Broadchurch - a final review
Truth be told, this is copied from my comments to sensiblecat's posting on Broadchurch. After I posted it, I looked at it and thought that I'd managed to say, in the comments to somebody else, just about everything I'd want to say in a post of my own on the show. So, without further ado and with only a few, minor tweaks...
I was literally on the edge of my seat and counting down the hours until I could stream Episode 8, and had finally broken down and Googled "Broadchurch Discussions" to see what was being said about the show. I'll admit that I've broken down and purchased a region-free Blu-ray & DVD player so I can buy the box set the minute it comes out, not to mention not have to worry about getting the wrong region sent again (as I already have.)
I watched Episode 8 the very moment it was available, and all my nail-biting and obsessing paid off in a huge way. It was gratifying to realize I'd nailed the killer, but I realize I'm gonna have to watch it again from the beginning to see if I catch all the little clues Chris Chibnall hid along the way this time that pointed at the real killer. This finale certainly didn't lack in emotional punch at all; and if it doesn't earn a raft of BAFTA awards for the cast, I'll eat... something. There are two scenes that are just pure gold as far as acting is concerned, the person involved in each chewing up the scenery (not quite literally, but almost) in a way that demonstrates without ambiguity what an art is involved in acting.
Broadchurch's primary strength was in the fantastic, stellar performances of its cast: David Tennant was brillian as a driven, PITA, haunted, and seriously ill DI Hardy; Olivia Coleman went from a bright and bubbly DS pissed at having her promotion stolen from beneath her to a woman driven to violence herself; and Jody Whittaker and Andrew Buchan as the murdered boy's parents keyed into the emotions any parent would feel in their situation - to name only a few, key roles.
Another strength was in the mechanics of storytelling at its best: making us care about the characters, whether they were main characters or supporting only. Chibnall took his time telling this story, and turned the spotlight of the plot on each "suspect" in turn, so that we had no cardboard cutout "villains", but rather fallible humans from which to choose our suspects. He didn't lay all the suspects out in front of us at once, but presented each as they would have come the the attention of the police. There were red herrings galore, plot twists that included details that could paint the character involved with suspicion.
And finally, its strength was in the unflinching way the story wrapped up, seeing the grief that such a small village where everybody knows everybody else's business would have to go through to begin the healing process. There was an additional scene filmed that was shown only to Internet viewers after the broadcast that did an excellent job of putting the final touch on the bow used to tie the story up.
I've heard that Broadchurch has been renewed for another season; but unless that second season includes Tennant and Coleman, I can't see it being even half as strong. I'll probably give it a go when it comes up; but, truth be told, I watched it because DT was in it and I've learned that he is a spectacularly talented individual. Now, however, I have a few new British actors to watch out for - Olivia Coleman being at the top of the list, right up there with David Tennant.
I've seen several shows now that were TV series: State of Affairs with Jason Isaacs, Second Coming with Christopher Eccleston and Lesley Sharp, and a few David Tennant series: Single Father and Secret Smile among them. All of them told their stories in a more detailed, intimate way than American TV does. I'd given up on American TV, to be honest; I watch a total of three shows, all of which are on a single night. I've viewed the TV landscape as an almost total loss - but now I've literally discovered a whole new country to check up on.
I'm sold on British TV now. Broadchurch just sealed the bargain.
I was literally on the edge of my seat and counting down the hours until I could stream Episode 8, and had finally broken down and Googled "Broadchurch Discussions" to see what was being said about the show. I'll admit that I've broken down and purchased a region-free Blu-ray & DVD player so I can buy the box set the minute it comes out, not to mention not have to worry about getting the wrong region sent again (as I already have.)
I watched Episode 8 the very moment it was available, and all my nail-biting and obsessing paid off in a huge way. It was gratifying to realize I'd nailed the killer, but I realize I'm gonna have to watch it again from the beginning to see if I catch all the little clues Chris Chibnall hid along the way this time that pointed at the real killer. This finale certainly didn't lack in emotional punch at all; and if it doesn't earn a raft of BAFTA awards for the cast, I'll eat... something. There are two scenes that are just pure gold as far as acting is concerned, the person involved in each chewing up the scenery (not quite literally, but almost) in a way that demonstrates without ambiguity what an art is involved in acting.
Broadchurch's primary strength was in the fantastic, stellar performances of its cast: David Tennant was brillian as a driven, PITA, haunted, and seriously ill DI Hardy; Olivia Coleman went from a bright and bubbly DS pissed at having her promotion stolen from beneath her to a woman driven to violence herself; and Jody Whittaker and Andrew Buchan as the murdered boy's parents keyed into the emotions any parent would feel in their situation - to name only a few, key roles.
Another strength was in the mechanics of storytelling at its best: making us care about the characters, whether they were main characters or supporting only. Chibnall took his time telling this story, and turned the spotlight of the plot on each "suspect" in turn, so that we had no cardboard cutout "villains", but rather fallible humans from which to choose our suspects. He didn't lay all the suspects out in front of us at once, but presented each as they would have come the the attention of the police. There were red herrings galore, plot twists that included details that could paint the character involved with suspicion.
And finally, its strength was in the unflinching way the story wrapped up, seeing the grief that such a small village where everybody knows everybody else's business would have to go through to begin the healing process. There was an additional scene filmed that was shown only to Internet viewers after the broadcast that did an excellent job of putting the final touch on the bow used to tie the story up.
I've heard that Broadchurch has been renewed for another season; but unless that second season includes Tennant and Coleman, I can't see it being even half as strong. I'll probably give it a go when it comes up; but, truth be told, I watched it because DT was in it and I've learned that he is a spectacularly talented individual. Now, however, I have a few new British actors to watch out for - Olivia Coleman being at the top of the list, right up there with David Tennant.
I've seen several shows now that were TV series: State of Affairs with Jason Isaacs, Second Coming with Christopher Eccleston and Lesley Sharp, and a few David Tennant series: Single Father and Secret Smile among them. All of them told their stories in a more detailed, intimate way than American TV does. I'd given up on American TV, to be honest; I watch a total of three shows, all of which are on a single night. I've viewed the TV landscape as an almost total loss - but now I've literally discovered a whole new country to check up on.
I'm sold on British TV now. Broadchurch just sealed the bargain.