Netflix’s ‘Untamed’ Features Every Detective Mystery Trope in the Book

The latest Netflix mystery drama, Untamed, certainly isn’t a flashy one, but it offers viewers a compelling story nonetheless. The six-part series premiered on the streaming platform last month and remains on the Top 10 list. It follows a special agent of the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch, Kyle Turner (Eric Bana), in Yosemite National Park as he investigates the death of an unidentified woman. A lone wolf of sorts with a no-nonsense attitude and a knack for bucking the rules, Turner drowns the sorrows of his past with alcohol, the details of which aren’t revealed right away. To assist him in his investigation, he’s reluctantly paired with a rookie ranger, Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago), whose own past is a bit of a mystery.

Co-created and co-written by Mark L. Smith, known for his work on American Primeval, The Revenant, and Twisters, the Netflix series contains quite a few detective tropes. While those tropes might ruin other shows, they’re what make Untamed compelling to watch. With an array of characters, its small-town setting, and close-knit community, the stage is set for one of Yosemite’s park rangers to have a personal connection with the alleged victim, a trope that actually works. As such, the series doesn’t focus on strictly shocking viewers, like so many other murder mysteries. Instead, the show aims to be more character-driven, despite the clichés, and it works.

Untamed might have a number of detective tropes, but the series doesn’t necessarily rely on them to move its story forward. Its quality acting and writing offset those tropes in the best possible way. Even the show’s setting counters any negative effects its various clichés might have. How often do we get murder mysteries set inside a national park that aren’t true-crime documentaries? That alone offers a fresh take on the genre. As such, some of those detective tropes are what make Untamed worth watching.

‘Untamed’ Aims To Be More Character-Driven Than Shocking

Despite Those Character Clichés, It’s What Makes the Series Work

Netflix

Often, detective mysteries just want to shock audiences with various twists and turns. While Untamed certainly has some shocking twists, it’s mainly a character-driven narrative. Sure, some of the characters fall into clichés, but that doesn’t diminish the heart of the show. If anything, it’s what enhances the narrative. Turner might not follow the rules, but he doesn’t bend the law either, which kind of flips every trope he embodies on its head. In the face of great personal turmoil, he still has integrity.

Turner is by no means a perfect man. He struggles just like the rest of us, which makes him relatable, especially for all the parents watching the series. His drinking problem isn’t derived from some sort of personality disorder, and he’s not a “bad boy” who needs saving. Instead, his drinking is rooted in the trauma of his past, and as tropey as that might be, it’s understandable. His only child was murdered at Yosemite six years prior, which ultimately led to his divorce and completely changed the trajectory of his life.

Furthermore, his son’s death is connected to another previously unsolved disappearance from that time, as well as the current death Turner is investigating. Seemingly convoluted on the surface, those connections make sense once viewers can see the full picture. As such, every trope and cliché serves a purpose because they help to enhance the character-driven narrative and move the story forward. When viewers then consider the show’s quality acting and solid writing, it’s hard to diminish Untamed.

‘Untamed’ Has Solid Acting and Writing, So Its Various Tropes Don’t Matter

The Setting Further Offsets Those Tropes and Even Enhances the Series

Eric Bana as Kyle Turner, Sam Neill as Paul Souter, and Lily Santiago as Naya Vasquez researching woman's death in Untamed — Netflix

No matter how derivative you think Untamed might be, there’s no denying the show’s quality writing and solid acting. Everyone plays their part well, and it shows. With emotions that feel almost palpable, the series does a great job of making the audience feel what the characters are feeling. It’s subtle when the time calls for it and rightfully dramatic when tensions begin to rise. It strikes a balance between familiar tropes and compelling storytelling. After all, tropes don’t matter if they’re done well, and Untamed achieves such a feat.

Moreover, the show’s setting at Yosemite further helps in offsetting anything that might feel too contrived. If the series were set anywhere else, its tropes and clichés wouldn’t work. However, because it takes place inside a national park, the series provides a new angle on the murder mystery genre. In many ways, Yosemite is its own character. The setting itself presents numerous obstacles and hurdles for Turner and Vasquez to navigate, something other investigators never encounter.

Untamed isn’t trying to reinvent the murder mystery genre. Rather, it aims to showcase a compelling story with complicated characters. Those characters might embody a host of clichés and tropes, but that’s what makes the series work. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should add it to your watchlist right away. Untamed is currently streaming on Netflix.