Last July, the mystery thriller series Untamed, which was set in Yosemite National Park and stars Eric Bana, made its debut on the Netflix streaming service. At the time, it was said that this was going to be a six-episode limited series… but it drew in so many viewers, Netflix quickly ordered another season. Production is now underway on Untamed season 2, with Bana back in the lead, and this time the action is moving from Yosemite to Hawaii.
Reminder
Created by father-daughter showrunners Mark L. Smith and Elle Smith, the first season of Untamed had the following logline: A character-driven mystery-thriller that follows Kyle Turner (played by Bana), a special agent for the National Parks Service who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast wilderness. The investigation of a brutal death sends Turner on a collision course with the dark secrets within the park, and in his own past. Eric Bana’s character is Kyle Turner, a special agent for the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch (ISB) who works to enforce human law in nature’s vast territories.
JoBlo’s own Alex Maidy gave the first season a 6/10 review you can read HERE. The number seems a bit low to me, but he did enjoy the show, describing it as “an engaging mystery that delivers a concrete resolution even though it may not live up to the intensity of the investigation. I had hoped for a flashier ending to this mystery, but at least the journey was enjoyable.” He added, “I would love to see Eric Bana reprise this character in additional seasons as long as the Smiths stay in charge and keep the story in Yosemite.” And, well, he’s getting half of what he wanted.
Season 2
The Smiths are still in charge for Untamed season 2, which follows special agent Kyle Turner as he’s called to investigate a mysterious death in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, where local tensions and the volatile, living landscape become an unpredictable force.
The Smiths told Tudum, “We’re excited to explore the pristine landscapes and cultural identity of a very different national park, and find Turner in a new state of mind, outside the comfort of Yosemite.“
Elle Smith added, “Each national park has such a different cultural identity, geographical identity. Being able to explore those places through the case and through Turner’s journey is what’s so fascinating [about] getting to choose a new park. Our theme has been that this park is our main character, this park is sort of alive. We do want to maintain that thread. Whichever park we choose will be a character, and it will play a role in Turner’s emotional frame of mind.“
As for Turner, Mark L. Smith said, “This won’t be the first park he’s been in since Yosemite. It’s one that’ll take place a year and a half after leaving Yosemite. He’s been to a lot of parks. He’s been busy. He’s been taking on a lot of cases. We’re dealing with the next stage of what he’s going through, how he’s processing. There was the sadness and grief and all of that that lived in the first season. We’re trying to really make sure that we dig down and focus on the park matching Turner in a way.“
I really liked the first season, so I look forward to follow Turner to Hawaii in Untamed season 2. Will you be watching? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
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