
In the opening minutes of Wakefield, Dan Wyllie's character James is dressed in a crisp business shirt, a tie, and a blazer.
He's speaking to his colleagues over Zoom, throwing around words like 'market' and 'bounce' and 'equity'. He appears to be a high-functioning businessman about to close on a multi-million dollar deal.
It's only moments later we find out James is actually wearing his pyjama pants, he's making the deal from the common room of a psychiatric ward, and he's one of the patients.
WATCH: The trailer for the ABC's groundbreaking new series, Wakefield. Post continues below.
This scene encapsulates the show's running theme and its tagline - there's a fine line between sanity and madness.
James could be any of us, and under the right circumstances (or wrong circumstances), any of us could find ourselves in James' shoes.
Wakefield is the name of the series and it's also the name of the mental health facility James is receiving treatment at. It's nestled in the Blue Mountains, right beside Katoomba's iconic Three Sisters. The location not only lends itself to beautiful scenery, but it's also a constant reminder of how far we all have to fall.
Wakefield could be best described as a slow burning psychological thriller and a study of the human condition.
Below, we unpack what the series is about and deliver our verdict on whether you should watch it.
What is Wakefield about?
Set in NSW's scenic Blue Mountains, Wakefield follows the staff and patients of Ward C.
The series was created by Kristen Dunphy (The Secret Daughter), who is also the showrunner alongside Sam Meikle. It was directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) and Kim Mordaunt.
The series centres around Nikhil Katira (British actor Rudi Dharmalingam, who does a brilliant Aussie accent btw) a psychiatric nurse working at the facility. Shortly after the series begins, Nik applies for the role of Nursing Unit Manager, putting him on the radar of the current acting NUM Linda (Mandy McElhinney).
This complicates Nik's working life, which is already complicated as he works alongside his ex, Ward C's lead psychiatrist, Dr Kareena Wells (Geraldine Hakewill).
Nik has a light touch with his patients, he seems to be able to get through to them even when they're at their most vulnerable.
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