The Gone Season 2 Review 2025 Tv Show Series Cast Crew Online
Crime drama, The Gone returns for Season 2 with a gripping new mystery set against the haunting landscapes of rural New Zealand and a remote offshore island, where a fresh mystery unfolds against a backdrop of land, legend, and community. The Gone Season 2 begins with Irish detective Theo Richter (Richard Flood) preparing to leave Aotearoa, only to be drawn back when journalist Aileen Ryan (Carolyn Bracken) vanishes under mysterious circumstances. Her disappearance echoes the earlier case of missing Irish tourists and leads Theo and Māori investigators DS Diana Huia (Acushla-Tara Kupe) and DS Gwenda (Miriama Smith) into a chilling investigation tied to local legend and long-buried crimes.
The narrative shifts dramatically when the detectives are led to a remote, unnamed island off the coast — accessible only by boat and surrounded by treacherous waters. Filmed in the Hauraki Gulf – home to New Zealand’s largest marine park, the island is portrayed as wild, largely untouched, and deeply atmospheric. Its terrain and location become integral to the unfolding events, providing a contained environment for the investigation and anchoring key moments of violence and discovery.
The land is an active part of the storyline throughout the series, fully integrated into the storytelling itself rather than simply a beautiful backdrop. For Māori communities, many of the filming locations in The Gone — especially Te Aroha and the surrounding bush — carry deep ancestral significance. Te Aroha, nestled at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, the highest peak in the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park, serves as the fictional Mt Affinity in the series. Scenes filmed in the misty bush or beside ancient waterways feel charged with presence. The town’s Edwardian-era buildings, mineral spas, and lush gardens lend the show a timeless, eerie charm. These forests, rivers, and mineral springs have long been places of healing, gathering, and connection. Mount Te Aroha itself is considered sacred, with its name meaning “love” in te reo Māori, and the area is woven into local iwi histories and spiritual traditions.
The Gone’s co-creator Michael Bennett, of Te Arawa descent, spoke about the centrality of land in the series. He explained: “The land isn’t just a backdrop — it’s a character. Every tree, every mountain holds memory. We wanted to tell a story where the whenua [land] speaks, where the mystery is inseparable from the place and its people.” This philosophy permeates every aspect of The Gone Season 2, from its visual storytelling to its emotional arcs. The land (whenua) shapes the narrative, challenges the characters, and anchors the show in a uniquely Aotearoa perspective.
In Season 1, The Gone explores a protest against corporate development on Māori land, led by Diana’s estranged relatives Wiki and Buster Huia. Wiki, a fierce matriarch and tribal elder, and Buster, her brother and a quiet but resolute activist, embody mana motuhake — Māori self-determination. Their resistance is grounded in tikanga Māori (customs), whakapapa (genealogy), and kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the land). Meanwhile, Diana’s own journey involves addressing longstanding family divisions and reconnecting with ancestral ties she had long distanced herself from.
In Season 2, Diana is pulled back into buried grief when a burner phone and her mother’s necklace are found on Mt Affinity. Diana’s mother, Christine was never found after her disappearance years ago, but Diana long suspected foul play, and the appearance of her belongings suggest that she could have been one of the Mountain Murderer’s earliest victims.
The season builds to a dramatic climax in its final episode, when DS Gwenda confronts Frank Pastors (Owen Black), the lead suspect in a tense, high-stakes showdown. With the bolt missing from her rifle and no backup in sight, she’s tasked with bringing her full-on warrior to bear, engaging in a raw, close-quarters fight that draws on martial arts techniques and inner fortitude. A Māori female whose strength is rooted in both her role as a justice-seeking police officer and her deep connection to whakapapa and whenua, Gwenda, like Diana and Wiki, reflects the strength, intuition, and leadership of wāhine toa (strong females) in real communities.
One of the real joys of The Gone Season 2 is how well the Irish sense of humour slots into the otherwise tense and moody atmosphere. Theo’s dry wit and Aileen’s sharp, no-nonsense banter bring just the right amount of levity to the story. It’s the kind of humour that sneaks in sideways, cuts through the drama, and makes the characters feel real. Whether it’s a sarcastic remark mid-investigation or a raised eyebrow at Kiwi bureaucracy, the Irish humour adds balance to the show’s darker themes.
The Gone Season 2 stands out for placing the land at the heart of its storytelling, treating it not just as a backdrop but as a living, breathing presence that shapes every moment. The characters, while compelling, are woven into the landscape rather than dominating it — each of them influenced by its history, its silence, and its scars. This grounded approach gives the series a deeper resonance, where justice is way more than just about people, but about place, history, and respect for Mother Earth or whenua, which in its broader translation from Māori refers to how the land nourishes and sustains life, just as the placenta does in the womb.
