Television: Gracepoint 1.2

What did we learn? Well, that Danny was probably killed in the little rental cabin. Though the place was scrubbed clean, there was a bit of blood that matched Danny's type, and a fingerprint that matched . . . (wait for it) . . . Danny's father Mark.

We also know Mark lied about being out on a job the night Danny was murdered.

And Danny had some interesting files on his computer, journal entries that said things like, "I think I know what he's doing."

Oh, and there was $500 taped under Danny's bed. Meanwhile, Chloe's room turned up a small baggie of cocaine, though that evidently was her boyfriend's.

Jack (Nick Nolte) weighed in with something he "remembered" about seeing Danny talk to someone . . .

And some crazy would-be psychic tries to tell Carver and Miller that Danny told him he was in a boat shortly before he died. He also gives Carver a cryptic message about a pendant, saying, "She says she forgives you." We all know Carver ended up in Gracepoint after some debacle elsewhere, so I guess this is supposed to be a clue about his past. (Actually, having seen Broadchurch, I know it's a clue about his past.)

The reporter from San Francisco is using the local reporter boy to get inside information on the people and the town, telling him if he helps her she might be able to help him land a bigger, better gig.

Oh, and Beth tells Reverend Paul she's pregnant. And that Mark doesn't know.

As in Broadchurch, things progress at a nice clip here. A lot of information. But it holds less tension for me, and I can't figure out if that's because I've seen Broadchurch already, or if the changes for American television just don't land right. Shorter, choppier scenes, for instance. And having Carver come off even harsher. Plus, playing up his medical issues sooner and more obviously.

I knew going in I wouldn't like it as much as Broadchurch. I don't think it was possible for me to, not when it's the same story again. But I still want to watch it because I do want to see where the changes are. It's sort of an interesting experiment in a way. So while the question was never whether I'd like Gracepoint as much, it remains to be seen how much I will enjoy it . . . Right now, I can't really say. I'm just hoping Gracepoint does something interesting to separate itself from its source material so that those of us who've seen Broadchurch have something to look forward to.