Territory is an Australian drama series set in the contemporary Western world. The show revolves around the family politics of the world's largest cattle station. Director and Australian filmmaker, Greg McLean shows the fate of the Lawson family after the sudden death of Daniel Lawson, who was the head of the family. Yes, Daniel Lawson was murdered in the series.
Season 1 of the series begins with Daniel's death, but the events surrounding his death are slowly unraveled throughout the first season. The show is basically about the fictional Lawson family and their ownership of Marianne Station.
Looking at the way Daniel died, his death was caused by falling off his horse in the desert and being attacked by wild dogs. Daniel’s death sets the tone for the harsh environment of the Australian outback. But, there's more to the series Territory.
How does Daniel Lawson die in Territory?
The first episode begins with Daniel's death when he is out exploring the wilderness on horseback. His horse, for some reason, gets spooked and kicks its rider, injuring one of his legs; Daniel is left stranded while his horse runs off and he is attacked by a wild pack of dogs, resulting in his death.
Later, Daniel's brother, Graham Lawson, and two trainees from Marianne Station are out hunting, when Graham finds Daniel's body. He calls Colin Lawson, Daniel's father, and suggests that Daniel probably died of an accident - perhaps the horse was spooked by a snake. But, Colin refuses to accept this, knowing that Daniel is an experienced rider. This raises the possibility that Daniel's death was murder.
Who is the person who has killed Daniel Lawson in Territory?
The series's flashback takes us back to the death of Daniel Lawson. Prior to the events of the series, Daniel and Emily had agreed to take power at Marianne Station, but it would mean ending the long-standing family dynasty.
The flashback shows that Daniel betrayed Emily by trying to pull her out of the deal at the last minute. Emily tried to frighten him by shooting at Daniel, but Daniel became furious and sent her away with Graham.
Emily thought she might lose everything, so she shoots again. She hits Daniel, which causes Daniel to fall from his horse. The white horse runs away and is never seen again for the rest of the season. She would rather leave him to fend for himself in the wilderness.
Before long, Daniel is killed by those wild dogs. Emily justifies this by saying that she did not intend to kill Daniel, but rather to frighten him, and it is hard to imagine such an outcome when you leave someone behind in the wilderness.
How does Territory expose Daniel’s murderer?
The Territory storyline reveals that it was Emily who caused Daniel's death, though it was not intended. When she meets the man who owned the horse that found Daniel's body, he confronts Emily about her involvement in the murder and makes a deal with her.
He lets her keep the secret by asking her to watch out for the "Sorry Place" of Sandra Kirby, among others, who wanted it destroyed. Emily accepts, but by the end of Territory, she hasn't managed to get the Sorry Place.
In the final scene, the man returns Daniel's horse to the Lawsons. It is unclear what was said, but it was obvious that he told Colin Lawson that it was actually Emily who murdered Daniel.
This leaves Colin looking at Emily with pain and a look of suspicion, giving the impression that everyone in the town will know that she was the killer by the start of the show's season 2.
Territory is available for fans to stream on Netflix.