I must
admit, I was highly skeptical of the decision to create a second season of the
detective murder mystery series, “Broadchurch.” Rather than a new mystery a
week, this show took on a single case over the course of the first season, much
like similarly successful procedurals such as “True Detective.” The difference
is the choice to continue the same storyline in the second season of
“Broadchurch,” as opposed to the shift to new characters and narratives in the
follow up seasons of shows like “True Detective” or “Fargo.” Seeing as the
setting of “Broadchurch” is meant to be a small peaceful seaside town, there is
some suspension of disbelief needed in the continuation of such criminal
investigations, but it is done in a way that cleverly surpasses the first
season in many ways.
Part of the
problem with the first season was the singular storyline, and the investigation
which took on a familiar pattern. Each episode we would hear the stories the
investigators DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman)
would pull from interrogated suspects, and the audience would be made aware of
at least one lie being told. In reality, nearly all of these were red herrings;
the audience would always know about the one lie in order to be suspicious of
every other truth told. This happened so repeatedly within the first season
that it became obvious and tiresome to be misled in the same way. Although
season two does not shy away from this method, there are other elements to the
narrative which no longer need to rely on the murder mystery structure. In
short, with more going on in season two, it makes the flaws in the storytelling
less glaring.
Cleverly
retaining the location needed for the title while adding a new mystery, the
detective elements of this season are in regards to the case which nearly
ruined Hardy’s career prior to season one. This makes it a cold case this time,
although many of the other elements are remarkably similar. Most obvious of these
is another dead child at the center of the mystery, along with a missing
babysitter and the scared wife of the man accused and acquitted (played by
James D’Arcy). Hardy is personally invested in finding new evidence to prove he
was right the first time around, but the deeper he and Miller investigate, the
clearer it is that there is more to the story than originally thought.
This mystery
likely would have had just as difficult a time remaining compelling for an
entire season alone, which is why the continued storyline from the first season
pads the narrative nicely. Although we already know the murderer from season
one, his refusal to plead guilty at the trial turns season two into a courtroom
drama alongside the new murder mystery. There may not be any mystery in this
storyline, but that does not mean it lacks suspense. The show is still a
procedural, though it becomes one in the courtroom as well as the new
investigation.
Despite a
confession at the end of the first season, the court case proves to be far from
simple. It is a bleak portrayal of the way that the court system can be treated
as a game, with innocent citizens of Broadchurch used as pawns to discredit the
case against season one’s child killer. The defense attorney (Marianne
Jean-Baptiste) coldly tears up the lives of those involved in order to
discredit testimony, disgustingly doing whatever necessary to set the killer
free. The only chance the family of the victim has for justice comes in form of
a local retired attorney (played by Charlotte Rampling) who was once the mentor
to the defense lawyer. Contrived as many of these situations and relationships
may be, the writing and performances somehow manage to keep them even more
compelling than the first season.
There are eight
episodes in season two, just as there were in the first season. All are fit
onto three discs in this DVD set, along with a handful of special features
worth mentioning. There is a generic making-of featurette, along with a few
behind-the-scenes featurettes and cast/crew interviews. Also included are some
scenes which were cut from the original broadcast, though nothing monumentally
significant to the overall narrative.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 7/10
Special Features: 6.5/10
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