Population 11 - Season 1: A Quirky, Comedic Mystery

Dec 6, 2024

3 min read

Population 11 is a quirky, dark comedy set in the Australian Outback. Andy has travelled from Cincinnati, Ohio to the small town of Bidgeegud, Australia to find Hugo, a local resident that gives UFO tours. Unfortunately, just before Andy arrives Hugo disappears. In a small town with only a population of 12 (11 now that Hugo is missing), it seems everyone has secrets and will go to great lengths to keep them.

Population 11 immediately sets itself up as a comedic mystery, with even the reason that Andy is looking for Hugo kept a secret initially (although you may guess part of it quite quickly). The central mystery though is what happened to Hugo, why, and who in town was involved.

I did like the mystery portion of the show, although it does rely too heavily on the “red herring, suspect of the week” format that many shows of the kind use. With such a small town, naturally everyone is a suspect at some point. Most episodes involve Andy learning a small piece of information, jumping to conclusions, and then doing his fumbling best to investigate. It’s not the greatest mystery on TV, but there are enough twists and turns to keep you guessing.

Population 11 works better as a comedy, and that is the intent. Its charm lay with the quirkiness of the community. Everyone is a little odd. Whether it is the local bar owner, the pie shop (also a Chinese food place), the alligator zoo with just one alligator, the drug dealers, the sex parties, or the overzealous police, Andy has his hands full just getting through the day. The show leans into the fish-out-of-water concept for laughs.

Ben Feldman is quite good as Andy. He exudes an equal amount of determination and frustration in his search for Hugo. He shows some solid comedic timing, and a lot of the humour come from his dealings with the residents, and his growing irritation.

Just as good, is Perry Moony as Cassie, Andy’s ally in his investigation. She agrees to help for the reward money, but it’s clear she has motives beyond that. She’s resourceful, mainly competent, and the main reason Andy progresses with his search. She’s also able to get Andy to open up, and we learn more about his secrets through their interactions.

The rest of the cast is good as well, although most are only in a handful of episodes. They come and go from the show as needed, but every character has a certain realism, even through all their quirks. It’s Andy and Cassie that get the majority of the screen time though, and it’s the chemistry between Feldman and Moony that keeps the show moving along.

Visually, Population 11 is wonderful. Wide-angle shots of the landscape capture the vastness, emptiness and beauty of the outback. Meanwhile, the set design of the town of Bidgeegud is great. Combined it gives a sense of a real town, isolated from everything else. It’s a fictional place, but it sure feels real.

Population 11 is an exploration of belonging, and that home is where you make it. In his search for Hugo and dealing with the residents of Bidgeegud, Andy learns about himself, and his values. The locals learn that you can be a close-knit community, even if you’re keeping secrets from each other. It may be a place you end up when you don’t feel you belong anywhere else, but that doesn’t mean you don’t belong somewhere.

While it works better as a dark comedy, Population 11’s central mystery is still interesting, and it’s the combination that makes the show worthwhile. It may not achieve greatness, but it is fun. It is always on the verge of being just a bit too much quirkiness, and that may be too much for some. But if you’re willing to go along for the quirky ride, Population 11 is entertaining. And at only 12 half-hour episodes it’s an easy binge. If you’re looking for something just a bit off the beaten path, I recommend giving Population 11 a try.