review of Broadchurch 2.1 

Broadchurch was back tonight with its second season on BBC America, which seems not long at all after the first, but that\'s because the American remake Gracepoint, with David Tenant also in the lead, was actually on just this past December.  And seeing Broadchurch again tonight made me realize, among other things, how much better Broadchurch was and is than Gracepoint, which is saying a lot, because Gracepoint definitely had its moments.

The two series had virtually the same narrative until the end, with the killer in Broadchurch being DS Ellie Miller\'s husband, and in Gracepoint being the boy\'s father.   I thought Broadchurch had the more meaningful and original ending at the time - the cop\'s spouse as killer is something I don\'t recall seeing before - and the second season picks right up on this, with a stunner of its own:  Joe Miller is pleading not guilty to the crime he confessed to.

This sets up what will no doubt be a powerful part of this second season, the battle in the courtroom and among lawyers over Joe and his plea.  Charlotte Rampling on hand - or brought in - to play the Crown Prosecutor is a great addition, promising some compelling drama in the trial and its attendant machinations.

But that\'s just part of this second season, which also brings us back to DI Hardy\'s previous case, the shadow of which loomed large over his investigation into the death of Danny.   It looks as if we\'ll get to see much more about this case now - including Hardy clean shaven in a flash back - which is welcome indeed, as this looks to be a riveting story, too.

And, we learn that there\'s apparently more to the story of Danny\'s death than we saw last season, as well. Although it\'s not likely that Joe confessed to save someone else - though you never really know for sure, in this age of cinematic unreliable flashbacks - there\'s more of this story here to be told, with parts by who knows what familiar and unfamiliar characters in this cursed town, which should make for a harrowingly winning season.

Broadchurch has a brooding, almost symphonic pace in a discordant key, and I\'m very much looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

See also Gracepoint Debuts: Deja Vu with a Vengeance ... Gracepoint Finale: Satisfying and More Realistic in the End

And see also  Broadchurch: Powerful Viewing ... Broadchurch 1.2: Brooding Excellence ... Broadchurch 1.3: The Spy ... Broadchurch 1.4: The Unusual Suspects ... Broadchurch 1.5: Good Loving and Almost Loving ... Broadchurch 1.6: "A Break from Being Sad" ... Broadchurch 1.7: Missing Links ... Broadchurch Season 1 Finale: "Lying Next to the Murderer"

Labels: Broadchurch, Charlotte Rampling, David Tenant, Gracepoint, television

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Paul Levinson, PhD, is Professor of Communication & Media Studies at Fordham University in New York City.  His 8 nonfiction books, including The Soft Edge (1997), Digital McLuhan (1999), Realspace (2003),  Cellphone (2004), and New New Media (2009, 2nd edition 2012), have been the subject of major articles in the New York Times, Wired, the Christian Science Monitor, and have been translated into 12 languages. His science fiction novels include The Silk Code (1999, ebook 2012), Borrowed Tides (2001), TheConsciousness Plague (2002, 2013), The Pixel Eye (2003), The Plot To SaveSocrates (2006, ebook 2012), and Unburning Alexandria (2013).  His short stories have been nominated for Nebula, Hugo, Edgar, and Sturgeon Awards.  Paul Levinson appears on "The O'Reilly Factor" (Fox News), "The CBS Evening News,"  “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” (PBS),  “Nightline” (ABC), NPR, and numerous national and international TV and radio programs. His 1972 album, Twice Upon a Rhyme, was re-issued in 2009 (CD) and 2010 (remastered vinyl). He reviews the best of television in his InfiniteRegress.tv blog, and was listed in The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Top 10 Academic Twitterers” in 2009.

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