Ep 1. Open Water

The Sounds is a gripping thriller series that follows the story of Maggie Cabbott. Maggie and her husband Tom escaped their troubled life in the United States for a fresh start in New Zealand. After all they had to go through, it seemed like the perfect destination to rebuild their lives. The couple buys and renovates a home right on the edge of the serene Marlborough Sounds region of the country. A few months into their new life, Tom goes missing while on a boat trip.

In the first episode, "Open Water," Maggie begins her search for her missing husband. The opening scene of the episode shows Maggie arriving at the police station, asking for help to find Tom. She's met with indifference from the local officers, who believe that he's just gone missing. Maggie isn't content with that and starts putting her own pieces together. She starts with Tom's assistant, a seedy character who's clearly hiding something.

Maggie visits Tom's office, where the assistant is reluctant to give her any sort of information. Maggie presses him, revealing that she has some leverage, and he finally admits that he and Tom had a business deal that went sour. He says that Tom took off in a boat shortly after heading to the bank to withdraw money for the deal but never returned.

Maggie continues her investigation, finding plenty of people who are suspiciously unhelpful. She runs into a pair of hunters who were in the area during the time Tom disappeared. She finds out that the hunters saw Tom on the boat, but that's as far as the conversation went. Something else was on their mind, and Maggie knew it. The pair of hunters are peculiar and unyielding in their endeavors, they were hunting wild boar in the region soiled with gold.

Maggie's search intensifies, leading her to confront some of the people in Tom's life. It becomes clear that Tom had a number of secrets that he kept from his wife. With the realization that everyone she's spoken to so far seems to be holding back information, it becomes obvious that there's a bigger plot at play that Maggie needs to reveal.

Throughout the episode, the beauty of New Zealand is on full display, from the stunning scenery of the Marlborough Sounds regions to the urban sophistication of Wellington. But beneath the facade of perfect landscapes and serenity, there exist a host of secrets and dark intentions that Maggie needs to unravel to find Tom.

Episode 1 of The Sounds sets the tone for an intense thriller that's full of unexpected twists and turns. Maggie's unraveling of a series of secrets brings her on a wild journey that's both thrilling and unnerving. The show's stunning cinematography, combined with the tight narrative, makes for an excellent show that's worth binging on.