13 October 2019 (2019-10-13) – 18 February 2024 (2024-02-18)
Total Control is an Australian television political drama series first screened on ABC TV in October 2019. Its working title was Black Bitch, but that was deemed too controversial and the series was renamed. Season 2 began airing on 7 November 2021, and the final season premiered on the ABC on 14 January 2024.
Synopsis
Rachel Anderson is the embattled but cunning Prime Minister of Australia. Alex Irving is a charismatic Indigenous woman who finds herself the centre of media attention following her admirable actions in a high-risk situation. Rachel wants to use Alex to boost her popularity and further her own agenda, and recruits her as a senator.[1]
The government in the series appears to represent the Liberal-National coalition, with various factions and other parties mimicking current ones in Australia. There are several storylines and characters, including Alex's son, her mother, an ex-lover and rival clans in Winton, Queensland, her activist brother in the city, various other players in the Canberra political and office sphere, and a young woman who has escaped youth detention with some footage which could severely damage the government, or in particular the right-wing faction.
Cast and characters
Main
Deborah Mailman as Alexandra "Alex" Irving, a CoalitionSenator for Queensland replacing Hamish Gordon (Series 1) and now independent MP for the seat of Freeman, Queensland (Series 2-3).
Rob Collins as Charlie Irving, Alex's brother who worked as a university lecturer in Sydney (Series 1), Alex's campaign manager for the seat of Freeman (Series 2), and Prime Minister Murphy’s Director of Policy (Series 3).
Anita Hegh as Helena Rossi, a Coalition MP turned independent for Lennox, New South Wales and daughter of Howard Clyde, a former MP (Series 2 and Series 3).
Harry Greenwood as Leo Jacobs, Alex’s data analytics specialist.
Colin Friels as Jack Ramsay, the incumbent Coalition MP for the seat of Freeman, Queensland.
Jason King as Scott McNally, the Labor candidate for the seat of Freeman, Queensland.
Angela Fitzpatrick as Gloria Vincent, the independent Christian candidate for the seat of Freeman, Queensland.
Tasneem Roc as Mima Scott, the Coalition candidate for the seat of North Sydney, New South Wales.
Rob Carlton as George Jeffries, a long-serving and controversial independent MP from Illingworth, Western Australia.
Vico Thai as Justin Yang, independent MP for Foster, Western Australia.
John Derum as Father Harry Woods, a religious left candidate.
Tom Dawson as Henry Whittaker, a political staffer in Prime Minister Bauer's media office who has been engaged in a racially motivated hate campaign against Alex under the pseudonym 'Bait15'.
Following a stand-off with a gunman outside a local courthouse, Alex Irving becomes a household name overnight and is offered a casual vacancy in the Senate of Australia by the Prime Minister, Rachel Anderson, who has her own motivations for wanting Alex in her ranks. Meanwhile, Jess Clarke, a young Indigenous girl escapes from a youth detention centre after her friend, Marcie, is murdered by a prison guard.
Alex is tasked by Rachel with negotiating a deal between the native title holders of Winton and the Federal Government after the United States requests the construction of a new military base in the region. Meanwhile, Jess hitch-hikes across the country in an effort to reach Alex in Canberra.
As Alex works around the clock to get the community's deal before the Senate, there is opposition within the party and a coup threatens Rachel's leadership. Jess arrives in Canberra, but Alex is faced with simultaneous betrayal in Canberra and a tragedy in Winton before they can meet.
Following the death of her mother, Alex is struck low by grief and anger after the betrayal of her and the community. When she discovers the extent of the Rachel's deception, she resolves to return to Canberra - planning to burn everything to the ground.
Returning to Canberra, Alex and Rachel embark on a game of political cat and mouse. Alex knows the only person who can help her now is Jess, but when they finally arrange to meet in Sydney, Jess gets spooked when police suddenly arrive and runs - leading to tragedy.
In pursuit of justice for Jess and Marcie, Alex declares war on her own party. Faced again with Rachel's double dealing, she engineers a plan that could have catastrophic consequences for the government.
Far from home, Alex Irving faces the reality of her alliances with Damien Bauer, who is now the Prime Minister, and with Laurie Martin and begins to question her future in her new party. Still reeling from the coup, Rachel plans her next move.
Alex returns home to Winton, determined to get her grassroots campaign off the ground. Rachel makes a surprise announcement that sees her facing off with Alex on live television. After the show, Rachel makes Alex an interesting offer.
Alex's success on the campaign trail has caught the attention of popular incumbent Jack Ramsay and he's not going down without a fight. Rachel's bid for re-election gets a boost when she attends a rival's campaign event.
10
"Episode 4"
Wayne Blair
Angela Betzien
28 November 2021 (2021-11-28)
N/A
It's the day of the election, and Alex and her team make a final push to win over the voters of Freeman, but a family emergency sends the campaign into chaos. Meanwhile, Rachel prepares to face off against Damien.
Following the election, the high stakes horse-trading begins in Canberra as Alex and a small group of independent MPs meet to decide the future of the nation. With bigger threats looming, Alex and Rachel will need to find a way to trust each other.
12
"Episode 6"
Wayne Blair
Stuart Page
12 December 2021 (2021-12-12)
N/A
Alex is on the cusp of rewriting history when the forces of violence and reaction make one last bloody attempt to stop her.
Two years on since the explosive events of the second season, outsider turned kingmaker, Alex Irving, is now completely at home in the nation's capital. She's at the centre of power, holding the Government on a short leash, but it's taking a toll.
Alex receives a health diagnosis which threatens to derail her political ambitions. Rachel learns some shocking news about her campaign finance from journalist Marion Beaumont.
Determined to reform youth justice, Alex pushes forward with her radical plan in the House of Representatives. Rachel seizes the opportunity for her own advantage.
Production for the third and final series was announced on 31 May 2023.[23][24] Wayne Blair co-directed with Jub Clerc.
Release
In advance of the broadcast premiere of Season 1 on ABC TV in October 2019, several episodes of the series received a preview screening in the Primetime program of the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.[25]
The final season premiered on the ABC on 14 January 2024.[28] The final episode aired on the ABC on 18 February 2024.[29]
Critical reception
The first season received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The dialogue, writing, relationships between the characters, and Alex's characterisation were widely praised, but recurring criticisms were that the series lacked action and the storytelling was too meek and subdued despite its intense subject matter. However, the cast's performances received critical acclaim, especially Deborah Mailman's.
The series has an approval rating of 100% percent for its first season on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes indicating critical acclaim.[30]
Craig Mathieson of The Sydney Morning Herald wrote "It's hard to remember the last time an Australian drama had dialogue as biting, juicy, and telling as the lines that ricochet back and forth – simultaneously revealing power and defining personalities" and that Mailman gives a "full-tilt and full-bodied performance".[31] Luke Buckmaster of The Guardian said "There are times when it feels like we may be in store for a Bulworth-style spectacle, revolving around a shoot-from-the-hips political newbie with nothing to lose. However, the drama in Total Control is meeker than that, and the stakes feel surprisingly low, given several hot-button issues explored". Buckmaster praised the performances of both Mailman and Trisha Morton-Thomas. He declared Mailman's performance to be "superb" and said that she was the series' "one unquestionably outstanding element".[32]
Chris Boyd from Screenhub wrote: "As an action drama, Total Control is unconvincing and poorly executed. As a political thriller, it's sketchy and forced. The Canberra intrigue is shallow to the point of parody." However he praised the performances of both Mailman and Rob Collins. When it comes to Mailman's performance he said "Increasingly blunt, and foul-mouthed, Mailman is electrifying. Tectonic. Unforgettable."[33] Laura Brodnik from Mamamia gave the series a positive review saying "with a cutting and topical script, this is a series that secures a spot as one of the best Australian offerings of the year". Brodnik praised most of the cast but singled out Mailman and Shantae Barnes Cowan for the most praise. She called Mailman's performance a "stand out". And said Barnes Cowan "delivers some of the shows most emotional moments in scenes that are light on dialogue, so it's left up to her facial expressions to convey the gravity of what is really going on".[34]
Dorothy Rabinowitz of The Wall Street Journal wrote a glowing review, saying this about the series "It's an enterprise mightily enlarged by its merciless focus on political combat, its depiction of longtime trusted alliances, its biting vision of the prevailing codes, and what passes for right and wrong in political society."[35] James Croot from Stuff NZ wrote: "Total Control offers a scathing examination of Australian politics [and] a clarion call for social justice." He went on to praise the series' music, saying it was "a magnificent showcase for the songwriting and singing skills of Missy Higgins", Alex's characterisation ("Her character is a compelling, complex and charismatic presence, a woman passionate about representing her community, but still traumatised by the event that made her public property") and Rachel Griffiths' performance ("Griffiths is impressive as the embattled Prime Minister, struggling to keep her party (and herself) in power – two goals that aren’t necessarily the same thing.").[36]
Joel Keller from Decider praised the writing of the series, saying "The writing in all of those scenes, is sharp and intelligent, not giving in to cliché or tropes" and that "the writing is smart enough to give its audience credit for having some brain cells to process the story". He added "after the ace performances by Mailman and Griffiths, we're looking forward to seeing what direction Total Control goes in".[37]