TV REVIEW: Broadchurch - Episode 5

Despite throwing even more confusing twists and turns at us, and not really getting any closer to divulging any answers, the cinematography and running themes in this episode of Broadchurch made it one of the best for a while. 

With lots of shifting focus in shots, more hilltop seascapes and not to mention the eerie fairy lights of the fairground outside Hardy (David Tennant)’s gaff, it actually felt a more like a standalone short film than anything else. Although some elements of the show doubtless continue to be frustrating at best, and at worst totally unrealistic, at least we’re being given a beautiful, almost art-house view of the seaside to keep us going. Even if it is shot through the lens of what is now three grisly child murders. 

But I quibble.

As Alec tried not to let Ellie (Olivia Colman) get too caught up in the Sandbrook case (the words bolted, horse and stable door spring to mind) she was allowed an uplifting, albeit momentarily, storyline as she took it upon herself to solve the mystery. Meanwhile, drama between the legal teams increased, Beth (Jodie Whittaker) tried and failed to come to terms with her loss once again, Claire (Eve Myles) admitted to sleeping with Lee (James D’Arcy) whilst left alone at the cottage, and Ricky Gillespie (Shaun Dooley) turned up – although we’re still not too sure of his real motivation. Does he know something about the deaths of his daughter and niece? Meanwhile, it looked even less likely that DI Hardy will survive the series, and James D’Arcy somehow managed to pop up in just about every shot. Could the shock twist of all be that he’s actually some sort of ninja? Time will tell.

Again, this was another episode with a lot of people shouting at a lot of other people, most of whom didn’t really deserve it. We had Sharon Bishop (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) shouting at Charlotte Rampling’s Jocelyn over the latter not taking up her son’s defence as he was put on trial for murder, we had Tom, played by star-in-the-making Adam Wilson (also seen recently in Mr Selfridge and Silent Witness) telling Ellie off for not standing by his murderous Dad, and even Paul (Arthur Darvill) the sinister vicar had a tough time of it.

 I know I’ve questioned Paul’s holiness since day one, but the shock from Becca (Simone McAullay) and minor blackmail on the part of Joe’s legal team that a vicar should be visiting a sinner in jail seems a little far-fetched. Err, it’s his job? Give him a break! Whether this is just a ruse to let him off the hook of suspicion himself for a while, I don’t know, but it certainly worked on me.

This all tied in well with what seems to be an ongoing theme not just of justice as a system, but of what it is fair to expect of individuals. Is it fair to assume Ellie knew what Joe was up to just because she was married to him? Is it fair to punish her for what he did? Conversely, is it fair to blame Claire for protecting her husband? Can we really expect Beth to help precisely the sort of offender who killed her son? The list goes on.

Interestingly, Sandbrook has actually now become intriguing enough as a storyline in itself that it doesn’t feel so much like an irritating distraction from the main event. We’re now genuinely caught up in the mystery, to the extent that I for one now have to frequently remind myself that Eve Myles hasn’t actually been in the show since the beginning. Again, more cleverness on the part of Chris Chibnall in that most viewers are now working on two separate theories for two separate mysteries, all from the comfort of their sofas, and will most likely tune in to find the answer to one or the other. 

On the downside, Susan Wright’s (Pauline Quirke) re-appearance felt like a bit of a farce. Her attempted revelations became yet another example of the show’s slightly annoying habit of dealing you a cliff-hanger (literally, given the town’s location) at the end of almost every episode, only for it to either never be mentioned again or dismissed within the first five minutes of the following episode, like a dissatisfying rollercoaster. Ellie and Alec’s alleged affair, anyone?

Nonetheless, Broadchurch continues to be well acted, well shot and well written. But as viewers become increasingly frustrated, will it continue to be well watched as we enter the final three episodes? Probably, after all, most of us still want to know whodunit, whydunit and can, in the case of Joe, can they prove he-dunit?

Let’s hope so.

Jen

@jenniferklarge

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TV REVIEW: Broadchurch - Episodes Three & Four

When the first series of Broadchurch had reached the halfway point, the nation was on tenterhooks wanting to know who had killed Danny Latimer. Now, everyone seems to be wondering how long it's going to be before everyone in that courtroom gets disbarred and/or starts dancing a fandango on the grave of this particular fictional legal system. As much as I still love the show and all the weird and wonderful goings-on, it's gone a bit mad. It's not quite full cobblers just yet, but compared to the glorious restraint shown in the first series, it feels like Broadchurch has taken a running jump of the picturesque Cliff of Sanity, falling headlong into the Sea of Melodrama below.

The two strands of the Broadchurch and Sandbrook cases aren't so much weaving together as crashing into each other at opportune intervals. Lee Ashworth lurks in every scene he's let near like a handsome, dangerous lurking thing (James D'Arcy gives good lurk), the residents of Broadchurch itself seem to have forgotten that a young boy died and are revelling with a grotesque glee at the proceedings whilst Miller and Hardy try to connect the dots. The trouble is, all of the dots are screaming 'Lee Ashworth is innocent! Look check out this creepy guy over here!" Only they're not.

Before I descend into a complete frenzy of bewilderment and slightly open-mouthed awe, I do have to point out a lot of the positives going on in Broadchurch right now. Well, a few of the positives. Ok, fine, one major positive; all of the roles for older women currently occupying this production. Obviously, Olivia Colman is wonderful and amazing and we still love her. Then's there's Charlotte Rampling who is utter class, Meera Syal bringing fierceness and an excellent wig to the proceedings and Marianne Jean-Baptiste as the conscience-stricken defence barrister. They are all absolutely fantastic and are really excelling within the slightly bonkers proceedings.

Not only that, but we also get the return of lurking Pauline Quirke in the fourth episode (more lurking) who points the finger at Creepy Nige for the disposal of Danny's body. Yes, Creepy Nige is back to earning his nickname, pulling all sorts of facial expressions at his estranged mother when she first tries to make peace with him before trying to frame him in another ridiculous shock moment. It's at these more emotional, sombre moments of high melodrama that Broadchurch is striving for a balance that it's not always able to keep. 

There are those jaw-dropping moments that are fuelled by pure pettiness on behalf of the witness (seriously, how have none of them been done for perjury?) and then there are others where Chris Chibnall is trying to hark back to the restraint of the first series. It doesn't always quite land. The scene of David Tennant gallantly carrying the body of the Sandbrook murder victim back to shore through the pouring rain was far too overwrought to be taken seriously. Tennant is a good enough actor to just let the storytelling land the emotional moments. He doesn't need sodden flashbacks to make him look good.

And yet, we're still hooked. It's still absolutely compelling television, it's just compelling television of an entirely different kind to the first series. This one seems to be hinging more on how many times can we shock the audience with another cliffhanger before they call foul as opposed to crafting the meticulous crime drama we all fell in love with. And I'm sort of OK with that. Granted, if we do get that courtroom-based fandango, I may eat my words, but hell, I'm all for Meera Syal dancing on her bench with wig in hand.

- Becky

You can read Jen's review of Episode Two here.

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TV REVIEW: Broadchurch - Episode One

The first series of Broadchurch came as a bit of a shock to everyone really. Built around the central mystery of the murder of Danny Latimer, the series took into account every aspect of the investigation from the police work involved, the reaction of the local and national press, to the emotional torment it placed on everyone affected. It explored some keenly observed themes, particularly in relation to journalistic and police ethics, as well as providing the kind of emotionally involving event television that had just about everyone who watched it debating who might have killed Danny Latimer. 

When the second series was announced, it heralded many jokes about Broadchurch turning into a coastal Midsomer, a town in which murders took place with such alarming regularity that no one would want to visit, let alone move there. Wisely, series creator Chris Chibnall keeps that close, emotional focus on the ramifications of Danny's murder as the audience checks in for Joe Miller's trial. 

Given how central he was to the community through his wife and detective on the Latimer case, Ellie, Joe's actions in pleading 'not guilty' to Danny's murder instantly throws the direction of the series towards a full trial. Meanwhile, in the background, Alec is haunted by the Sandbrook case, oft-mentioned but never explored fully in the first series, as the main suspect in that case returns to haunt his wife, whom Alec has under his unofficial protection.

When we were first introduced to Broadchurch, the town and its inhabitants were revealed to us through a fantastic tracking shot that followed Mark Latimer through his morning routine. It had a nice, flowing style that not only demonstrated the residents' closeness, but also the town itself; quiet, idyllic and rarely interrupted. The contrast to the opening episode of this series is stark. The audience is given glimpses of the characters' new dynamics following the outcome of the investigation as the action cuts between several of the main players in their respective and, importantly, distant locations. 

As ever, the performances are excellent, showcased perfectly in the court scene at the heart of the episode in which Joe delivered his unexpected plea. As the family torn apart by the murder of their son and the subsequent focus on them, both Jodie Whittaker and Andrew Buchan provide a solid emotional core, every new development etched in pain across their faces. Newcomers Eve Myles and Charlotte Rampling also make a strong first impression respectively, adding a gravitas to the two plots which will no doubt become the focus of the series.

However, it is once again down to the fabulous Olivia Colman who steals every scene she's let near as the downtrodden and rightfully angry Ellie. Brimming with a quiet fury throughout the episode, Colman proves just how valuable she is to Broadchurch as a series, inspiring sympathy for a character who could quite easily have faded alongside the taciturn Hardy. Her chemistry with David Tennant has improved even further since their first outing together, antagonising and relying on each other in equal measure. Their scene in the bathroom allowed a grim levity to an otherwise mournful episode, further impacted by Ellie's inclusion into the world of Claire. 

Moving forward into the series, the two main plot strands promise plenty more intrigue and there are several suggestions along the way that factors from both the Sandbrook and Broadchurch cases echo and parallel each other. Mark has struck up a close, secretive relationship with Tom Miller, much like Joe's with Danny, that sets alarm bells ringing. Lee Ashworth, the main suspect in the previous case, was acquitted after his case fell apart, something which threatens Joe's trial and Ellie's post-murder investigation situation parallels Claire's, exiled and alone. And I'm still not convinced that Arthur Darvill's reverend isn't involved in there somewhere along the way. He's just a bit too shifty.

There is a slight concern that Broadchurch has traded in its usually realistic focus for something a bit more dramatic and thriller-lite, particularly given the return of the Sandbrook case's main suspect and its inherent threat to newcomer Claire. However, Broadchurch earned itself a lot of good faith in its excellent first series and it's a strong start to its second.

Jen and I will be alternating episodes once again and so I shall leave you in her capable hands for next week's instalment.

- Becky

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TV REVIEW: Broadchurch - Episode Seven

The penultimate episode of Broadchurch is a whirlwind of revelations, accusations and emotion as we edge ever closer to finding out who killed Danny Latimer.

This week finds the suspect finger pointing back at Susan Wright (Pauline Quirke) as she is brought in for questioning following the return of Danny's skateboard to Tom (Adam Wilson). Miller (Olivia Colman) is forced to take on the leadership of the case after Hardy (David Tennant) is sidelined due to ill health. It doesn't take him long to be back on his feet and on the case again, leading to some wonderful to-and-froing between the best couple of detectives since Lewis and Hathaway left our screens. Elsewhere in Broadchurch, Echo editor Maggie (Carolyn Pickles) is doing her level best to dig up the dirt on Susan with the aid of puppy-dog Ollie (Jonathan Bailey). Reverend Paul Coates (Arthur Darvill) reveals some hidden truths about the relationship between Danny and Tom whilst Dodgy Nige (Joe Sims) discovers a secret about his past and finds himself in the spotlight.

Another packed episode of twists and turns, Broadchurch is one of the very few television shows I actually don't mind having breaks in because you always need a minute to catch your breath. We are now just one episode away from finding out who killed Danny Latimer all those weeks ago and I for one am still no closer to knowing who actually did it. For once, this isn't actually infuriating as Chris Chibnall has ensured there have been enough twists and revelations to keep even the easily distracted occupied. It helps that he has such an excellent cast to portray this town of characters with secrets to hide. The chemistry between the ensemble cast, especially in this episode, also gives the evocation of a real community, each affected in their own way by the brutal goings-on. Of course, one of them has to be the killer.

Each week has seen a couple of characters enter the frame for Danny's murder, with the majority of them being discounted through other secrets or a lack of evidence. And this week it is the turn of our favourite enigmas, Lurking Susan and Dodgy Nige who, it is revealed this week, are actually related. This is a much better twist than some drugs-related gangster ideas I'd got floating around in my brain. Fingers are firmly pointed at Dodgy Nige right now what with Lurking Susan absolutely sure that it was him dropping off the body and the revelation that he used to take Danny hunting for animals. 

I'm still not entirely sure it was him though as it seems a bit too neat just before the final episode. After all, there's still the mystery of Danny's mobile and Tom's laptop to be solved and the montage of all of the men involved in the case at the end of the episode tend to suggest that there is something tying them all together that hasn't been quite worked out yet. Mark's still got a couple of hours unaccounted for when he wasn't with Becca, Paul doesn't have an alibi for that night either and there has been lots of pointed comments to Ellie about not seeing something in your own home. Could it be that Joe Miller knows more than he's letting on?

I won't be writing again on the series now, unless I feel absolutely compelled to dissect the episode on my own blog, but it has been an excellent addition to the Monday evening schedule. I wasn't initially convinced because, as a veteran of many a crime show, it did seem as if it was another murder-by-numbers just in a beautiful location and with all-round excellent performances. As it progressed, I've found that I just haven't been able to decide who did it; the moment I think I know, a curveball is thrown and I'm left to re-assess before having another bash at it. I'm still thinking the Reverend has got something to do with it; Darvill has been given a lot of screen-time and the character is so determined to be helpful, there's just not something quite right there.

We shall find out next week and Jen will be here with her thoughts on Broadchurch's big finale. Let's hope it ends with a bang not a whimper.

- Becky

You can read Jen's review of Episode Six here.

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TV REVIEW: Broadchurch - Episode Five

Things take a turn towards tragedy once again in this week's Broadchurch as the country's press and obsession with prying affects the people of the town.

After the revelation last week that Broadchurch resident Jack Marshall (David Bradley) had a conviction for sex with a minor, it soon hits the press. The Daily Herald decides to spice up the story as much as possible despite the suddenly earnest attitude of Karen (Vicky McClure) and Ollie (Jonathan Bailey) and Jack finds himself increasingly victimised by the town's people. Elsewhere, Mark (Andrew Buchan) and Beth (Jodie Whittaker) continue to deal with the aftermath of his affair with Becca Fisher (Simone McAullay) whilst Hardy (David Tennant) and Miller (Olivia Colman) lead the townspeople in a reconstruction of Danny's last movements in the hope that it might jog memories and bring forth new evidence.

As ever with police procedurals, the series has been lacking in any outright antagonist as we continue to try and work out who might be the murderer. With her lurking ways and aggressive threat to Dodgy Nige (Joe Sims), Pauline Quirke's Susan was the closest we got to a boo-hiss type character but there hadn't been anyone present who was black enough to truly dislike. So this week, Chris Chibnall gives us the national tabloid press en masse, sacrificing newsagent Jack on the altar of selling more papers. 

Again, like other aspects of this programme, the strength of this narrative development lay in the reality of the situation, particularly with the outcome of suicide after a press witch hunt. It was also infuriating to watch as the entire community leapt to conclusions about Jack's past, assuming he was a paedophile into corrupting little boys based on nothing more than a previous conviction. Once the truth was revealed, Jack's story became all the more heartbreaking and the scene between David Bradley and Andrew Buchan was excellent, with the former pointing to the tragic parallels between the two men. 

The situation also showed just how far-reaching the ripples of Danny's death have become, spreading out from the Latimers into the community itself, paradoxically dividing it but also bringing people together. In particular, Reverend Paul Coates (Arthur Darvill - Assorted Buffery favourite and general good egg) is starting to properly ingratiate himself into the community as Beth's confidante and Becca's financial advisor. Are the writers preparing us for a fall perhaps? After all, any outcome of this case has to be a shock, both to the audience and to the community itself.

Whilst the quality of the episode was, as always, excellent, with great performances once again across the board, there were a couple of moments that jarred for me as a couple of characters seemed to go against their previous established motivations. Take Karen for instance; previously she was a ruthless reporter, going AWOL from her post and manipulating the Latimers into speaking to the press in the first place. Suddenly in this episode, she developed a conscience, wishing only to print the truth about Jack Marshall, rather than the over-exaggerated version the paper ends up printing. Whilst this absolved the character of blame, it felt odd for her to react so strongly to the edits, having been so sensationalist herself earlier in the series.

That's a small niggle though because I'm firmly of the view that Broadchurch is going from strength to strength with each episode. For the first time in this series, the audience hasn't been directed to a 'suspect of the week' and it was all the better for it, allowing the human drama and consequences of such a horrific act play out, rather than pointing the finger at a red herring. Broadchurch started with a couple of cliched episodes and whilst I think it will descend into a Poirot-style revelation of the murderer, for now it has been a good time to get to know the people of Broadchurch.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of Episode Four here.

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TV REVIEW: Doctor Who - The Power of Three

The Power of Three finds the Ponds torn between their two lives, real life and life with the Doctor. Meanwhile, mysterious black cubes begin appearing everywhere with no explanation and no conceivable motive. Spoilers sweetie!

To try and sum up the plot of this episode, and do justice to everything that happened, briefly and succinctly would be near impossible. A ridiculous amount happened; from the welcome return of Brian Williams (Mark Williams), Rory (Arthur Darvill) actually doing his job whilst Amy (Karen Gillan) hangs out with her friends, then there's the supposed cube invasion which turned out to be an attempt at genocide, the Doctor (Matt Smith) starting to realise his companions are going to leave him, UNIT coming back, a Lethridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) appearing and... well I'm not going to go on, you've probably seen the episode yourself.

Put simply, there was too much happening. As Jen has observed, Doctor Who is very much a victim of its episode run-time and nowhere was that more evident than in The Power of Three. The slow cube invasion was an excellent concept, a true sci-fi gem that could have been utilised to ramp up the tension before the big Steven Birkoff-related reveal. In between, however, we got a stupid amount of time-jumping as the Doctor got bored so swept Amy and Rory away to times gone by. Instead of creating a cohesive storyline, Chris Chibnall's script instead opted for mining the largest amount of jokes and references he could. It was still entertaining, but far too frenetic to become truly invested in.

As such, the reveal that it is the Shakri, a galactic pre-emptive policing system who want to get rid of the human race before they can conquer space, becomes both rushed and slightly anti-climactic. It is left to yet another convenient 'sonic screwdriver solves everything' conclusion, something which I had hopefully thought we'd left behind in the Davies era. Poor Steven Berkoff had barely anything to do except look evil then aggrieved. After the fantastic twist in Asylum of the Daleks or the ridiculously tense climax of A Town Called Mercy, this paled in comparison. It does, however, get points for providing some of the most terrifying facially challenged people since the "where's my mummy" child (Which still haunts me. Bloody Moffat).

Thankfully, despite the many plots, the episode still had an inherent strength and entertainment value because of the performances of the key players. Seeing the Ponds in their two lives added another depth to their characters because, whilst we've always seen companions' families, it is rare that you see their wider social circles. The ever-growing sense of doom surrounding their departure continues this week with Brian questioning the Doctor about his previous companions. His 'just get them back safe' at the end of the episode was practically dripping in dramatic irony. 

As always, Smith remains the strongest performance and he was giving a fair amount of emotional yo-yo-ing to do this week, as well as demonstrating a Doctor at only half his coronary capacity. In amidst all the mania, he still manages to convey the darkness we've been seeing in previous episodes, the anger and the loneliness that never goes away. It's a masterful performance and Smith is further cementing himself as an iconic incarnation of everyone's favourite Time Lord.

For me, this episode has been the weakest of the current run with too much plot, frenetically jumping from one scene to the next whilst trying to cram as many jokes and references in as possible. That being said, it's a testament to the quality of this latest series that The Power of Three was still an enjoyable watch and further confirms that the Ponds' departure is going to be a very sad episode indeed. Both Jen and I will be reviewing The Angels Take Manhattan next week, together, at the same time. Who knows how on Gallifrey that will turn out.

- Becky

You can read Jen's review of A Town Called Mercy here.

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TV REVIEW: Doctor Who - Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

With possibly the best title since last series' Let's Kill Hitler!, Dinosaurs on a Spaceship finds the Doctor and the Ponds aboard an abandoned craft populated by dinosaurs, with only an Egyptian Queen, a rather bemused member of the Pond Williams family and a Victorian game hunter for help. As always, there be spoilers ahead.

Finding himself propositioned rather strongly by Queen Nefertiti (Riann Steele), the Doctor (Matt Smith) is relieved to be called away to 2367 AD to help Earth out with a hurtling spaceship problem. Earth's authorities declare that they are going to blow up the ship in six hours if the Doctor can't stop it. Nefertiti has come along for the ride and the Doctor decides to enlist a friend, a big game hunter named Ridell (Rupert Graves), and the ever-reliable Ponds (Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill), accidentally bringing Rory's father, Brian, along for the ride (Mark Williams).

The first thing that struck me about this episode, apart from the new episode-themed title sequence, was how much fun the cast seemed to be having. Matt Smith has really settled into the role of the Doctor now and the constant mood swings the character experiences are well-handled from his infectious humour to his despair at Solomon's actions (David Bradley). Chris Chibnall's script was packed full with great lines that offered each of the main actors, regular or guest, to shine whilst also offering us a fast-paced narrative that was both well constructed and easy to follow. It was a proper caper episode, from start to finish, and should go down as one of the more enjoyable adventures of the Eleventh Doctor, fitting well into Steven Moffat's new blockbuster mantra.

I've long been a fan of Rupert Graves and his gung-ho Victorian hunter was brilliant from start to finish with his innuendo-ridden chat-up line to Nefertiti providing one of the big laugh-out-loud moments. Also, his ongoing battle with Amy was a real highlight and played well with the actors' chemistry and their different social attitudes. David Bradley made a suitably scenery chewing villain but the most adorable member of the cast had to be his fellow Harry Potter alumnus Mark Williams. Given his very own character arc across the episode, he was both funny and poignant, going from a man who lives a staid life to one who travels the world, the universe and beyond. Williams handled the role perfectly and the shot of him sipping a cup of tea whilst looking at Earth from the TARDIS was a lovely moment.

There was one slight drawback in the proceedings however as the episode was also notable for the appearance of comedy duo David Mitchell and Robert Webb as a tempestuous pair of robots who looked like they had been sourced from The Fifth Element leftovers. Sadly, despite their considerable comedic skills, the pair unfortunately forgot to utilise their funny bones and were let down somewhat by the material they were given. Many of the supposed jokes that the pair came out with fell rather flat and paled in comparison to the considerably more hilarious scenes between Ridell, Nefertiti and Amy. All in all, their appearance was perhaps the only low point of the episode and detracted from the immense fun that was going on elsewhere.

It wasn't all laughs and positivity in the narrative either as the whole episode had an underlying air of doom, from the massacre of the Silurians to the impending departure of the Ponds. With Amy's declaration that the Doctor could be with her to her 'end', there was a rather ominous hint to her potential fate. Whilst my love of Arthur Darvill's Rory is both well-known and unabashed, I've had a rather difficult relationship with Amy throughout her time on the series. Recently though, Karen Gillan has proven herself repeatedly and has completely won me over. After the heartbreaking revelation about the consequences of Demon's Run in the last episode, feisty Amy was back and here, Gillan acquitted herself well, showing how Amy has developed into a competent time-traveller in her own right. I'm going to be extremely sad to see the Ponds go.

A rather worrying trend was beginning to emerge in the Moffat/Smith era of the second episodes in the series being rather, to put it bluntly, crap. Thankfully Dinosaurs on a Spaceship is a riot from start to finish and a great way to continue from the excellent Asylum of the Daleks. Next week sees our heroes hit the Wild West with cyborgs and Matt Smith donning a Stetson. Stetsons are cool.

- Becky

You can read Jen's review of Asylum of the Daleks here.

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