Upamanyu Biswas
The second season of ‘Troppo‘ picks up months after the conclusion of the first, introducing a new crime in the swampy backwaters of Crimson Lake. Amanda and Ted are finally getting their feet under the table as the former’s past has been cleared, and she is no longer viewed as a murderer by the townsfolk who shunned her once upon a time. However, the arson murder of a retreat owner, Julian Naughton, and a local civilian, Erin Aguirra, in the town’s outskirts leads to an inquest into the mysterious crime, as Raphael Naughton, the son of Julian, and his girlfriend, Tayla, hire the private investigators to look into Julian’s death.
In a similar fashion to the first, season 2 features a multitude of parallel investigations as an enigmatic entity from season 1 resurfaces to sow doubt and confusion in Amanda and Ted. The latter also has to deal with his murky past and Claire Bingley’s sexual assault while trying to close the rift with his ex-wife, Kelly, and his daughter, Lilly. Meanwhile, the installation of Detective Sweeney in the Crimson Lake Police Station adds a new rivalry to the private investigation pair, whose work continues to irritate local law enforcement. The season’s conclusion takes the concurrent investigations in new directions, prompting unforeseen resolutions to burning questions! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Troppo Season 2 Plot Recap
After the events of season 1, Amanda and Ted are firmly settled in Crimson Lake, where they are no longer treated as outsiders for their pasts. When the burned corpses of Julian Naughton, owner of the Family Tree Retreat, and Erin Aguirra are discovered in Redemption Point, the private investigators are tasked by Tayla, the girlfriend of Raphael Naughton, son of Julian, to establish the truth behind Julian’s murder. The two begin probing into the origins of Family Tree and Julian’s associations, as no leading suspect seems to emerge other than Raphael, owing to his drug priors and altercation with his father before his death.
The arrival of two outsiders, Detective Sweeney and journalist Colin Finch, throws up more hurdles in the P.I. pairs path. They both harbor their agendas, with Amanda growing close to the former and Ted learning more about the latter. The investigation into Julian’s death becomes further complicated when Ezra Cole, also known as Twist, resurfaces in Crimson Lake after attempting to frame Amanda for a murder she did not commit. The two butt heads with each other until Twist reveals that he is Julian’s half-brother and, by association, Raphael’s uncle – a revelation that stuns Amanda and Ted.
Meanwhile, Ted faces challenges in reconnecting with his daughter, Lilly, and his ex-wife, Kelly, because rumors about him being a sexual predator continue to persist. During a trip to Sidney to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, Ted finds himself the target of an unsolicited raid by the Sidney police, disrupting Lilly’s party. Soon after, he invites Lilly to stay at his Crimson Lake abode, where she shows up two days earlier than planned with her mother to surprise him. The family tries to bond in the middle of an investigation case that often jeopardizes Ted’s personal life when his professional one comes knocking.
Who Killed Julian Naughton and Erin Aguirra?
The central mystery of season 2 revolves around the fiery murders of Julian and Erin. While the two deaths are linked together because their dead bodies were found in the same spot, the actual target for the murder was Julian. The Family Tree Retreat owner was run over by none other than Ronnie, the mother of Tayla, Raphael’s girlfriend. She attacked him because he threatened to burn down her Duboisia crops, which are an essential source of income for her. Although she ran him over, Julian did not die instantly. Instead, Ronnie’s cousin, Reggie, stepped in and finished the ordeal by setting Julian on fire and dumping him in Redemption Point. His burning body landed accidentally on Erin, who was frolicking with a lover at the time, tragically killing her.
A couple of years ago, Ronnie’s banana farm had a bad harvest because of a fungal infection that killed most of her crops. Subsequently, the woman had to avail herself of a loan from Twist, Julian’s half-brother, to keep her business afloat. Unable to compensate for her losses, Ronnie decided to grow Duboisia crops in her field, teaming up with local drug lord Khalid and his two men, Reggie and Georgie. To ensure that her family was kept safe, Ronnie sold the harvest from the crops without refining them, leaving her chances of being wrapped up in a drug bust to a minimum. However, one day, Julian finds out about Ronnie’s crops, alarmed that his Retreat and his son, Raphael, would get trapped in a significant criminal venture if the truth ever gets out.
Before he died, Julian had an argument with Raphael, asking him to leave Tayla and her mother, Ronnie. Raphael was vehemently against Julian’s plan, and the two shared a heated exchange with one another. When Raphael refused to leave, Julian decided to take matters into his own hands. He headed out towards Ronnie’s Duboisia crops with the intent to burn them to the ground. As they were integral to Ronnie’s income and her only way to dig herself out of the financial hole created by the fungal harvest, she lost control over her actions and ran Julian over with her car. The incident severely injured the man, but he did not die. That is when Reggie came by to pick up her slack and finish the job so that no one would suspect Ronnie.
Amanda and Ted figure out Ronnie’s hand in the murder when they realize that the car she sold to Mario’s Motors had a broken headlight, indicating that she might have struck something or someone with it. Subsequently, when they go over to question Ronnie about it, the woman confesses to her crime immediately, showcasing that she was tortured about her part in the whole thing. Even though she may not be the ultimate murderer of Julian, her actions led to his death. At the same time, someone else did her dirty work for her, inadvertently causing the death of another innocent soul in the process. When Tayla and Raphael learn about Ronnie’s part in Julian’s murder, they are shocked and saddened that the motherly figure had been behind such a nasty business.
Why Was Brooke Attacked? Who Killed Her?
In light of the events from season 1, Amanda is freed from the accusations of being Lauren Freeman’s murderer. The night Lauren died, the girl and her friend, Brooke, spiked Amanda’s drink, causing her to act out of her mind when she killed Lauren. In season 2, a guilt-ridden Brooke starts working at the Shark Bar after Wayne Druff hires her to give her a second chance at life. While bartending, Brooke accompanies journalist Colin Finch back to his motel room one night. However, while there, she discovers articles featuring Claire Bingley’s sexual assault case in Colin’s drawers. She instantly leaves his room, trying to call Amanda to let her know what she found, but she doesn’t answer. Subsequently, Colin attacks Brooke and dumps her down a bridge, eventually leading to her death in the hospital.
The reason behind Colin’s actions is related to Ted’s past accusations of being labeled a pedophile. It is revealed that Colin Finch was the one behind Claire Bingley’s sexual assault. For years, Ted had taken the blame for Colin’s actions, who was living his life in obscurity and away from the limelight where he could keep a low profile and engage in horrifying acts of sexual assault without law enforcement ever noticing. However, with Ted and Amanda’s recent successes, Colin was getting worried that the police would soon stop hounding after Ted and start looking for the real suspects in Claire’s case. Therefore, he decided to move to Crimson Lake to get close to Ted, plant evidence in his house, and make sure he got apprehended for good this time.
Luckily, Ted manages to escape from Colin’s framing attempts, eventually even tracking down his identity through an investigation of his own alongside Amanda. Unfortunately, when Brooke goes to his motel room with him, she also learns the truth. She reads newspaper articles with red marker notations on the side, revealing Colin’s actual hand in the crime. Brooke tries to alert Amanda to the news, but before she can, she is silenced by Colin, who attacks her mercilessly to keep the secret hidden and disposes of her body unceremoniously. Her death ensured that Colin’s identity would remain a secret, at least for a while longer. Therefore, Brooke happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person – an unfortunate combination that leads to her brutal death.
In the end, Ted manages to stop Colin from ever harming him or his family when he shows up unannounced at his home, threatening to kill his family. With the help of Kelly and Amanda, he takes down Colin, who gets cornered on the backyard platform, goading Ted to shoot him and put him out of his misery. The latter does so, mortally wounding Colin, whose deranged psyche has left him in a state of complete degradation. Smiling at Ted, he submerges himself into the water of the rivers, where his blood attracts the river crocodiles. Colin dies in the jaws of the reptiles, seemingly satisfied that his wish of not going to prison has come true, albeit not in the way he probably imagined at the start.
What Happened to Twist?
Following his enigmatic role in season 1, Twist yet again plays a pivotal role in Julian Naughton’s investigation. Initially, the drug dealer reveals that he is the uncle of Raphael, hence why he takes such a personal interest in his life. However, during their investigation, Amanda and Ted learn that Twist is the biological father of Raphael – a relation that neither knows about. Amanda reveals the truth to Twist, who is entirely taken aback by this new knowledge of fatherhood dumped on his doorstep. Subsequently, when Khalid and his men take Raphael hostage as retaliation for Twist attacking his men, the snake-rearing drug dealer makes the bold decision of trading his life for his son Raphael so that the latter can live his life free from any shackles.
For most of the narrative, Twist comes across as a manipulative and coercive individual using people for personal gain. Sweeney even labels him as a “sociopath” on one occasion. However, throughout the show, the character showcases a strong sense of principles despite being a moral reprobate who is not hesitant to sink into low depths when he needs something badly. He only kills people when there is a strong justification for it and a sense of fairness driving him. Upon learning that Raphael is his son, he swiftly understands parental responsibility, ensuring he is not dragged into Twist’s world. Therefore, he gives himself up in a genuine moment of fatherly affection for Raphael, knowing that he might meet his end at the hands of Khalid if he does so.
That being said, it is highly likely that Twist has an ulterior motive in mind when he gives himself up to Khalid. Although his chances of survival are not very high, he has proven himself to be a wily and experienced man capable of handling any trouble. While emotion may have driven him to save Raphael over his own life, he is also a calculative man who does not rush into things without an element of predetermined outcome in his mind from the start. Thus, a greater plan may be at play when he surrenders himself into Khalid’s hands, relating to some net positive he can obtain from the interaction. The end of ‘Troppo’ season 2 does not reference Twist’s final fate, suggesting that season 3 might hold some answers.
Did Ted Move Back to Sidney?
Season 2 ends with Ted Conkaffey finally moving back to Sidney after clearing his name as a sex predator and a pedophile. Throughout the narrative, Ted rekindles his connection with his ex-wife, Kelly, and his daughter, Lilly, who move in with him for a weekend at Crimson Lake. After the family regains its strong bond, the removal of Ted’s past sexual allegations only helps them get that much closer without anything to tear them apart again. Thus, Amanda resigns herself to working solo after Ted returns to his home in Sidney, going back to what was normal for him before the Claire Bingley case tore him to pieces. Therefore, the P.I. sleuth is stunned when, just a month after the Sidney move, she finds Ted lounging in his Crimson Lake home’s backyard, revealing to her that he will stay in the town after all.
Because of his time in Crimson Lake with Amanda, solving crimes, and helping people as a P.I., Ted feels that his life in Sidney no longer suits him like it used to. Instead, staying there for a month made him realize that his place was beside Amanda, continuing their detective work and ensuring their team did not break up. Content with his solitary life in Crimson Lake and his newfound connection with his family, who promise to stop by his place occasionally, Ted is no longer conflicted about his personal affairs. Therefore, his decision reflects that the former detective has grown attached to his place of domicile in Crimson Lake despite hating it once and that his adventures with Amanda are not yet finished.
