Black Snow: The Australian Crime Drama With a Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

A gripping Australian mystery has arrived on BBC iPlayer, giving UK viewers the chance to discover Black Snow — the acclaimed crime drama starring Vikings actor Travis Fimmel.

The series follows Detective James Cormack as he investigates cold cases buried beneath years of silence, while privately searching for answers about his own younger brother, who disappeared when they were children. Season 1 currently holds a 100% Tomatometer score from six critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while its audience score stands at 85%.

Set against the landscapes and communities of Queensland, Black Snow combines a murder investigation with stories about memory, identity and long-buried injustice.

A Cold Case That Refuses to Stay Buried

Fimmel plays Cormack, a detective whose work revolves around unresolved crimes.

In the first season, the discovery of a time capsule exposes a secret connected to a 1994 murder. Cormack is brought in to investigate, reopening a case that has remained unsolved for decades.

As he begins piecing together what happened, the investigation takes him back through the lives of people connected to the original case.

Hazel Baker, played by Jemmason Power, becomes an important part of the story, while Talijah Blackman-Corowa plays her sister Isabel. The investigation gradually reveals that the past has left consequences that are still being felt in the present.

At the same time, Cormack’s professional investigation is intertwined with his own unresolved search for his missing brother.

That personal thread gives the detective more than a conventional whodunit to solve. The crimes he investigates continually force him to confront questions that are much closer to home.

More Than a Murder Mystery

What distinguishes Black Snow from a straightforward detective series is the way it places its mystery within a broader Australian social and historical setting.

Season 1 explores South Sea Islander culture and communities while examining the legacy of Australia’s history and the consequences of systemic racism.

The series’ Rotten Tomatoes critics have highlighted precisely this wider scope. One review described it as a mystery that goes beyond its familiar crime-drama setup, while another praised the production for bringing a relatively little-explored area of Australian culture and history to the screen.

That combination of crime investigation and social history is central to the show’s identity. The murder is the mystery that pulls viewers in, but the world surrounding it is just as important to the story.

A Strong Ensemble Around Fimmel

Fimmel anchors the series as Cormack, but Black Snow relies heavily on its wider cast.

Jemmason Power and Talijah Blackman-Corowa are among the performers featured prominently in Season 1, alongside Eden Cassady, Seini Willett, Gulliver McGrath, Alexander England, Brooke Satchwell and Ziggy Ramo.

The result is an ensemble-driven drama in which the investigation is closely tied to the people who lived through the original events.

That approach also gives the mystery room to develop gradually rather than relying solely on a succession of twists.

Six Episodes of Escalating Mystery

The first season consists of six main episodes.

The investigation begins with the time capsule and the 1994 murder, then expands as Cormack uncovers connections between the case, missing people and secrets that have remained hidden for years. By the later episodes, the detective is racing to find answers as more people become endangered.

The compact structure keeps the central mystery moving while allowing the characters and the wider community to remain at the heart of the story.

It also helps explain why viewers have described the series as an easy binge. The mystery is designed to keep unfolding rather than being neatly resolved after each episode.

Season 2 Takes Cormack to Another Case

Black Snow has since continued with a second season, released in 2025.

This time, Cormack investigates the disappearance of Zoe Jacobs, who vanished during her 21st birthday party in 2003. When police officer Sam Kahlil discovers Zoe’s backpack, the detective is brought in to investigate what happened.

The second season once again uses a disappearance from the past to uncover secrets that have remained hidden within a community.

Rotten Tomatoes currently lists Season 2 at 93% from three critic reviews, while the overall series average remains at 100% on the Tomatometer because Season 1 holds its perfect score.

Why Black Snow Has Found Its Audience

The appeal of Black Snow comes from the way several strands of storytelling work together.

There is the central question of who committed the crime. There is Cormack’s personal history and his search for his missing brother. And there is the wider examination of Australian communities, history and social injustice.

Critics have also praised the show’s cinematography and atmosphere, with Rotten Tomatoes reviews describing it as a compelling mystery and highlighting its visual style and cultural perspective.

Rather than treating its setting as simple scenery, the series makes Queensland an important part of the story — from its rural landscapes to the communities shaped by generations of history.

For viewers looking for a crime drama that offers more than another conventional murder investigation, that combination gives Black Snow plenty to explore.

The first season of Black Snow is now available on BBC iPlayer, bringing the six-episode Australian mystery to a new UK audience.