MovieChat Forums > Broadchurch (2013) Discussion > Never seen a series fall so between 2 se...

Never seen a series fall so between 2 seasons

posted 9 years ago by nakazul
26 replies | jump to latest

I seen a lot of tv series and they had varied quality, also between seasons quality have waverd up, down, or stayed the same. But this is the first time i watched a season 1 that was brilliant, really really good stuff hitting everything right, and season 2 that is so far from any of it, im wondering if i am watching the same show even. Im curious, how come this series fell so very very hard from magnificent to .... mostly annoying? Maybe you found the season 2 good, and thats fine. But personally, i find that season 2 could not be liked in any aspects and should never been made. They should have ended the show with season 1.

[–] brent-139 9 years ago

Just finished season 1, and have discovered many people saying season 2's terrible. Really bummed as I was excited to start it, but now I'm thinking I'll just skip it so I can just know the excellence that was season 1.

[–] jalola298 9 years ago

The reaction to series 2 is based on expectations.

If you go into it with specific expectations for what you want to see (e.g. another murder mystery to solve and figure out whodunnit), then you probably will be disappointed.

On the other hand, if you go in with an open mind to what the story will be and are happy to see most of the cast back for series 2, then you'll enjoy it. The main thing is it's not another whodunnit and some things you thought you knew as fact in series 1 get exposed as being not what we expected in series 2.

[–] StoneFacedTickler 9 years ago

No, it doesn't necessarily have to do with expectations. One can definitely look at it from an objective perspective and come to the conclusion that the writing, narrative and execution by those involved in season 2 doesn't measure up with season 1. I know I do.

Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.

[–] DendelionBlu 9 years ago

No, you don't

It's actually literally impossible to be objective about anything in life

It's jist not how life works

For everything you experience your brain makes connections and comparisons ro what you experienced in the past

Even if your rational self strives the be objective there's a lot more goong on in the back of your brain, and that's the stuff that really pushes you to make decisions

None of us can ever be objective about anything

[–] StoneFacedTickler 9 years ago

Wrong.

Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.

[–] DendelionBlu 9 years ago

See what I mean?

Your brain can't even grasp the concept

Don't worry you're in the company of a lot of delusional people

You can still have a life

[–] MarblesLove 9 years ago

I wasn't disappointing in season 2 cause it wasn't a whodunit though. I was disappointed cause I didn't like the courtroom scenes as much. Plus, there kind of was a whodunit element with the Sandbrook case. It wasn't the major focus like the whodunit was in season 1 but it was there.

Once upon a time there was a magical place where it never rained. The end.

[–] jalola298 9 years ago

It's weird because generally, I prefer a procedural, like a detective mystery, over a complicated English Lit novel with tons of subthemes I never see, metaphors, pathetic fallacy, symbolism, ... Yet with BC2, where I should have been annoyed it wasn't a straightforward story, I got totally hooked into the subthemes, Easter eggs, parallels and other between-the-lines-stuff.

There's a fan over on Tumblr who's been writing up amazing analyses of the themes, cinematography, costuming, staging, and parallels to Thomas Hardy novels, which Chibnall has admitted to using in the Broadchurch stories. Most of these things she's covering are from the second series and they're gobsmacking. So that's where I'm coming from. Sure, there were weaknesses in the straightforward story. But I questioned whether I saw them as weaknesses because I was measuring them against the dozens of procedurals I've seen on US TV over the years, which do stay very linear in their writing.

I have a feeling, based on yesterday's announcement on series 3, that this last series isn't going to be a whodunnit as much as a "prove what happened" and will probably have more between-the-lines-stuff, like the second series had.

[–] thesinik 9 years ago

I enjoyed season 2 a lot. It helped frame the picture of how season 1's story looked like for someone not so intertwined in all the characters' lives.

Made you look!

[–] Mandy999 9 years ago

I just watched the whole thing at once and thought it was great. A little soap-opera-like at times, but the performances were riveting. Perhaps it's the difference between waiting between series and getting to see them as one long story.

[–] pt100 9 years ago

I doubt it will last much longer:
http://renewcanceltv.com/broadchurch-cancelled-no-season-4-report/

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -- A. Einstein

[–] atlantajoseph 9 years ago

Season 2 was problematic but IMO redeemed itself by the end. I think they spent far too much time rehashing the events of the first season and this robbed the show of some dramatic tension. Ultimately I was glad though to see some closure toward the end of the season and I did end up loving the lead characters even more. Also the cinematography was a joy to behold consistently and through every episode. So, yeah, I'd still give S2 four stars out of five, just not the same amazing storytelling as S1.

[–] plumlogan 9 years ago

Season 1 was style and substance - season 2 really hung more on the style side ... on its own, it was good, but it certainly didn't reach where season 1 got to

[–] nfao89 9 years ago

I really enjoyed season 2. After watching season 1, I had to take a break from the show. It was great, but would`ve been to much for me. So going into season 2 a few days ago I didnt have any expectations and I really enjoyed the court plot, something new that I didnt expect.

What this show does great is being real and playing on emotions.

[–] katjoeus 9 years ago

Couldn't agree less!! I thoroughly enjoyed season 2. More so than season.