Elisabeth Moss has made a habit of bringing us remarkable performances – from The Handmaid’s Tale to Mad Men and Shining Girls – but one we keep going back to is Top of the Lake. The superb crime drama stars Elisabeth as Robin Griffin, a straight-talking detective specialising in child protection who has a missing person's case on her hands - and the series, which you can binge tonight, is so brilliant, we’d say it’s better than The Handmaid’s Tale.
The missing person in question is Tui (Jacqueline Joe), daughter of local drug lord, Matt Mitcham (Peter Mullan) and it transpires that she was five months pregnant before her disappearance - and she wouldn't tell anyone who the father was. It's a dark, twisted series that proved so popular when it premiered in the UK in 2013 that it was brought back for a second run.
With both series now available to stream on U, here’s everything you need to know about Top of the Lake before you watch it, including the plot, full cast, trailer and how to watch it.
What is Top of the Lake about?
The first series, which originally aired on the BBC in 2013, revolves around the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year-old girl named Tui Mitcham (Jacqueline Joe) who's the daughter of local drug lord, Matt Mitcham (Peter Mullan). Elisabeth Moss is Robin Griffin, the detective who returns to her isolated hometown, Laketop, in New Zealand to visit her dying mother (Robyn Nevin), and subsequently finds herself leading the investigation into Tui’s disappearance.
As Robin becomes increasingly obsessed with the search for Tui, she learns more about the local community of her own childhood, realising that finding Tui is tantamount to finding herself, too. Tui’s disappearance also brings two men back into Robin’s life: Johnno (Tom Wright), Matt Mitcham’s son, an old boyfriend and reformed criminal, and Al Parker (David Wenham) a fellow detective and mentor.
Series two, titled Top of the Lake: China Girl, takes Robin back to Sydney, Australia, where she's still haunted by her past. When we're reintroduced to Robin, four years have passed but things are not going well. Not only is she dealing with a breakup and suffering from nightmares, she’s also barrelling towards a breakdown. So, when the unidentified body of an Asian girl in a suitcase washes up on Bondi Beach, Robin is determined to take the case - and solve it.
Who’s in the cast of Top of the Lake?
The main cast of Top of the Lake series one includes:
- Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaids Tale, The Invisible Man) as detective Robin Griffin
- David Wenham (The Lord of the Rings, Van Helsing) as detective sergeant Al Parker
- Peter Mullan (My Name is Joe, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms) as Matt Mitcham
- Tom Wright (The Bridge, Outsiders) as Johnno Mitcham
- Holly Hunter (Roe vs. Wade, The Piano) as GJ, a spiritual leader
- Kip Chapman (Westside) as Luke Mitcham
- Jay Ryan (Neighbours) as Mark Mitcham
- Jacqueline Joe (Mystic, Inside) as Tui Angel Mitcham
- Robyn Nevin (Water Under the Bridge) as Jude Griffin
- Calvin Tuteao (Shortland Street) as Turangi
In series two, Top of the Lake: China Girl, Elisabeth reprises her role as detective Robin Griffin. Additional cast includes:
- Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones, Wednesday) as police constable Miranda Hilmarson
- David Dencik (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Chernobyl) as Alexander “Puss” Braun
- Ewen Leslie (Fighting Season) as Pyke Edwards
- Alice Englert (Ginger & Rosa) as Mary Edwards
- Nicole Kidman (The Others, Eyes Wide Shut) as Julia Edwards
- Clayton Jacobson (Blacktown, Kenny) as Detective Sergeant Adrian Butler
- Kym Gyngell (The Artful Dodger, Col'n Carpenter) as Bootie
- Ling Cooper Tang (Troppo, All Saints) as Dang
- Geoff Morrell (Murder Call) as police pathologist Ray
- Liv Hewson (Yellowjackets) as Michaela
- Christiaan Van Vuuren (The Other Guy) as Stally
Is there a trailer for Top of the Lake?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for the first series of Top of the Lake below.
Is Top of the Lake any good?
In short, yes! It’s a haunting, atmospheric series with a feminist take on the crime mystery genre. Fans have praised Elisabeth Moss for her “powerful performance”, with the star winning a 2013 Critic’s Choice Award and a 2014 Golden Globe for her role. We should warn you that it does get pretty dark, but it doesn't make it any less watchable.
How can I watch Top of the Lake?
Top of the Lake is available to watch now on U.
What other Elisabeth Moss dramas can I watch now?
If you enjoy a high-stakes drama, we'd recommend The Veil, which follows the tense relationship between MI6 spy Imogen (Elisabeth) and suspected ISIS operative Adila (Yumna Marwan). The two travel from Istanbul to Paris and London, but one of them has a secret that the other wants to expose. The Veil is available to watch now on Channel 4. For something more recent, we'd suggest Imperfect Women. The drama follows three middle-aged women, played by Elisabeth, Kerry Washington and Kate Mara, who have been friends for years - until a shocking crime that involves one of them destroys everything. You can watch Imperfect Women now on Apple TV+.
