Plot: A remake of the popular British series Broadchurch. Danny Solano (Nikolas Filipovic) is found dead on the beach of the sleepy NorCal beach town of Gracepoint. When the boy’s death is deemed a homicide the new cop in town (David Tennant), who’s carrying a shady past with him, must begrudgingly team up with a local detective (Anna Gunn) whose son was the boy’s best friend.
You’re not going to like the premiere episode of Gracepoint.
The plot is super straightforward (till the very, very end), the characters are abrasive, and the overwrought emotion is ratcheted to an uncomfortable level. At episode’s end you’re not hit with this overwhelming feeling of “that was amazing!” You’re actually left confused and bummed out.
And that’s the point.
Gracepoint is going to be dark. It’s going to be intense. It’s going to hard to watch at times. But, that’s the hallmarks of a good crime drama. This isn’t a high gloss CSI-esque procedural or something light-hearted like Bones. This is going to have blood on its hands and it’s going to make you feel emotional at the end of each episode. That’s different from the majority of what you see on network television and that, in my opinion, is a good thing.
Also, audiences need to take the “this is the next True Detective” hype and throw it in the trash. This isn’t True Detective – that show was a marvel onto itself and will never be duplicated, nor should it. David Tennant is not going to be like he was in Doctor Who. He’s going to be tough, weird, raw. He will not be donning Chucks and yelling “Allonsy!” at any point in the series. Yes, it’d be hilarious, but would totally inappropriate.
When you peel past the uncomfortable layers of the premiere and put aside any preconceived notions, you’ll find a number of rich performances. David Tennant, the lead in Broadchurch, gives a fantastic performance as the haunted, abrasive, live wire Detective Emmett Carver. He’s a wonderfully odd character who is constantly in his own head and doesn’t care what he says or does, as long it helps move the case along. There’s so much about this character that has yet to be uncovered, but just Tennant’s facial expressions alone paint a vivid picture of a man burnt out, tortured and on the verge of breaking down.
Anna Gunn, however, will probably receive the most criticism from fans and critics alike as the hyper-emotional (at least for this episode) local Detective Ellie Miller. Gunn’s performance can easily be deemed as over-the-top, but that’s a knee-jerk reaction if you ask me. Miller’s reactions to losing her promotion to Carver seem so childish, but isn’t that how people react in real life? They’re childish, petty, bitter, pissed off and frankly, awful to be around. Now, compound this with the fact her son’s best friend was killed and she’s a detective who’s never worked a homicide before…and I think we’ve got a performance that matches the emotional tumult this character is going through. Like Tennant, Gunn’s character has a lot more to give us; it’s highly doubtful she’s going to be one-note throughout the series.
Then, there’s the story — it’s your basic crime drama plot, but there’s something not right. Why is Miller’s son being the shadiest kid in history and deleting all his texts and his entire hard drive? And then there’s the supporting cast. Nick Nolte, playing the saltiest man of the sea since King Neptune himself, isn’t in this series to do a Popeye impersonation — something’s up with him. And what’s with Jacki Weaver’s weird townie? And does the behavior of the boy’s father (the always awesome Michael Pena) strike anyone as fishy?
Gracepoint has major upside. The richness of the characters has yet to be tapped into and the plot (from trailers for the rest of the season) looks like it takes some real breakneck twists and turns. The premiere episode is a table setting episode that is full of awkward and uncomfortable moments, but it’s supposed to be. If this episode was a let down or it wasn’t the most enjoyable television experience, don’t give up on Gracepoint — this show could become something special.
Rating: 7 out of 10
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Bill Bodkin is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of Pop-Break. He can be read weekly on Trailer Tuesday and Singles Party, weekly reviews on Mad Men, Boardwalk Empire, Hannibal, Law & Order: SVU and regular contributions throughout the week with reviews and interviews. His goal is to write 500 stories this year. He is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Journalism & English and currently works in the world of political polling. He’s the reason there’s so much wrestling on the site and is beyond excited to be a Dad this coming December. Follow him on Twitter: @PopBreakDotCom
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