Written by Marley Ghizzone
Broadchurch Series 2 Premiere Plot Summary:
The town of Broadchurch is blindsided by a ‘not guilty’ plea from Joe Miller (Matthew Gravelle). With support from local reporter, Maggie Radcliffe (Carolyn Pickles), the Latimers begin preparations for a full trial. Meanwhile, Alec Hardy (David Tennant) enlists the help of Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) in matters regarding his last case before Broadchurch.
I binged watched the first season of Broadchurch last winter and fell deeply in love. I was personally hurt that the first series only had eight episodes. I assumed that would be it, I thought it would be a one-shot mini-series.
Thank the lords above I was so incorrect. The first episode of the second series was too good to be true. It didn’t feel like since this one murder that the town of Broadchurch become this place where everything bad and crazy and wonky happened. The storylines all feel natural and realistic.
I also forgot what it truly felt like to watch an episode of Broadchurch. You’re in a cloud of confusion the entire episode. You know nothing ,and you will continue to know nothing. But, the writers are very, very good at their job. The confusion could annoy you and make you want to give up, but it doesn’t. They give you just the tiniest bit of information to make the waiting and the second guessing and stress of not knowing worth it.
The chemistry between Miller (Colman) and Hardy (Tennant) is phenomenal. They are probably the most interesting to watch on screen because their interactions, even when serious, made me want to laugh. After Joe (Gravelle) pleas not guilty Hardy (Tennant) comforts Miller (Colman) in the women’s restroom. The two actors were able to balance the scene so well and so expertly that I was heartbroken for what Miller had to endure but at the same time laughing at Hardy’s attempt to make her feel better. They balanced and performed the scene so that the audience at home felt the emotions and not a quirky gimmick.
There is one thing that bothered me though and it’s Joe’s reason for not pleading guilty. His reasoning is that everyone has secrets and they need to be found out. Now, I don’t know where this season is going but he is an almost child molester and confessed murderer. He without a doubt did it and should be in jail. I didn’t like that he felt he had this mission to make sure others got their due and shared the blame. This may be more a moral conflict than an actual issue with the show, but only time will tell.
Notwithstanding, the episode started strong, making this writer tear up in the first ten minutes. It was quiet and well-paced, with very tense moments and some (almost) comedic ones. This first episode was about setting up the story lines, placing characters, creating the mystery. Nevertheless, the writing and the acting created a natural flow to the episode despite the need for a set up which usually causes clunky exposition and boring scenes stuffed with information.
This was a strong and well-crafted start to a new season. There are many secrets to be uncovered from the citizens of Broadchurch and I am anxiously awaiting each cringeworthy and breath holding second of it.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Broadchurch airs every Wednesday night on BBC America
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