Is Deadloch woke?
TV Show · 2023
Deadloch has a wokeness score of 7/10, which we rate as Strongly Ideological. Woke messaging is very prominent and often feels forced or shoehorned in. Characters and plot are primarily shaped to serve the ideology. Many viewers feel the agenda overshadows the entertainment.
Key points
- Heavy LGBTQ+ representation with lesbian leads, gay officers, and gender fluidity themes central to characters and town dynamics.
- Explicit feminist subversion of crime tropes: victims are straight white men, investigators are queer women challenging misogyny.
- Plot and killer embody progressive commentary on patriarchy, performative allyship, and conservative backlash to social change.
Wokeness analysis
Deadloch (2023) centers on a fictional Tasmanian town undergoing rapid gentrification due to an influx of lesbians and progressive residents clashing with conservative locals, explicitly framing the narrative around gender politics, misogyny, homophobia, and societal change. Creators Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan describe it as 'feminist noir' that subverts traditional crime drama tropes by making victims straight white men and investigators predominantly queer women. The show features a 'cast full of gay' with multiple lesbian leads including married couple Dulcie and Cath, gay officer Sven, and characters exploring gender fluidity such as Eddie using she/they pronouns in season 2. Plot elements satirize 'toxic masculinity' while portraying conservative men as embattled bigots with 'Make Deadloch Great Again' fantasies. The killer is revealed as a performative male feminist ally who murders men to 'make Deadloch better for women,' delivering explicit commentary on patriarchy, allyship, and gender roles. Indigenous representation and colonialism critiques are woven in, alongside a female mayor and powerful women dominating the town. While the black comedy and mystery elements provide entertainment, the messaging on progressive social issues is prominent, intentional, and shapes character dynamics and plot resolutions, often feeling forced to serve ideological points over pure escapism. Conservative viewers note it as a microcosm pushing diversity and challenging patriarchal norms from a left-leaning perspective.
Plot
Deadloch follows Senior Sergeant Dulcie Collins, a meticulous lesbian cop, and brash detective Eddie Redcliffe as they investigate a series of murders in the fictional Tasmanian town of Deadloch. The sleepy community is shaken by the deaths of local men amid tensions between long-time conservative residents and a recent wave of lesbians and progressives gentrifying the area. The eight-episode black comedy crime series blends murder mystery with humor, featuring a predominantly female and queer police force, a female mayor, and storylines exploring gender roles, homophobia, and cultural shifts. It premiered on Amazon Prime Video on June 2, 2023.
Analyzed by AI on September 7, 2026