It's really hard to NOT compare to Broadchurch, and I'm sure it's true vice versa, if you've seen Gracepoint first. There's no avoiding it, so go in knowing that and work with it.
David Tennant never disappoints, at least not for me. He stays true to his character, love it or hate it. His character is cold and methodical, and he puts himself in it all the way, accent included.
Michael Peña as Mark Solano was a pleasant surprise. I hadn't seen him in such a serious role before and he was fantastic! I'll definitely follow him more.
Biggest disappointment, which of course is the lead, Anna Gunn. She's awful in this, and I have never watched Breaking Bad, so this is my only chance to make an opinion. She's miscast. Her character is simply a local detective who is investigating a local crime with people she knows and loves, while remaining professional. Gunn's characterization makes her look like a loser, and her boss' decision to pass her over is definitely warranted. Right from the start, she's unprofessional in just about every area. I guess the awkwardness that she shows with her counterpart (Tennant) makes her character more believable, but I suspect she's actually not comfortable acting beside him personally and just stumbles through the role. This was thoughtless casting and it could possibly be why so many people can't put their finger on why they didn't like the series.
Another miscasting was of the daughter. We should be irritated by her and on the verge of hating her, but the actress (Madalyn Horcher) doesn't show enough nastiness as Chloe to convince us of anything. She didn't pull off the emotion needed for the character. The clothing choices and, hairstyle, makeup or lack of, all fell short of what a 6itchy teen should look like, especially in that setting. She didn't come across as a teen with angst, instead she looked like she could have just been a roommate of the family because she looks 10 years older than she should. I couldn't get past that part. Just a bad fit.
I did have appreciation for Virginia Kull as Beth Solano, her emotions were on point here, and she even showed a bit of contempt at Mark, which locked in that character's personality. Wardrobe did a great job with her, her outfits fit her persona.
So, yeah, go in knowing that it's not as well acted as Broadchurch is, which changes the vibe. But the story is still consistent and that's the bigger picture. We are supposed to follow every lead along with the detectives, and every lead brings a believable suspect. That's what made the Broadchurch version so compelling: you hate everyone at some point, you want them to go down for a reprehensible crime, and then you're pulled into another one just as quickly. And you're saddened because nearly every person in this town "could" be guilty of killing the boy.
David Tennant never disappoints, at least not for me. He stays true to his character, love it or hate it. His character is cold and methodical, and he puts himself in it all the way, accent included.
Michael Peña as Mark Solano was a pleasant surprise. I hadn't seen him in such a serious role before and he was fantastic! I'll definitely follow him more.
Biggest disappointment, which of course is the lead, Anna Gunn. She's awful in this, and I have never watched Breaking Bad, so this is my only chance to make an opinion. She's miscast. Her character is simply a local detective who is investigating a local crime with people she knows and loves, while remaining professional. Gunn's characterization makes her look like a loser, and her boss' decision to pass her over is definitely warranted. Right from the start, she's unprofessional in just about every area. I guess the awkwardness that she shows with her counterpart (Tennant) makes her character more believable, but I suspect she's actually not comfortable acting beside him personally and just stumbles through the role. This was thoughtless casting and it could possibly be why so many people can't put their finger on why they didn't like the series.
Another miscasting was of the daughter. We should be irritated by her and on the verge of hating her, but the actress (Madalyn Horcher) doesn't show enough nastiness as Chloe to convince us of anything. She didn't pull off the emotion needed for the character. The clothing choices and, hairstyle, makeup or lack of, all fell short of what a 6itchy teen should look like, especially in that setting. She didn't come across as a teen with angst, instead she looked like she could have just been a roommate of the family because she looks 10 years older than she should. I couldn't get past that part. Just a bad fit.
I did have appreciation for Virginia Kull as Beth Solano, her emotions were on point here, and she even showed a bit of contempt at Mark, which locked in that character's personality. Wardrobe did a great job with her, her outfits fit her persona.
So, yeah, go in knowing that it's not as well acted as Broadchurch is, which changes the vibe. But the story is still consistent and that's the bigger picture. We are supposed to follow every lead along with the detectives, and every lead brings a believable suspect. That's what made the Broadchurch version so compelling: you hate everyone at some point, you want them to go down for a reprehensible crime, and then you're pulled into another one just as quickly. And you're saddened because nearly every person in this town "could" be guilty of killing the boy.