S01.E04: Episode 4

[ElectricBoogaloo]

The team learn of Danny secrets. Detective Carver conceals some items that could affect his ability to keep working on the case.

 

Promo:

 

Clips:

 

http://youtu.be/5iIYavkDFFo

 

http://youtu.be/OB1tFcr1tq0

 

http://youtu.be/h83yuc06vgw

 

http://youtu.be/bAR8SKRO_B4

[Primetimer]

Miller invites Carver to dinner and they are both HILARE.

Read the story

[photo fox]

Beth Salano is the least sympathetic grieving mother ever. I'm starting to think she killed her kid, just so that she'll have an excuse to run all over town shrieking at everyone.

The look of terror on Carver's face when Miller invited him to dinner literally made me spit-take.

[alias1]

Beth really isn't very likeable.  Also, it looks like there is more to the Beth and Paul story.  

 

There are a lot of creepy people in this town and Vince and Susan are at the top of the scary list.  

[LeGrandElephant]

Beth is pretty annoying, but I guess she's justified. Her kid was just killed, and does she know her husband is cheating? If not she definitely strongly suspects somethung weird is going on. That all could unhinge anyone.

It would be kind of unfair from a storytelling point of view if Beth did it, because we saw her find out Danny was dead. But maybe that would be their idea of a huge unique twist. (Agatha Christie anyone? I want to reference a specific title but I guess that would be a spoiler for a super old book someone might still read.)

[benteen]

I like this episode, looks like they added some more stuff.

[Irishmaple]

I don't mind Beth.  She's grieving in a way I find believable: channeling her emotions into running, acting out in anger at her powerlessness and at the slow pace of the investigation, dealing with Mark and his surprises, maybe even wondering if Paul might have been the smarter choice.  I don't like Mark but I felt bad for him when Chloe attacked him for worrying about her dating an older boy. 

 

I didn't find this episode particularly engaging.  I think I missed bits simply because my attention wandered.  It bugs me that Gemma is still hanging around like she did nothing wrong with regard to the cocaine.  I don't care about the reporters at all.  The chicken lady is unsettling and there doesn't seem to be any reason for her other than to be weird.  Ellie and Carver are gold though.  I only really paid attention when they were going about their business.  Ellie's invitation was the most stilted and uncomfortable invitation I've ever seen, and Carver's reaction was priceless. 

[Automne]

It was pretty rich of the Solanos freaking out about not being kept apprised of every minute detail of the investigation. Let's remember that this family has just stonewalled the investigation with their secrets and lies. Mark isn't out because he finally came clean about his whereabouts; somebody else came forward to vouch for him. If I were in charge of the case, I would keep them on a strictly need-to-know basis.

 

I like how indignant Dean was being. Dude, you were dealing drugs and got a minor involved. You should be in way bigger trouble than you actually are. Worry less about your uncle and acting like the cops are unfairly targeting you.

 

I'm glad Carver came right out and accused Ellie of not really caring about finding Danny's killer. That's honestly what it seems like, with her being upset about the Solano's idea of Danny being shattered. Welcome to a homicide investigation, where all façades are destroyed and everything you never knew about your loved one is exposed. You can go "Not my kid" all you want, but your kid is lying cold and dead on a metal slab and can't hide or lie to you anymore.

 

Carver's deer-in-headlight's look at the dinner invite was pretty hilarious. I don't mind Ellie having the upper hand in that moment because it was just so well-timed to catch him off-guard.

[Actionmage]

Tom? Needs to have a case worker of his very own.  Creepy Vince grilling him on Mom's case?  Vince works for Mark, so there is some familiarity, but why hang out with creepy dude if you can help it? Even if he can fix your skateboard?  Then his parents, so concerned about pushing the Danny thing (I'm sure), yet whisper talk about him like he can't hear? He's 12. He can hear and comprehend you. Then, get so wrapped up in trying to have some grown-up time, clearly don't think Tom could be in a and situation. That he is upset about Danny and hid his drug money at Danny's/is being molested by Vince/saw Mark hit Danny/ whatever else this 'bucolic' town has writhing under the nice exterior.

 

Having said that, though, Ellie's Invitation To Dinner scene was GOLD!  Carver just looked so lost and Ellie was so bewildered that a grown person would not understand. Their faces were great and Ellie's voice was as well.

 

Is it me, or was there a resemblance between Vince and Lars Pierson? Related to Vince and Jacki Weaver's character?

 

Paul the Priest was creepy some more and all but peeing around Beth to keep Ray away. Granted, I'm not convinced of Ray's supposed connection, but going to Tackytown with the psychiatrist's card was not classy. I can see why Mark has never liked Paul. Which makes Beth's mom even more puzzling. She seems to want Beth to end up, still, with Paul; does she not get that priests generally don't marry? (Can't remember if that church was specifically Catholic.)

 

Still, maybe he and Beth do belong together, as she was pretty entitled. The whole Solano family was acting pretty shabbily towards Ellie, and I believe it is equal parts "Call me Ellie" and just plain entitlement. I get the investigation is still in early days (somewhere in the week after the body was discovered), but to demand to b e treated to all the evidence?  When that wish was granted, via the gas station tape, it was like the sky fell in and it was all the cops' fault, but mostly Ellie's. Of course. Again, I get that they lost a twelve year old. That would gut me. Yet after two days it is all Ellie and Carver's fault that things aren't going Beth and Mark's way? Mark wasted more than a day's resources by bullshitting the very people he's blaming! You'd think Beth would turn on Mark about that.  Mark missed the obvious opening to come clean about Jemma, but again, he's failed the simplest question. 'Did you kill Danny?' and 'Is there anything else I don't know?' are pretty simple, even if the second is leading.

Still? We got Chloe truth-bombing Mark, so I'm okay with the family implosion. Couldn't happen to a nicer set of entitled asses. 

 

We at least got a peek of how frustrating Beth must be, in general. The passive-aggressive "Of course you  will" about his mom staying at the inn. The not dressing in front of Mark and playing it as just anger. (I hope she carries big on her belly when she's pregnant.)  The (probably not-) so patiently waiting for an interrogation is over before yelling at Ellie about how Ellie is or isn't doing her job and burying the lede (and lead!) about Pierson. The actress is great because while I feel for Beth, I might slap her if I met her, after tonight's episode.

 

Jacki Weaver? Continues to amaze. Bringing the creepy, especially with the chicken, but got me kind of sad for her after Vince ducked her again. (Not that I really blame him.?)

 

San Francisco (my name for Renee) was being predatory again; it must be a day ending in -y.

 

Dean was a dumbass making the cops chase him. I did like Carver catching him on his hypocrisy.

 

Was Julie Ann one of the girls from the Rosemont case? For Emmett, I hope not.

 

As much as I am against the Solanos griping about the case, making Beth wait without informing either detective seems odd. Even if protocol is to let the interrogation go as long as it needs to go. The victim's mom isn't there' just because'. I can see Beth not saying jack to anyone not Ellie or Carver, though. The better to have a longer list of grievances to pin to Ellie. The picture was shown to see if anyone knew or had seen this guy! Communications aren't this PD's Job Number One.

 

Gemma and her weird drug talk, then switch to 'don't judge me please' was...weird. Again, entitled much? As owner of the inn she gets to just sit with whomever she wants, without invitation? The body language was very much 'Why are you talking to me?'

 

Next week looks interesting. More on Emmett's condition and Nolte!!

Edited October 24, 2014 by Actionmage

[Lizzing]

Ellie's faux shock and indignation at being called an "eager beever" by Carver had me laughing.  Both of their reactions were perfect in that scene and it was nicely bookended with the dinner invitation.

[Constantinople]

I like how indignant Dean was being. Dude, you were dealing drugs and got a minor involved. You should be in way bigger trouble than you actually are. Worry less about your uncle and acting like the cops are unfairly targeting you.

Dean was a dumbass making the cops chase him.

He was so ridiculous since the Carver and Miller were blocking the only way out on foot, and his chances of getting away by swimming or by boat were about 0.

 

I did like Carver catching him on his hypocrisy.

To be fair, the Lord never mentioned thou shalt not deal blow when he gave the Commandments to Moses.

 

 

Paul the Priest was creepy some more and all but peeing around Beth to keep Ray away. Granted, I'm not convinced of Ray's supposed connection, but going to Tackytown with the psychiatrist's card was not classy. I can see why Mark has never liked Paul. Which makes Beth's mom even more puzzling. She seems to want Beth to end up, still, with Paul; does she not get that priests generally don't marry? (Can't remember if that church was specifically Catholic.)

From the shots of the church it appears it's an Episcopalian church, so Father Paul is an Episcopalian priest. Episcopalian priests can marry, so Father Paul is good on that score.

It's a big week for Episcopalian priests on TV this week between The Walking Dead and Gracepoint.

[thuganomics85]

It's official: I'm a horrible person (although, I already knew that.)  Because I enjoyed every minute of Carver being "Oh, so they want to know everything about the case?  Fine, we'll tell them everything!  Including the fact that their boy has a bit a criminal streak going for him!", and just dropping that bomb on them.  For victims, I really find them hard to like.  Well, I do somewhat still sympathize with Beth (even if I find the actress weak), because I do think she's reeling from both Danny's death and finding out about the affair, but Chloe is obnoxious, and I really Mark is just a horrible person, who just happen to have something tragic happen to him.  I did love how Chloe took him to task, when he tried to get all high and might with her.

 

Another suspect, who ends up being proven innocent, but, of course, stonewalls and makes Carver and Ellie have to jump through hurdles to rule him out, and then acts like they are the ones wasting his time.  Man, Gracepoint is just full of self-centered assholes.

 

A few new suspects, I guess.  Vince is still acting a bit cagey, and seems to have something going on with Jacki Weaver's character. His mother, perhaps?  There is this backpacker as well, but I also wonder if Nick Nolte was pushing him too hard as a suspect.  Is Tom just snooping around or is he up to something?  Finally, we see a bit of an aggressive streak with Reverend Paul.  He clearly has feelings for Beth still.

 

The reporters are still "bonding."  I'm sure that's leading somewhere.

 

Cracked up when Gemma was all apologetic about being involved in the affair, while I would think using kids to get cocaine would be a much bigger offense.

 

I did like the scenes of Ellie asking Carver to dinner, and the "eager beaver" stuff.  It was nice seeing those two in fun scenes, and was the few times I saw some kind of spark between David Tennant and Anna Gunn.

[Valny]

The look of terror on Carver's face when Miller invited him to dinner literally made me spit-take.

I loved his "What will we talk about?" :)  It was nice having a little light moment for a change.

[Constantinople]

Two additional points I forgot to make in my previous post

 

1. Am the only one who's a little underwhelmed by Danny's criminal behavior?  I'm not condoning theft, even of a few small items from a store, but the way the police and his family reacted, you'd think he did a drive by on his skateboard and took out half the town.

 

2. I'm glad to see that TV has progressed beyond old stereotypes. It used to be that it was the homeless psychotic Vietnam vet who would be suspected of murder.  Now it's the homeless, or at least peripatetic, psychotic Afghan vet who's suspected of murder.

 

ETA: Changed psychochotic to psychotic because I don't think psychochotic is a word.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Constantinople

[Netfoot]

Why do they ignore the cocaine issue?  The daughter, the hotelier, the boyfriend and the dealer in the boatyard.  All just allowed to stroll off without charge.  I know they are trying to solve a murder, but does all other law-enforcement come to a screeching halt? Call someone in the Drug Squad, and have them drag the miscreants off to the dungeons as soon as they've been questioned!

 

Boy, destroying the family's image of their lost son/brother sure was the right thing to do!  Why, it got them so much further ahead in the case!  I guess that's a technique only highly focused, experienced NYC cops know about.

 

Dad should point out to his daughter that he is legally entitled to bang Gemma Fisher as much as he wants, but that it is a crime for her to be having sex at the age of 15, and that it is his responsibility to protect her by preventing it from happening.  And that if she doesn't watch her mouth, she'll get a fat lip!

 

That's one dinner party I'm glad I don't have to attend.  Is there a Richter scale for awkward?
 

Now it's the homeless, or at least peripatetic, psychochotic Afghan vet who's suspected of murder.

 

Always an Afghan vet, because nobody wants to raise the spectre of the fiasco that it Eye-rack.  Oh, and all Afghan vets are either Delta force or SEALs.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Netfoot

[Actionmage]

Dad should point out to his daughter that he is legally entitled to bang Gemma Fisher as much as he wants, but that it is a crime for her to be having sex at the age of 15, and that it is his responsibility to protect her by preventing it from happening.  And that if she doesn't watch her mouth, she'll get a fat lip!

 

Chloe was pointing out Mark's hypocrisy (quelle surprise!), since he did the same with Beth.  An unwanted pregnancy and marriage really seem to have been the answer. Plus having an affair (even if it was, in fact just once) where your lover and your daughter work? That's lazy and tacky.

 

As far as a fat lip? For calling out your lying, cheating father?  No. There are laws against that. Mark had no leg to stand on in that scene, even being the parent. Since Beth is still supposedly ignorant of the affair, all Chloe has to do to checkmate Mark is tell Mom. Chloe'd be on blast, but Chloe's not the lying, cheating husband who has had chances to come clean.

[Lizzing]

Two additional points I forgot to make in my previous post

 

1. Am the only one who's a little underwhelmed by Danny's criminal behavior?  I'm not condoning theft, even of a few small items from a store, but the way the police and his family reacted, you'd think he did a drive by on his skateboard and took out half the town.

 

Yeah, that was pretty weak criminal behavior to be outraged about.  The kid lifted a pen and a puzzle book from a gas station.  That would get him the parental punishment of a grounding for sneaking out and stealing, and apology/reparations to the store.  MEANWHILE the same parents so distraught over petty theft are comparatively super chill about the cocaine in their 15 year old daughter's room. 

Edited October 24, 2014 by Lizzing

[thuganomics85]

 

1. Am the only one who's a little underwhelmed by Danny's criminal behavior?  I'm not condoning theft, even of a few small items from a store, but the way the police and his family reacted, you'd think he did a drive by on his skateboard and took out half the town.

No, I agree.  That's probably another reason I really didn't care what Carver did.  Ellie and the family was acting like he did the most, God-awful thing on the planet, when, in the end, it was wrong, but it's not the end of the world.  Really, I'm sure a lot of decent folks did something similar when they were kids.  Kids can be jerks; even the decent ones.

 

And, yeah, that gets all the flak, but Chloe having cocaine barely is a blip on everyone's radar.  That just makes no sense to me.  If it was weed, I could buy it, but cocaine?  No, there should be much more outrage over that.

[Actionmage]

At least Beth had the reasonable reaction to Chloe's boyfriend taking Danny with him for the drug buy. I also loved how Chloe was using her hands to help emphasize that no!, Dean wasn't a dealer, he was just buying it that one time for her! The 'so my boss, who's sleeping with Dad-ew!, could help out some couple from Seattle' was left unsaid.

 

Also, belated thanks to Constantinople for the church info!

 

I am an eensy bit concerned. We are almost halfway through this '10 part Event' and have spent the better part of two episodes spinning wheels on stupid, recalcitrant dead ends ( or seeming dead ends.) We can't really rule out some folks because we've been focusing on Mark and Dean, primarily, and they still don't have airtight timelines. Or at least Mark doesn't, IIRC. 

 

Ellie is clinging so hard to how the town is supposed to be, that she hasn't even thought about  taking Tom's computer and phone away. She can tell him she wants to be sure, as everything's hauled off or after school, that Tom hasn't forgotten any detail.  While I would hate for Tom to be experiencing abuse of any kind ( as potentially implied with Vince), he's a kid with a cop for a mom. Ellie can't just rest with the belief her son has given her the entire, unvarnished truth. Especially as Tom's best friend has died and had so many questions result from many folks not checking in or digging a bit further on Danny's well-being.  That Ellie has been so slow to confront that, while in character, is frustrating to me.  It would not be nosiness, but terror that whatever/whoever killed Danny would set their sights on my kid next!

[ElectricBoogaloo]

does she know her husband is cheating?

Last week she followed him and saw him kissing Gemma so she knows something is going on between them but she still doesn't know that Gemma is his alibi for the night of Danny's murder.

[elainemarie33]

Father Paul freaks me out.  The scene of him caressing Danny's photo and Mark later saying that Danny hated going to Sunday School struck a few warning bells to me.  

 

Edited to change priest's name -  I was in a hurry this morning, my bad.

 

And, yes, I thought one of two things - that he could be the dad of Danny as suggested below, or he could have had less than a fatherly interest in Danny, based on Danny not caring for Sunday School.  I think the former is more likely.

Edited October 25, 2014 by elainemarie33

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Yeah, the picture stroking really creeped me out too. But I feel like it's only the fourth episode so it seems a little early for the show to be pointing a finger at him just to drag out Ellie and Emmett figuring it out for six more episodes.

 

I still want to know what the hell Tom's deal is. First he deleted all his texts to/from Danny, he erased his hard drive, and now he's hanging out with the plumbing assistant and snooping through his mom's investigation? That kid is up to no good but I want to know the nature of his up to no goodness.

 

Ha, I totally laughed when Chloe told her dad that at least she and her boyfriend are smart enough to use birth control. And that was after she sassed him about her parents being the same age when they were having sex. "Sound familiar?" While in theory I can understand Mark's concern that his 15 year old daughter is dating a kid who is almost 18, he really has no leg to stand on since that's what happened with him and Beth fifteen years ago.

 

When Dean took off running, I could hear several characters from other cop shows saying, "Why do they always run?"

[Constantinople]

Why do they ignore the cocaine issue?  The daughter, the hotelier, the boyfriend and the dealer in the boatyard.  All just allowed to stroll off without charge.

 

 

MEANWHILE the same parents so distraught over petty theft are comparatively super chill about the cocaine in their 15 year old daughter's room. 

 

Everyone's probably thinking that cocaine thing will all blow over.

[Netfoot]

While in theory I can understand Mark's concern that his 15 year old daughter is dating a kid who is almost 18, he really has no leg to stand on since that's what happened with him and Beth fifteen years ago.

 

He very much does have a leg to stand on.  The fact that he and Beth engaged in similar illegal sexual activity and got away with it, does not alter the fact that it is illegal for his 15 y/o daughter to be engaged in sexual activity with her boyfriend.  He (Mark) has a legal obligation to prevent his daughter from engaging in such illegal activity, and if he fails to do so could himself be charged with a criminal offense, contributing to the delinquency, etc.

 

Now, the fact is, he will most likely let his 15 y/o child blackmail him.  And given that cocaine possession, and dealing cocaine are offenses considered so minor that nobody is bothering to deal with it, it is unlikely that charges will be brought against the daughter or the boyfriend for engaging in illegal sexual activity.  Nor is it likely that Mark will be charged with allowing it to happen.    All this a sad reflection on his and Beth's parenting skills, and on the attitude of the police towards trivial offenses such as statutory rape and possession and trafficking of class II drugs.

 

Edited: Spelling

Edited October 24, 2014 by Netfoot

[Lemons]

Father Ray freaks me out.  The scene of him caressing Danny's photo and Mark later saying that Danny hated going to Sunday School struck a few warning bells to me.  

Do you think Danny might be Father Ray's kid?

[iMonrey]

 

Why do they ignore the cocaine issue?  The daughter, the hotelier, the boyfriend and the dealer in the boatyard.  All just allowed to stroll off without charge.  I know they are trying to solve a murder, but does all other law-enforcement come to a screeching halt? Call someone in the Drug Squad, and have them drag the miscreants off to the dungeons as soon as they've been questioned!

 

I don't get this either. I'm tempted to say it would be a bigger deal in a big city than in a small town, but on the other hand, maybe it's the other way around. Cocaine use can't be a regular part of this Norman Rockwell town, and by their own admission the cops in this town aren't normally dealing with anything bigger than petty theft. Aside from the murder, the coke thing should be huge, so even if Miller and Carver to too busy to follow up on it, there are other cops at that station. We've seen them.

[ajsnaves]

It's not like they can't charge the cocaine sharers later, at least the adults.  Chloe would likely be in a different position as a juvenile.  But I can see that not being their priority.  Also, if a local drug squad wants to work with them, it is easier if they are not in custody and charged yet.  But that is just the real world explanations that I would come up.

 

I have decided that it is Fr. Paul.  I just hope it is not a sex thing, but something unexpected.

[Haleth]

I'm upset the chicken died for nothing. RIP chicken.

Well, I guess the dog got a nice meal from it.

Man, there are some creepy characters in that town. Vince, the trailer lady, the minister, Nick Nolte, the psychic electrician... And Young Tom is working hard on his own Creepy Character badge. The surprise is that there aren't more gristly murders occurring here.

[saber5055]

The cocaine being found under the floor boards in the daughter's room makes me think there is more to the drug-side of the story. Why pull up floor board to stash a wee packet of blow that's just "being returned"? And why would the cop search pull up floor boards anyway?

I'm wondering why Beth is hiding her pregnancy. Is Mark not the father? Is maybe Father the father?

I'm speculating that the woman voicemail Carver called was his (now-deceased) wife and maybe he was put on trial/proven innocent of her murder and that's the Rosewill (?) case he's moved to Gracepoint to get away from. We saw a photo of a woman that's in his wallet when he tossed it on the bed.

Got a kick out of Danny's family insisting they know every detail of the investigation, then freaking out when they see the shoplifting tape. Just more proof that everyone in this town has something to hide.

I wish someone would just let Beth have it after she rants on about everyone. She could use a good tongue lashing. I know I'm giving her one from my couch. Like another poster said, her ranking on everyone is making me think she has more to do with the murder than she's letting on.

I was disappointed when Carver was more chatty this episode, with the "eager beaver" comments. I liked him better when he was a stonefaced d*ck.

[Greecelover]

 

I have decided that it is Fr. Paul.  I just hope it is not a sex thing, but something unexpected.

Me too.

That guy gives me the willies.

Maybe he is Danny's dad, and killed him not knowing he's his father.  Yikes!

[Ellaria]

Ignoring the cocaine issue annoys me, too, particularly when there are other cops in town that could assist with this aspect of the investigation. Do they know for certain that there is no connection between the drugs and Danny's murder? They can't possibly be sure of anything, at this point.

I am having a hard time with Beth...perhaps it's the actress but I should be more sympathetic than I am. In fact, all of the incidental drama with the Solano family detracts from the overall story.

I was a fan of Anna Gunn on BB. Here...not so much. I think it's the writing for her character. She is a little too over-wrought for me. Clearly, she has a personal connection to this case that, at times, is hurting her ability to objectively conduct an investigation. It pulls me out of the "who-done-it" aspect of the show.

I'm confused about how Gracepoint plays out in the long term. Will the murder be solved this season? If so, what happens next season?

[truthaboutluv]

Ellie can't just rest with the belief her son has given her the entire, unvarnished truth. Especially as Tom's best friend has died and had so many questions result from many folks not checking in or digging a bit further on Danny's well-being.

 

 

Not just that, Chloe's boyfriend raised a significant red flag to her and Carver when he pretty much told them that contrary to her belief that Danny and Tom were best friends, Danny said he was alone and he, the boyfriend, never saw Danny with anyone. I'm surprised that wasn't pursued but I'm willing to wait next week and see if Carver follows up on it because he definitely looked interested when Chloe's boyfriend said that. 

 

The cocaine being found under the floor boards in the daughter's room makes me think there is more to the drug-side of the story. Why pull up floor board to stash a wee packet of blow that's just "being returned"? And why would the cop search pull up floor boards anyway?

 

 

If I'm not mistaken, the floor boards they pulled up was in Danny's room so my guess is that was all part of their searching every inch of the room for any clue that might lead them to what happened to him. What I don't get about the cocaine story is that Chloe said she got it for the inn owner lady who then didn't need it. So why not just flush it down or give it back to the boyfriend, saying she didn't need it?

 

I think I remember her saying when they first found it that she meant to give it back or throw it away, but just didn't and then Danny got murdered and she panicked because the cops were all over the house and so she hid it. But again, why not just get rid of it or hide it somewhere that's not the house or more specifically Danny's room which they were searching from top to bottom. And per the guy who sold the coke to the boyfriend, it was two weeks ago that whole thing happened.  So how could she have not been able to get rid of it or give it back to her boyfriend in all that time? Yeah something about that whole thing just doesn't add up. 

 

Got a kick out of Danny's family insisting they know every detail of the investigation, then freaking out when they see the shoplifting tape. Just more proof that everyone in this town has something to hide.

 

 

I get that the family is grieving and sometimes when people are grieving they process it through anger and get angry at the people trying to help but wow, it does not make them very sympathetic at all. Both Beth and Mark just came off so angry and confrontational for no real reason. Mark especially has ZERO right to be getting upset about anything when he wasted two days of the police's time with his stonewalling about banging the inn keeper woman. And Beth was just a screechy mess talking about how Ellie should be talking to her about the guy in the picture when that is EXACTLY what they were doing by showing the picture around.

 

They for whatever reason were acting like the police were deliberately lying to them or keeping things from them which is why sure, asshole move though it was, I again side with Carver for showing them the tape. Because run the investigation without giving them every detail and they get angry and act like the police is wronging them in some way but tell them and Mark is all indignant at them causing chaos to his family. Again, I get that they are grieving but boy, they are really not coming off very sympathetically. 

 

That trailer woman is a damn nut and I'm surprised at how little Carver seems to be pushing her with all the attitude she gives him and the fact that he knows she lied about giving Mark the keys that one time. Speaking of Carver, I did crack up when after he and Ellie left the Solano's and she asked him if he was happy and in his same curmudgeon expression he said, "why do people keep asking me that. I'm never happy."

 

Another example of when, rude and anti-social though he may be, I sided with Carver during that entire awkward, WTF conversation with Mark's hookup. Like what the hell woman? Carver gave her zero indication he was interested in her life story, her reasons for hooking up with Mark or really any interest in anything about her at all and yet she just kept going and going and even sat down. She is annoying. 

 

As for the priest, I can see how he looks suspicious especially if the psychic guy is legit and not a complete quack because it would fit perfectly with his telling Beth that Danny does not want her to find his killer because it will hurt her. Because she clearly trusts the priest a lot. I also think it is interesting that in the first or second episode, they made sure to state that the priest had actually only recently returned to the town. 

Edited October 24, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Guest]

If I'm not mistaken, the floor boards they pulled up was in Danny's room so my guess is that was all part of their searching every inch of the room for any clue that might lead them to what happened to him. What I don't get about the cocaine story is that Chloe said she got in for the inn owner lady who then didn't need it. So why not just flush it down or give it back to the boyfriend, saying she didn't need.

What's weird to me is wasn't it a gram of coke, so like $100 worth?  Gemma must've paid for it.  Why leave it with the teens?  Stick it in your dresser for the next time you want to play super-hotelier, or snort it yourself.  Don't leave it with an underage employee.  I really don't think those sort of things come with a 30-day return policy.  

 

Though if I was Chloe and my boss did gift me a gram, I too would probably hide it in my room, assuming she doesn't do cocaine herself now but thinks she might want to someday.  

[kat165]

I'm amazed and impressed that everyone seems to have the characters names straight. When I read the posts I hardly know who we're discussing because I've only got a few character names down.

 

I'm thinking it's the minister (or whatever he is) too. He is creepy. But I'm easily creeped out by religious types.

 

The actress who plays the boy's mother (Beth?) doesn't bother me. i think she's doing a good job. She's freaked out. Of course she's screechy and annoying. Her child was just murdered. Her husband is shady as hell. Her daughter looks older than she does - poor choice, I think, for the daughter. She does not look 15-16. She looks about 26 to me.

 

Ellie is a terrible cop. If she wants to remain friends with the whole town maybe she should consider getting a job at, say, the library, rather than the police dept. The lack of arrests for the cocaine is baffling. Plus, cocaine melts. Why didn't one of these idiots just flush it down the john. What, they were saving it for return to get their money back? I don't think most dealers have a return policy.

 

When the plumber's helper shut the shed door when Tom came in to have his skateboard fixed I didn't think anything sexual. I thought maybe they're both up to something that possibly involved Danny too. Some sort of side business (no idea what) where they were all making $ which is where Danny got the money he hid and why Tom deleted all the emails, etc.

[ohjoy]

When the plumber's helper shut the shed door when Tom came in to have his skateboard fixed I didn't think anything sexual. I thought maybe they're both up to something that possibly involved Danny too. Some sort of side business (no idea what) where they were all making $ which is where Danny got the money he hid and why Tom deleted all the emails, etc.

This, along with Tom sneaking around his mom's investigation notes and stuff, and the constant focus on when and how much the police were going to question him, makes me think that whatever Tom and Danny were involved in (likely some business with Vince too) got Danny killed, and Tom and Vince (with help from the trailer-park lady hiding Danny's skateboard) are at the least trying to cover up their involvement.

[Actionmage]

When the plumber's helper shut the shed door when Tom came in to have his skateboard fixed I didn't think anything sexual. I thought maybe they're both up to something that possibly involved Danny too. Some sort of side business (no idea what) where they were all making $ which is where Danny got the money he hid and why Tom deleted all the emails, etc.

 

I'm coming at this story as a parent. I mentioned abuse in one of my posts, to include all types as a possibility. My kids are grown, but I still fear them getting hurt and the writers hit the 'too real fear' button with Tom alone with Vince in the shed/garage. The questions about Tom's mom and 'if she even knows you're here' line chilled me.  My brother had a shady character in his life briefly and my brother committed criminal acts due to that person.  It was Vince's van that had what seemed to be blood drops in it. Vince is pinging every old Movie-of-the-Week trope about Bad Men To Watch Out For.  I believe Vince is bad; it's the degree of badness I am unsure about.

 

IA that the roll of $20s was about some business that Danny and/ or Tom were in. Which may have prompted the 'I can't do this anymore' diary entries.

 

eta:  I just remembered another slightly off thing-- Miller talking to Chloe in what seemed to be either a back hall or space similar to the locker room (where Ellie had her angry dance and 'Hi Tom!' moment in the pilot.)  Ellie stopped talking as a cop with a box walked between them. Since they were talking about Dean-as-potential-suspect and The Cocaine, you'd think that Miller would have found a better place for that conversation. Maybe not an interrogation room. That would shut Chloe down, no doubt. But someone's office, like she did later with Beth.

Edited October 24, 2014 by Actionmage

[ElectricBoogaloo]

rude and anti-social though he may be, I sided with Carver was during that entire awkward, WTF conversation with Mark's hookup. Like what the hell woman? Carver gave her zero indication he was interested in her life story, her reasons for hooking up with Mark or really any interest in anything about her at all and yet she just kept going and going and even sat down. She is annoying.

Heh, it would have been awkward for lots of people who are less anti-social than Carver but his total "Why are you still talking?" look almost made it worthwhile. I think Gemma was truly embarrassed that he knows she had an affair with Mark and saw the opportunity to say her piece about how she's not a bad person. I think she also thought she might bond a little with him about needing to medicate. But I think the fact that she mentioned being on SSRIs is going to come up again later.

[Guest]

I'm amazed and impressed that everyone seems to have the characters names straight. When I read the posts I hardly know who we're discussing because I've only got a few character names down.

 

I'm thinking it's the minister (or whatever he is) too. He is creepy. But I'm easily creeped out by religious types.

 

The actress who plays the boy's mother (Beth?) doesn't bother me. i think she's doing a good job. She's freaked out. Of course she's screechy and annoying. Her child was just murdered. Her husband is shady as hell. Her daughter looks older than she does - poor choice, I think, for the daughter. She does not look 15-16. She looks about 26 to me.

 

Ellie is a terrible cop. If she wants to remain friends with the whole town maybe she should consider getting a job at, say, the library, rather than the police dept. The lack of arrests for the cocaine is baffling. Plus, cocaine melts. Why didn't one of these idiots just flush it down the john. What, they were saving it for return to get their money back? I don't think most dealers have a return policy.

 

When the plumber's helper shut the shed door when Tom came in to have his skateboard fixed I didn't think anything sexual. I thought maybe they're both up to something that possibly involved Danny too. Some sort of side business (no idea what) where they were all making $ which is where Danny got the money he hid and why Tom deleted all the emails, etc.

 

From what I can find, the actor playing Beth is 32 and the one playing Chloe is 19, so "Beth" is not old enough to be her mother, but I think they're supposed to be more like 31 and 15.  I agree, Chloe doesn't look 15.  And Beth could pass for early/mid 20s.  

 

I didn't think "sexual" either when Vince pulled Tom in.  I thought, "potential killer".  

[Netfoot]

I was disappointed when Carver was more chatty this episode, with the "eager beaver" comments. I liked him better when he was a stonefaced d*ck.

 

I was a little confused about that incident.  Sure, it is just Carver being his natural, warm, fuzzy self.  But I don't know how we got from there to "sexual harassment'.  Is there some sort of urban dictionary definition I'm unaware of?  I'm aware of the slang term "beaver", but does "eager beaver" specifically mean something inappropriate?

 

I'm confused about how Gracepoint plays out in the long term. Will the murder be solved this season? If so, what happens next season?

 

Wait, surely there can't be a second season of this?  Once they identify/apprehend the killer, what more is there to say?

 

I thought maybe they're both up to something that possibly involved Danny too. Some sort of side business (no idea what) where they were all making $ which is where Danny got the money he hid and why Tom deleted all the emails, etc.

 

Some sort of skateboard chop-shop?  Would there be enough business for such an enterprise, in such a small town?  Perhaps some sort of organized, skateboard drug delivery ring?  When that shed door closed I definitely got the sense of criminal plotting rather than any sense of a tryst.

 

ETA: s/bean/mean/;

Edited October 25, 2014 by Netfoot

[Ellaria]

Wait, surely there can't be a second season of this?  Once they identify/apprehend the killer, what more is there ?

Well, Broadchurch is reportedly getting a 2nd season. If the ratings are strong, I would think that Gracepoint could as well. I can't imagine that anything on network TV is done with only one season in mind. Whether that's a good idea or not is open for debate.

[kat165]

Random, thanks for expanding. I can see this part of the story going in that direction. Makes sense. Actionmage, I'm not a parent so I didn't immediately go there. Frankly, I hope it's not an abuse type situation. It would be horrifying to see play out besides being
not being very original. I'd forgotten about the blood in his van so that's a good point.

 

You mention Vince pinging old Movie-of-the-Week & I can see that, but I'm hoping for better writing than that.

 

The actress playing Chloe is a rather hard looking 19. She comes off as older.

 

I think Ellie was trying to lighten the mood by that whole eager beaver conversation. Maybe tweeking him a little to get a reaction. But it wasn't funny and Carver has no sense of humor. It was a weird joke to make anyway.

[truthaboutluv]

Unpopular opinion but I actually think Chloe looks 15. When she's yelling and being all obnoxious she can seem older but honestly I really looked at her when she had a quiet scene and her face has this chubbiness to it that does make appear quite young. I have no problems confusing her and her mom, though I did wonder just how young the mom was when she had her. So not surprised to find out she was a 15 year old mom. 

[alias1]

I thought that eager beaver conversation was incredibly awkward and strange.  I have never heard that phrase remotely associated with anything sexual.  It seemed really strange that Ellie would even think to make that comment, even as a joke.  Her mind works that way? 

[GreyBunny]

It was a stupid attempt at a joke.  Crappy writers.

 

When Mark went off about he cops not doing their jobs I wanted to punch him in the face.  They could have done their jobs better if he hadn't stonewalled them about where he was when Danny was killed.

[Guest]

Well, Broadchurch is reportedly getting a 2nd season. If the ratings are strong, I would think that Gracepoint could as well. I can't imagine that anything on network TV is done with only one season in mind. Whether that's a good idea or not is open for debate.

 

The mini-series format is gaining popularity.  This was billed as a '10-episode event'.  I could see Broadchurch and it being a mini-series like American Horror Story is.  Under the Dome was supposed to be a mini-series.  

[pasdetrois]

I watched the first four episodes last night. I haven't seen Broadchurch yet but probably shall. So I'm not spoilered at all.

 

I find the acting quite amateurish. Each character seems shoehorned into the scenes, with little connection between the actors. They just parachute in, roll out their lines, and move on. It's just very clumsy acting to me. The story pacing seems off as well, and I'm not engaged at all. Episode four was a bit better than the pilot, showing some improvement but not much.

 

Anna's cop, supposedly in line for the top job, lurches about all peeved at the new boss. She's overly emotional in almost every professional scene, then is cool as a cucumber at home. I feel like I'm watching Skyler White all over again. Also, I'm distracted by her bad wig.

 

I'm also distracted by David T.'s apparent red dye job, which seems to have been applied over his naturally dark auburn hair. And the perfect, never-changing scruff, which looks bizarre for an American cop.

 

I've seen two black people, a cop and the teenage boyfriend. The show has one of them entangled in some kind of murky drug story.

 

The teenage daughter is beyond annoying. It's really hard to get moody-teenager right, as so many young actors overdo it and cannot pull it off.

 

The actor who plays Anna's young son is doing a pretty good job.

 

The grieving mom's acting is OK sometimes, but I cringe each time she yells at her poor mother.

 

The grieving dad is practically somnambulent; he has such dead eyes. I thought his secret midnight affair was going to be with a man. Thus the stubborn secrecy.

 

Does every reporter ever have to be an annoying female?

[CooperTV]

I've seen two black people, a cop and the teenage boyfriend. The show has one of them entangled in some kind of murky drug story.

 

Mark Solano is obviously Hispanic, his daughter is biracial. The big city reporter is black/biracial, the CSI guy looks like he's Hispanic as well.

 

I'm also distracted by David T.'s apparent red dye job, which seems to have been applied over his naturally dark auburn hair. And the perfect, never-changing scruff, which looks bizarre for an American cop.

 

 

He's "rude and not ginger", as per usual.

[Ellaria]

Under the Dome was supposed to be a mini-series.  

 

Precisely...and now its a regular series. Don't get me wrong - I think that it should end after this season. 

[saber5055]

Another example of when, rude and anti-social though he may be, I sided with Carver during that entire awkward, WTF conversation with Mark's hookup. Like what the hell woman? Carver gave her zero indication he was interested in her life story, her reasons for hooking up with Mark or really any interest in anything about her at all and yet she just kept going and going and even sat down. She is annoying.

I thought that scene was so awkward, and her asking Carver if he's drunk dialing. She would have been the one serving him drinks so, no, he wasn't drunk because she knows he doesn't drink. Doesn't everyone nowadays fool with their phone while waiting for dinner? When she sat down, I got the impression she was coming on to him. Maybe so he would see how hot she was, the same way Mark sees her. Ha ha!

 

I am POSITIVE the coke was found under the floorboards in the daughter's room, not Danny's. That's why Miller was asking her about it and we got the "bought for the Seattle couple" story line. If it was found in Danny's room, we wouldn't have gotten that info, Danny being dead and all.

 

I'm with the poster who has been having trouble remembering names. I had to read here and watch four episodes before I could remember who was whom, and even now I'm not positive about names.

 

For a time, I thought the mom (Beth!) was the daughter and the daughter was the one pregnant. So it took me a while to figure out it was the mom, not the daughter, who was freaking out about no chips in the house.

 

LOVE the "rude not ginger" clip. Thanks for posting. For anyone wanting to hear David Tennant's real accent, he is the narrator on PBS's three-part penguin series that's been currently playing.

 

Anna Gunn is wearing a wig? It looks like the same hair Skylar had, except Skylar took better care of herself. Miller could use a brush and a mirror.

 

That police department is as huge as Chicago PD. Seems odd that a teeny tiny town where everyone knows your name would have that many cops. The newspaper appears to have three people working in it. It must be a weekly? And I beg to differ, but as creepy as everyone is in Gracepoint, small town people would know about EVERYTHING that happened there. Trust me, I live in a small town. So creepy trailer woman would be known as just that, Creepy Trailer Woman.

 

Plus a kid getting killed wouldn't keep me from coming to watch the whale migration. There's hardly a town left anywhere where someone hasn't been murdered lately.

[Constantinople]

That police department is as huge as Chicago PD. Seems odd that a teeny tiny town where everyone knows your name would have that many cops.

If Gracepoint were a tiny town, it wouldn't have its own police department. The county sheriff's department might have a local office.

Gracepoint is large enough to have its own police department, but still "small" enough to be considered a "small" town. Of course, the question is small compared to what.

Gracepoint is supposed to be about half-way between San Francisco (population approx 837,000 in the city limits) and the Oregon border. In real life, Fort Bragg (population approx 7,300) is about half-way between SF and the border and has its own police department. It consists of a Chief, a Lieutenant, 3 sergeants & 10 officers. It also has 2 Community Services Officers, 2 Police Services Technicians and 1 Administrative Assistant (source: Fort Bragg's website).

But perhaps Gracepoint is supposed to be more like Eureka (population approx 27,000). Almost 4 times the size of Fort Bragg, but San Francisco is still 31 times larger than Eureka. It was a little harder to figure out Eureka's police size, but their latest report said they had 54 budgeted positions, and their Criminal Investigations Unit is overseen by a Detective Sergeant, and has 2 Senior Detectives, 2 Detectives, 1 other Detective assigned to the County Drug Task Force and a part-time Detective who works on forensics.

On the other hand, Eureka's Problem Oriented Policing (POP) unit seems pretty damned interested in drugs.

Edited October 25, 2014 by Constantinople