In the arresting opening image of TV drama One Lane Bridge, the body of a deceased kayaker floats serenely in a river, one of several bodies strewn around an Otago vista. Detective Ariki Davis (Dominic Ona-Ariki) has barely landed in Queenstown when he and new boss Stephen Tremaine (Joel Tobeck) are called to a farm to locate elderly, confused patriarch Jack (Peter McCauley). Then the body of Jack's son Andrew (Dean O'Gorman) is discovered under a rural bridge. Davis is perturbed by Tremaine's casual approach into investigating Andrew's death, and starts to experience other-worldly visions.