BROADCHURCH FINALE: Yes, I have seen it.

[rabid1st]

I don't want to spoil anyone who hasn't. So, I will be discussing it in comments for anyone who cares to discuss.

But I will say here that I became an Alec/Ellie shipper as the show progressed. That surprised me a lot, because I didn't care for either of them at the start. Great jobs from everyone concerned in this production.

See it when you can is my advice. And try to avoid spoilers until then, because the twists and turns were delightful.

Rae

Comments

[spikes_heart.livejournal.com]

I just loved the whole thing (except for those few moments when I couldn't understand anyone's accents *grins*) 'It was just hugging' my ass. That was not slated to go well if the boy had survived. The writers certainly managed to keep the lights on a whole bunch of folks for the longest time.

There is still good telly out there. I just have to go across the Atlantic to find it most times.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Yes! I liked that they dealt with the idea that a lot of paedophiles are self-deluding. They often claim that it was "True love" or not harmful for some reason. I'm glad that they let us linger in the aftermath a little. Because, as I said a few weeks ago, I was on to the killer...but the real story is in the emotional fallout and turmoil in families. What an investigation digs up and exposes and how everyone copes. So, they did a stellar job with all of that.

[finding-neo.livejournal.com]

Just curious as to what tipped you off? Maybe I'm too used to American who-dunnits where the story plays out as everyone-connect-the-dots-with-us, but I'm having a hard time buying him as the killer for the reason "I was in love with him" and gee he threatened to break off our love affair. Although I thought very early on that the killing was one of anger or passion. I guess it was both.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Well, it was the shape of the story that made me consider him. I looked at each suspect in turn...and thought about what their motives might be...as we met each of them. I figured Nige would be suspected, because he was dumb and dodgy, but I quickly put him down as a poacher. Funny, because I had to explain to my family what that was. I mean, in England.

Then, I figured they would look at motives in the family. I knew Beth was pregnant in the first episode and briefly thought she might have been having an affair that was found out...that actress was outstanding, because she looked pregnant to me...her body language. I could also tell about the husband's affair early on due to her body language. So, that sorted them out. Then, I figured the Priest was too easy a target.

I looked around at who might be suspect. Thought about those emails from Danny that Tom was desperate to hide, and figured something was going on there. What? I thought maybe Joe was abusing Tom...and Danny found out...and so Tom wanted it covered up. And Joe lost his temper...just as he had. I didn't allow for Danny being abused, because we quickly learned that he had never been assaulted. So, I figured it was Tom. And so...Joe was the killer.

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

You also have to figure there are a few red herrings...which put Susan out of the picture immediately. She was just too suspicious for words. I thought she might have something to hide about drugs. I do feel that her tragic family history was a paedophile too far. But then, these are the very things that get dragged out of the closet during this type of investigation. And I clued in early on that Nige and Joe looked quite a bit alike. So, I felt that when Nige was identified by some witness...it could just as easily have been Joe.

[auntiesuze.livejournal.com]

I haven't watched it yet, but just got it all transferred over to my TiVo, so maybe I'll catch up this weekend. I've been avoiding spoilers so I should be good and surprised! :)

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

I think you will like it. It's very atmospheric. And more about the people than the mystery, really.

[astitchintime-9.livejournal.com]

Just completed a marathon viewing. Came straight here to jot down first & final impressions.

This was a very well-acted series; despite the fact that the stories felt like the game of Clue ... or Junga! Very seat-of-the-pants for the actors, as per the interviews that I watched, where they were kept in suspense as much as the viewers.

Loved that the cast & crew were nu-Who alumni: writer/producer C.Chibnall, directors E.Lyn & J.Strong, actors D.Tennant & A.Darvill, to name the ones that are most obvious (to me).

Tennant's DI put me more in mind of his Blackpool character, Carlisle, than of Ten.

I was really uncomfortable with the harping on paedophilia/15 year old girls as the common secret (as well as the resolution). As they used to write about M.Noxon: "get a therapist". Not cool working out your issues on the telly. They should have varied the transgressions that each was hiding. Instead, it felt like they were retelling the same story; to no purpose, as it turned out. Except to make Ellie's harsh & judgmental words to Susan come back to bite her later (and that's the one thing that I knew was going to be relevant; foreshadowing).

I didn't guess who-dunit, but then again, I didn't really care.

Not sorry that I watched it, but I'm not likely to watch it again. Whereas I've already lost count of the number of times that I've viewed Blackpool. On the whole, I still prefer Blackpool to Broadchurch.

[astitchintime-9.livejournal.com]

"Junga" -> "Jenga"

"paedophilia/15 year old girls" -> "paedophilia/statutory rape/adultery/wives who take drugs to sleep through their hubby's nocturnal shenanigans/15 year old girls/how spouses of detectives can destroy everything"

[rabid1st.livejournal.com]

Aww! That is so amazing that you thought to come here.

Yes, I agree very well acted. I also agree that it isn't likely to tempt you to a repeated viewing. Though, I enjoyed sharing it with people as I went along.

I have never seen Blackpool, only excerpts, so I cannot compare it to this. I think what reminded me of Ten is David knowing he was going to do Ten again. He might have had more mannerisms from Blackpool, because he was playing a cop again.

As far as the pedophile thing went, well, it was Marti Noxon heavy. But, on the other hand, hidden perversions would be stirred up by an investigation into a missing child. I think they should have gone with a few other "secrets." They just had one too many child molesting sods in the mix.

Susan was pretty necessary to the plot, because she had to be covering up for someone for some good reason. She saw what she thought was Nigel, only it wasn't. I did like that I was right about Nigel being a poacher, too. :grin: Joe and Nigel had similar builds and hair which is what made me think of Joe pretty quickly. Nigel being far too stupid and obvious to consider. But mostly, my canny observations were based on how I would structure the story myself...and that led me to Joe as the killer. As you know, I had suspected he was molesting his own son...and Danny found out. I like that idea better than the one we had....which seemed to dig at the belly of pedophilia in many forms, and then to sanitize the final blow, because Joe never went that far.

On the other hand, it did take a look at all of the forms of pedophilia, giving us the old guy and young girl who form actual attachments, with Jack and also Danny's sister. Then there was the non-penetration, fooling himself, actions of Joe. And the full out cesspool that was Susan and her family. An unsavory exploration, but I can't say not relevant to the plot as it turned out. And it seemed to me that the whole series was an exploration of characters, rather than a whodunit. Though the whodunit part kept a lot of us watching.

I do hope our two detectives get another case. I can see how Ellie is going to have a hard road ahead of her, personally and professionally. And DI Hardy might retire but still be involved in a case, in an advisor, meddler, capacity. Or he might be fine with a pacemaker. I'm not sure how that works for law enforcement in England. But people can be fully recovered with pacemakers.

Rae
who can't watch a show with random singing...so will probably never watch Blackpool. It is like...you know how people have epileptic fits from flashing lights? Well, I have narrative fits when people in dramas use songs to convey meaning. See Also: Glee!