S01.E01: Pilot

[Eozostrodon]

They remade it because a) hardly anyone in America saw the original (and there is very little faith that a foreign show, with a heavily Scottish-accented lead, would do well on network TV), and b) because the people who made Broadchurch wanted to do an American version, in order to further their own careers and because Fox gave them more creative freedom than ITV.

 

There is a different ending but I have no idea what exactly that means or how different it is.

[kathybgd]

Damn , Nick Nolte sure has changed! I remember when I had a big crush on him in Rich Man Poor Man ! He sure has turned into the old salty dog he seems to play.

[Constantinople]

It also does seem like a really weird coincidence that the police department hired someone who has experience and skills to solve a murder one week before the murder.

Sometimes, at least on TV and in the movies, the fire fighter is the arsonist. For more, see the Speculation Without Spoilers thread.

[SFoster21]

I would certainly appreciate more exposition on the crime. Broadchurch, you ask me, was pretty vague on the entire circumstance. With luck, the reveal won't come out of nowhere this time around. JMHO.

[Andromeda]

Seeing the scene again, I don't understand why the family got so riled up when the daughter saw that Danny had been identified by the press. I mean, it's a small town, people saw the mom run over and collapse, people gossip and half the town probably knew anyway, and regardless, it's hardly going to be a secret by days end anyway. So why freak out at Ellie for "telling" as if she revealed some kind of dirty little secret?

I didn't get that either. A town that small and "friendly," it would be all over town in a matter of hours. I also didn't appreciate the cop demanding that the reporter obey him. Hey, freedom of the press, dude! Quick trying to intimidate your small town newspaper. If the victim has the name, he's free to run it. It would be on the police report anyway, a matter of public record. Generally, I didn't like David's character. He seems like an ass.

I also chuckled at the two-hour drive to get halfway between the bay area and the Oregon border. As if! Also, the coastline didn't look like that part of the Pacific, either, more like the Oregon Coast.

I haven't seen Broadchurch, and I found it slow-moving -- until we learned it was a murder and saw the friend kid delete his texts and computer. That was intriguing! As was the surveillance video of the victim skateboarding down the middle of the street at night.

 

It also does seem like a really weird coincidence that the police department hired someone who has experience and skills to solve a murder one week before the murder. I wish he had been brought in after the murder because they knew they were in over their heads.

Suspect number one? Edited October 3, 2014 by Andromeda

[alias1]

You're right, the ending for Gracepoint is different than Broadchurch. The killer is different this time around. That was announced very early on, even before shooting began I believe.

Yes, I know the ending is different.  When the poster said he/she knew the ending of Gracepoint I just wondered if the new ending had been leaked (not that I want to know what it is, mind you).

[SonofaBiscuit]

I hate that the names are Gracepoint and Broadchurch.  I actually have to sit and think for a few seconds to remember which is which.  I know that the names are so completely different, but yet they are vaguely similar, if that makes sense.  It's quite confusing, but that's probably just me.

[Haleth]

I liked it. Haven't seen Broadchurch and don't know the leads here but I thought it was engrossing. I was surprised by Nick Nolte and had to check imdb to make sure it was him.

[maraleia]

Just an FYI- any discussion about what happened on Broadchurch is forbidden in the Gracepoint episode threads. Those discussions should be taken to these threads.

http://forums.previo...ch/#entry433950

http://forums.previo...nt/#entry434804

Any posts that have spoilers in the episode threads will be deleted on sight with no warning or message to the poster.

Thanks,

your friendly mod maraleia

[Irishmaple]

I was curious about this show even though I'm yet another person who hasn't seen Broadchurch.  I wanted to watch it and had the whole thing on the PVR but I was juggling so many other shows at the time that it kind of fell through the cracks.  The host channel, which in Canada was Showcase (I think), even graciously reran the series later and I still didn't get around to watching it. 

 

I'm not a fan of David Tennant which is one of the things that put me off Broadchurch.  His Doctor Who followed that of Christopher Ecclestone and I just wasn't on board with that switch.  I found him okay in this.  I guess he was going for intense, but I found him just kind of pissy.  I am curious about whatever drove him from Rosemount though and I liked that 'oh hell no' look on his face when the SF journalist showed up.  I dislike her intensely for stealing the murdered child's stuffy.  Violating the memorial like that was just low.

 

In contrast to The Killing I am interested in the murdered child and his story, particularly after he showed up skateboarding down the street in the middle of the night, apparently off of his own volition.  Miller's son deviously deleting something bound to be intriguing was also enough to get me back for the next episode.  I wasn't sure what to expect but I'm in for now. 

[DittyDotDot]

I did see and loved Broadchurch--still not sure the exact point of this remake, but I was drawn in and interested, so kudos to them for that. They stuck the emotional landing which is what this first episode needed to do. Tenant did fine, as I knew he would, but I'm not too excited about the casting of Ellie. Maybe she'll grow on me. Overall, I liked it.

 

 

I didn't get that either. A town that small and "friendly," it would be all over town in a matter of hours. I also didn't appreciate the cop demanding that the reporter obey him. Hey, freedom of the press, dude! Quick trying to intimidate your small town newspaper. If the victim has the name, he's free to run it. It would be on the police report anyway, a matter of public record.

 

Freedom of the Press doesn't mean you can report anything you want, there are many legal restrictions on some information. It may be in a police report, but not all those records are available to the general public. There are many cases where you are not legally allowed to release the names of victims and such because of their age, no matter if you know the actual name or not. In this case, with the victim being a child, there's a lot of gray area and would have been smarter for the reporter to have, at the very least, called his editor for advice first.  Just because you think you know something is true, doesn't mean that it is and you shouldn't run with something without confirmation, that's just poor journalism and more akin to spreading rumor and gossip. The reporter happened to be right in his assumptions here, but Ellie didn't even confirm it to him so he should have gotten at least one more source and absolute confirmation before he stated something as a fact. What if that hadn't been the kid that was murdered? 

 

As someone who works for a small town newspaper, I do get it why the family would be angry. Everybody might already know it, but it's kind of a dick thing to report those things as fact before you get the official word on it. That reporter didn't know they had already notified the family. The main reason you hold back on reporting those things are to give the family time to prepare for it being out there. It's mostly a courtesy, but in a small town courtesy towards your neighbors, especially in a time of grief, is a good thing. You're also just making your job harder in the future because the you'll never get local law enforcement to work with you again if you do this sort of thing. And you need them to give you information if you're going to be legitimate. This wasn't information the public needed to know any sooner or served the public in anyway knowing it before the police had a chance to issue a statement. It did serve the reporter's need to be the first to report it though. Again, that's crappy journalism and more akin to sensationalism, IMO.

[MaryPatShelby]

Nope, that's straight from the original.

Except that in the original, wasn't Mark running or at least moving quite quickly through the town?  Michael Pena was sauntering at most, and for me it didn't have quite the same feel.

[Guest Accused Dingo]

I am here for Anna Gunn she's earned enough BB points for a look and I like her character so far.  This will stay on my DVR and be a Friday Night viewing.  

 

(FYI never saw Broadchurch checked to see if it was streaming on Netflix; it wasn't,)  

Edited October 4, 2014 by Accused Dingo

[JodhaBai]

Anna Gunn seems miscast in this

[alias1]

Except that in the original, wasn't Mark running or at least moving quite quickly through the town?  Michael Pena was sauntering at most, and for me it didn't have quite the same feel.

Nope.  As LLYWELA said, it was exactly the same in the original, as I recall.

[ljp]

Upfront disclaimer-I binged broad church so it's a giant blur to me now.

Is it just me or is there something odd in either how this was shot or how the sound was done? It's like it's too present or something? Like back in the old days when you turned on a daytime soap opera and it looked different? This show seems different to me.

Aside from that, I think the soundtrack was done with a heavy hand. Instead of adding to my viewing, it is distracting. Liking Micheal piña a lot in the role so far. Anna gunn not so much. Perhaps I'm biased due to my hatred of skylar, but so far her acting seems forced. I'll probably stick around for the whodunnit. I actually thought the original was ok, but sort of overhyped as I didn't think it was that great.

[SFoster21]

Nope. As LLYWELA said, it was exactly the same in the original, as I recall.

And I don't think it's unusual that he knows and is greeted by people. Even in a large city, people keep to the same areas and greet people on their way to work. It's not unusual to know people if you're relatively friendly.

[alexvillage]

I watched this show by chance, saw the synopsis just before it started and got curious. Never watched or even heard of Bradchurch. Don't know any of the actors either (did not recognize Nick Nolte. Just read it here that he is one of the characters), I think I have seen the father before, somewhere.

I liked it and will try to remain unspoiled. 

Saw comments about people liking Olivia Coleman. Is she Danny's mom? Because I think she was very good.

[Eozostrodon]

Olivia Coleman played the Ellie role in Broadchurch; she's not in Gracepoint.

[DeeJayKay]

I love Broadchurch and have watched it several times. For me, this was watching a beloved play with a new cast. Loved it, too, was completely engrossed - the hour flew by and I wanted to throw things at the screen during the commercial breaks. Looking forward to next week. Congratulations to David Tennant for making a different gruff and antisocial cop character. I am not familiar with Anna Gunn and thought she was fine, so far liking her interpretation of Ellie Miller. I sniffled a few times while watching.

Now, for a second viewing, why is not available On Demand on my TV, but I can watch it through my cable provider on my tiny laptop screen?

[FlyingEgret]

Is it just me or is there something odd in either how this was shot or how the sound was done? It's like it's too present or something? Like back in the old days when you turned on a daytime soap opera and it looked different? This show seems different to me.

Aside from that, I think the soundtrack was done with a heavy hand. Instead of adding to my viewing, it is distracting. Liking Micheal piña a lot in the role so far. Anna gunn not so much. Perhaps I'm biased due to my hatred of skylar, but so far her acting seems forced. I'll probably stick around for the whodunnit. I actually thought the original was ok, but sort of overhyped as I didn't think it was that great.

I agree - in the scene where they told the parents, the sound of their clothes brushing against the chairs was almost louder than their voices. And the fact that I actually noticed the maudlin soundtrack made it very distracting for me - it felt like they were trying to force the emotion. I'm hoping things get worked out in subsequent episodes.

[Guest]

Just a couple of random things.  I would not have even known that was Nick Nolte if I hadn't read it here before watching the episode.  Also, Danny's mom looked so young that she could be his sister.  Finally, I didn't think that the actress playing Ellie was very good.  The part where she was kicking the lockers was absolutely hilarious and that's definitely not what they were going for there.  I have seen Broadchurch, and while I thought that it was majorly overhyped and not nearly as clever as it was made out to be, I definitely preferred the acting in the original.  Ellie and David Tennant's characters in Broadchurch had chemistry right away, even though Ellie was pretty hostile towards him, and that seems to be lacking in this version.  I'll still tune in because I like David Tennant, but I'm hoping this gets better.

 

Danny's parents were teens when they had kids, so they're supposed to look really young.  I guess not 'sibling young', though.

 

I did think the locker kicking scene was intended to be funny.  

 

I thought Gunn did a good job, and I did like Colman.  I guess because I find Ellie similar to Skyler White in ways so it seems natural.  

[alias1]

I know we're not supposed to be comparing Broadchurch with Gracepoint, but I can't help it with the Ellie character.  Olivia Coleman was dripping with sarcasm at David Tennant, whereas Anna Gunn just seems slightly disappointed.  And the locker kicking thing was done more effectively in the original. It had more pent up anger behind it, and it was funny when she told her fellow officer that everything was all right.

[Puffaroo]

I also didn't watch Broadchurch, but not for lack of trying! It's not available on Hulu, Netflix or Amazon Prime. I really do want to see it.

 

I found it on stream-tv.me, which I have used in the past:  http://stream-tv.me/watch-broadchurch-online-free/.

[Puffaroo]

And I don't think it's unusual that he knows and is greeted by people. Even in a large city, people keep to the same areas and greet people on their way to work. It's not unusual to know people if you're relatively friendly.

 

Except that he walked down the street in one direction, and I don't think he stopped anywhere, did he?  Then he got in the van, which took off in the *opposite* direction.  I was like, WTF?

[DittyDotDot]

I found it on stream-tv.me, which I have used in the past:  http://stream-tv.me/watch-broadchurch-online-free/.

 

I watched it on Amazon, but I don't have Prime so I had to pay for the episodes--it was some many months back though. Also, it's available on Netflix, just not for streaming yet, only discs.

[Valny]

Anyone know how this first ep did in the ratings?

[Sojourner]

I didn't see Broadchurch. As much as I liked this show and will keep watching, I kept thinking - is this going to be another Twin Peaks?

[Actionmage]

Freedom of the Press doesn't mean you can report anything you want, there are many legal restrictions on some information. It may be in a police report, but not all those records are available to the general public. ... In this case, with the victim being a child, there's a lot of gray area and would have been smarter for the reporter to have, at the very least, called his editor for advice first. 

Seeing as it's his mom that is the paper's editor, I can understand why Owen didn't want to ask Mom- he knew she'd squash it, most likely. I think Owen is a dangerous mix of ambition and entitled (mom runs the paper, aunt's a cop).

 

 That reporter didn't know they had already notified the family.

To be fair, it turned out to be the victim's sister, but yeah, I understand what you are meaning. Owen is definitely not psychic, or he'd have known not to be a dick. At least this time.

 

 This wasn't information the public needed to know any sooner or served the public in anyway knowing it before the police had a chance to issue a statement. It did serve the reporter's need to be the first to report it though. Again, that's crappy journalism and more akin to sensationalism, IMO.

Again, I think we are going to see either Owen's stumbles into a good reporter or we are going to see how entitlement and journalism mix in a bad way.  The reporter Owen informed about the death seems like a peach as well. She, as a character, lost me with stealing the stuffed monkey. I don't think she can win me back. Also, if Owen is lying to his mom about putting up the journalist? He knows he's going to get in trouble. The question is about what, exactly, besides leaking the story.

 

I did have a twinge of empathy for Owen though. It was in how his mom talked about him to Carver. Like Owen was either five and naughty or just not there. I'd feel tempted to act out too, but he's supposed to be twentysomething, right? 

[DittyDotDot]

I did have a twinge of empathy for Owen though. It was in how his mom talked about him to Carver. Like Owen was either five and naughty or just not there. I'd feel tempted to act out too, but he's supposed to be twentysomething, right? 

 

I don't think she was his mother. I thought she's the newspaper's owner and publisher--his boss. Maybe I missed them saying she was his mother too--I watched Broadchurch so maybe I made assumptions about this though.  I totally understood her annoyance and attitude toward him since he had posted something saying it was officially from her newspaper and he didn't have the authority to do so. He basically said the paper's position is "this" without consulting the paper to find out what their actual position was. But if she is also his mother, that puts another twist on things.

[J-Man]

I think it was a mistake to choose the northern California coast as a setting. There really aren't any seasonal beach towns like the one in Broadchurch in the area, and it's not an area known for that kind of tourism. And while I realize the town is fictitious, it's unclear whether it's a very small town, or one large enough for a decent sized police department with its own staff of detectives, as well as a daily newspaper. If they wanted to set it in the US, perhaps somewhere on the central California coast or in New England would've been more appropriate.

[walnutqueen]

I think it was a mistake to choose the northern California coast as a setting. There really aren't any seasonal beach towns like the one in Broadchurch in the area, and it's not an area known for that kind of tourism. And while I realize the town is fictitious, it's unclear whether it's a very small town, or one large enough for a decent sized police department with its own staff of detectives, as well as a daily newspaper. If they wanted to set it in the US, perhaps somewhere on the central California coast or in New England would've been more appropriate.

 

As this was filmed in and around Victoria, B.C., they could have used a small coastal or island town in Washington as the setting.

[Slovenly Muse]

Except that in the original, wasn't Mark running or at least moving quite quickly through the town?  Michael Pena was sauntering at most, and for me it didn't have quite the same feel.

Nope.  As LLYWELA said, it was exactly the same in the original, as I recall.

I can weigh in on this a little. Gracepoint was filmed in my hometown, and I was on set for some of the filming. I'm actually IN the shot in question (you can see me arranging flowers in the background as soon as Anna Gunn appears), and here is how it was explained to us extras: The shot in Broadchurch was one long continuous shot (no cuts). This shot in Gracepoint was done by the same director, and he wanted to make a continuous shot that topped or outdid the one in Broadchurch. They made it slightly longer and more complex, and every main cast member except David Tennant appears in it. So, yes, it's nearly identical to Broadchurch, but the idea was to push it a bit further, so you may notice differences. If it feels off or seems to go over the top a little, then it could well be that too much focus went into making it a technical feat, and not enough into making it feel organic from a storytelling perspective. (But that's just speculation on my part!)

[truthaboutluv]

Anyone know how this first ep did in the ratings?

 

 

I think it got a 1.2 or 1.3 which is not bad for FOX certainly but not that great. Of course I guess it's impressive considering FOX for whatever reason scheduled it against Scandal. I can't imagine they were expecting something amazing making that move. Pity because as a person who can't stand Scandal and think it's overrated, I wish more people watched this show which I absolutely enjoyed. Of course I'm a total sucker for a mystery show so I am so all in already. 

 

Never saw the original and don't care to, just like I had zero interest in the Danish original to The Killing. I like to look at shows on their own merit and not spend time comparing this actor vs this actor and this scene vs this scene, etc. So that said, as noted I loved the episode and am fully interested in finding out what happened to Danny. A few things - one, I think the Dad is/was having an affair. His reaction when the wife asked him where exactly he was and why wasn't he home to check up on Danny after she did, said it all. It would also explain his guilt. 

 

I agree about the local journalist. I can see him maybe publishing that a child got killed having figured out what was going on when he saw the sister put the stuffed animal but publishing the kid's name was just absolutely wrong, especially as noted without knowing if the family had been fully notified. Of course you can argue that he would naturally assume if the sister knew, the parents especially had to have known. But still, it wasn't a detail that needed to be known immediately.

 

The old guy (Nick Nolte looking unrecognizable) is obviously going to be suspected, what with the local kids hanging out with him in the mornings, especially with the detective not so subtly asking about his being married and having any children. And because of that I want to think he's not the guilty one because then it would be too obvious. So far I don't think it's anyone in the family, even though the season long preview does show the sister's boyfriend eventually acting strange.  But I didn't suspect any of them and I also think Ellie's son is red herring. My guess is there was something going on in Danny's life, something they were both up to he doesn't want anyone to know and it may indeed tie into what happened but I don't think the kid knows what happened to Danny. At least I don't think so but he does make an interesting suspect.

[Happytobehere]

I liked the show with the exception of the actress who plays Ellie. The original actress made a difficult role work, this actress just highlights all the things that are unlikable about the character.

I hope the killer is changed. While I guessed the killer in Broadchurch. The majority of the evidence pointed to another character. I hope said person is made the killer in this version.

[benteen]

I liked the show with the exception of the actress who plays Ellie. The original actress made a difficult role work, this actress just highlights all the things that are unlikable about the character.

I hope the killer is changed. While I guessed the killer in Broadchurch. The majority of the evidence pointed to another character. I hope said person is made the killer in this version.

 

I like Anna Gunn and I think she'll do a good job on the show.  But she has to become the audience surrogate for this show.

Edited October 6, 2014 by benteen

[millennium]

Just an FYI- any discussion of Broadchurch is forbidden in the Gracepoint episode threads. Any discussion about Broadchurch should be confined to these threads

http://forums.previo...ch/#entry433950

http://forums.previo...nt/#entry434804

Any posts that have spoilers in the episode threads will be deleted on sight with no warning or message to the poster.

Thanks,

your friendly mod maraleia

 

And yet, you'd think this thread is about a show called "Broadchurch Revisited."

 

I haven't seen Broadchurch and I haven't watched Doctor Who since Tom Baker was current.  

 

Probably best if I back out of here.

[maraleia]

Posting this message again just in case people didn't understand my meaning. (clarified language)

Any discussion about what happened on Broadchurch and/or character comparisons is forbidden in the Gracepoint episode threads. Those discussions should be taken to these threads.

http://forums.previously.tv/topic/2846-gracepoint-vs-broadchurch/#entry433950

http://forums.previously.tv/topic/13882-fall-preview-should-you-visit-gracepoint/#entry434804

Any posts that have spoilers in the episode threads will be deleted on sight with no warning or message to the poster.

Thanks,

your friendly mod maraleia

[St. Claire]

I never watched Broadchurch or Breaking Bad, I think of David Tennent as Barty Crouch, Jr. (I'm well aware of his status as the Tenth Doctor, but didn't watch that either), so I am coming with a fairly clean slate.

 

I'm in so far. I have long since given up on worrying about Brits/Scots/Irish/Aussies/New Zealanders doing American accents, so that didn't bother me. I got a bit of a Twin Peaks-ish vibe from the back story of small town with an unusual murder, although this does not look destined to have the quirkiness (and by "quirky" I mean "crazy-pants") that a David Lynch vehicle would. I didn't get a sense that the newspaper owner/editor was the reporter's mom, just his slightly overbearing boss, although I think she was right to be ticked at him leaking the story. I already dislike the SF reporter.

[Andromeda]

Freedom of the Press doesn't mean you can report anything you want, there are many legal restrictions on some information.

Good points about journalism (I was a small town newspaper editor myself). My negative reaction wasn't so much about the guy's tweet, as about the cop smacking him verbally. I don't want to live in a country where the journalists can only report what the police allow them to. I've had cops try that intimidation crap on me, and it does not sit well. Cooperate, not dictate.

 

I also didn't like David's character's attitude toward the female cop. He just came off assy to me. Then again, I don't really think she should be on the case, since she has a close connection to the victim.

Edited October 6, 2014 by Andromeda

[izabella]

I also didn't like David's character's attitude toward the female cop. He just came off assy to me. Then again, I don't really think she should be on the case, since she has a close connection to the victim.

 

I agree with you on the conflict of interest.  I assume everyone in that small town knows each other, or knows who everyone is, so it would be hard to find any police officer who wasn't somehow connected with any victim/family.  However, in this case, they have been close friends and their kids are friends, so you'd think they'd assign someone who wasn't so close to the victim's family.

[Constantinople]

As this was filmed in and around Victoria, B.C., they could have used a small coastal or island town in Washington as the setting.

 

Perhaps they were concerned about comparisons with The Killing, given how much Season 1 of The Killing sucked (never watched the other seasons):

 

• Victim is in middle/high school (I think the victim in The Killing was in high school)
• Victim has blue collar parents
• Town/city on the (salt) water
• Detective team that pairs a woman and a man
• Male detective is kind of odd and, coincidentally, played by a foreigner
• Everyone is a suspect
• Based on a foreign television show

 

If they placed Gracepoint in Washington State, that's one more similarity, and who wants to be compared to The Killing?

[izabella]

Northern California does have a few coastal cities, like Crescent City near the Oregon border, Arcata/Eureka, and Mendocino, plus lots of shoreline cliffs, so it's believable enough for me.  Mendocino is tiny (less than 1000 people) and a popular tourist/vacation spot, so seems like it would be a perfect fit for this story.

[LisaM]

I never saw Broadchurch because it wasn't streaming on any of the services I use. Really enjoyed this pilot. It reminded me a bit of The Killing with the stirring music and the scenery shots. Looking forward to finding out who killed Danny -- and why. The grief scene also reminded me of Season One of The Killing with Brent Sexton and Michelle Forbes so overwrought with grief.

[Shermie]

I don't understand why they didn't just set it on the east coast, where seasonal tourism is very common. Surely, there are cliffs somewhere?

[DittyDotDot]

I don't mind the location they picked, I think it works, but all this discussion made me think they could've easily set it along one of the touristy towns around one of the Great Lakes. Minnesota's North Shore of Lake Superior comes to mind--lots of quaint little towns, seasonal tourism and lots of cliffs.

Edited October 7, 2014 by DittyDotDot

[orza]

The filming location is the Pacific Northwest, which looks very different from the east coast or great lakes. It makes sense to pick a fictional location that is at least a believable match with the filming location.

[North of Eden]

The San Francisco Globe! Great shout out to FALCON CREST. If they had taken it a step further and shown t h e same exterior shot that would have even been more awesome. I do not like the detective...too much of an assist to even be an another.

[MaryPatShelby]

Wait a minute....the newspaper editor/publisher is Owen's MOM? I guess I totally missed that.

[tomorrowgirl]

I've never even heard of Broadchurch (hope it's okay to mention the title in this thread) but I enjoyed Gracepoint and it looks like it will be an interesting whodunit.