In the opening scene of Episode 1 of Deadloch season 2, a riveting crocodile tour led by the eccentric Amber Darrell commences. She showcases the magnificent creatures along the journey, particularly hoping to catch a glimpse of the colossal 5-meter-long Goliath crocodile. However, a rival tour, Land of Crocs, led by the formidable Jason Wade, complicates the atmosphere. The two groups' rivalry escalates, threatening to end in a brutal confrontation, until Amber discovers a dead crocodile carcass in the water with something in its jaws.
Meanwhile, Dulcie and Eddie arrive at the station shortly thereafter, eager to uncover the truth behind Detective Bushman's death. However, the Superintendent dismisses their concerns, asserting that the police have already concluded it was a suicide. The bullet found in Bushy's skull matches that from his own weapon.
Eddie struggles to accept that her partner could have taken his own life, despite knowing he was suicidal and suffering from PTSD. She feels blindsided by his actions and even overlooked a note that specifically mentions Eddie. The note is dated and signed, but Eddie remains in denial. This revelation stalls her and Dulcie's impending investigation.
To keep herself occupied, Eddie dives into other tasks, until Dulcie receives a call from the Superintendent and is summoned to a case in Barra Creek. This case connects back to the crocodile tour we witnessed at the beginning of the episode. Dulcie brings Eddie along, but she seems unconcerned about the situation. They're told simply to assist at the scene until homicide arrives, but Dulcie wonders if there might be more to this story.
It doesn't take long before we learn that Eddie is actually from Barra Creek originally, and the last time she was here, she was a raging alcoholic. There's certainly no love lost between her and Amber either! Detective Blunt shows up on the scene not long after, where they find a severed arm inside the croc. He hurriedly wraps it up as belonging to one of the missing Swedish backpackers in the area.
Dulcie is not so sure and wants to join the case, but Blunt is having none of it. He's very quick (and suspiciously so) to wrap this up entirely without much investigating. Is there more going on here? Dulcie certainly seems to think so, as Blunt claims the backpackers were last seen at Crossley's Crossing. However, that's nearly 50km away, so how did the arm travel that far in croc-infested waters? She doesn't think this is right and wants to jump in with the crime scene photos.
As she vents to Cath about this, she gets a message with said crime scene photos. This happens to be from a journalist nearby who's been sniffing around the area, helping out. When Dulcie speaks to Eddie about this—including a bit of back and forth banter and umming and erring about the case—Eddie realizes that the arm wasn't severed from a croc bite. The chop is way too precise and points toward a homicide.
So between a killing and missing backpackers, Eddie and Dulcie are back on the case again. However, they're being watched by someone in the distance, who graffiti's over a billboard of Don Darrell nearby. Now, Eddie believes that the croc may have been someone's pet, given its insides were stuffed with chickens and no other body parts were found inside it other than that severed arm.
While Eddie pursues the pet crocs in the area and IDs them, Dulcie is far more grounded and wants to ID the John Doe and work backwards. Dulcie looks over photos of various fishermen from the area, each sporting a similar tattoo to the deceased John Doe.
Eventually, she stumbles upon the name of a recently missing person: Lloyd Reynolds. Apparently, he was the man seen with the Swedish backpackers before their disappearance. Though they didn't leave with him, it appears that Lloyd is just an alias for Frank McAllister, who was released from prison just four days ago. As Dulcie shows up at Frank's place that night, a big fight seems to be brewing in the bar between the two rival families in town. It's Amber and DJ who end up fighting, as the graffiti is also tied into this. But before things get kicked off, Dulcie finds Eddie in the same area. She's torn up over his crocodile, Triple Pet, which appears to be the one killed in the water.
When Frank heads out and fires his gun, Eddie reveals herself and the connection she has to him. It turns out that Frank is her dad! Before they can proceed, Detective Blunt shows up at Frank's place, looking to arrest him for the disappearance of the backpackers. Dulcie eventually finds herself fleeing with the others down on the dock... but before they leave, they spot a severed head in the water. It's Don Darrell.
