# The Gulf (TV series)

The Gulf is a New Zealand-based crime drama television series, first broadcast on the Three network on 26 August 2019. The series, described as New Zealand's answer to "scandi-noir", follows troubled investigator DSS Jess Savage, played by Kate Elliott, who solves cases on her home of Waiheke Island, all whilst trying to piece together the events surrounding the death of her husband in a seemingly routine car crash. The title refers to the Hauraki Gulf which separates the island from the mainland.
Following a successful debut run in 2019, the series was commissioned for a second run in early 2020, premiering on March 1, 2021. Outside of New Zealand, the series has been sold to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Sundance Now. The series also broadcast on Alibi in the UK, with the first series airing from February 26, 2020, with each two-part story combined into one single broadcast. The second series premiered on December 15, 2021.

## Cast

* Kate Elliott as Detective Senior Sergeant Jess Savage
* Ido Drent as Detective Sergeant Justin Harding
* Timmie Cameron as Ruby Savage
* Dahnu Graham as AJ Jackson
* Bede Skinner as Alex Parsons
* Jeffrey Thomas as Retired Detective Inspector Doug Bennington (series 1)
* Alison Bruce as Senior Sergeant Denise Abernethy
* Mark Mitchinson as Detective Inspector Ivan Petrie
* Pana Hema Taylor as Constable Rory Kerr (series 1)
* Ross Brannigan as Constable Paul "Pup" Phillips
* Vinnie Bennett as Sgt. Taiaroa Gray (series 2)
* Simon Prast as Adam Harding

## Episodes
### Series 1 (2019)

| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original airdate |
| 1 | "Nathan ― Part 1" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Charlie Haskell | 26 August 2019 (2019-08-26) |
| Twelve-year-old Nathan Baum reappears, having disappeared five years previously during a school trip. DSS Jess Savage, back at work following the death of her husband in a car crash, and having suffered amnesia herself, struggles to piece together the failings of the original investigation, until a flashback suggests that Nathan may not be the only child who was abducted. |||||
| 2 | "Nathan ― Part 2" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Charlie Haskell | 2 September 2019 (2019-09-02) |
| As the hunt for Lucy gets underway, Jess tasks Justin with re-interviewing all of the former witnesses. But just as the timeline leading up to Nathan's disappearance seems weaker than ever, Justin has a forensic breakthrough which leads the team to the doorstep of the abductor. |||||
| 3 | "Dividend ― Part 1" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Gaysorn Thavat | 9 September 2019 (2019-09-09) |
| Jess' suspicions over Bennington's involvement in the Nathan Baum case begin to escalate. Her efforts to expose her former boss are hampered when a distraught father turns up on her doorstep begging for her help to find his missing daughter. A shock revelation threatens to upset the relationship between Jess and Ruby. |||||
| 4 | "Dividend ― Part 2" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Gaysorn Thavat | 16 September 2019 (2019-09-16) |
| When a decomposed body washes up on the beach, the investigation takes a startling turn. A fellow partygoer is later reported missing, and video footage from the evening in question shines a light on two potential suspects. A secret from Justin's past comes back to haunt him. |||||
| 5 | "Hunters ― Part 1" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Robert Sarkies | 23 September 2019 (2019-09-23) |
| The shooting of a Maori man by a retired detective following a botched burglary leads to increased tensions amongst the residents of Waiheke Island, least of all Jess - whose memory is starting to return. Meanwhile, the investigation has personal ramifications for Rory. |||||
| 6 | "Hunters ― Part 2" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Robert Sarkies | 30 September 2019 (2019-09-30) |
| Justin is forced to step up in light of Jess' absence, but as her story finally begins to unravel, someone threatens to reveal her most treasured secret. |||||

### Series 2 (2021)

| Episode | Title | Written by | Directed by | Original airdate |
| 1 | "Abduction ― Part 1" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Charlie Haskell | 1 March 2021 (2021-03-01) |
| 2 | "Abduction ― Part 2" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Charlie Haskell | 8 March 2021 (2021-03-08) |
| 3 | "Te Ao Uenuku ― Part 1" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Robert Sarkies | 15 March 2021 (2021-03-15) |
| 4 | "Te Ao Uenuku ― Part 2" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Robert Sarkies | 22 March 2021 (2021-03-22) |
| 5 | "Immigration ― Part 1" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Helena Brooks | 29 March 2021 (2021-03-29) |
| 6 | "Immigration ― Part 2" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Charlie Haskell | 5 April 2021 (2021-04-05) |
| 7 | "Inheritance ― Part 1" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Caroline Bell Booth | 12 April 2021 (2021-04-12) |
| 8 | "Inheritance ― Part 2" | Paula Boock & Donna Millane | Caroline Bell Booth | 19 April 2021 (2021-04-19) |