Discuss Broadchurch
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Broadchurch, better than most shows
posted by write2topcatSTAFFMOD on June 20, 2019 at 6:03 PM
I really like Broadchurch, the show which centers around a couple of police detectives in a small British town. I have some criticisms about the show which really apply to a majority of modern television shows and movies. I must use some show and I thought I would pick examples from a show I like very much.
I am watching season one again now. After the news stand man, Jack Marshall, committed suicide, the Rev. accosted Hardy at the funeral, blaming him for the man's death, saying "I told you he needed protection, and you did nothing".
I'm not sure what he expected the police department to do to prevent that suicide. The writers wanted to create tension and pressure on Alec Hardy so they had the Rev. and others put the blame on him for that death. That is pretty common stuff in TV and film these days. It would be nice to see the writers make the characters act a little more responsibly, a little more adult.
Who put out the word that the man had served time for sex with a minor? The press virtually convicted him and ridiculed him in print. Why didn't the Rev. and others blame them? Why didn't the Reverend try to protect Jack Marshall? The Reverend could have spent more time with Jack, counseling him, assessing him and trying to offer him resources.
Are the police responsible for regulating the speech of the community? Are they responsible for providing body guard services for people who might be at risk? Is the community willing to pay for those services?
The Reverend acted childishly, blaming DI Hardy for the suicide of Jack Marshall. Was that because he felt guilty over his own lack of action to assist him? Perhaps, but that puerile display of blame shifting is not what one would expect from a minister, a man meant to counsel others on the mature management of their emotions, as well as spiritual matters. Instead the writers made the Reverend an example of an emotionally unstable character. TV writers love to write characters who are emotionally labile, who seem unable to manage their own emotions or to behave as adults. I see this as a cheap trick. Sure, highly emotional displays grab our attention. But they need not be childish, irresponsible displays; it is possible for mature, responsible characters to express a lot of emotion. Sugary treats are nice every once in a while, but I don't want them as a steady diet. The banal, over-used trick of emotionally unstable characters can ruin shows.
When a man expressed his condolences to Beth Latimer in a parking lot after the death of her son, she nearly had a meltdown, with a shocked look on her face, before she turned and ran to get into her car. Beth looked almost like she was having a panic attack. Would a mother be very emotional after the death of her son? Yes, of course. But nearly every grieving mother I've ever met would have mustered up a "thank you, I have to go now" or something to that effect, even if overcome with grief.
DI Miller testified in court in season two and had a virtual meltdown on the stand. Remember that she is a seasoned detective, and knows the law very well. Detectives often must testify in court and are trained in measuring their answers and their emotions on the stand. They know the subject matter they must testify to, and department legal personnel have trained them so they know what to expect and how to respond.
But DI Miller seemed totally unprepared and on the brink of melting into jibbering tears.
Alec Hardy though is a ROCK! He can be a bit of an asshole at times, but it isn't gratuitous or for shock value. He doesn't mince words or hold back his opinions or his assessments. He is a responsible adult, mature, and straightforward. He doesn't shift blame, at all. He is at the opposite extreme from the majority of characters in television shows, some of whom are quivering jellied, weepy, basket cases. He feels emotions, the same as everyone else. But he is responsible and mature. I wish more television shows featured characters like more like Alec Hardy.
But I REALLY wish they didn't feature so many emotionally labile, blame-shifting, self-pitying, characters who far too often present themselves as victims.
(Broadchurch is really not so bad compared to most shows. As I said above, I like this show.)
Reply by write2topcat
on August 3, 2019 at 7:53 AM
the expanse is on amazon here
Reply by Strange Bedfellows
on August 3, 2019 at 8:19 AM
I'll check and see if it is available here. Yes - seasons 1-3 are available on Amazon Prime. Shall we watch it?
Reply by write2topcat
on August 3, 2019 at 8:58 AM
If you like sci-fi you will probably like it. Check it and see if it grabs you.
Prime also has Jack Ryan, a Tom Clancy story about a CIA analyst who gets involved in field work. It also looks good.
I decided to take the month trial on Amazon Prime. I quit Sling TV since it didn't give me what I wanted. Prime looks like it has at least a few good shows.
Reply by write2topcat
on August 3, 2019 at 9:53 AM
second reply. The Expanse. Thomas Jane plays a detective named Joe Miller who was born on The Belt, the asteroid belt nation. Mars and Earth get minerals and water from the asteroid belt. They haul ice from Saturn's rings and mine stuff from the asteroid belt. Air and water are worth more than gold there. The Belters feel like third class citizens, or less. Mars and Earth and The Belt are in constant tension with each other politically. They are trying to avoid a war with each other.
Someone is trying to get a war started though, using stealth ships to destroy various targets and make it look like Mars was to blame.
That is kind of the scenario you learn in the first few episodes.
I hope you like it, but if it is too far out there, we will keep looking.
Have you seen Jack Ryan?
Reply by Strange Bedfellows
on August 3, 2019 at 10:10 AM
I have watched two episodes of "The Expanse" I can't say that I find it gripping - I can't seem to care about what happens to any of them - particularly the chap in the hat. If Thomas Jane is the best lead they can get then I figure they are already in trouble !! I have seen Jack Ryan. I will look on Amazon and see if they have anything else on offer.
Reply by write2topcat
on August 3, 2019 at 11:10 AM
Have you seen Hannibal with Mads Mikkelson? I started watching it on regular TV a few years ago but didn't see all seasons of it. I see that it is on Prime.
It looks like a lot of the Amazon originals are comedies. I am still learning to navigate and search that service.
It lists a show called Brittania which apparently deals with the Roman invasion. Worth a look
For now, we watch Queen of the South. It could be good
Reply by Strange Bedfellows
on August 3, 2019 at 1:26 PM
I like Mads Mikkelson so I watched Hannibal. Oh dearie dearie me - there was a heavy atmosphere of gay attraction between the two men - which they didn't elaborate on in any detail thank God - but the ending - I have a strange sense of humour maybe - but I collapsed laughing at it. I am not sure if I have seen Brittania - I may have done because I watch a lot of docudramas. I have just watched a film called "Hereditary" with Toni Collette and Gabriel Byrne - what a steaming pile of horse poo - it loses all direction half way through and is directed so slowly that you can have a cup of tea and a bun in the time a character gets from the top of the stairs to the bottom. They make no attempt to explain anything - and I wonder why it is that a white couple seem to have a child who is of a different ethnicity to them being as the mother gave birth to him with a white father. What about "Between"? Have you got that over there on Netflix - not sure if it is up my alley but you never know !!
Reply by write2topcat
on August 3, 2019 at 2:08 PM
Yes we have Between. It's a story about a town called Pretty Lake which experiences an epidemic by a virus which kills adults over 21 years of age. I know, what kind of virus can tell your age? The military quarantines the town and the teens then have to form their own form of government, of a sort. I watched a few episodes but began looking for something else. It was ticking off the PC boxes, and there was too much teenage angst for me.
I do recall the weird attraction between Mads and the other man. I don't recall that it was necessarily gay, but I might not be recalling it well now since it has been a while since I saw the show. Perhaps I am confusing it in my mind with something else. It seems like there was some intellectual affinity between them as I recall it. Probably there were hints of something else, but I don't recall that now. In Killing Eve, Villanelle was certainly romantically attracted to the intelligence agent. It wasn't that clear in Hannibal as I recall. Anyway, I will be able to finish watching that series now.
I never watched the Sopranos. I may give that a try since it is on Amazon.
Also, I have seen a few of the Downton Abbey episodes and it is on Amazon, so I will watch all they have of that.
Did you ever see the show called "Justified"? It is a law enforcement show featuring a somewhat rouge U.S. Marshall who steps outside the law sometimes in bringing bad guys in. It's on Amazon here. I saw some of it on TV but I can watch the show from the beginning now, IF it is free for Prime members. I think it sucks that Prime members still have to buy some shows.
I think I could have been an actor, seeing what passes for acceptable work these days. There is so much junk on television.
Reply by Strange Bedfellows
on August 3, 2019 at 3:04 PM
Teenage angst is definitely a no no for me. I have seen Justified -I have seen all of Downton Abbey - I have the box set of the Sopranos but after a couple of episodes I didn't really get into it. Have you watched "Luther" - it's a good series - I would watch it again.
Reply by write2topcat
on August 3, 2019 at 3:52 PM
I have seen Luther a few times. Great show.
I like that crazy genius girl who has a thing for Luther. She became his secret weapon when he needed her. Yes, I loved that show.
His partner set him up really well, but crazy girl helped him clear his name.
I could watch Luther again. It is good TV so it is fine to watch it again.
Reply by Strange Bedfellows
on August 3, 2019 at 4:31 PM
OK - I will start watching it again - I really enjoyed it.
Reply by write2topcat
on August 3, 2019 at 5:38 PM
Haven't started watching Luther just yet. I had to take a look at the first episode of Hannibal again to refresh my memory. That psych. named Will is a real trip. He acts like he is on the verge of a mental breakdown about half the time. And Lawrence Fishburn is funny also. They are both sort of over playing their characters. I am sitting here laughing at the show. It's not a comedy but I can't keep from laughing. I guess I will use this show to give me a break when I need one. It is a really weird show.
Reply by Strange Bedfellows
on August 3, 2019 at 6:33 PM
It is strange - I haven't seen it in a long while so I can't remember it in detail - only the ending. I recall that Will really got on my nerves - he is such a drip (I don't know if you have that expression) so tortured and ineffectual and whinging. I mean if he doesn't feel comfortable in his chosen profession just choose another one. I think the writers would be most put out by your reaction to this gripping drama !! I have just watched the first episode of Luther - and I enjoyed it - again !! I would rather re-watch something good than watch some of the newer rubbish available right now.
Reply by write2topcat
on August 3, 2019 at 10:15 PM
Just watched the first episode again. We see Alice Morgan in all her brilliance, with her sociopathy and lack of empathy. And John Luther, driven by his passion to catch the guilty, protect the innocent, and get his wife back. The driven detective with a broken personal life, common trope, but well done by Idris Elba.
There is something about these shows that I don't like. I identify with the lead character, so when he gets set up, or when people wrongly believe bad things about him, I feel bad. Of course I know he will come out OK in the end, but I don't like that part.
Reply by Strange Bedfellows
on August 4, 2019 at 6:00 AM
It' s a staple of all types of shows - I used to do creative writing many years ago and from what I remember one of the first rules of plotting was to create a conflict for the hero/ine which he/she can overcome. Some other rules were never have a perfect hero - make him flawed in some way and always make them have some profession that was slightly above what the readers were likely to be employed as and never make characters have similar sounding names, give them slightly more unusual names but not too out of the ordinary. It pretty much describes every show you are likely to watch !! Luther the series isn't perfect of course - there are minor things that I question - for instance - he has diagnosed Alice as a psychopath already - on very little evidence - the fact that she didn't yawn - I have heard it said that if you don't like the person yawning then you will not yawn after they do. That makes sense because the act of yawning makes you physically vulnerable - it restricts your hearing and your vision and makes it possible to put something in your mouth. Alice was very wary of Luther - she recognised his intelligence and the danger he represented to her - she wouldn't have yawned after him. There is also an obvious attraction between them - she wants to challenge him and protect him at the same time - she is complex - but she is not a psychopath in my view. He tells her she cannot love - she can only mimic it - typical text book definition - but the hurt in her eyes belies that. They are good actors - and Ruth Wilson takes an excellent part in this. I am enjoying it even though I can find fault with some of it - it doesn't really matter because it is so entertaining. Speaking of Idris Elba - have you seen "The mountain between us" ? I enjoyed that film.