This weekend, 10 unveiled its next Australian drama in The Imposter.
When The Imposter opens, we are introduced to Helen O’Riley (Jackie Woodbourne), who is waking from a nightmare. She owns the seaside hotel O’Rileys on the rocks, which is at the heart of a dispute between matriarch Helen and her three adult children- Simon (Don Hany), the eldest but the most reckless, with a mutual hatred with Helen; loyal and hardworking Kate (Jane Harber), who has a teen daughter and on her red flagged filled second marriage; and Ian (Jackson Gallagher), who’s ready to start a family with his partner Lee (Kabir Singh). The trio want to sell the hotel via Kate’s husband, real estate agent Todd (Charlie Clausen)- who is desperate to save his career with a commission- but Helen is adamant to decline the lucrative deal, determined to have the family continue the legacy, despite her ailing health.
The kids aren’t the only ones with secrets. Helen never told her children that she had an older child, Amanda, whom she had given up for adoption in the UK years before Simon was born. When Amanda (Kym Marsh) turns up out of the blue, Helen embraces her warmly, but her arrival sets of a chain of events that will change all their lives…
Jackie Woodburne gets the chance to shake off Susan Kennedy with a meaty role in her native Irish accent, and it’s a delight to watch. Kym Marsh also delivers a compelling performance. The cast is stacked with an abundance of great Australian talent, and Jason Herbison’s script is like a Summer thriller with so many twists and turns, it’s the perfect Summer mystery.
4 stars
All four episodes are available now to stream on 10
