Black Snow is a gripping Australian crime drama series that blends classic whodunit mystery with deep emotional resonance and cultural commentary. Created by Lucas Taylor and originally airing on Stan in Australia starting January 1, 2023, the show has since found international audiences on platforms like AMC+, Acorn TV, and Fandango at Home. With two seasons released as of early 2026, it stars Travis Fimmel (Vikings) as brooding cold-case detective James Cormack, delivering a moody, character-driven narrative set against the lush yet foreboding landscapes of North Queensland.

Season 1 centers on the 1994 murder of 17-year-old Isabel Baker (Talijah Blackman-Corowa), a bright young woman from the Australian South Sea Islander community in the small sugarcane town of Ashford. The case, unsolved for 25 years, reignites when a time capsule from her high-school class is opened in 2019. Among the nostalgic items is a chilling letter from Isabel herself, warning of “predators disguised as friends” still lurking in Ashford. This cryptic message draws Detective Cormack, a specialist in cold cases, to the town. Haunted by his own unresolved trauma—the disappearance of his younger brother when they were children—Cormack’s investigation peels back layers of long-buried secrets, small-town hypocrisy, and generational pain.

The dual timeline structure is one of the series’ strengths. Flashbacks to 1994 give agency to Isabel, portraying her vibrant life, friendships, family dynamics, and the pressures she faced in a close-knit but insular community. In the present, Cormack navigates distrust from locals, including Isabel’s sister Hazel Baker (Jemmason Power in 2019), who has her own complicated history with the crime. The supporting cast shines: Victoria Haralabidou as a community elder, Erik Thomson, and others add depth to the ensemble, highlighting themes of grief, racism, and the legacy of South Sea Islander history in Australia—descendants of indentured laborers brought to work the cane fields.

Season 2, subtitled “Jack of Clubs” and premiering in April 2025 on AMC+, shifts focus to a new cold case: the 2003 disappearance of Zoe Jacobs in the fictional town of Moorevale. Cormack returns, informally probing his brother’s vanishing while tackling the fresh mystery. The season maintains the show’s signature blend of suspense and personal demons, with trailers teasing darker secrets and emotional stakes.

Critically, Black Snow has been praised for its atmospheric cinematography—sweaty Queensland heat, sugarcane fields, and stormy nights create a palpable sense of unease—and its sensitive handling of underrepresented cultural narratives. Reviews highlight Fimmel’s understated, slow-burn performance as Cormack, a detective more haunted than heroic, and Blackman-Corowa’s compelling turn as the tragic yet empowered Isabel. Rotten Tomatoes gave Season 1 a 100% fresh rating from critics, with audiences appreciating the thoughtful exploration of justice, memory, and community wounds.

Some critiques note occasional tonal imbalances or predictable twists toward the end, but overall, the series stands out in the crowded true-crime-inspired drama landscape for its authenticity and heart. It avoids sensationalism, instead delving into how unsolved crimes ripple through families and towns over decades.

As a Stan Original that has crossed over to global streaming, Black Snow proves Australian television’s prowess in moody, place-specific storytelling. Whether you’re drawn to intricate mysteries, cultural depth, or Travis Fimmel’s magnetic presence, this series lingers long after the credits roll—like snow in the tropics, it’s rare, chilling, and impossible to ignore.