The Brokenwood Mysteries, Series 2

Series 2 is as good as series 1. The storylines are plausible, and the solutions are consistent with the storylines -- in other words, the solutions don't come out of nowhere. It would be easy to call this the New Zealand version of Midsomer Murders, but this show has more of an edge than Midsomer Murders. On the other hand, this show is not as dark and perplexing as Broadchurch; you won't be thinking of Twin Peaks when you watch this show. Occasionally, there are too many Columbo references, especially asking one more question just as the detective appears to be leaving. Several of the town residents appear throughout the series; the elderly ladies of the sewing circle are a real treat. The other detectives (Sims and Breen) are also more integrated into the plots in this season, a good sign (in my view at least) that the writers are thinking of character development when they write the scripts for the entire season. If, after watching the four episodes, you think that the third episode was the weakest, I'll readily agree with you. Finally, the soundtrack for the series is simply great; to my admittedly untrained ear, the sound reminded me of Dwight Yoakum in the mid-1980s. I'm hoping there's a third season.