‘Troppo’ Recap: ‘A Croc & A Hard Place’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series premiere of ‘Troppo’.

Often times in storytelling, characters that yearn to be a hero or desire redemption in their world, do so because of a stellar moral core. One that drives them to genuinely believe that it is up to them to enact change and that their endless hope and optimism and selflessness will inspire others to follow them and making that the foundation for a hero in a story, is designed to inspire an audience through and through. Because it informs us, that if we genuinely do our best to shed our darker angels and embrace good and go the extra mile for others without giving it a second thought, we too can find the fulfillment and joy these heroes do. Which is a noble way to inspire a viewer or a reader for certain, despite how incorrect that line of thinking is.
 
Because heroism and redemption aren’t things that are reserved for people that are perfect through and through, they’re for everyone. For folks that have made grave mistakes in life that wish to become a hero or redeem themselves through positive actions, are allowed to do so if that is what they desire. And the same goes for the lost individuals of the world, the ones that believe it has done them a disservice or have witnessed its injustices. Because the only real way we ever going to make the world a better place is through a unified effort to improve it, and it shouldn’t matter how people come to the decision to want to make it just that. If anything, this particular aspect to heroism and redemption is top of mind today, simply because it servers as the focal theme of the new Amazon Freevee series, Troppo.
 
A feat that ‘A Croc & A Hard Place’ accomplishes by introducing us to a pair of characters that wouldn’t normally fit the mold for heroes or people ripe for redemption. For Amanda and Ted… are a pair of broken individuals that have seen the sour side of the world. Amanda for instance, spent years in prison for crossing the line as a teenager and taking a life, making her a pariah in her town to the point where she is basically drifting through life. As for Ted… well a horribly botched case back home in America, one that painted him in a disgusting light, left him disillusioned with the world and the American justice system. To the point where he’s drinking the days away down under in the same town as Amanda, in the hopes he can just get by and never have to deal with the nonsense of the world ever again.
 
But Amanda really does believe that she can come back from what she’s done and make the world a better place in the process. Which is why she opts to open up her own private investigation agency. So that she can show people she’s good, and so she can come to believe that as well, and that’s also why she enlists Ted’s help in her work. Since she knows he knows the ins and the outs of investigative work and together, they should accomplish wonders and she can help him heal as well. But even then, finding that peace they both crave through good deeds… is no easy task. For this story also makes it clear that emotional damage and doubt, don’t just go away overnight. And they hurt us in our future endeavors when they are good and positive in nature. Which… sets the stage for a fascinating journey. One that will be supremely intimate, and growth and healing based in its notions, and quite original for certain.
 
Because let’s be honest, this kind of redemption story really doesn’t exist in print or on television. Largely because it’s gritty and vulnerable and uncomfortable. But this writer, welcomes it and is eager to see where it will take us. Because this is shaping up to be a powerful character study, one that will resonate with people on a fundamental level, since there are aspects of both Amanda and Ted that we can outright relate to and of course… the dark place we find them in here, alongside being able to get to know them through a supremely intimate series premiere, has us rooting for them in the end. To find the redemption they seek, and it will be fascinating to see if and how they obtain it as they dig deep into a case that will test them like never before. Until next time.

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