MILLER!

BROADCHURCH – (UK)

David Tennant stars fresh off his run as Doctor Who from 2013 for three seasons ending in 2017. There are quite a few cross over players from Dr. Who (mostly from the the Davies/Moffat eras) and they’re given a breath of fresh air with room for acting depth they would never get the chance to show under the Dr. Who banner. Broadchurch is as far from the silliness of Dr. Who as you can get. The first season is near perfection, laying out the story of the murder of an 11 year old boy and the impact it has on the family and the small fictional community of Broadchurch, Dorset. It leans into fresh perspectives without falling into too many familiar tropes. We’re given compelling character traits that unfold into their own small mysteries for the viewer to solve. The main plot and mystery wrap up in a way that is not obvious, yet not obtusely obscure in its conclusion. Season 1 stands on its own, you could easily stop after the close of season 1 and remain satisfied you’ve watched some of writer Chris Chibnal’s finest work. Dr. Who fans will recognize that name as well, while he was show runner for an era of Dr. Who I didn’t really care for, he was also a writer under both Russell T Davies and Steven Moffat during their tenure heading Dr. Who. He can clearly write, and he shows us his talent here.
Season 2 falls off pretty hard, yet I did not struggle to get through the season. While season 3 picks up, it is not to the heights of quality set in season 1. I think it’s worth a watch for the whole series.