This vivid six-part adaptation of Brendan Cowell’s novel of the same name portrays a retired rugby league player whose life has become a haze of bad decisions and escalating health crises. Some, but not all, of his woes are self-inflicted. The bleary-eyed Peter Lum (AKA The Plum) – played by Cowell himself, also the creator and co-screenwriter – obviously has a drinking problem, at one point downing 17 beers on a quiet night at home. But he’s also been diagnosed with a brain disorder, a consequence of concussion and head injuries incurred from his days on the field. The series front-loads this element more than the book, giving it a clearer thematic focus.
The show wraps Plum’s personal and medical journeys together and, like the book, does a good job getting inside its protagonist’s head. It’s one thing to watch actors play unwell people, and another for a production to show an unwell character from the inside. This process often involves the sort of visual language deployed in horror and psychological thrillers. Before Plum collapses in front of a crowd, for instance, we see blurry, fisheye shots capturing his perspective, making it clear he’s non compos mentis. Other scenes cap off dialogue exchanges by revealing that a hallucinating Plum has been talking to nobody.
