Jane Campion’s ‘Top Of The Lake: China Girl’: There’s No Going Back In Season 2 Trailer

Here at The Playlist, we called “Top of the Lake” director Jane Campion the fourth most exciting TV auteur working today, saying: “[Campion’s] meticulous approach to television feels like she has found a way to use the medium to its fullest: in the best way, ‘Top Of The Lake’ season 1 felt cinematic, in terms of its visuals but also its sense of atmosphere and place.” It’s safe to say that we’re eagerly anticipating the show’s sophomore season premiere this September.

“Top of the Lake” Season 1 centered on Detective Robin Griffin, played by “Mad Men” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”’s Elisabeth Moss, investigating the rape and subsequent disappearance of a twelve-year-old girl in a small New Zealand town. Season 2, titled “Top of the Lake: China Girl,” picks up about four years after the events of the first season, and sees Nicole Kidman, Liv Hewson (“Santa Clarita Diet,” “Before I Fall,”) and Gwendoline Christie (“Game of Thrones”) joining the already phenomenal cast. Jane Campion returns to co-direct with collaborator Gerald Lee. Here’s the official synopsis for “Top of the Lake: China Girl”:

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“Top of the Lake: China Girl” is a crime mystery story that finds Detective Robin Griffin, recently returned to Sydney and trying to rebuild her life. When the body of an Asian girl washes up on Bondi Beach, there appears little hope of finding the killer, until Robin realizes that “China Girl” didn’t die alone. Robin’s search to discover “China Girl’s” identity takes her into the city’s criminal underbelly and closer than she could have imagined to the secrets of her own heart.

While there’s certainly a whole heckuva lot of auteurist TV to sift through these days, we recommend making a point of catching up on “Top of the Lake” prior to the second season premiere on SundanceTV on September 10th.