Gracepoint Episode 1.1 (SPOILERS)

SPOILERS

So, just getting this out of the way right now – I haven’t seen Broadchurch, the series that Gracepoint was based on.  I’m not going to watch it until after Gracepoint either, because I want to base this series on its own merit, instead of comparing the two.  Plus, I guess David Tennant said that he’s not sure how this one’s going to end, so it won’t be the same as Broadchurch.

Gracepoint is a very idyllic California town, and Anna Gunn, a local police officer, comes back from vacation to find that her promotion went to a new guy with a new accent.  It’s weird hearing Tennant with an American accent.  We first see him brushing off a complaint from a local who says that hunters cut his fence to hunt on his land.  Carver (Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Anna Gunn) don’t exactly have a harmonious relationship.  He’s an outsider who took her job, and he’s kind of a dick to her, and obviously thinks she’s too close to the whole situation to be objective.

So, a young boy named Danny Solano winds up dead on the beach.  His parents think he just went to his Wildlife club in the morning and forgot his lunchbox.  Nobody had checked on him since 9pm the previous night, when he was found in his room, reading.  When the ME checks the body, his time of death points to between 10pm and 4am.  The CSU dude also points out that he didn’t jump, or he wasn’t pushed from the cliffs above where his body was found, and the rock fall was staged.  He was hit in the head with a blunt object, and had faced his killer, but was not sexually assaulted.  There’s no sign of forced entry to the house, so really – anyone is a suspect.

A local reporter, Owen, goes to the beach, and sees the older sister of the victim (named Chloe), go to the beach and leave behind a small stuffed monkey at the scene.  The monkey came from Danny’s bed.  Owen is also Ellie’s nephew, and he posted the info on Twitter before the police were ready.  It goes all the way to the San Francisco Globe, where it’s picked up by a reporter named Renee.  Apparently she knows Carver.  She worked on the paper in Rosemont when Carver worked there, and she’s surprised that he got a job again.  The police Captain also mentioned something about Rosemont, so maybe he’s corrupt or something (or a murderer???)

Ellie tells her son, who was Danny’s best friend, about the death.  The kid acts sad and wants to be alone, but as soon as his mom leaves the room, he deletes all the messages on his phone, and also deletes his hard drive.  Hmmmmmmm….

Renee arrives in town, and Own keeps it a secret from his boss, who he’s already in deep shit.  Renee also steals the monkey that Chloe left behind at the beach.  She goes to the press conference, where Carver is addressing the whole town, telling them not to lie.  He urges them to tell the truth, no matter what, because the killer can’t hide.  Of course that’s not going to happen, or this show would be over in two episodes.

Ellie pulls some video surveillance, and sees that Danny was skateboarding down the middle of Main Street at night, so he wasn’t abducted.  Also, his cell phone and skateboard have yet to be accounted for.

Like I said, I haven’t seen Broadchurch, but I imagine that all this stuff so far is very similar.  It definitely has the Twin Peaks vibe going along with it, where the main character is an outside cop in a town full of suspects.  Though, minus the weird Lynchian angle.  The acting has been solid so far, and I want to be succinct with the review, but then again, in these kinds of shows, anything could be a clue.  I’m definitely liking this more than The Killing, which I totally gave up on after a few episodes because I just didn’t care.  I care about this one.

And, please don’t be a dick and go on about how Broadchurch did this and that.  Keep the experience alive for people like me, who haven’t seen Broadchurch, or for people who HAVE seen it, but want to judge Gracepoint on its own merits.