Gracepoint: a very pretty town with many dark secrets
Gracepoint is a quiet ocean side Californian town, preparing for tourist season. The first few scenes establishes that everyone knows everyone. A police detective returns from her vacation to what she thinks is a promotion only to find that an out-of-town detective (David Tennant) has that job. And then a child’s body is found on the beach.
The joys of working with the guy who took your promotion (Photo courtesy of Fox)
Unlike most procedurals, Gracepoint starts with a very slow burn. It lingers on the emotional ramifications of a crime, and how it affects an entire community. Everyone has goals. Everyone has needs. Everyone might be a suspect.
And no matter what time of day, a silhouette looking out over the ocean is cinematically beautiful.
Filmed in Sidney, British Columbia, the story focuses on Detective Ellie Miller, played by Anna Gunn, best known as Breaking Bad‘s Skyler White. In the first episode we see her as a cop, when she’s pissed off at herself over an error, and as a mom having a very difficult talk with her son. In contrast, Emmett Carver, the new cop, remains a mystery, but we learn his involvement raises a reporter’s eyebrows, and he has a stern talking to from the Chief.
The first episode also focuses on the role of media with two ambitious reporters: local (and nephew to Detective Miller) Owen played by Gossip Girl‘s Damian Daalgar (Ontario’s own Kevin Zegers), and a more ambitious one who comes into town, Renee played by Jessica Lucus (Pompeii and last year’s Cult).
American Hustle’s Michael Pena – photo courtesy of Ed Araquel/Fox.
The town is full of eccentrics, which allows for some interesting casting. One example is the local kayak renter and collector of marine life statistics – helped by various school children – who is played by a barely identifiable Nick Nolte.
This new ten part series is based on BBC show Broadchurch, which also starred David Tennant in the same role, but with his Scottish accent intact. The episode that I saw at the Global advance screening was an almost shot by shot cover of the original, but I’m advised that the plot line will veer in its own direction after establishing the cast of characters.
So if you are looking for car chases and quick solutions, Gracepoint is not the show for you. If you are willing to take a soul tearing journey into loss and suspicions, then you just might want to take a trip to Gracepoint – Thursdays at 9 pm EST on Global.
