Broadchurch Season 1 Finale.

I just hope, as this is the last episode, that this leaves a sweeter taste in your mouth than last weeks episode.


Whether the reveal of possible paedophile Joe as the killer and how he went about it was really that interesting or well written ultimately becomes beside the point. Broadchurch was never really about the case, the case was just a catalyst to explore people, their lives and emotions. Most importantly, people's reactions to deep grief. And in this regard the finale excelled and satisfied every criteria.

We didn't really care how Danny was killed or really why either. The only question we had was, 'what happens when we do find the killer?'. Thankfully the main focus of the episode is on that question, as we explore the near immediate aftermath of the reveal. And although there was little satisfaction to be found in this bittersweet ending, what it did reveal is just how deeply emotionally invested we were in all of this, turning Broadchurch into less of a show and more into some kind of event. This truly was a masterfully written series, not without its weak points, but looking at the series as a whole, it's hard to not come away from Broadchurch calling it a masterpiece.

In many ways the reveal of the killer isn't really a resolution anyway. And that is kind of the point. Just when it seemed Broadchurch was starting to heal and accept Danny's death, just when things were seemingly getting to a point of normality again in this world after the murder, this bombshell is dropped to screw it all up again. It forces you to ask questions you don't even really want to think of like, were they better off not knowing? Did the reveal only ruin more lives than the murder already had? Joe deserves to be punished for what he has done for sure but seeing Ellie's life ruined and all of the new knock on effects, I couldn't help feeling like I wish they never caught him, as disgusted as that leaves me with myself.

Not only is there little resolution for the town in finding the killer, there is little for you either. What you don't think of at the time, is living in Broadchurch for two months and going through this investigation with them as you get to know these characters growing into your friends and your family, is that whoever the killer turned out to be, it wasn't just going to be someone the town knew, it'd be someone we knew as well. We were never going to be enriched by the ending, we were never going to be happy with whoever was revealed to be the killer, because we cared about all of these people and it meant that someone we cared for, committed such a horrible act. And people we cared about were only going to get further damaged because of it. It really isn't nice watching the lives of people you've grown to love get further ruined.

I complained a lot about how drawn out and filler packed Broadchurch was in places but seeing the whole picture, as the thing comes together, it all makes sense now. Forcing us to live with these characters and share their lives for two months, it changes well...everything. I don't think I'll ever be satisfied with a police procedural again that has to establish and wrap it all up in forty minutes. I honestly can't imagine now, after seeing this, how I could have ever been satisfied with such a small and condensed window into something so huge of scope. Even after eight hours, it barely seemed enough in itself. But forty minutes? The fuck is that.

The acting in this episode was fantastic as well. I mean the acting is always good but the first episode and the last episode are really the most important places actingwise and there was many the sequence to show off how good this cast was. My personal favourite scene was where Hardy had to first reveal to Miller it was Joe, that showed just how far their relationship had come. What I especially liked about this scene, is that although Tennant will probably be mentioned little in relation to the finale, his performance here was just as important and powerful as Colman's. Wonderful stuff.

This was the perfect ending for Broadchurch in my book. Overly sentimental, perhaps, but its ending is as much Broadchurch's mission statement as it is resolution for the audience. Just because you've found the answer, doesn't mean you've also found resolution and just because you've found the answer, doesn't mean the pain will stop. Unlike many other police procedurals, Broadchurch doesn't turn death into something triumphant, that can be wrapped in a neat little package and unlike many other police procedurals Broadchurch tells us that human motivations aren't something that can be understood down to the finest details. And as I was crying into my coffee, I wasn't enjoying myself but my God did it feel real and isn't that what Broadchurch was always about?

Pros;

• Pretty much the perfect ending for this series.
• It put the focus on all the right areas.
• Incredibly well written.
• It elicits such a powerful response from you.
• And gets you so emotionally involved.
• It just all fits and works.
• The acting was wonderful.

Cons;

• Was Joe being the killer too obvious? 
• Was his paedophilic motivations too out there?
• I guess for some viewers, this lack of a clean cut ending may annoy, I guess. Fuck those guys though.

Think About It!

-Locke

What would you rate, 'The Broadchurch Finale'?