Warning: Contains spoilers!
We’ve been literally counting down the days before the first episode of Reyka aired on M-Net. Now the moment has come and gone and left us breathless for more. Episode 1 laid the groundwork for the series, introducing the characters, a haunted history for its protagonist, and a macabre murder mystery. There was plenty that had us hooked, but these five things stood out.
The opening scene
The series throws us right into the action with a memory that lives with Reyka to the present day. Through a series of flashbacks, we’re transported to the day Reyka was abducted, 27 April 1994. On the day the country started its freedom, Reyka lost hers. This contrast is brought into focus as the joy of the elections is offset by Elsa’s panic at not being able to find her daughter. However, we don’t actually see the abduction happen, leaving us as disoriented as the young Reyka when she wakes up in Speelman’s living room. Further contrasting the past and present is the way the two timeframes are shot, with the ‘90s scenes throwing back to the aspect ratio of older broadcasts.
Msomi and Hector talk
Acting powerhouses Hamilton Dhlamini and Kenneth Nkosi ignite the screen as Brigadier Hector Zwane and Chief Msomi, particularly in the scene below.
As the two characters come to terms with the implications of the grisly discovery of a human arm in Msomi’s village, they step aside for a quiet discussion. Hector beseeches peace to Msomi, who is frustrated and suspicious due to ongoing tension with Tyrone. But although Hector and Msomi seem at odds on the surface, there is clearly a mutual respect that goes back years. Dhlamini and Nkosi infuse the scene with a quiet power that comes from both being authority figures in their own right, not only as characters but as actors too.
Reyka
Actors play a significant part in bringing characters to full-fledged life, but it all starts with the words on the page. While we’re loving the writing of all the characters, Reyka really stands out – and not just because she’s the main character and the show is named after her! She’s complex and complicated and that’s brought to vivid realisation in the writing and her portrayal by Kim Engelbrecht. Reyka’s complexities are clear – the struggle to connect with her daughter, the tension with her mother – but it’s cemented with little details like her no kissing rule at the bar, discomfort at her daughter’s physical affection, the cracked screen of her cellphone, and the uncertain smile that plays on her lips when she thinks of seeing Speelman. The only place where she seems to have control is at work, but even those boundaries blur with the personal when her past insists on stepping in.
The prison meeting
And speaking of her past, Reyka comes face to face with it when she meets Speelman again during a visit to prison set up, as she enters, with a suspenseful one-take shot and her fidgeting hands (a nervous habit her mother has too).
This is an episode filled with exposition, no more so than in this Silence of the Lambs-esque scene. But Speelman and Reyka are no Hannibal and Clarice (although we do see pictures of insects on Speelman’s cell walls – a clever little nod to the 1991 film). But unlike the Silence pair, Reyka and Speelman have a pre-existing relationship. And Speelman is full of cryptic talk as he drops hints that he may know things about Reyka’s past she’s forgotten or blocked out. Could he be referring to the truth about Lucy? We’re dying to know.
The team
But Reyka’s not a constant bundle of nerves and tears. Even those of us who don’t have it all together can do a pretty good job of making it look like we do. Reyka is a master at this, but she clearly also finds comfort and confidence in a job that relies on hard facts and enables her to work with a team that respects her and even cares for her. We’re looking forward to seeing more of the team and whether or not they’ll solve the mystery of the cane field killer.
Missed the first episode? Catch up with DStv on your connected device.
Watch Reyka every Sunday at 20:00 on M-Net channel 101.
Follow the action on social media using #ReykaSA.