Includes SPOILERS for Territory season 1.Netflix’sTerritoryestablished its premise with its opening six episodes, preparingnumerous plotlines to extend the series with a second season.Territoryexplores the fictionalstory of the Lawsons, a wealthy, prominent family that’s owned Marianne Station for several generations. Marianne is described as the world’s largest cattle station, sitting in the Northern Territory of Australia, and the death of owner Daniel Lawson sets off a conflict of succession, as the family is left without an ideal heir to take on leadership responsibilities.
ByTerritoryseason 1’s ending, theLawson family has momentarily rallied to defend their property against antagonists Sandra Kirbyand Campbell Miller. Kirby plans to use Marianne Station land, specifically old goldmines, as storage for radioactive waste from enriched uranium. To do so, she needed to detonate a sacred location called “The Sorry Place” to pave the way for a road. The Lawsons and the Indigenous community tried to prevent this but were too late, resulting in an ensuing gunfight as the season’s climax.
8Colin Lawson Knows Daniel Was Murdered
Colin & Emily Will Be At Odds Going Forward
Theexplanation for Daniel Lawson’s deathis revealed throughoutTerritoryseason 1, but it isn’t until the closing moments that Colin Lawson finally learns what happens to his son. While it’s unclear for now whether he knows exactly who did it,Colin will be suspicious going forward, as the mysterious man, Elton, arrived at Marianne with Daniel’s horse and bullet shells, implying a murder. Audiences already know from a flashback that Emily Lawson was the one who left Daniel for dead.
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In episode 4,Emily made a deal with Elton to protect The Sorry Place in return for keeping her secret, which she failed to do when Campbell Miller destroyed it. With Colin Lawson likely to figure out who killed his son, the rift between him and Emily is likely to disrupt the Lawsons going forward. Graham already knows what Emily did and seems to have forgiven her for it, but Colin is far less likely to accept the murder of his golden boy son.
7What’s In The Lawson Family Safe Box?
Colin Lawson Is Hiding Something Drastic
During the otherTerritoryseason 1 climax, audiences saw Colin and Marshall Lawson taken captive by Rich, who held them at gunpoint and demanded the code to Colin’s safebox. In the safe, he found tens of thousands in cash, which Colin told him to leave with. But rather than doing so, Rich inquired about a smaller safe box.Marshall goes to open the box for Rich but then shuts it immediately, saying he and Colin would die before the contents of that box are revealed. Audiences never get to see what’s in it.
it seems like the safe box is tied to an incriminating incident connected to the Lawsons' violent past
That’s a pretty significant claim to make, especially since Marshall has shown few positive feelings toward his family throughout season 1. Given that he and Colin shared a moment earlier in the season about the skulls he found on Marianne’s property, it seems like the safe box is tied to an incriminating incident connected to the Lawsons' violent past. While only season 2 can say for sure,it’s most likely that there’s something in that box that would shut down the Lawson family for good.
6Graham Lawson Has To Hold The Family Together
Graham Stepped Up As The Leader, But Can He Keep Doing It?
Much ofTerritoryseason 1 follows Graham Lawson as he struggles to become the leader Marianne Station needs. In episode 2, he fails to earn the cattle federation presidency, choosing not to betray his father in return for votes. By episode 5,he’s found his strength and united his family and the ranchers of Marianne Station, proving himself to be a worthy heir and leaderin Daniel’s absence. Now, he’ll have to hold it all together amidst Colin’s discovery, and without Susie and Marshall there to help him.
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The Lawsons have suffered great losses, with Susie dying at the end of season 5. Marshall also intends to leave following the incident with Rich. This will leave Graham in between his father and wife, trying to hold it all together.Season 2 will see if Graham’s rally in episode 5 was a flukeor if he’s capable of uniting the ranch in the long term. Even though Campbell Miller is questionably dead and Sandra Kirby was last seen flying away from Australia, there will be more enemies for the Lawsons to face, and they need a level-headed leader.
5Marshall Lawson Has To Win Back Sharnie
Marshall Will Have To Choose Between Family & Love
Territoryspent its first six episodes establishing Marshall Lawson through his relationships with Rich and Sharnie. In the finale, Colin kills Rich and nearly kills Sharnie before Marshall stops him. Because of this, she decides to leave, claiming that staying in this place will cause Marshall to turn cruel and violent like his grandfather, a future in which she wants no part. Given how integral Sharnie has been to Marshall so far,it seems unlikely that she’d just be written off after season 1.
With how many comparisonsTerritoryhas received toYellowstone, it’s hard to ignore Kayce Dutton comparisons for where Marshall’s story could go. InYellowstone, Kayce lives away from the central ranch because his wife believes his father is dangerous and doesn’t want Kayce to turn out similarly.Marshall could continue to chase Sharnie, resulting in an internal conflict where he tries to balance his love life with his growing responsibility to his family, which would be particularly interesting given that the show has set him up as an heir candidate.
4Can Graham Lawson Maintain His Sobriety?
Graham Will Continue To Battle His Internal Demons
The first step to Graham Lawson holdingMarianne Stationtogether is him holding himself together, an obstacle that won’t get any easier for him. Graham’s trip to jail helped him sober up and pull himself together, and though he overcame a huge arc in season 1, finding the strength to conquer his father after so many decades,he’ll still have to fight tooth and nail to maintain his progress.Territoryhas already shown how easy it is for Graham to go off the rails when facing conflict.
it’s important to note that this willalwaysbe a potential threat for him
Territoryseason 1 already saw Graham succumbing and overcoming his drinking problem multiple times, and it may get redundant to see him in a constant loop. However, it’s important to note that this willalwaysbe a potential threat for him, looming over the character and that it’s unlikely the writers will do away with the plotline for good. If things go awry with Colin and Emily, Graham could easily turn to drinking as his coping mechanism.
3The Indigenous “Sorry Place” Has Been Destroyed
How Will Nolan & The Indigenous Community React To This Devastation?
One of the most important subplots inTerritoryseason 1 was the conflict of the Indigenous community in the Marianne Station area. Nolan is a character who’s integrated himself into the lifestyle of the Lawsons and other local cattle barons, while other members of his community are resistant to working with the wealthy elite in the area. In a moment of desperation and frustration,Nolan agreed to a deal with Sandra Kirby, eventually leading to the destruction of The Sorry Place.
Nolan is undoubtedly one ofTerritory’smost complex characters, as his people see him as something of a traitor for wanting to succeed. Given his role in the destruction of sacred land, it will be interesting to see how he acts going forward. The Indigenous community could continue to be an ally to the Lawsons, butNolan might also be more willing to work against the Lawsons to make a claim in the area for him and his people now that he’s been wronged by Sandra Kirby.
2Sandra Kirby Has Left, For Now
Sandra Kirby Is Still Territory’s Biggest Villain
Mining magnate Sandra Kirby is arguably the biggest antagonist inTerritory, andshe’s really the only one left standing after Rich and Campbell Miller went down in the finale. Her final season 1 scene showed her on a plane leaving for the time being, though her operation in Marianne Station isn’t complete. Kirby showed not only a desire to make money off the long-standing Australian property but also a personal distaste for Colin Lawson that she’ll want to see through.
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Sandra Kirby is an international businesswoman, so her leaving probably isn’t permanent.Territoryseason 1 could introduce some new antagonists, but Kirby seems like an overarching antagonist who will continue to pursue the ranch. Not to mention, Lachie Kirby is still around and has barely been shown since his involvement in Susie Lawson’s death. He could be set up as an extra villain for the Lawsons going forward.
1Territory Needs To Introduce New Characters
Deaths Have Already Depleted Territory’s Cast
For a TV series likeTerritoryto work, there has to be a wide, diverse pool of factions and enemies.
With so manydeaths inTerritoryseason 1, the show’s biggest responsibility going forward will be replenishing its roster. For a TV series likeTerritoryto work, there has to be a wide, diverse pool of factions and enemies. Season 1 did well in setting the stage for something like that, butthe cast already feels trimmed down pretty heavily after six episodes. The Hodges were also introduced but have barely been explored, so seeing their goals and position in the Northern Territory cattle world could be interesting.
The show needs new protagonists and new antagonists to replace the likes of Rich, Campbell Miller, and Susie. Rich provided a sort of chaotic, rogue-like entity that the series will surely miss. Campbell Miller wasn’t too well defined and can be replaced with a variety of other cattle baron-type characters if he is actually dead. Susie’s presence will be missed the most inTerritoryseason 1, as she was the easiest of the Lawsons to root for, leaving very few remaining protagonists.
Territory
Set against the backdrop of the world’s largest cattle station, this drama follows the intense generational conflict that ensues when a clear heir is absent. As rival factions compete for control, the series examines themes of legacy, power, and the struggle for dominance over the land’s future.
