The Gone series returns with its second season, presenting a new and compelling mystery set against the evocative landscapes of rural New Zealand and a remote coastal island, where a new enigma unfolds with the land, legend, and community as its backdrop.
The second season of The Gone begins with Irish detective Theo Richter (Richard Flood) preparing to leave Aotearoa, but he is forced to return when journalist Aileen Ryan (Carolyn Bracken) disappears under mysterious circumstances. Her disappearance echoes a previous 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 connected to local legends and long-buried crimes.
Creators: Anna McPartlin, Michael Bennett, Yvonne Donohoe
Stars: Richard Flood, Acushla-Tara Kupe, Carolyn Bracken
The narrative takes a dramatic turn 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 presented as wild, virtually untouched, and deeply evocative. Its terrain and location become an integral part of the events, providing an isolated setting for the investigation and serving as an anchor for key moments of violence and discovery.
The land is an active part of the plot throughout the series, fully integrated into the narrative rather than simply being a beautiful backdrop. For Māori communities, many of the filming locations for The Gone, especially Te Aroha and the surrounding forest, hold deep ancestral significance. Te Aroha, situated at the foot of Mount Te Aroha, the highest peak in the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park, serves as the fictional Mount Affinity in the series. Scenes filmed in the misty forest or beside ancient waterways are imbued with a powerful sense of place. The town's Edwardian-era buildings, thermal spas, and lush gardens give the series a timeless and haunting charm. These forests, rivers, and mineral springs have long been places of healing, gathering, and connection. Mount Te Aroha itself is considered sacred, its name meaning "love" in Te Reo Māori, and the area is intertwined with the spiritual stories and traditions of the local iwi (tribes).
The Gone co-creator, Michael Bennett, of Te Arawa descent, spoke about the central importance of the 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 series in a unique Aotearoa perspective.
In Season 1, The Gone explores a protest against corporate development on Māori land, led by Diana’s 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 Māori tikanga (customs), whakapapa (genealogy), and kaitiakitanga (guardianship of the land). Meanwhile, Diana’s own journey involves addressing long-standing family divisions and reconnecting with the ancestral ties from which she had long been estranged.
In Season 2, Diana is drawn back into buried grief when a mobile phone and her mother’s necklace are found on Mount Affinity. Diana’s mother, Christine, was never found after her disappearance years ago, but Diana always suspected foul play, and the appearance of her belongings suggests she may have been one of the first victims of the Mountain Killer. The season culminates in a dramatic climax in its final episode, when Detective Gwenda confronts Frank Pastors (Owen Black), the prime suspect, in a tense, high-stakes showdown. With the bolt of her rifle missing and no backup in sight, she must draw on all her inner strength, engaging in a brutal hand-to-hand fight that relies on martial arts techniques and inner fortitude. A Māori woman whose strength is rooted as much in her role as a police officer seeking justice as in her deep connection to whakapapa and whenua, Gwenda, like Diana and Wiki, reflects the strength, intuition, and leadership of wāhine toa (strong women) in real-life communities.
One of the true charms of The Gone, season 2, is how well the Irish sense of humor fits into the series' tense and melancholic atmosphere.
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