“Gracepoint” (8 p.m. Central Thursdays on Fox) is not in the same league as “The Killing.” But as it invites us to uncover “Who killed Danny Solano?,” it is tapping into some of the “Who killed Rosie Larsen?”-style fun in that delicious, age-old pastime of figuring out who murdered an innocent kid.
The series, set in the fictional northern California coastal town of the title, is based on the British series “Broadchurch,” although a different ending is promised. Fox is billing “Gracepoint” as a 10-episode miniseries, so the mystery will be solved quicker than the Rosie Larsen case, which lasted two seasons. Perhaps more important, viewers know exactly when the case will be concluded, so they won’t feel strung out (many viewers assumed the Larsen case would end after one season, and hated “The Killing” for being vague in its marketing).
There isn’t a single particularly likeable character on “Gracepoint,” which puts it a notch below “The Killing,” where I always liked detectives Holder and Linden, despite their flaws. But the performances are good, at least. Detective Emmett Carver (David Tennant, reprising his “Broadchurch” role, but with an American accent) is rock-solid at his job — going by the book, never assuming anything and never developing relationships with suspects. On the other hand, he’s a complete a–h—. He’s new to town, whereas his partner, Ellie Miller (Anna Gunn), is a local. But she’s arguably awful at her job for that reason. Not only does she know all the suspects, but she also knew the deceased grade-schooler. In fact, Ellie’s son, Tom, was best buds with Danny.
The series is only three episodes old, so most likely, the clue that points us to the killer who left Danny’s corpse on the beach (presumably thrown off the overlooking cliff, but perhaps dumped there by boat) hasn’t been revealed yet. The first three episodes have allowed us to take the first step, though: Eliminating suspects. While some mysteries eliminate suspects on one set of grounds but then reveal a new motive later, I think 10 episodes is too short a period to pull that kind of switch. As such, we can eliminate the too-obvious early suspects (the red herrings), such as:
- Tom, because he is the first one to act suspicious. In the premiere, as his mom delivers the tragic news, Tom looks glum and confused, like a kid should when told his best friend is dead. When his mom leaves his room, he immediately deletes a ton of missed-call messages from Danny, plus his computer’s hard drive. Then in the third episode, he tells Carver that Danny’s dad, Mark Solano (Michael Pena), beat Danny. I feel like Tom is lying, as Mark later tells his accusatory wife, Beth, “I would never hurt Danny.” I strikes me that if he had been beating Danny, he would say “I would never KILL Danny.” While I don’t think Tom is the killer (after all, Tom is the one we’re SUPPOSED TO suspect at this point), I do think he’s protecting someone (or thinks he’s protecting someone) by clumsily diverting suspicion toward Mark.
- Mark, because he’s the first suspect arrested by Carver. The reason he was lying about his whereabouts is because he was having an affair with local inn owner Gemma. Mark doesn’t want Beth to know, as it would destroy his family. Plus, he thinks Danny’s death is God’s way of punishing him for his infidelity.
- Beth, because she behaves in genuine fashion — disgust, then insatiable curiosity — when approached by area psychic Raymond, who says he has a message from Danny. That message is that Danny was killed by someone he knows well, but he doesn’t want Beth to search for the killer. One thing that makes Beth kind of shifty is that she tells her priest about her pregnancy, but no one else. Presumably Mark impregnated her, but it’s worth noting that she hasn’t explicitly said that. And her lack of a strong reaction to seeing Mark and Gemma kiss makes me think she also is hiding an affair. Perhaps the person who impregnated her killed Danny as part of a plan to break up Beth’s family.
- Jack (Nick Nolte), the crusty sea-life enthusiast who runs a local club for kids interested in wildlife, and Susan, the curmudgeonly cleaning lady who loathes visitors and has Danny’s skateboard (last used by Danny the night of his death, as traffic-camera footage shows us) in her closet. Societal norms tell us that Jack and Susan are creepy because they have unusual interests and are socially challenged, but almost always in murder mysteries, they turn out to be the surprising heroes of the piece.
I would be suspicious of the following people, except that (at least so far) they don’t fit the criteria of being someone close to Danny, as the psychic told Beth.
- Paul, the priest. Based on how they relate to each other, it doesn’t seem like he impregnated Beth, although he clearly pines for her. He could’ve killed Danny to break up Beth’s marriage. On the other hand, once we’ve dismissed Tom as being too obvious, our mind goes to Paul, and that might also be too obvious this early in the series.
- Dean, Chloe’s (Danny’s older sister) boyfriend with a cocaine habit. I think he and his drug involvement will be a link in the chain that leads to Danny’s killer, but that’s about it.
- Renee, the San Francisco Globe reporter who previously covered a case that Carver botched. Carver knows he botched it, too, which is why he took the Gracepoint job as “penance.” But he loathes Renee hounding him with his past failure. Perhaps Renee is so hungry for a scoop that she is actually involved in Danny’s murder, although that’s a long shot.
Considering the “someone close to Danny” clue, one can’t help but be suspicious of:
- Chloe, Danny’s sister. My first impression is that she’s too flustered by the detectives finding cocaine in her room (and cash under Danny’s bed), and too genuinely distraught over Danny’s death, to be his murderer. However, I think she’ll at least be a key piece to the puzzle for the detectives, and it’s quite possible that her actions inadvertently led to Danny’s death.
- Danny’s grandma, who lives with the family. Murders – in reality and on TV – are often committed by a relative, and there’s a lot of evidence that the other Solanos (particularly the mom and dad) did not kill Danny. Also, whenever there’s no plot purpose for a character – other than to tell Beth that she’ll be happy to go to the grocery store for her — you have to ask why they are on the show. One possible answer is because she’s the killer. If the writers ever give her anything remotely resembling a motive, I’ll become more suspicious.
Of course, we also can’t dismiss:
- Raymond, the psychic. “Gracepoint” is a straightforward, meat-and-potatoes detective show, with a style leaning toward realism rather than fantasy. As such, the psychic is out of place. Unless he’s faking it. Maybe we shouldn’t be following the psychic’s clues at all because Raymond himself is the killer.
I feel strongly that there will be multiple killers, and that Raymond and Paul will be either the killers or wrapped up in the events of that fateful night. It’s also worth noting that the actors playing Raymond and Paul look similar, an odd choice for casting directors (who like distinct-looking individuals for the same reason that character names are never doubled up) – unless the characters are intended to be related.
Who do you think killed Danny? Share your thoughts in the comment thread below, and check out Fox’s site to see who other viewers are suspecting at the moment.