Marcella - General Discussion

[Meredith Quill]

Your Marcella Topic!

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

After 11 years’ absence away from the force, DS Marcella Backland finds herself drawn back to police work following the return of the Grove Park Killer, her last case before she left to start a family. In 2005, the killer tied the victims’ hands and feet with cable ties before taping a plastic bag around their heads. The case went cold. But now, over ten years later, it seems he has returned.

[yeswedo]

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In her desperate hunt for Matthew, Marcella questions Henry at his home. Meanwhile, the pressure mounts on Jason as Tim's investigation into the murder of Andrew Barnes gathers pace, and the killer is finally revealed, causing shockwaves among the entire team.

[yeswedo]

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Mo confronts Marcella after finding his brother dead, while the detective has her doubts as the police continue to investigate Yann. Tim starts to look into the curious circumstances surrounding the death of Andrew Barnes, bringing him into contact with Jason.

[yeswedo]

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An aborted attack on an elderly man gives the police a new lead in the Grove Park killings, while Marcella tries to track down the taxi driver from outside Grace Gibson's house, fearful that he saw her on the night of the murder.

[yeswedo]

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Grace's body is discovered by the police and Marcella tries to keep her head and hide the fact that she was one of the last people to see her alive. Sylvie is distraught at the loss of her daughter and her dismay is further compounded when she learns that Grace and Jason were having an affair, while Henry tries to find comfort with his friends Matthew and Yann. Meanwhile, Peter is released from open prison and makes a beeline for Maddy, who lies to him about having a boyfriend.

[yeswedo]

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The Gibson family are in a state of panic when Grace is discovered missing, and Marcella tries to make sense of the previous evening's events, scouring CCTV footage in an attempt to discover more about her disappearance. Cara returns home from her latest job, in which she has stolen a watch, some earrings and a bracelet, but is unaware of their significance and the danger she's put herself in, with all of the items recognisable as trophies taken by the Grove Park Killer.

[Primetimer]

The Wheel of Murder returns to London for a modern-day mind-trip police procedural.

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[jtb34]

I'm two episodes in, and I'm just waiting for the kids to go back to school so I can watch the rest!

[TeslaNewton]

I binged the first four episodes and can't wait to see the rest next week. I'm trying to resist looking at spoilers because I really want to know what's going to happen!

[withanaich]

I'm so glad I read this, because the show sounds right up my alley! The way Netflix described it, it sounds completely ridiculous and I had written it off even though I like Anna Friel.

[ichbin]

Glad there will be a second series.  This was one of the few series in recent times that actually kept me guessing for quite a while.  

[Valny]

I binged the first four episodes and can't wait to see the rest next week. I'm trying to resist looking at spoilers because I really want to know what's going to happen!

I've watched the first four also,I was hooked after the first,but I had a feeling just by reading a review about it I would, these kinds of series are up my alley for sure.
Unlike other series I've watched lately, you don't know who the killer (killers?) is... and this one they are throwing a bunch of suspects our way. I'm actually having a little trouble remembering who all the characters are.... but that's not unusual with my short term memory anyway. It does make it more interesting though because as it goes along I'm thinking maybe it's this person... no wait it could be that one... or maybe those two!
Anyway, I am looking forward to how it all unfolds, there's still a lot more to reveal at this point.

I had read the actress who played Edith on Downtown was in this, so that was kind of a nice surprise? I just never saw her in anything else so that was interesting to see her in current times instead of the 1920's garb. That was a funny comment in the above review about wanting to kill her in this too! Ha, there *is* just something about her character right?! I think I just wanted to shake her and say what the hell are you doing?!

Definitely want to know more about Friel's character, she quite different than most you'll see.

Nothing beats the intensity and overall greatness of season one's Happy Valley though.Nobody can touch Sarah Lancashire's performance. Nope, not in my book.
I highly recommend it if anyone hasn't checked it out, you will NOT be disappointed.
(and I've seen it FOUR times!)

[alitris]

One of the most stressful things that's ever happened to me was watching the last minute of episode 8 at 4:30 in the morning lying in my bed in the dark. Holy crap.

Your piece is terrific and exactly right. You managed to do what I could not and stop before 4:30 in the morning.

[Valny]

One of the most stressful things that's ever happened to me was watching the last minute of episode 8 at 4:30 in the morning lying in my bed in the dark. Holy crap.

Your piece is terrific and exactly right. You managed to do what I could not and stop before 4:30 in the morning.

Oh awesome, so that last ep has a holy crap moment or two? Now I am REALLY looking forward to that!

[spaceghostess]

Over the past two months, I've mainlined all seasons of Luther, Happy Valley, and The Fall. I'm a little scared of Marcella . . . and I can't wait to start it tonight.

[Valny]

I'm just glad the dog lived!  :)

[cardigirl]

I guess I didn't find it all that compelling. I get rather tired of the old "we've looked at him, he's not a suspect, stop bothering him/her/me about it" when of course, the main character is right. The police work never really rang true for me. Plus, I hate when a character is described as "the best ______ I've ever worked with."  No one else on the force is capable?  Okay. 

But then, I didn't enjoy The Fall, either. Guess I'll watch Happy Valley, and see if I like that better.

Edited July 17, 2016 by cardigirl

[zxy556575]

So many murders, so many possible killers/copycat killers, so many different plot threads.

I'm hanging in mostly to see if Marcella really did murder Grace, which would be tricky to prove otherwise at this point. She knew where the body was buried so at least had to have witnessed the whole thing. Danged blackouts!

I like the female detective with the Bob's Big Boy haircut and the gay step-brother. Everyone else, not so much.

Are we supposed to make anything out of Sylvie being so much older than her husband?

Not sad about Maddy and her bull-headed refusal to listen to warnings. Her boyfriend deserved better, though.

How dare Jason, after outright telling Marcella he didn't love her any more, creep back into her bed every time he has an emotional setback. Marcella is messed up but somehow I blame her less for this particular stupidity even though she could easily have said no.

Edited July 17, 2016 by lordonia

[leighdear]

I watched the series a couple of weeks back when it dropped, and thought it was pretty good as well.  Also glad to see another "season" is in the works.  I'm a sucker for a fairly smart law enforcement procedural, and throw some UK or European folks in, and that absolutely works for me.  

[mjc570]

I've just seen the first episode, but I have to say, I didn't really like it.  For one thing, I am not a fan of the rogue/special snowflake detective, which is clearly our protagonist.  I do like how the other detectives don't care, and just keep putting her in her place, at least until her special awesomeness inevitably overwhelms them.  I aslo have no sympathy for her extreme reaction to her husband leaving her.  And, just to complete my rant, I just don't think Anna Friel is all that good an actress, much as I loved Pushing Daisies.  Everybody else is great.

I kept thinking of Damages, with the tub scene opener.  I assume we're supposed to be intrigued as to where she is and how she got there.  I guess we're also supposed to be interested in her blackouts.  Well, I'm not really, because I don't care about or for her.

I'll watch another episode or two, just to see if the show goes in an unexpected direction.  I hope so, and that I was doing it an injustice by posting this after watching just this episode.

[zxy556575]

Who did Marcella hallucinate was in bed with her at the end -- Henry? One dead body with a foggy plastic bag over the head looks like another.

Not sure why Marcella buried Grace's body in the first place, blackout fugue state or not. And who shot the Middle Eastern taxi driver? That subplot kind of petered out, as did his brother breaking in and holding a knife to Marcella's throat. I guess she told him enough of "the truth" that he just left?

Quoting myself from episode four: "I like the female detective with the Bob's Big Boy haircut and the gay step-brother" -- how remarkably un-prescient of me!

Edited July 18, 2016 by lordonia

[Jellybeans]

Love this show!

I can't figure out who killed the taxi driver either.  And what about Jason, didn't he pay someone to murder as well?  Will that be addressed next season?  So much happened!

[zxy556575]

If anyone's interesting in trying to figure some of this stuff out, The Guardian has fairly thorough recaps from when it aired in the UK.

If you have time, the 100+ comments for each episode are pretty damned funny, mostly focused on plot confusion and how nobody knows what's going on. Sample, about who the killer might be: "I'm a beardy guy and don't have an alibi, so maybe it's me."

[LeGrandElephant]

I can't believe I watched this whole show. I think I just find the British accents soothing even when the show is about a serial killer and doesn't make any sense. 

Edited July 21, 2016 by LeGrandElephant

[stillshimpy]

Yes, that was mainly a chaotic mess that asked the ever adorable Anna Friel to leap tall implausibilities with a shaky plot vaulting pole.  

Apparently, the writers were afraid to include one even passably good human being in the mix and so had Jaime Bamber's Tim turn out to be a complete shit, rather than a rather pathetic suitor of a longtime crush.   Jason's appeal was almost entirely lost on me because I like people who seem to have a pulse.  

I oddly enjoyed it, for all that it was a giant cup of they-expect-me-to-buy-this? Mostly because I do like Friel.  I like the actor playing Laura too, but I do think the series over-committed to the Noir gig.  Nary a ray of sunshine or glimpse of human decency to be seen.  

[zxy556575]

Well, we were warned! From Al Lowe's Wheel of Murder series: "Even season one of Happy Valley, the most muscle cramping show I have seen in years, had moments of levity. ... Marcella ain't got any of that. It's straight on through to the other side of Angstville and then back again on a loop."

Despite everything, I liked the show very much. The Guardian did recaps and the amusing comments section kept me chuckling -- it's always fun when others reflect your squinched-up face: "Wha? Seriously, what is happening?"

The dumbest sticking point for me is that the title and protagonist's name, with the "ch" pronunciation, comes off as Hispanic/Latin to my ear and I get it confused with another show I'm watching, the telenovela Queen of the South. I said it was dumb!

[stillshimpy]

I think the biggest "Whaaaaaaat?" for me was tiny Anna Friel, who is the size of doll's teacup, not only manages to so thoroughly kick Henry's ass in a fugue state that she gets the complete, near-murder drop on him, but that she did so .....and then found his zip ties, duct tape and plastic bags.   I also enjoyed it, but it was more like satire than a straight drama.  

Marcella nearly murders a suspect and is told "go home!" ....and manages to finagle another part of a day rather than being clapped in actual irons for you know, attempted murder.  This from a justice system that allowed a burglar to sue a couple he was trying to rob, because he was injured while falling through their skylight (in fairness, I have no idea if he won or not) .  

I think my favorite "okay, I think they have to be trying to for dark comedy in some of this...." had to be the equally joyless children who reacted to their parents divorce with boredom.  Or the psychiatrist who listens to Marcella describe fugue states in which she may have done god knows what and is all nonchalant about the "Yup, anyone's guess what you get up to, you'll never know.....see you whenever, nothing urgent here....blackouts, thems the breaks.  Violent ones?  Well, only to be expected.  Our time for today is up" rather than calling in an entire team of psychiatrists and readying a trebuchet's worth of anti-psychotics  to throw at the problem, because she's just that chill about the possibility of "poses potential harm to others" and instead is all, "Interesting.  Well, cheerio!" 

So I actually did find value in it and there were a few hairy, scary moments in it.  I also just kind of liked that the showrunners went with "Yeah, suspend your disbelief here, we are so not going for realism" while Friel stomps around in an ever present parka that is the strangest character note of them all, because it just made her look child sized throughout.  

Edited July 29, 2016 by stillshimpy

[zxy556575]

That parka should have had top billing in the credits.

[jtb34]

  On 7/16/2016 at 9:10 AM, alitris said:

One of the most stressful things that's ever happened to me was watching the last minute of episode 8 at 4:30 in the morning lying in my bed in the dark. Holy crap.

Your piece is terrific and exactly right. You managed to do what I could not and stop before 4:30 in the morning.

Oh awesome, so that last ep has a holy crap moment or two? Now I am REALLY looking forward to that!

Oh, so very holy crap! I could not believe it.

[Valny]

2 hours ago, jtb34 said:

Oh, so very holy crap! I could not believe it.

You were right. I jumped out of my skin when

Spoiler

Marcella turns and sees the dead body in her bed!

[Flannery Tanner]

Sylvie is a horrible person. Very punchable. I can't stand her.

Cara doesn't seem to have an overly developed sense of self-preservation.

[Flannery Tanner]

Oh, Maddy Maddy Maddy.

When Marcella found Grace's body in the woods, did she uncover it to make it easier to find? That would be... not smart. And she put her fingerprints all over the plastic bag, too.

It's interesting that she has such a strong need to be involved in the case, even though she's pretty sure she killed one of the victims. She's not just there to cover her own tracks, though, and I don't think she thinks she'll discover that she's somehow innocent.

[Flannery Tanner]

It's clear she wants Jason back (or at least she did before she learned of Grace's pregnancy), and Jason knows that, so to sleep with her is a really cruel thing to do. Plus he was a dick about telling the kids, abdicating responsibility.

[Flannery Tanner]

So Marcella went to Grace's house and said, "you know my husband," and Grace let her in.

Where was she when Henry showed up and killed Grace? She had to still be there, right? Because why would she confront Grace, leave, then come back?

But if she was there, why didn't Henry see her?

[Jellybeans]

1 hour ago, Flannery Tanner said:

So Marcella went to Grace's house and said, "you know my husband," and Grace let her in.

Where was she when Henry showed up and killed Grace? She had to still be there, right? Because why would she confront Grace, leave, then come back?

But if she was there, why didn't Henry see her?

I have no idea.  Wish I knew.

[zxy556575]

It was never explained, but the speculation is that Marcella had her confrontation with Grace that escalated into physical violence. She left but when she came out of her fog at home, she had blood on her and didn't remember why. She went back to Grace's and discovered her dead, thought she might have done it and went into other dissociative state, then (very stupidly and unbelievably) removed the body.

The second theory is that Henry was already hidden/lying in wait in Grace's home. Marcella arrived, came to blows with Grace and did her blackout thing. Henry took the opportunity to kill Grace and Marcella later "came to" alone in the house with a dead person. She conveniently fugued out again and buried Grace.

[attica]

So many bad guys, you guys! So freaking many bad guys! In no particular order:

1. The Pole's boss
2. The Pole Bendek
3. The Pole's landlord Stuart
4. May's dad
5. Cara
6. Grace's dad/stepdad (whoever; I never quite got the dots connected on how-all the Gibsons were related)
7. Sylvie (okay, she was only a terrible 'rent and disreputable in business, which isn't quite criminal)
8. Cullen
9. Cullen's baker buddy
10.  Bonn (okay, just a shady cheater)
11. Jason (cheater, bad dad, financed offing Barnes, and still thought himself entitled to police M's sexual activity)
12. Cab Driver Brother (tortured Marcella) (and what ever happened to him?!?)
13. Tim the detective. Had to one-up the ex, didn't he? (Okay, not criminal. Still douchey.)
14. Henry (every time somebody named him in full, I flashed to the Laugh-in guy of the same name)
15. Marcella her ownself. Beating a car, beating her ex, beating up Grace, falsifying police records, faking DNA, attempted murder of Henry. etc,. etc, etc.

That's basically twice as many bad guys as episodes! Plus dead dogs and dead kids! This show was determined to be dark.

Sinead Cusack, who played Sylvie, is Jeremy Irons's missus (and Max Irons's mum; imo he looks so much like her). She also played Richard Armitage's mom in North and South.

I was sorta surprised that Harry Lloyd, who specializes in playing really oily dudes, got tapped to be the Big Bad. That seems counter-intuitive. 

All in all, despite some of the nutso loose ends left untied, I will watch S2.

[Thog]

I really enjoyed this series, though I'm skeptical about a second season. I loved the diversity of the cast, and the fact that the multiracial couple, the gay couple, and all the various people of different genders, races, and ethnicities  were just characters, not plot points. I loved that it asked a lot of questions, answered some big ones along the way, and left some open at the end but resolved most of the major issues (though I would like to know what happened to Hassan's brother). I loved the great acting, the actors who looked like real people, and the intersecting plot points. My biggest complaint is that I couldn't always tell all the characters apart - for a while I thought that Tim was May's father, and I didn't realize there was more than one bald character until one was in the morgue. The next time I watch a series with such a large cast, I want every character to wear a different colored hat.

[Kerrey92]

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My biggest complaint is that I couldn't always tell all the characters apart - for a while I thought that Tim was May's father, and I didn't realize there was more than one bald character until one was in the morgue. The next time I watch a series with such a large cast, I want every character to wear a different colored hat.

Wordy McWorderson....

Had to text my Scottish friend who recommended the show to me and ask her why in the heck all the British people look the same.  I didn't realize the guy blackmailing Jason was the same guy at Benak's landlord until he handed him the suitcase of money.  

I am thinking that the whole show was a convoluted mess but I really did like it.  The woman who played Marcella was just amazing.  When she was crying at her son's talent show, it was just wonderful acting!

But after watching Happy Valley and Broadchurch and now this, I am wondering if the murder rate by serial killer in England isn't astronomical!!

[zxy556575]

1 hour ago, Kerrey92 said:

I am thinking that the whole show was a convoluted mess but I really did like it.

Crazy, right? None of it made much sense and I could barely follow the plot or characters, but I remained entranced.

[Irlandesa]

Yep.  Put me on the "convoluted mess" train.  I don't know if I would have been able to stick with it if it weren't bingeable or if there were more episodes or longer episodes but this was just about right.

But yes, it was very hard to follow at times.  There were so many characters without always much explanation about who they were and how they related to the plot.  And since there wasn't much explanation, they did start to blend together. It took me about an episode to realize that the original suspenct from 2005 was on some kind of weird work release program and not his own twin. And then as I figured them out, they started dying.

I also loved how this show did red herrings.  Usually they annoy me but for some reason they worked well here even if they hilariously would make it seem like everything was wrapped up until someone would say something not quite right that would send our lead into a new direction.

But hey, even though the brother always had a creep factor going for him, I was surprised it was him.  For some reason, I thought it'd end up being a cop. 

[zxy556575]

I think for me it came down to the character of Marcella, and that I was genuinely rooting for her. I wanted to know what the hell she did and how culpable she really was.

Girlfriend seriously needs to up her therapy appointments, though.

I'm pretty much a quitter and readily give up on shows that are needlessly convoluted, but I'd watch another season of this. Not sure how it would be continued except as a standard police procedural -- surely they couldn't repeat the amnesia plot.

[Deanie87]

On 9/6/2016 at 5:20 PM, lordonia said:

Crazy, right? None of it made much sense and I could barely follow the plot or characters, but I remained entranced.

I just binged the whole thing over the weekend and that's kind of where I am with it.  I kept anticipating the next episode, but after it was all said and done, I was like, "Wait...what?"  I think my biggest WTF was why Henry killed Grace.  I mean I guess we are just supposed to think that he is some kind of psycho but they never delved into at all.  I believed that the first serial killer just hated women, but I didn't get Henry's motivations at all.

I wasn't familiar with Anna Friel before but she reminded me so much of Debra Winger at times that it was distracting.

[Chaos Theory]

I just watched the first episode and I really enjoyed it.  I think I am going to call Marcella  Stalky McCopper.  I see her as less a rogue special snowflake (I hate that term) and more someone who is just crazy enough to understand all the other crazy.    I like the idea of Salky McCopper have serious rage issues.  Those are going to be fun.....plus blackouts?   

[zxy556575]

Welcome to the crazy, @Chaos Theory! This show makes no sense but can get under your skin -- I still wonder about some of the plot points months later.

The Guardian did recaps, but the best part for me was browsing the hundreds of viewer comments; everyone gets more verbose and intrigued as it goes along.

Now that I've said that, I think I may watch it again!

[Chaos Theory]

Is Stalky McCopper investigating her own crimes?  That would be interesting.   I pretty much figured Grace was dead.  Kinda surprised that her body was found so quickly.  

[Chaos Theory]

Quote

I think my biggest WTF was why Henry killed Grace

My understanding was that she was the favorite and got all the parental attention and good will.  It happens in some families one child is the golden child and the other the black sheep regardless if it deserved or not.  I think Henry killed Grace because he saw her as standing in his way of parental recognition.  It di work for awhile,  After Grace was murdered mom finally acknoldeged his worth and his accomplishments.  

Quote

I think for me it came down to the character of Marcella, and that I was genuinely rooting for her. I wanted to know what the hell she did and how culpable she really was.

I am actually kinda disappointed she wasn't all that culpable.  Then again she has lied and hidden evidence and there was that thing with her DNA test.  

I really disliked ex-husband guy.  He was a jerk.  Coming back to Marcella every time he needed emotional support but denying it to her.  Honestly I'd have gone all Kamakaze on his ass myself.  

[Guest]

On 7/17/2016 at 8:13 AM, lordonia said:

Are we supposed to make anything out of Sylvie being so much older than her husband?

I figured it's one more thing to show Sylvie gets what she wants, period.  And people flock to her feet, she's so rich and powerful.  

I'm going to put my theory in spoilers after the fact since it's the only theory here and I was right.  I'm thinking

Spoiler

Henry

is the killer.  And Marcella might have thought at the time it was Jason who killed Grace, so she hid the body in a fugue state.  

I was a little confused after 4 eps of not watching all that closely so I rewatched the first 3 and got the idea it's

Spoiler

Henry

, though I never solve these so it's probably

Spoiler

the new husband of Sylvie's,

or someone not even on my radar.  

Not terribly pertinent, but if Henry's Sylvie's stepson, and Grace is younger, does that suggest she married a man with a son (Henry), then had Grace with Henry's dad, then that husband left the picture and she married this new guy four years ago?  Hub #1 must've died for Henry to stick around under Sylvie's thumb, given how she hates him?  

I'm still confused who the guy Bendek lives with is, the one who has some illness that makes him wet himself and shake.  And what Bendek has to do with it.  

So the bakery owner was the guy who got stabbed with the scissors but he's not a killer, he was just robbing someone's house and that let Marcella realize Peter has been unsupervised for long spells all along?  

I'm afraid of London.  There's a lot of random crime in this show.  Bendek, Cara, the baker, Cullen, Clive Bonn, the new killer, the guys who beat Jason...

Edited December 18, 2016 by Guest

[Guest]

On 12/13/2016 at 7:39 AM, Winston9-DT3 said:

I'm thinking Henry is the killer.  And Marcella might have thought at the time it was Jason who killed Grace, so she hid the body in a fugue state.  

I was a little confused after 4 eps of not watching all that closely so I rewatched the first 3 and got the idea it's Henry, though I never solve these so it's probably the new husband of Sylvie's, or someone not even on my radar.  

Quoting myself shamelessly to celebrate having figured out some major things back in ep 4!  Woohoo!  I never do that.  Too bad I'm the only one is this forum, apparently.  Maybe there's some Netflix forum.  The streaming ones aren't too well attended here.