Gracepoint Vs. Broadchurch

[Guest]

The hiker is a new character, isn't he?

I was wondering that, too.  Plus since this Joe isn't bald, I wondered how they'd make him easily confused from a distance with Mark's assistant Vince.  And enter bald man #2.  But Lars should be a red herring, since we're half through and haven't even met him yet.  

[alias1]

The hiker is a new character, isn't he?

He's not a completely new character.  As I recall, the David Bradley character described a scene where he saw Danny and this person were having an argument.  But it seems to me in Broadchurch they never followed up on that.  Maybe it was in some of the missing scenes or maybe I'm not remembering it accurately.  They are making a lot more of this character in Gracepoint.

I was wondering that, too.  Plus since this Joe isn't bald, I wondered how they'd make him easily confused from a distance with Mark's assistant Vince.  And enter bald man #2.  But Lars should be a red herring, since we're half through and haven't even met him yet.  

Oh, good point about Joe and Vince not looking so much alike in this version.  Another reason to think they will change the identity of the killer.

[morgankobi]

I don't get why they have made some of the characters sooo physically similar to the original. Mainly Crazy-Trailer Lady and Vince. That is only done intentionally and reeks of copying as opposed to re-imagining, or whatever they are saying about this version.

I understand BBC America isn't totally mainstream, but plenty of people know and watch it. In this day of streaming and Hulu and Netflix, I just don't get the rationale of this re-make that's so similar to the just barely one-year old original.

[Guest]

I don't think they ever pretended this was any major reimagining.  It's just an American version to use the story to make money for Fox.  Plenty of us watched both versions.

[HermitsUnited]

I was hoping Gracepoint would eliminate the character of a liaison officer since it was a waste of time.

 

I also hoped they would ditch the "we can't bury the body until we catch killer".  What happens when there's a cold case?  Is the body cold as well, placed in a freezer for decades on end?

That's a thing in Australia I'm pretty sure. There was a very high profile case of a missing boy who was murdered that happened here recently over a period of ten years (although the body was only found a year or so ago). The family had to wait several months before they were able to proceed to a funeral. In fact, the state was going to make them wait longer but they appealed to the police commissioner to let them bury their child.

 

I was wondering that, too.  Plus since this Joe isn't bald, I wondered how they'd make him easily confused from a distance with Mark's assistant Vince.  And enter bald man #2.  But Lars should be a red herring, since we're half through and haven't even met him yet.

Plus didn't Fox release a video right after the first episode "Have you just met Danny's killer" and it was literally just the scene where Mark walks down the street and says hello to everyone except Carver. Makes it likely that Lars is most definitely a very red herring ;)

 

Interesting points raised by lots of people (just binge read the thread). I'd agree that different ending isn't necessarily synonymous with different killer. After all, it really needs to be someone close to Ellie if it's still claiming kinship with Broadchurch. It strikes me that one big difference between American police and their British equivalents is that they carry guns in America. Is it possible we might see a shoot out at the end instead of a simple "handing oneself in"? Surely that would appeal to mass audiences as well? Particularly if slow-mo/angst isn't a big thing in America?

 

Like a couple of others here, I also suspected Joe quite early on in Broadchurch. He really had a lot of weird dialogue and I'll be watching the dinner party closely because that was when it really twigged with me that he was a very likely suspect. Of course, the "how could you not know" line in episode 6 or 7 cemented it. I suspect they're going to avoid Joe though. Not only does he not have a double (to explain Susan Wright's motivations) but Tennant and his co-stars have said it's different (surely they can't all be so duplicitous?).

 

I'm suspicious of Owen. He's a family member to Ellie but he's also the only person who has mysteriously lost cash recently. The $500 is really being harped on about and the fact that he essentially sought Ellie out to tell her he'd lost all his money strikes me as odd. Plus he doesn't seem to have any of the same motivations as Ollie had in Broadchurch.

[Guest]

I thought about Owen as the killer but he sure did act like he was Sherlock Holmes when he figured out it was Danny who died, from seeing Chloe on the beach with the stuffed toy.  

[SFoster21]

The father in Broadchurch had a puppy charm; this father just looks sleazy and underhanded to me. Can't imagine inn keeper getting gay with him.

[Eegah]

One little detail that I find amusing after starting to watch Broadchurch is the age tweaking on a few of the characters due to the different ages of consent in the two countries. As an American, it was already very weird to see a 15 year old girl being treated like Anna Nicole Smith for dating a 17 year old, and then the idea of a 40 year old man having a kid with a 17 year old girl is something perfectly normal and sympathetic, so I'm quite glad they didn't try to keep that.

Edited October 31, 2014 by Eegah

[Guest]

I figured Jack's wife story is still to come.  Didn't they leave us thinking he was a run of the mill pedophile in Broadchurch for a few episodes?

 

I forgot about his sad demise and am not anxious to relive it.  

 

Is the Joe character wearing a wig?  That's some thick hair.  Maybe he IS going to be the bald killer still.  

[Constantinople]

Sometimes actors who play a romantic couple don't have romantic chemistry.

Sometimes actors who play friends don't have friend chemistry.

I think the problem with Gracepoint is that it doesn't have, for lack of a better word, town chemistry. The characters in Gracepoint don't feel like they're part of a town. They just feel like they're a bunch of people who live in the same area. In contrast, Broadchurch felt like a town. Which isn't to say that everyone was besties with one another, but if they weren't, they had their established routines for avoiding or dealing with that.

[SFoster21]

Sometimes actors who play a romantic couple don't have romantic chemistry.

Sometimes actors who play friends don't have friend chemistry.

I think the problem with Gracepoint is that it doesn't have, for lack of a better word, town chemistry. The characters in Gracepoint don't feel like they're part of a town. They just feel like they're a bunch of people who live in the same area. In contrast, Broadchurch felt like a town. Which isn't to say that everyone was besties with one another, but if they weren't, they had their established routines for avoiding or dealing with that.

I agree with this; there's a disconnected feel to this series that wasn't present in the original.

[mjc570]

I totally agree with just about all of the above comments, especially the lack of "town connectedness."

 

One of the biggest problems I have with this show is the complete lack of charm/chemistry/personality of Mark, who even in his wedding picture was nowhere good looking enough to get to first base with track star Beth, much less impregnate her.  I guess I can fanwank that Beth was drunk or something, but that doesn't explain the inn-keeper.

[Constantinople]

One of the biggest problems I have with this show is the complete lack of charm/chemistry/personality of Mark, who even in his wedding picture was nowhere good looking enough to get to first base with track star Beth, much less impregnate her.  I guess I can fanwank that Beth was drunk or something, but that doesn't explain the inn-keeper.

Perhaps Gracepoint Mark has "The Kavorka".

[HermitsUnited]

Is anyone else finding the score for Gracepoint to be hugely disappointing? We keep getting all these slow-mo scenes, and although I enjoyed them in Broadchurch they simply irritate me in Gracepoint because the tone isn't right. The music doesn't have any melody. It's more rhythm than anything (and not particularly compelling at that). I hope they don't try the reveal scene with this score - it definitely wont work.

 

Totally agree that Gracepoint Mark is a poor substitute for Broadchurch Mark. Really poor choice in casting. And I've enjoyed Michael Pena in other things so it's not simply that he's "bad". Mark just isn't the role for him.

 

Tbh, I'm struggling with most of the cast. As mentioned above there seems to be a disconnect between them all. Although strangely, Joe Miller seems to be the exception. If it's still him, that dinner scene takes on an entirely different tone. Carver and Joe could have been best mates (in fact I thought DT worked better against Josh Hamilton than the Broadchurch counterpart!). I'm assuming that the killer is still going to be someone close to Ellie (there's a clip of a person rushing out of the hut which would only fit if it's someone who doesn't want Ellie to find them). But I do wonder what that preview clip with the bike and the hut was all about...Ellie looked devastated!

[Guest]

I don't feel like it's the cast (though I think Pena is no Mark, who was cute in the BBC version).  I feel like the writers have turned them all into dislikable people.  I didn't dislike anyone except maybe Susan in the original, in a 'love to hate her because she's supposed to be menacing' sort of way.  But this cast of characters are all kind of dislikable-- Emmett, Ellie, Gemma, Mark, Paul, Vince, Joe...  

 

I feel like they sat down and said, "Americans are shallow and will not click with a miniseries that is a quiet, thoughtful mystery with 'average joe' characters.  Let's ramp up their asshole quotient, for water cooler chatter potential."  

 

What used to be a subtle awkwardness between Ellie and Hardy, two flawed but sympathetic people, is now a "WTF" thing.  

 

I don't know, it just feels kind of anvilicious.  

[NorthstarATL]

So far Broadchurch's Susan Wright seems far more menacing than Gracepoint's Susan Wright.  For the moment I saw her in Broadchurch,  I said to myself that I wouldn't want to fuck with her, and for just about the entire series, she never did anything to alter that opinion, only reinforce it.  Whereas Gracepoint's Susan Wright more fragile on the outside.  That being said, so far I'm enjoying Gracepoint's Susan as much as Broadchurch's Susan.

Just had to chime in to agree with you on this! With almost every other substitution I can attempt to look at them as if I were seeing only the American version, and had nothing for comparison, but the most recent episode especially empahasized the Susan problem. In the original I actually feared for the newspaper owner because Susan was so menacing. In this one, I was assuming that the owner could bring Susan to tears by slapping her after making such a threat.

[HermitsUnited]

Just glanced at the No Spoilers Speculation thread. People seem to be heading down the Joe route. I can't tell if they're genuinely new to Gracepoint though or have been influenced by Broadchurch. Coincidentally they're referencing the same sort of scenes that led me to suspect Joe Miller whilst watching Broadchurch.

 

I'm very curious to know whether "different ending" truly means "different killer".

 

Were the Gracepoint cast kept in the dark about the killer's identity as well? Like on Broadchurch? It occurred to me the other day that it was a bit odd they didn't tell Joe Miller on day 1 that he was the killer. I thought it was a cool idea until I realised the killer would be behaving differently if he had done it....but instead I think it was purely script lines (and perhaps direction on how to deliver those lines) that gave the audience any hint that it was Joe. It'll be interesting to see if Gracepoint Joe tries to protect Jack. He's already had the sudden religious interest...

 

And finally, my whole family finds it hard to dislike Susan Wright in Gracepoint. We keep feeling sorry for her because Jacki Weaver looks so innocent!

[morgankobi]

Not that I really believed it, but wasn't this version supposed to have deviated from the original by this episode? (Around epi. 4, I thought.)

Edited November 4, 2014 by morgankobi

[Constantinople]

Not that I really believed it, but wasn't this version supposed to have deviated from the original by this episode? (Around epi. 4, I thought.)

The Broadchurch Millers vacationed in Florida

The Gracepoint Millers vacationed in Mexico (I think)

The Broadchurch innkeeper, or the actress, or both, is Australian

The Gracepoint innkeeper, or the actress, or both, is English

Broadchurch is near Wales

Gracepoint is near whales

The Broadchurch reporter from the big city is white

The Gracepoint reporter from the big city is bi-or-multi-racial

The Broadchurch male detective's stubble channels Miami Vice, a foreign television show first broadcast during the Thatcher administration

The Gracepoint male detective's stubble channels Miami Vice, a domestic television show first  broadcast during the Reagan administration

Peas and carrots.

In all seriousness, one of the only differences I can think of is the priest. In Gracepoint, he's a local who knew Beth and Mark in high school, moved away and then returned. In Broadchurch, I don't think he was a local or knew the Latimers as a teenager; I think he just moved to Broadchurch a handful of years ago when the parish was assigned to him. I'm not sure what the significance of this is.

The only other difference I can think of is that Broadchurch Joe Miller is bald, and Gracepoint Joe Miller isn't. So if you spot a bald man in the distance, you won't likely think it was Gracepoint Joe.

[Maelstrom]

Since we're halfway through Gracepoint, thought I'd chime in with my 2¢ awhile. I watched Broadchurch when it aired on BBCA last year, mainly because David Tennant was in it. But while I started watching it for him, I kept watching it for Olivia Coleman. She did a phenomenal job as Ellie, and I came to think of Broadchurch not as Hardy's story, but as Ellie's. And OC owned every single scene.

 

So when I heard there would be an American remake, I was wary. Broadchurch was a quiet, thoughtful study of a small town and its inhabitants (and quiet and thoughtful aren't words generally associated with American tv). And I thought it a really strange move to cast Tennant as the male lead but recast the role of Ellie. And since Olivia Coleman was my favorite part of Broadchurch, I didn't think anyone else could fill Ellie's shoes, for me.

 

That being said, I've enjoyed Anna Gunn more than I ever thought I would. I've never seen her in anything else, so I knew pretty much nothing about her. She'll never be Ellie in my mind like OC, but her Ellie is still the best part of Gracepoint. And David Tennant's American accent is respectable - I've certainly heard worse.

 

Where Gracepoint falls down for me is the rest of the cast. Overall the other actors aren't nearly as strong as their British counterpoints (though I enjoy watching Mr. Toad as Ellie's husband), with Beth and Mark being standouts in this regard. Whoever upthread said that they've never seen less sympathetic parents of a murdered child, I'm with you. I find Beth especially irritating. I keep wishing she'd just shut up already, which likely isn't what I'm supposed to be thinking. Also as mentioned elsewhere, Susan the dog lady seems horribly… out of place? Wrong? Miscast? Misdirected? I dunno what exactly it is, but she just doesn't jive, especially compared to British Susan.

 

While it could be interesting to contrast the feel of a small town in America vs. England, Constantinople and SFoster put it best - Gracepoint doesn't mesh as a community. There's no sense of that small town feel where everyone knows everyone else, and their business, at all times (which is what made the revelations within Broadchurch the series so shocking, or unbelievable depending on opinion). It feels like a bunch of pieces from different puzzles thrown together, and jammed into place with a hammer.

 

Also found it odd that some names were kept (Beth, Danny, Ellie, etc) and some were changed (Ollie to Owen, Nigel to Vince, etc). I suppose they decided to Americanize some of the more British-sounding names?

 

Random thoughts on what's coming up:

 

Even though I vastly prefer David Bradley to Nick Nolte as Jack, watching the upcoming witch hunt still won't be easy. Poor Jack.

 

I did love the dinner between Carver and the Millers, along with Joe's line "You're a terrible boss." I think that was the first time we've seen Carver laugh.

 

Still waiting to hear one of my two favorite lines: Ellie's "I will piss in a cup and throw it on you!" Though I have a sinking feeling it might not make it past the FOX censors. Sniff. (The other one being Tennant's "I hate the people, with their bloody smiley bloody faces," turning into "smiley friggin' faces." Hee.)

 

Am I the only one thinking that Hardy's heart problem was changed to diabetes for Carver?

[morgankobi]

Broadchurch is near Wales

Gracepoint is near whales

 

 

This is my favorite one, by far!

[Eozostrodon]

Mine too.

 

Btw 'piss in a cup' was improvised by Olivia, and they did a dozen takes with her coming up with different lines each time!

[Maelstrom]

Eozostrodon, thanks for sharing! Yet another reason that Olivia Coleman is awesome. :)

[Constantinople]

I generally preferred Broadchurch Jack to Gracepoint Jack.

 

However, due to coincidence of timing, Broadchurch Jack had the advantage of recently portraying Walder Frey in Game of Thrones, which made Broadchurch Jack's background, and the town's suspicion of him, very credible.

 

Plus, I thought the mob scene was better in Broadchurch than Gracepoint.

[Guest]

I'm beginning to think every scene was better in Broadchurch than Gracepoint.

[GreyBunny]

Broadchurch is a town full of horrible people.  Gracepoint is a town full of horrible and terminally stupid people. 

 

Broadchurch > Gracepoint  (but I wouldn't want to live in either place).

[Automne]

I hope the next episode of Gracepoint has the verbal smackdown from the priest that Broadchurch had over the mob mentality that led to Jack's suicide. I really enjoyed that. Though I might not enjoy it as much in Gracepoint as I did in Broadchurch because Arthur Darvill is much less smarmy.

[alias1]

Regarding Joe not being bald.  In one scene I'm pretty sure Vince had on a knit hat that covered his entire head and you wouldn't really know if he was bald or not.  If Joe had on one of those knit hats he could be mistaken for Vince.  Although I don't think they look alike physically. 

 

So far Gracepoint has been exactly like Broadchurch, which has been a disappointment.  I agree with everyone who says these people don't seem to have a real connection.  And Olivia Coleman was so good in the Ellie role it's hard for me to like Anna Gunn.  I sound like a broken record on that point.  And David Bradley was so much better than Nick Nolte.  And I had never seen David Bradley in anything.  He was just terrific.  I was really hoping they wouldn't do the same story again with Nick Nolte. 

[MaryPatShelby]

 

 

I'm suspicious of Owen. He's a family member to Ellie but he's also the only person who has mysteriously lost cash recently. The $500 is really being harped on about and the fact that he essentially sought Ellie out to tell her he'd lost all his money strikes me as odd. Plus he doesn't seem to have any of the same motivations as Ollie had in Broadchurch.

He sought out Ellie to tell her that because it was his mom, who is also Ellie's sister, that cleaned him out apparently due to her drug addiction/relapse.  It wasn't mysterious, he came right out and told her, and I don't think Danny's $500 has anything to do with Owen and his mom.

Edited November 8, 2014 by buffylew

[staveDarsky]

Thank you for pointing out that the town is missing its chemistry on Gracepoint. Great way to describe it. I too find the show overall unengaging where Broadchurch was. I've been catching up with a lot of David Tennant's previous work and my biggest criticism is that we're missing the emotion he normally puts into his portrayals. Makes it hard for the audience who don't know his work to appreciate him. I wonder why they focused on Carver being from California over another US region where the accent is more pronounced, which would have given Tennant a better chance of adopting it. Or, how hard would it have been to say Carver was Canadian born? That could have backed up the "fish out of water" aspect of Carver. But I also think they should have really changed up the look between Hardy and Carver. Tennant can look strikingly different between his roles, and a change in look might have also helped him focus more on having a spark in Carver and not worrying about the accent.

As for Ellie, Olivia Colman was not only an everywoman, but also lacking some confidence. The audience rooted for Colman's Ellie because of that. Anna Gunn's Ellie, is tall and blond. If her marriage does break up, it's easy to imagine the American Ellie going right out and landing another guy immediately. I don't feel sympathy for her or protective of her as I do of Colman's Ellie. 

[Constantinople]

Back in the TWoP Broadchurch thread (RIP), someone pointed out that just because Jack killed himself, doesn't mean he was necessarily innocent.  The police couldn't just stop there and assume he was innocent.

 

I'd say the same about Gracepoint Jack.  Not that Gracepoint Jack was a budding pedo in the way of Broadchurch Joe, but as far as I know, there's no corroborating evidence about where Jack was on the night of Danny's death.  Perhaps it was an accident, or perhaps Jack took a swing at Danny with a heavy flashlight before realizing who it was.  Gracepoint Jack might have returned Danny's cellphone to Danny's parents because Gracepoint Jack was in denial at the time.  Perhaps Gracepoint Jack killed himself because he admitted to himself that he killed Danny, and he couldn't bear the pain he was causing Danny's parents.

 

I don't think that's the case, but I don't think the police can just drop it either.  Though if they follow Broadchurch's lead, they will.

 

I'm not sure why I'm not posting this on the episode thread.  Perhaps an overabundance of caution.

[HermitsUnited]

So despite the big divergence in this week's episode I still can't shake Joe Miller as my prime suspect. Particularly after the way he behaved with Carver.

 

As for Tom, if the "Danny had a new friend" storyline is still the go I imagine Tom snuck off to stake out the hiker's house because he might have thought the hiker was Danny's new friend. Although his reaction when his mum asked him if he was sad about Danny at Jack's funeral was a bit weird.

 

Having Carter's daughter was a cool addition.

 

The Susan and Vince story still seems very much on track. All her lines still point to her thinking he's done it and him just being like who is this strange/creepy woman stalking me and claiming to be my mum.

 

Based on the preview for next week episode 8 looks set to conclude with the hut scene. Considering episode 6 finishes the same way in Broadchurch is it possible that the last 2 episodes will be back in line with Broadchurch? Not entirely sure we've diverged that much expect to get a "missing Tom" storyline which I suspect isn't going to go very far. It seems too late in the piece to do much with it. Particularly since we still have to deal with Creepy Susan, Vince AND the priest. 

 

Mark's line about it possibly being someone right in front of their noses was very telling...

 

My money is on same killer with a shoot-out at the end. What's everyone else thinking?

[Constantinople]

And of course how annoyed would the tv audience be if in episode 10 they revealed that the killer was the likable guy who killed himself in episode 5 and wasn't a pedophile at all.  Heh.  

 

I think that would awesome, and I still hope that happens.

 

But I don't think it will.

[GreyBunny]

I hope it is Joe because Ellie is the worst cop in California and it would serve her right if her own husband were the culprit.  

[happyhumanist]

I think it's the priest. His role is much larger and different here. Just a hunch.

[Ellaria]

I began watching Gracepoint because of the great things that I heard about Broadchurch. And because of the casting of Anna Gunn and David Tennant.

 

What a disappointment! There is little in Gracepoint that I find compelling. So, on a quiet Saurday night, I decided to watch Broadchurch. I am only through Episode 5 but the difference is like night and day.

 

Thank you for pointing out that the town is missing its chemistry on Gracepoint. Great way to describe it. I too find the show overall unengaging where Broadchurch was. I've been catching up with a lot of David Tennant's previous work and my biggest criticism is that we're missing the emotion he normally puts into his portrayals. Makes it hard for the audience who don't know his work to appreciate him...

As for Ellie, Olivia Colman was not only an everywoman, but also lacking some confidence. The audience rooted for Colman's Ellie because of that. Anna Gunn's Ellie, is tall and blond. If her marriage does break up, it's easy to imagine the American Ellie going right out and landing another guy immediately. I don't feel sympathy for her or protective of her as I do of Colman's Ellie. 

 

Well said. Gracepoint appears to be some writer's notion of a small town and not what a small town actually feels like. There is depth to Tennant's Broadchurch performance that is missing in Gracepoint. And Anna Gunn is wrong for this role. (I thought that even before watching Colman.) Her constant look of shock and pain is not convincing.

 

I feel like the writers have turned them all into dislikable people.  I didn't dislike anyone except maybe Susan in the original, in a 'love to hate her because she's supposed to be menacing' sort of way.  But this cast of characters are all kind of dislikable-- Emmett, Ellie, Gemma, Mark, Paul, Vince, Joe...  

 

Agree. Overall, I prefer the British cast to the US one, particularly Mark and Beth...who are amazingly unsympathetic. All of the actors are trying too hard to look complicated or secretive. I am not getting "conflicted priest" from Gracepoint Paul just a high degree of creepiness. I usually love Nick Nolte but didn't care for his bluster. I much preferred David Bradley. (His performance may cause me to cut Walder Frey some slack.) 

 

Something went wrong with adapting this show to the US audience. Broadchurch is tense and sad and yet feels very real. Can't say the same for Gracepoint. I hope to finish the series today.

Edited November 16, 2014 by Ellaria Sand

[Ellaria]

What's weird to me is so many of the same people produced such a disappointing adaptation.  Same story, same writer, many of the same directors, same star.  But there it worked and here it largely fails. 

 

I just finished Broadchurch. Even though I knew the identity of the killer from reading this thread, the reveal and the subsequent events were quite emotional. Colman and Tennant were amazing. I will be very surprised if Gracepoint can deliver in the same manner. There was an atmosphere (a sense of dread, maybe) in those last few episodes that is largely missing in Gracepoint.

 

I also think that Joe will remain as the killer, especially after his angry confrontation with Carver. This is still Ellie's story. I am eager to see how Tom's disappearance will be woven into the story. Even though I am disappointed in Gracepoint to date, I will keep watching to see how they move towards the finale. 

[MaryPatShelby]

What a disappointment! There is little in Gracepoint that I find compelling. So, on a quiet Saurday night, I decided to watch Broadchurch.

 

 

 

On what platform were you able to watch Broadchurch? I would love to watch it a second time but haven't found it anywhere.

[Ellaria]

On what platform were you able to watch Broadchurch? I would love to watch it a second time but haven't found it anywhere.

Amazon Prime Video has it for purchase. I think it's about $13 for the series.

[limecoke]

Finally broke down and bought the series on Amazon Instant because I needed to see the scenes BBCA cut and, wow, they cut some very good scenes.  I just finished the last episode and was struck again how powerful and intense the acting was.  Olivia Coleman deserved every award she did or did not receive.  

 

Gracepoint is pretty good but isn't in the league of the original.

[Hero]

I never watched Broadchurch, but can someone tell me the reason Joe killed Danny? Thanks!

[GreyBunny]

Joe was a pedo who would periodically meet with Danny to "hug" him.  Danny had had enough and told Joe he was going to tell others what they were doing.  Joe panicked, pinned Danny against a wall and strangled him.  He then pitched his body off of the cliff.

[Hero]

Joe was a pedo who would periodically meet with Danny to "hug" him. Danny had had enough and told Joe he was going to tell others what they were doing. Joe panicked, pinned Danny against a wall and strangled him. He then pitched his body off of the cliff.

Thanks! It would be interesting to see who the killer for gracepoint will be. I'm leaning towards Tom or Vince.

[benteen]

I never thought the story was anything special on Broadchurch.  The police investigation wasn't exactly creative...pretty much Hardy and company investigating leads until they reached a dead end.  Eventually they solved the case kind of by default.  I can't remember how they did it to tell you the truth.

 

But to me the strength of the show was the acting.  Olivia Coleman turned in a career-making performance and David Tennant and David Bradley turned in some great work as well.  Broadchurch was a raw, realistic examination of grief too.

[Ellaria]

Joe was a pedo who would periodically meet with Danny to "hug" him.  Danny had had enough and told Joe he was going to tell others what they were doing.  Joe panicked, pinned Danny against a wall and strangled him.  He then pitched his body off of the cliff.

Wait...after he strangled Danny, didn't he carry him down to the boat and then bring him elsewhere on the beach away from the cabin?

So Tom's disappearance didn't contribute to the overall plot...other than to give Creepy Priest Paul more screen time. The Solano family continues to annoy; casting is wrong.

There was a brief moment in tonight's episode that makes me think that the killer will still be Joe. Mark and Joe were in the woods looking for Tom and Mark mentioned something about Danny having a bruise on his lip. The camera focused on Joe and the odd look on his face. (Maybe I'm looking for clues that aren't there.)

[alias1]

I think the killer will be same as in Broadchurch.  It sure looked like Joe who was running from Carver and Ellie.  And Tom said his dad was upstairs putting Dylan to bed and he thought his dad fell asleep.  I don't think so.

 

Also, in Broadchurch, Joe did not throw Danny's body off the cliff.  It was made to look like Danny fell off the cliff.  Joe actually stole a boat and took Danny to the base of the cliff where he placed Danny's body.  Thus the boat that they found burning.

 

Elaria Sand, we posted at the same time.

Edited November 21, 2014 by SierraMist

[GreyBunny]

Wait...after he strangled Danny, didn't he carry him down to the boat and then bring him elsewhere on the beach away from the cabin?

 

You're probably right about that. I just watched the episode once and some details have evaporated from my brain.  I just remember Joe was a pedo with a hug fetish.

[HermitsUnited]

Three interesting discrepancies I picked up tonight:

 

1) Carver's "dream" involved Tom Miller, Danny Solano, and ?Julie. Or was it the Rosemont victim? Whereas in Broadchurch the dream was a line up of his four suspects (Steve, Nige, Mark and Paul). Interesting that Carver's priorities seem to be the children this time around. Almost seems unusual for his character given how taciturn he has been in the last 7 episodes.

 

2) The "Ellie" scene occurred tonight. Interesting that the first time Carver uses Ellie's first name was now. In Broadchurch he didn't call her Ellie until he knew it was Joe. And that was a big moment. Perhaps it's a precursor for episode 10. But I thought it was interesting still. Once again, a different take on his character. Seems to care about the children much more than one might think. Particularly after his daughter's visit and accusation that he only ever cared about other people's children.

 

3) Tom asked Owen about computers. Understandable given Paul Coates doesn't take IT class in Gracepoint, but still interesting. Seemed very random to ask Owen...particularly when he was happy to bash the computer (quite loudly) outside his own house...There's no way the Dad didn't hear that happening...

 

Did anyone spot anything else?

 

Still think it is Joe. He's hitting all the same scenes that made me suspect him in Broadchurch. Although I did initially think the person leaping out of the hut was shorter than Ellie (thus possibly Owen) but I'm not so sure. I'm wondering if it'll end in a shoot out. In which case I feel badly for Det. Carver. The promo for 2 weeks time looks like he's lost his firearm :S

[miles2go]

I'm starting to agree with those who think the killer is going to be the same as in Broadchurch.  Most of the clues seem to point in that direction.  Still, I'm really wondering about Tom.  The reasons he gave for running off like that don't seem very credible to me.  I wonder what he was really up to?

[HermitsUnited]

Strangely I thought the reasons Tom gave were almost credible. There's been a bit of a theme about parent/children relationships in Gracepoint, and after the scenes with Carver's daughter last week Tom's story seemed to mirror it almost. So I've discounted that little trip. I think it was purely put in to provide a cliff-hanger and extra material for that episode. Because what do you know...tonight we're back with Tom being suspicious with his phone and laptop again.

 

ETA: I'd love to have seen Olivia Colman do a missing Tom scene though. I think that really would have been something to watch!

Edited November 21, 2014 by HermitsUnited