As the third episode of Territory begins, Marshall Lawson (Sam Corlett) follows the people who stole the cattle. He tells Rich Petrakis (Sam Delich) that he’s running out of fuel. Rich suggests putting the chopper down and getting in with them. In private, Rich asks Sharnie Kennedy (Kylah Day) what else Marshall is good at. Susie (Philippa Northeast) tells Emily (Anna Torv) that Graham lets Colin beat the crap out of him. Emily instructs her to dodge the shrapnel and just get on with it. Colin Lawson (Robert Taylor) stacks rocks to create a memorial of sorts for Daniel. Colin returns and asks Graham (Michael Dorman) if he’s going to sleep through the workday. The hay dealer just called to say their delivery has been canceled. Colin says Miller is president and he’s moving against them because of Graham. He asks where his wife is going in that helicopter.

Colin insists Emily doesn’t want Graham. She just wants this place. Emily is told they’re approaching Ms. Kirby’s place now. Sandra Kirby (Sara Wiseman) tells Emily she didn’t grow up there, but she feels she’s from there in her heart. She’s moving the company away from fossil fuels because she doesn’t want to leave a legacy of land destruction. Sandra is consolidating their investment into sustainable land, stock management, renewable energy, and her charitable foundation. Sandra says not many people intrigue her, but Emily is one of the few who do. She was there during the Colin and Graham circus at the Cattlemen’s Federation vote. Sandra believes the Lawson family is a spent force. Emily denies it. Marshall and the others watch the group get stopped for a quarantine check. Once they’re waved through, Marshall says this is proper black market.

Rich reminds Marshall this was his idea and now he wants to back out. He says Vernon offered him double for Lawson cattle. Nolan believes something big is on the horizon. He argues with Dezi who doesn’t want to finish cleaning his car. Nolan tells him to work hard and make no excuses. Emily asks Sandra what she wants. Sandra says she’s stayed there for 20 years and it hasn’t gotten her anything. She thinks Emily should come work for her. Sandra wants her to run the pastoral arm of her company. Emily turns her down. Sandra believes they both have their sights set on the biggest cattle station in the world. She says they can talk about why she’s there now. Uncle Bryce (Hamilton Morris) shows up while Nolan is gone. He tells Dezi (Tyler Spencer) he’s going to take Nolan’s motor car hunting as part payment.

Tex (Vince Poletto) reminds Uncle that they mustered his country last month. Uncle Bryce gets upset that Tex is getting paid but they’re not. Tex says he can’t let him take the car. He eventually relents. Dezi ends up going with them. Sandra tells Emily that she can take care of Marianne Station’s debt. She says they can set up a corporation with a five-seat board. Sandra and her son will hold two seats. The Lawson family will hold three seats. Rich and the others talk about stealing the cattle. He suggests they can go their own ways. Marshall and Sharnie think they should do one truck and see what happens. While Rich makes the call, Marshall tells Sharnie they need to get out of there because Rich is going to get them killed. After the call, Sharnie asks Rich not to take both pills. He does anyway. He also drinks. Uncle Bryce talks to Dezi while he fishes. Sandra tells Nolan about her offer to build a port for him. She insists the port will make him the most powerful cattleman in the Northern Territory.

She also offers him 500 weaners. Nolan talks about how the welfare mob used to take Aboriginal kids away from their country and take their country. He believes she’s doing the same to him. Sandra insists she’s giving him an opportunity. Uncle Bryce breaks into Marianne Station and leaves the gate open. He shoots one of their animals. Uncle Bryce takes Dezi to a cave where bad happened. The memorial Colin made for Daniel is nearby. Dezi sees a dingo nearby. They look closer and see a man sitting next to him. They tell Dezi that Elton Matthew Sunderland) lives out there. Elton asks Bryce if he has any tucker and smokes. He says he found a horse on Hodge land. He offers to give him the saddle for trade. Uncle tells Dezi to bring the meat over. Sharnie talks about blackfella food while eating with Marshall. Rich tells Marshall he’s a dog. He’s tired of him pretending to be a gangster only to back out of everything.

Rich suggests they can do it without him. He keeps belittling him and suggesting something is going on between Sharnie and Marshall. Rich claims both of them stabbed him in the back. He tells Marshall he better go. Marshall leaves on a dirt bike. Rich tells Sharnie they’ll take the truck tonight. Susie says she’s turning Marianne around. She explains to Lachie Kirby (Joe Klocek) that she needs bulls with a bit of attitude. Hank (Dan Wyllie) and his friends walk by. Campbell Miller (Jay Ryan) speaks to Susie about the bulls. Keeley Redford (Tuuli Narkle) tells Bryce he’s creating big trouble. The bidding begins on the bulls. Susie gets the lot for Marianne Station. Nolan returns and finds out about his vehicle. He blames Dezi for taking his car hunting. Nolan realizes Dezi hasn’t done any of his chores. They argue. Dezi says he’s got a saddle now. Nolan finds out that he has Daniel Lawson’s saddle. Graham speaks to Emily who admits she’s been with Sandra. Colin asks why Kirby choppers are on his property.

Emily tells Colin about Sandra’s offers. She suggests they could buy Sandra out within three years. They end up arguing about it. Graham asks them to stop. Colin tells Graham about the deal he made with Emily. She begins screaming. Colin tells her to get off of his property. Once Emily leaves, Colin warns Graham that these people are coming at them from every direction. He urges Graham to find a way to stand up. Nolan confronts Uncle to talk to him about the saddle. Uncle says he didn’t know it belonged to him. He explains that the guy who gave it to him said it came from the Hodge property. Dezi breaks the window on Nolan’s vehicle. Uncle tells him he used to be a part of this community. Nolan says he grew up. He tells Dezi to stay there and be useless. Nolan calls Sandra to tell her to pay him and she can do whatever she wants. Rich and Sharnie get ready to deal with the cattle. He tells her she needs to help him finish this and she can go away.

Vernon tells them to start unloading. Sharnie warns him this is strange. Vernon speeds away seconds later. A man approaches Rich who pretends to be a Lawson. He’s told the boss wants a chat. Rich hits one of them and yells for Sharnie to run. The men come inside and try to find them. Marshall arrives and tries to help them. Rich yells at Marshall to take Sharnie and go. They escape together while Rich makes a run for it. In a truck, Marshall tells Sharnie that Rich will meet them in the out station. Emily goes to the Bull Bar where she speaks to Campbell. Hank speaks to Susie about winning the bulls. Susie insists the bulls are exactly what the station needs. Ethan Hodge (Conor Merrigan Turner) tries to pick a fight with Rich. As they fight, Hank tells everyone to stay out of it. Emily and Campbell eventually break it up. Susie speaks to Lachie about the fight outside.

She asks him not to do that again. Lachie promises before kissing her. They end up having sex. Graham gets drunk at home. Nolan visits him. He tells him about the saddle. Nolan says he can’t get involved in his family’s business, but he’s there if he needs to call him. Ethan makes up with Lachie at the bar. Susie tells Emily about the bulls. She reveals that she cashed in her Ag college trust money to pay for them. Graham calls Susie and learns about the bulls and that she’s out with Emily and Hank. Nolan returns and finds out that someone torched his vehicle. Susie worries that her mom is flirting with Campbell. Hank says Campbell was her first boyfriend. They talk about Hank’s stolen cattle. Graham enters the Bull Bar with a rifle and sits nearby. Graham says Hank found his horse. Hank asks what he’s talking about. Graham says Dan’s saddle was on his property. Emily asks Graham to put the rifle down.

Hank tells him he’s a joke. Graham points the rifle and fires it just before the episode ends.

 

Territory Review

Although Territory can be entertaining at times, there is really a whole lot that’s wrong with the series. For starters, there isn’t a single character who is easy to sympathize with. Most of them are bad in one way or another. The series tries to represent the aboriginal community, but it doesn’t always show them in the greatest light.

Furthermore, the series stretches reality so viewers will have to put up with a lot of silly scenes. I don’t recall seeing a single police officer in the whole show despite the fact that there has been a death, a fire, a shooting, a fight, and so on. There’s also a good chance that the police would’ve already started looking for the helicopter that was stolen so long ago.

In that sense, the show really has the Taylor Sheridan spin where reality and truth don’t matter. That’d be okay if the series was a blast and moved at the speed of lightning, but it really doesn’t because the episodes are far too long and dull. The series would be more enjoyable with certain scenes fast-forwarded and without any critical thinking skills.

This episode scores a 5 out of 10. Recaps of Territory can be found here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising with us here. See what others are saying here.