WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Top of the Lake season 1 and 2. Read at your own risk.
Top of the Lake is a mystery drama series created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, which is also Campion's first work on television since she directed the movie An Angel At My Table in 1990. The show follows a detective who investigates the mysterious disappearances and deaths of young girls, and it airs on BBC UKTV (Australia and New Zealand, BBC Two (UK), and Sundance Channel (US).
The first season of Top of the Lake premiered on May 18, 2013, consisting of seven episodes. The series received positive feedback from television critics, thanks to the powerful performances of the cast members. However, the show went of hiatus for four years after the first season and came back on July 27, 2017, for season 2, titled Top of the Lake: China Girl.
The second installment also received positive feedback from critics and viewers alike, so many are now wondering if there will be Top of the Lake season 3. Right now, it's still unknown if the series is coming back for another season. But, considering the four-year gap of the first and second seasons, it is very likely the show would return at some point.
If ever Top of the Lake season 3 will be given a green light, viewers can expect it to premiere sometime in late 2020 or early 2021. Meanwhile, the cast members of the series are season-specific since the first and second installment follow different stories. But one thing is for sure, lead star Elizabeth Moss will reprise her role as Robin Griffin, a detective who's expert in cases of sexual assault.
As mentioned, the series follows different stories each season, so the plot of Top of the Lake season 3 remains unpredicted as well. In season 1, the show was set in the rural local of Paradise in New Zealand which is also the hometown of Robin. The story focused on the disappearance of a 12-year-old pregnant girl, Tiu Mitcham, and the daughter of Matt Mitcham - a local drug lord.
Robin got obsessed investigating and finding Tiu, despite dealing with the dangerous Mitcham family. However, she uncovers the truth while searching, which leads her to deal with her demons. Meanwhile, the second season of Top of the Lake was set in Sydney, Australia, where Robin moves following the events in the first season.
She tried to rebuild her life, but then an unidentified body of an Asian girl washes up on Bondi Beach. The initial investigation suggested there's no hope finding the real killer of the girl, but Robin realized the case was more than what she expected after she discovered the girl didn't die alone. She continues her search for the mysterious killer but also had to deal with her daughter, whom she abandoned at birth.
Top of the Lake has been doing great in terms of reception. The show has an overall score of 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with the first season scoring 94 percent and 71 percent on the second season. In terms of viewers, the series has been doing as well where it has an overall rating of 7.5/10 on IMDb, which is based on about 30,000 votes.
