[7.5/10] My favorite part of this series so far is the interactions between Miller and Hardy. Hardy is a pretty familiar archetype by this point, the haunted detective who broods and does things in a cold and methodical manner. I like Ellie as a counterpoint to that, not just because she approaches things differently, with a more Community Policing-style vibe of solving this murder through her knowledge of the town and its people, but also for taking the stuffing out of Hardy. The way she pokes fun at him for his “broody bullshit” and propensity to sigh when offered coffee or fish and chips or his habit of asking questions so fast that no one can reply is a fun, winking way to contrast the way these grim mysteries play out. There’s a good dynamic between the leads, one that leads to both good comedy and good fodder for drama as the mystery unfolds that helps boost things here.
We get to see a little more about the Lattimer family reacting to all of this, which is a nice break from the mystery-solving action. Seeing Beth go to the store, look wistfully at a box of cereal, and then have a breakdown in the parking lot works as a rendition of the daily crisis a parent would go through losing their child. The looks of everyone in the town making her feel gawked at and the sense of loss that hangs over her at home give her no peace. I appreciate the show taking the domestic side seriously and not just the police procedural side. That said, the “I’m pregnant” confession to the Reverend feels like a soap opera plot twist, but we’ll see where it goes.
Speaking of which, I like the show addressing the religious angle to all of this, particularly people naturally questioning how a benevolent God would allow such a terrible thing to happen. There’s some big speeches and flashy moments -- particularly the grandmother’s speech about people not knowing what they need until it’s given to them and Mark Lattimer roughing the reverend up for making a public statement -- but again, I appreciate the time taking time to examine that part of the fallout from a community-shaking murder like this.
Likewise, I like the show continuing to play the media angle, and how it’s not just about investigation but about finding an in to the story. Karen White is terrible, and using the stuffed monkey to manipulate her way into a rapport with Chloe is downright despicable. But I like seeing the push and pull not only between police officers and reporters, but the internecine tensions and aspirations between folks at one newspaper vs. another.
Finally, we get a hint of the commerce angle to all of this, with Becca and others being concerned about the murder’s effect on the town’s ability to attract tourism and make money. There’s something practical but craven there, and I like the show wading into such muddy waters.
Meanwhile, the show is throwing in more clues and hints as to what really happened. Chloe’s cocaine, and her interactions with her boyfriend, Dean, seem like a probable red herring, but it’s another avenue to explore. Similarly, the paper shop owner recalling an argument between Danny and the postman is a juicy clue that doesn’t immediately go anywhere but promises interesting things to come. (I especially liked Miller and Hardy butting heads over the proper way to question the postman.)
But the biggest bombshell here is the ominous cigarette-smoking woman having Danny’s skateboard in her locker and being the cleaner for a place where Danny’s blood and fingerprints have been found. This seems like the first major development in the case, and I love the cigarette-smoking woman’s demeanor. Her tough-as-nails and matter of fact attitude about everything makes her an interesting figure, especially when she brooks no B.S. from Hardy and goes by her own book.
Speaking of which, I can’t help but roll my eyes a little bit at Hardy’s PTSD moments and need to pop pills. Of course these are real issues, but it’s such a cliché for detective shows that it’s hard to take them seriously. Likewise, the psychic phoneline operator is a semi-annoying diversion, especially when his true purpose seems to be to give Hardy a moment of shocked revelation about his relationship with his daughter(?).
Last but not least, Mark Lattimore seems to be cheating or otherwise up to some shady business, but it’s too early in the show for him to be the culprit, so it seems likely that he’s just an early false alarm, doing something else bad, but not in a way that directly implicates him in his son’s murder.
Overall, the mystery is taking shape a little bit more. We’re getting to see a number of different facets of the town’s reaction to it. But the main event continues to be the dynamic between Hardy and Miller, and it’s the thing worth sticking around for here.
Top Suspects: 1. Becca the Hotelier -- Can’t put my finger on it, but something just seems fishy about her. 2. Reverend Coates -- Trying to gin up renewed interest in the church, perhaps? 3. Dean the Boyfriend -- Enlisting Chloe’s siblings in the coke biz (along with a delivery to the postman, maybe?) until things went wrong.
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-05-31T21:28:25Z— updated 2021-06-03T03:24:49Z
[7.5/10] My favorite part of this series so far is the interactions between Miller and Hardy. Hardy is a pretty familiar archetype by this point, the haunted detective who broods and does things in a cold and methodical manner. I like Ellie as a counterpoint to that, not just because she approaches things differently, with a more Community Policing-style vibe of solving this murder through her knowledge of the town and its people, but also for taking the stuffing out of Hardy. The way she pokes fun at him for his “broody bullshit” and propensity to sigh when offered coffee or fish and chips or his habit of asking questions so fast that no one can reply is a fun, winking way to contrast the way these grim mysteries play out. There’s a good dynamic between the leads, one that leads to both good comedy and good fodder for drama as the mystery unfolds that helps boost things here.
We get to see a little more about the Lattimer family reacting to all of this, which is a nice break from the mystery-solving action. Seeing Beth go to the store, look wistfully at a box of cereal, and then have a breakdown in the parking lot works as a rendition of the daily crisis a parent would go through losing their child. The looks of everyone in the town making her feel gawked at and the sense of loss that hangs over her at home give her no peace. I appreciate the show taking the domestic side seriously and not just the police procedural side. That said, the “I’m pregnant” confession to the Reverend feels like a soap opera plot twist, but we’ll see where it goes.
Speaking of which, I like the show addressing the religious angle to all of this, particularly people naturally questioning how a benevolent God would allow such a terrible thing to happen. There’s some big speeches and flashy moments -- particularly the grandmother’s speech about people not knowing what they need until it’s given to them and Mark Lattimer roughing the reverend up for making a public statement -- but again, I appreciate the time taking time to examine that part of the fallout from a community-shaking murder like this.
Likewise, I like the show continuing to play the media angle, and how it’s not just about investigation but about finding an in to the story. Karen White is terrible, and using the stuffed monkey to manipulate her way into a rapport with Chloe is downright despicable. But I like seeing the push and pull not only between police officers and reporters, but the internecine tensions and aspirations between folks at one newspaper vs. another.
Finally, we get a hint of the commerce angle to all of this, with Becca and others being concerned about the murder’s effect on the town’s ability to attract tourism and make money. There’s something practical but craven there, and I like the show wading into such muddy waters.
Meanwhile, the show is throwing in more clues and hints as to what really happened. Chloe’s cocaine, and her interactions with her boyfriend, Dean, seem like a probable red herring, but it’s another avenue to explore. Similarly, the paper shop owner recalling an argument between Danny and the postman is a juicy clue that doesn’t immediately go anywhere but promises interesting things to come. (I especially liked Miller and Hardy butting heads over the proper way to question the postman.)
But the biggest bombshell here is the ominous cigarette-smoking woman having Danny’s skateboard in her locker and being the cleaner for a place where Danny’s blood and fingerprints have been found. This seems like the first major development in the case, and I love the cigarette-smoking woman’s demeanor. Her tough-as-nails and matter of fact attitude about everything makes her an interesting figure, especially when she brooks no B.S. from Hardy and goes by her own book.
Speaking of which, I can’t help but roll my eyes a little bit at Hardy’s PTSD moments and need to pop pills. Of course these are real issues, but it’s such a cliché for detective shows that it’s hard to take them seriously. Likewise, the psychic phoneline operator is a semi-annoying diversion, especially when his true purpose seems to be to give Hardy a moment of shocked revelation about his relationship with his daughter(?).
Last but not least, Mark Lattimore seems to be cheating or otherwise up to some shady business, but it’s too early in the show for him to be the culprit, so it seems likely that he’s just an early false alarm, doing something else bad, but not in a way that directly implicates him in his son’s murder.
Overall, the mystery is taking shape a little bit more. We’re getting to see a number of different facets of the town’s reaction to it. But the main event continues to be the dynamic between Hardy and Miller, and it’s the thing worth sticking around for here.
Top Suspects:
1. Becca the Hotelier -- Can’t put my finger on it, but something just seems fishy about her.
2. Reverend Coates -- Trying to gin up renewed interest in the church, perhaps?
3. Dean the Boyfriend -- Enlisting Chloe’s siblings in the coke biz (along with a delivery to the postman, maybe?) until things went wrong.