When it comes to homegrown drama, Stan has really cemented itself as the go-to with their epic slate of Stan Original Series. The latest one, Eden, lands today and it’s brimming with mystery, intrigue, and cool as fuck flair.
The series features an impressive cast including BeBe Bettencourt (The Dry), Sophie Wilde (Bird), Keiynan Lonsdale (The Flash), Cody Fern (American Horror Story), TV Week Gold Logie Award-winner Samuel Johnston and Christopher James Baker (True Detective), all of whom I had the pleasure of meeting when I flew down to Byron Bay to visit the set last year.
The show itself is set in the fictional town of Eden, which is described as a picturesque landscape, so what better place to film than in good ol’ sunny Byron?
Back when I visited the set, there were very few details about the show, only that it was a new cutting-edge Stan Original Series and that it tells the story of an epic mystery which couldn’t have been more true since everything IRL was so damn mysterious.
Bebe (left) and Sophie (right) as our stylish leads.
Sussing out the cast list, I was hugely impressed with the roster of local talent that signed on, including well-known award-winning names as well as shiny up-and-comers.
When I sat down to chat with each cast member, it became clear that this show is really something special as each one of them absolutely gushed about not just their experience on the production, but also about the incredible subject matter they were given by creator and head writer, Vanessa Gazy.
“There’s a lot of play involved in this production, a certain amount of freedom that really allows a really unique, interesting dynamic which I personally haven’t had before,” Keiynan Lonsdale, who plays Cam, told me.
Aussie ledge Keiynan as the troubled character, Cam.
Meanwhile Sophie Wilde, who plays lead gal Scout, described the role as a “dream come true.”
“I think Scout’s at a very interesting period in her life, where she’s coming out of high school and entering the adult world. I think that period is often glamorised,” she told us. “But I found it particularly tumultuous. And I think I kind of related to Scout in that way.”
She went on to say that the show discusses themes like identity and coming-of-age, with the added twist of a ‘yuge mystery that you’ll be dying to solve.
Besties Scout and Hedwig.
Eden has the stunning visuals and mind-boggling mysteries that we’ve come to know and love of Stan Original Series, but this one is really something else and goes places that you seldom see on television.
I applaud the series for its diversity, which we’ve been sorely lacking on our screens, especially in Australia. But the way it weaves important themes into the episodes through gripping storytelling is nothing short of brilliant.
When Scout returns to Eden from a jaunt overseas, she finds that everything has changed, including her bestie, Hedwig (played by the fabulous Bebe Bettencourt). One night, Scout tells Hedwig that she’s secretly been having romantic feelings for her. Shortly after, Scout ~mysteriously~ goes missing.
Meanwhile Keiynan’s character, Cam, is dealing with issues of his own, having grown up with a difficult background and now being forced to work as a drug dealer in order to get by.
Also starring in the series is the esteemed Cody Fern, who told me that he was happy to return home to take on this incredible project.
In the series, he plays a bratty, out-of-work actor who throws many a tantrum, one of which I had the privilege of watching unfold.
I literally watched the filming of this scene. It was a wild ride (in the best way!)
“I don’t want to do a version of something I’ve done, I don’t want to refine a character that I’ve already played, I want to do something new and I want to do something fresh, and that’s always rare to come across,” Cody said of his role in Eden.
And honestly, I reckon he hit the nail on the head, there. Shows like this are very rare to come by and I can’t bloody wait for Aussies to dive into it.
Stan Original Series Eden is now streaming.
