performance to be found and it helps to draw you in. Shoutouts must go to the young cast, especially BeBe and Sophie, who are front and centre. Watch out for Maggie Kilpatrick as Ezra’s mother and Kyinamen Lonsdale as Cam.
Eden is an exploration of youth, sexuality, and the cost of keeping secrets. It’s perhaps one of the best Australian dramas in quite some time with its compelling and engaging mystery.
Take a trip to Eden and its idyllic town and the secrets bubbling just below the surface.
5 Stars
Eden is now streaming on Stan
