Wednesday, June 02, 2021

Good Morning, World


When Mare of Easttown ended on Sunday night -- and as an aside I'd love to hear what y'all thought of that show! I loved it, while acknowledging that plot-wise it sometimes leaned too hard on conventions, but I didn't really care because the performances were all so deeply moving -- I decided to finally start watching the 2013 run of Broadchurch, a British small-town whodunit starring Olivia Colman (and our new favorite big-eared gay-boy Jonathan Bailey, seen in these gifs) that I saw a lot of people compare Mare to. Well I started it on Monday (it's on Netflix)  and... I already have just one episode left? Which is to say it's scratching my itch and then some. 

I'll hold off on casting a final judgement until I've finished the first run of episodes -- and I've heard the second season isn't nearly as good? -- but if I thought Olivia Colman was incapable of delivering a performance that rang anything but astonishingly, painfully true in every single movement and facial expression (and I did think that) I only think it doubly so far. This is going to sound frightfully like Roman Castavet describing Guy Woodhouse's performance in Rosemary's Baby, I know that going in, but she does this... not an "involuntary reach" exactly, as Roman puts it, but in the scene where the boy's body is discovered on the beach in the first episode and the mother comes down and freaks out, Colman presses her hands on her forehead in one of the most genuine expressions of overwhelming dismay I have ever seen an actor put on-screen. I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that precise movement before? And watching her do it I was like, "That is what I do in those moments." She's just so goddamned good you guys. We did her right, giving her an Oscar. Also...


... did y'all know that? Why didn't I know that? I have got to find that show, Anyway back to Broadchurch I was locked in from there on and have flown through it over the past couple of nights and will presumably finish it tonight. If I've got fans in the house please share your love, although I do ask y'all refrain from spoilers since like I said, one episode left. For now here's more of our big-eared gay-boy Jonathan Bailey flashing some meaty bum, after the jump...







17 comments:

bdog said...

Jason, you watched Crashing, right? The Phoebe Waller -Bridge show on Netflix? Bailey's on that, he's great.

Jason Adams said...

I watched all of Crashing in like half a day during lockdown -- it was AMAZING and he was incredibly sexy on it

jasonbkny said...

Season 2 of Broadchurch is great! Don't listen to the naysayers.

Carl said...

Season 2 isn't *bad* but the show kind of changes genres, from murder mystery to trial, with new character dynamics, in a way that didn't work for me quite as well (but Charlotte Rampling shows up so it's not all bad).

William said...

Jason, I'm curious what you'll think once you've finished the first season. I was definitely hooked but a bit disappointed by the ending, despite Colman's acting. Also watched the second season which as another reader said isn't bad but I found myself losing patience (and interest) with it. It didn't make me want to watch the third season.

I think my strongest reaction to Broadchurch was "whoa, it's a who's who of British actors"!

Anonymous said...

I was looking forward to every episode of Mare. It satisfied. Broadchurch, good stuff too. I watch a lot of British murder mystery TV. Mostly the limited series stuff than long running detective shows. The Brits are obsessed with murder mystery. Seriously. The twisty fake outs are a common trope with the Brits because of the glut of these shows. I just finished the The Pact, also UK. Twisty ending, as well.

Lee4rdg said...

Loved Broadchurch - Olivia Coleman can do no wrong. The performances were excellent.

Stephen said...

Just started watching Mare last night... one ep in and we're hooked.
Broadchurch is amazing television. The first series is just jawdropping. The second feels very different but still has surprises in store. The third feels like an unrelated series but it's still excellent.
Hubby and I rewatch Beautiful People every now and then... Such a wonderful show and a shame there were only two seasons. Colman's done some wonderfully quirky characters - as well as Debbie Doonan her role in the side-splitting show Green Wing always comes to mind as well.

The Bad-Ass Penguin said...

I thought Russel Tovey was our favorite big-eared gay Brit actor!?

Anonymous said...

Jason, watch Happy Valley!

Jason Adams said...

It is def on the list! If only for this scene !!!

Jason Adams said...

Oh wait I just realized (via that link's comments) that those gifs are from Grantchester, not Happy Valley -- I should've updated that I guess, haha. Either way HV is on the list :)

Boris said...

Hey, loved your text about Olivia Colman's part. It's the general interpretation which makes Broadchurch better than most small-town whodunit imo ('the Bay' is a good one, season 2 is better). Broadchurch's second act has a totally different pace but it is still gut-wrenching. End of episode 1 when Colman just sighed "no" out of exhaustion... I love Broadchurch so much, season 3 is an absolute gem too

And yes, you have to watch Happy Valley, there is no question about it. I never rooted so hard for a character in my entire life. There is a scene i was going out of my mind, screaming to the tv in fright!

GB has some incredible cop shows.

Boris said...

And there is maybe Charlote Rampling in season 2 of Broadchurch, but also the delightful Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Phoabe Waller-Bridge and James d'Arcy!

Anonymous said...

Jason, that link (James Norton) is not from Grantchester, either.

Anonymous said...

Also a big fan of Mare. It was a bit over-written - a little TOO much plot, if you will - but the actors were great and it felt lived in and real.

Anonymous said...

I didn't really care for the second season, but I did stick around for the third and also found the third really worth watching. So stick around for the third! The second season just kind of rehashes the murder from the first season, whereas the third is a brand new case for them to solve.