‘GRACEPOINT’ TV Pilot Review

A 10-episode limited series starring David Tennant…

The limited series on FOX titled Gracepoint is a 10-episode remake of the British series Broadchurch— while some of you might say it’s the same, well, you got one of them right— stars David Tennant in the lead role, but in this series he plays Emmett Carver with an American accent. While the pilot is nearly scene-by-scene as the original, doesn’t help, but as the cast, producers and Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall have promised a different ending, with many twists and two extra episodes.

The series opens with Tennant’s Carver who comes to town and snatches a promotion from up-and-coming Detective Ellie Miller played by Anna Gunn. She learns the news as soon as he comes back from her two-week vacation, and reacts appropriately— crying in the ladies bathroom. Despite the immediate hostility they quickly learn that they must work together in a case— Danny Solano, best friend of Ellie’s son, who is found murdered in a beach. Through the rest of the episodes, we follow the journey of finding the identity of the killer.

It’s a premise that hooks you instantly for those of you who haven’t seen the original show and to those who have seen it, well, you’ll probably want to see Tennant once again. The show relies on a small-town feel. Everybody knows each other and everybody is a suspect. Danny’s father, Mark, played by Michael Pena is seen strolling through the town in the first shot where the camera follows him without any cuts. This clearly tell us this was a one shot scene. Besides everyone seeing each other, like Ellie’s reporter nephew Owen played by Kevin Zegers who can’t sit on a headline, or the out-of-town reporter Renee played by Jessica Lucas, the one link to Carver and his shady past.

Again, everybody is a suspect which makes it harder to swallow. As a viewer, you will immediately notice characters with subtle glances or nervous ticks in a way you probably wouldn’t for in procedurals. But as with any character study, you also need to take it for what it is— a slow burn look at what happens to people when place in terrible situations.

There are beautiful, sprawling and juxtaposed backdrops against the morbid situation that is right in front of us. Plenty of slow-motion spots highlight the angst of these characters feelings in key situations. The camera angles play with mixed panned shots and close-ups to capture body language and crumpling faces for variety.

No doubt that Tennant’s American accent can be distracting at times, especially for fans familiar with his body of work. Still, he remains of the reasons why many people will tune in. We’re as interested in learning more about this mysterious background related to solving Danny’s murder, and his private character is a nice contrast to the otherwise open and friendly residents. Nothing is more obvious than when he’s working with Ellie, leading to some interesting scenes with Tennant and Gunn, who have an amazing dynamic chemistry.

“We will catch whoever did this.”

Who do you think killed Danny Solano?