After some more of the terrorism storyline and a dodgy island, it’s refreshing to see the boarding party back to work. Episode 11, ‘The Morning After’, opens with our heroes boarding a suspected FFV. In the past, foreign fishermen have often seemed to just give up when they come face-to-face with the RAN. Here, they fight back with more vigour than we’ve seen in the past – and why wouldn’t they? They’ve got a lot to lose!

This episode reflects exactly what they’ve got to lose. Charge feels sorry for the master of the vessel, Karno, who tells him he will be killed if they take his boat. 2Dads shrugs it off with a ‘you do the crime, you do the time’ attitude. After Karno attempts to commit suicide, Charge stops him and in the process cops flack from Mike. Charge again wears his heart on his sleeve as he pleads Karno’s case; Mike is dismissive. That is, until a familiar name crops up.

Back in Samjung port, Karno is handed over to the local police to testify against the man who runs all the local FFV’s.

Samjung port means time for R&R for the crew. Mike and Kate again try to snatch a quiet word with each other – not easy with the crew partying around them! In a scene vaguely reminiscent of the beach stroll scene from Series 4, Mike and Kate walk and talk, except this time the location is the back streets of a coastal town. The subject of Maxine and Ryan is at hand.

Things look good for RO and Dutchy who leave with women in toe. The surprise pick-up for the night is left to Charge. With a night of heavy drinking, drama dictates that the night will not end well for some. In the morning, 2Dads finds himself back in his cabin with a sombrero and Charge wakes up in a lady’s bed – with a ring on his finger!

Things go from bad to worse for Charge after he receives a call from Karno who has just been released from police custody.

Although the first part of this episode isn’t action heavy, the arrival of Jim Roth brings plenty of action with it – including some action between Jim and Kate.

Some of the guest performers’ accents are a bit over-stressed, however our crew’s performance is top notch. Their seamless execution of comical moments adds to the episode.

To be honest, on first viewing the episode didn’t grab me as much as Episodes 9 and 10, perhaps because I was expecting the same level of action we’ve witnessed recently. On second viewing, however, I felt more at ease with the story and pace.

Ditch Davey has his acting groove back and the scenes between Lisa and him work well. It’s also good to see Kate involved in some of the heavy action, on both land and sea.

Despite relying on a fair bit of coincidence in the core story, the twists and turns in this episode will hold your interest. There is an action-heavy ending, plus a nice moment between Charge and 2Dads to look forward to in the final minutes.

With only two episodes remaining, make sure you enjoy the show while you can!

Episode 10, ‘The Hunted’, opens with Dutchy running the junior sailors through some hand-to-hand combat and firearms drills. From Bird’s perspective, it is simply an excuse for Dutchy to exercise his authority and prowess.

Dutchy proposes that his least competent subordinates spend their shore ‘leave’, practising survival skills. Mike agrees to this ‘EXPED’; 2Dads is also enthusiastic about a trip he believes will involve drinking, fishing and camping at the Navy’s expense.

At the local pub, Kate and Mike snatch a rare quiet drink together. Before they have a chance for any quality discussion though, Stuart White (Ryan’s father) arrives to deliver Mike a serious right hook. Kate and the rest of the crew look on with puzzlement.

The next morning, Dutchy, Bird, 2Dads and RO are dropped off on a remote island for their EXPED. Before too long, Dutchy has searched his charges and confiscated all non-essential items – including 2Dads’ hidden booze. Maybe this EXPED isn’t going to be as enjoyable as he thought? RO is at his pessimistic and hypochondriacal best; however, it is Bird who Dutchy admonishes the most, prompting in her a crisis of confidence.

With an early focus on Bird, it becomes obvious that this episode is either going to build or break her character. Danielle starts off a little awkward but as the episode picks up pace, her performance becomes more fluid and engaging. Danielle has a series of emotional scenes with no dialogue; if she were not at an adequate standard the suspense of this episode would not work. It is a testament to her growth as an actor that, despite having to battle some cliched moments, our attention is caught and held.

RO and 2Dads are instructed to catch some fish for dinner, while Dutchy and Bird hunt down a rabbit. When Dutchy is briefly left alone to skin and prepare ‘Thumper’ for dinner, he is pounced upon by two suspicious characters. Bird can only watch helplessly from a hiding place as he is tied up and led away. Shock horror – the deserted island, isn’t so deserted after all!

With that, the tone and pace of the episode are transformed. The island narrative becomes very ‘Wolf Creek,’ introducing us to monstrous characters whose torturous motives the writers don’t even attempt to explain.

Meanwhile, on board Hammersley the remaining crew are struggling in their own ways: Ryan is moody and Kate is concerned; Mike feels powerless about personal issues; While Charge has his own problems.

Akin to her scenes with Lisa in Episode 10 last year, Danielle’s scenes with Conrad are balanced and assured; with a couple of touching moments throughout the episode. Dominic gives another confident performance as Ryan, despite minimal screen time. The youngest crew members are really standing up to be counted in this episode.

With less skilled writing and directing this type of ‘horror’ themed episode could have fallen apart. The soundtrack perfectly compliments the fabulous cinematography but I can’t imagine how intense and draining the island scenes must have been for the crew to shoot.

‘The Hunted’ goes to a very dark place, but is gripping viewing. This survival expedition will leave a mark on both the Hammersley crew and fans alike.

Episode 9, ‘Dead Sea’, seems to be where the action from the last few episodes has been hiding. We launch straight into a night time covert operation on an unidentified Pacific island: an undercover agent; the typhoon fired; big explosions; serious gunfight. And so the pace for this dramatic episode is set!

ASIO spook Madelaine Cruise (Renai Caruso) is in charge of the clandestine operation which is being coordinated from HMAS Hammersley. When Agent Smith, the only surviving member of the covert team, struggles to make it to the waiting RHIB, Swain risks his own life to get Smith to safety.

Back on board ship, Swain tends to Agent Smith. The intelligence that Smith gathered is quickly passed on to ASIO HQ by Madelaine.

Tension between Dutchy and Madelaine is still very evident in this episode, but it isn’t overplayed.

When Hammersley docks at the local port, a government representative boards the ship, and the corrupt local government orders Hammersley to leave the island. Apparently the Aussies have overstepped the mark by fighting on a neighbour’s doorstep.

As Hammersley sails back home, Agent Smith’s behaviour degenerates. He had appeared okay when rescued, but there are now questions about his mental health. Madelaine writes off Smith’s strangeness as ‘stress’. But when Smith goes on a desperate search for beer in the middle of the night, his behaviour seriously unnerves Bird and, particularly, Ryan.

Agent Smith soon turns up dead. It looks like an accident; Swain isn’t so sure. Suspicion soon falls on the crew and an Agatha Christie-esque murder investigation ensues, with Swain at the helm.

The investigation into the mysterious death doesn’t slow the pace. Even Ms Cruise gets in on the action by leading a covert operation with the Hammersley boarding party!

Although Madelaine remains icy and continues to cause tension on board, she is more likeable this episode than I’ve found her in the past. She is disturbingly calm under pressure and under fire. Is it just a coincidence that it was also Episode 9 last year that marked a positive change in lots of fans’ feelings towards Dutchy?

Caruso has been perfectly competent in her role so far this series. There has been nothing in her performance that I’d regard as outstanding, but nothing that stands out as really bad either. Early in this episode Caruso didn’t particularly grab me, but later when she takes the lead in some action scenes, she really drew me in. Some of her lines, however, are a little awkward and unfortunately this detracts from her overall performance.

Caruso is well supported by the crew around her, especially Conrad (Dutchy) and Matt (Swain). Teamwork takes centre stage in this episode (though not in a preachy way!). Each crew member is on the ball and they work together efficiently.

Some of the guest stars’ dialogue is a bit off key at times, but it is believable enough to keep the viewer enthralled in the story.

Even with the increase in action and a mystery sub-plot, the episode is not so jam-packed that it sacrifices humour or some lighter moments.

Although the critics probably won’t like this story and say it’s something better left to a high budget American series, for me this episode simply works. And ‘Sea Patrol’ is one of the only Australian dramas that could pull it off.

The action, drama, tension, acting, editing and storytelling are all top notch and these elements remain at the high standard we now accept as the norm.

I’m an action junkie and this is one of the main reasons I watch ‘Sea Patrol’. So in this respect, ‘Dead Sea’ is a highlight for me – and if it is any indication of what’s ahead as we approach the home-stretch of Series 5, we should expect an engrossing and explosive end!

By Geoff Shearer
Courier Mail
07/06/2011

BLUE skies, placid seas lapping into the laidback luxury that is Mission Beach, a gentle breeze rustling the coconut palms ah, this is living.

If you were to tell anyone this little piece of heaven in northern coastal Queensland is the place where you shot a television series, you’d incur the jealousy of actors across the country.

But Sea Patrol star Kristian Schmid (pictured) says it’s not all beer and skittles.

“I know, I know, it doesn’t sound like hardship to be at Mission Beach,” he says with a grin, “but when you’re doing a 14-hour day, and the waves are pounding and everyone’s feeling sick because you’re breathing in diesel smoke …”

The 36-year-old father of two, who plays radio officer Robert J. Dixon on the series, throws his hands up in exasperation, only with the slightest hint of mockery.

“You just have to buck up,” he says, “and get on with it and that’s what bonds you as a cast, being stuck together.”

It was indeed a hard slog for Schmid and his castmates Ian Stenlake, Lisa McCune, John Batchelor, Nikolai Nikolaeff and the like as they filmed their exterior scenes in Mission Beach early in the year before moving to inside studios on the Gold Coast.

Most of their work on location is out at sea the not always friendly seas often having to transfer from speeding boat to speeding boat in professional navy boarding style. Several of the cast and crew have suffered serious injury filming these scenes (during filming of season four, 11 people were hurt, including two with neck injuries), but for Schmid remembering his first time on set in late 2006 the pain actually started earlier, on dry land.

“I’d just come off this movie about a year or so before called The Great Raid and we’d done 12 days of boot camp and it was just the most awful experience I’d ever been through,” he says, referring to the WWII-based US film from 2005 which starred Benjamin Bratt and James Franco and was filmed in Australia.

“And my manager rang and said, `OK Kristian, good news, new job, Sea Patrol, but you do have to go to boot camp’. And I said `sorry I’m not taking the job’. And they were like, `No, it’s only three days and it’s only Australian and it won’t be as hard’.

“But it was! I did nearly vomit after the speed beep testing. It was proper navy training and there also was strategic workout.”

And there was another downside …

“Then we took out time trying to learn how to march,” he says rolling his eyes. “I always wanted to put my same arm and same leg forward at the one time.

“It looks very odd when you walk like that.”

But he got through the training and, along with his castmates on the Hammersley, is looking slicker than ever in this, season five, the final series of Sea Patrol. Although, Schmid admits, the marching still needs some work.

He’s also hitting his stride, so to speak, in filming for the new series of Packed To The Rafters in which he reprises his role of cerebral palsy sufferer Alex Barton.

Schmid also works as a tutor at the film and TV school Screenwise in Sydney.

I was rather surprised that a 2Dads episode would come up straight after a 2Dads / Charge episode, but ‘Lifeline’ gives Nikolai a chance to shine once again. Refreshingly, it is not strictly a 2Dads-gets-himself-into-trouble episode, but one that focuses on his personal growth.

The boarding team investigates a small research submarine following a May Day call. They find two scientists aboard. Tracey (Pia Miranda) and Jack (Nicholas Bell) seem to be having electrical problems. As the resident sparky, 2Dads is quickly summoned to look at the issue – and he is not impressed about having to descend into a submarine.

As it turns out, 2Dads’ fears were warranted. To the astonishment of the boarding party, the submarine suddenly submerges with Jack and 2Dads inside. Before long, the submarine arrives at the ocean floor, 20 metres beyond radio range.

While the crew tries to locate the submarine, Jack surfaces in the only viable escape suit. Jack tells them an explosion ripped through the submarine and that 2Dads is dead.

Nonetheless, the crew works together, resting on the hope that 2Dads might still be alive. RO takes the lead, coming up with several ideas to assist his shipmate. Charge is also trying desperately to provide practical help to his young comrade.

When they finally make contact, it’s a race against time to get 2Dads to the surface. But 70 metres below sea level, with fried electrics and a depleting oxygen supply, what chance is there? In a way, this episode pays homage to the Russian submarine tragedy a few years ago.

The immaturity demonstrated by 2Dads over the past couple of seasons seems to have put some fans off-side. If you’re one of those people, I’m pleased to say that this episode marks a turning point in 2Dads’ personal growth. Under the most stressful circumstances, 2Dads learns a valuable lesson about self-reliance and trusting his colleagues.

Nikolai’s acting ability is put to the test as he spends the majority of the episode alone, with no other actors to bounce off. It is a test that Nikolai blitzes. His performance is assured as he depicts the emotion of someone in a life-and-death situation that others have faced and not survived.

Although John (Charge) has less screen time than Nikolai, he stills gives a good performance as a man desperately trying to save his best buddy against seemingly impossible odds.

However, it is Kristian (RO) who outshines everyone in this episode. Although themes of putting oneself in another’s shoes have been explored before, this time more of the intensely private and complex RO is exposed – and the result is incredibly satisfying. As usual, Kristian works wonders with this particularly special script. He treads carefully and with pin-point accuracy to bring to life a very three-dimensional RO. Kristian’s perfectly measured performance allows us to feel an empathy for RO that has not been achieved before.

Seasoned actors Miranda and Bell are also a joy to watch but, with the episode focusing on 2Dads’ emergency situation, they seem underused. It is understandable, yet unfortunate to see so little of their talents. On a side note, it’s great to see Miranda back on screen – looking not a day older than she did in her break-through role as Josie in “Looking for Alibrandi”.

‘Lifeline’ is not as action-packed as other episodes this season, but the character drama is so strong that it hardly matters. Indeed, injecting more action into this episode would have upset the dramatic tension. ‘Lifeline’ is one of those rare episodes that has an inexplicable quality to it; a spark that the viewer feels but does not see. I was compelled to give it my undivided attention despite a scarcity of stunts and special effects. Even if you don’t feel that spark, every viewer should appreciate that much-loved Australian characteristic: humour in the face of crisis.