Gracepoint would have been a much, much better show if it was set in Appalachia.
David Tennant, an uppity Yankee, arrives in small-town Gracepoint just in time to investigate the murder of Opie Taylor. Assisted by a shocked local sheriff, he must cross-examine all the inhabitants of this seemingly idyllic town.
I kid. But only a little.
In remaking the amazing British show Broadchurch, it's inevitable that some themes would cross over. The idea of a small town turning on itself. The theme of Christianity and community. There would be no better place to transport this conflict than a small Appalachian town - that symbol of American rural life - complete with a heavy dose of Flannery O'Connor.
But alas, it is not to be. Instead we're in a California sea-side town where Ellie Miller (Anna Gunn) must assist outsider Emmett Carver (David Tennant) to investigate the murder of local boy, Danny Solano. The story doesn't transport effortlessly, and it isn't helped by the fact that the first episode is a shot-by-shot recreation of Broadchurch. Gone is much of the regional charm (Broadchurch was set in Dorset) that would have been retained if we had gone to the South.
However, while the blatant copying is jarring and disappointing, there are a few good things about this treatment. For one thing, many more people will become familiar with the story, which was a good one then, and I hope will remain so (copying is a lazy but solid method of turning out quality). It raises all sorts of interesting questions about loving our neighbors. This means I can finally talk to everyone about this show, instead of my Anglophile friends, and that's definitely a positive.Even though I have seen Broadchurch three times, I still found myself drawn into the story. Virginia Kull is an adequate replacement for Jodie Whittaker, and provides the emotional center for the episode. Nick Nolte manages to get in a few laughs, and brings a little bit of the small-town orneriness to the show.
Overall, while borrowing almost all of its style from the original, this doesn't make it a bad show. Haven't seen Broadchurch? Watch Gracepoint because it's free right now - and because it's worth watching, if only because it cheats by borrowing. I'm mainly watching because I want to talk to people about it. That. Means. You.
#Gracepoint episode 1 is currently available free on iTunes in the US & Canada. The ep’s also free online at Fox and Hulu.
— Chris Chibnall (@ChrisChibnall) October 4, 2014
You've seen Broadchurch? Well, stick with the good stuff. You won't have to wait long for more.
My review of episode 2.
Want something good to watch? Check out my full list of good detective shows.
Hannah Long
"Haven't seen Broadchurch? Watch it because it's free right now - and because it's worth watching, if less than the original."
ReplyDeletePerhaps you meant "Haven't seen Gracepoint?" Broadchurch is the original, so it can't be "less" than itself. You have my permission to delete this, Dear Lady, if it were a slip of the finger.
Good catch. I'm mostly recommending it at this point to people who don't have the opportunity to watch the other one.
DeleteThanks! Will be looking into it. Although, even having seen neither, I'm disappointed they weren't so creative as to put some originality in the new one. Always a pity.
ReplyDeleteThey could change it substantially, although I don't see that at this point. Changing the murderer would indeed make it different, albeit at the cost of destroying the original twist.
DeleteBroadchurch hooked me with Olivia Colman's scene at the start of the first episode where she got the news that she had not been promoted to Detective Inspector. She took it as well as a person could in the squad room, then went to the parking level where she kicked and punched the living daylights out of her car. You knew you weren't watching a typical UK police woman. They skipped that in Gracepoint and added that locker punching scene for Gunn when she is suspected of talking to the reporter. It was a pale imitation.
ReplyDeleteAh! I'd forgotten that. I sensed that the scene didn't have as much impact, but figured it was just the fact that I'd seen the similar scene in Broadchurch three times. I'm more and more inclined just to watch Broadchurch for a fourth time and forget this show.
DeleteOn the other hand, I walked into church this morning and someone immediately started talking to me about Gracepoint. From that point, I can begin the evangelizing process. I said: "You ought to watch Broadchurch."
Did you create that poster yourself? 'Cuz it's awesome.
ReplyDeleteI did. 'Cuz biology homework could wait for an afternoon. The muse beckoned and an hour and a half of Microsoft Publisher work later - voila.
DeleteIf I may dare to suggest an improvement, outlining the letters in black would help them stand out better on white bits of background. But I think you may need an extra plugin for that.
DeleteI tried that, but a simple black outline made it look...I don't know, even more Word-Arty. Not that the result was great art anyway, though in retrospect I probably ought to have tried to add some shadow.
DeletePerhaps I'll revisit it sometime - I'm now in the process of working on a banner and promotional stuff for my next big blog-related process. Also trying to mix some audio for it - which is very difficult to do when all I have is Microsoft movie maker. Anyway, I'm looking forward to unveiling it.