'Gracepoint' mystery finds an ending

"It's a simple truth Miller. Anybody's capable of murder given the right circumstances." — Det. Carver, "Gracepoint"

Sometimes the ending to something is the gut-punch moment. It's something that can only happen once. Upon a second viewing, the power and intensity isn't there because you've seen it before. I remember the first time I saw "The Mist," an adaptation of Stephen King's novella. The ending was tragic and haunting. It was a kick in the gut. When I've seen the movie again, it hasn't been the same — how could it be.

That was how I felt about "Broadchurch," a British crime mystery that sucked me in last summer. It was a slow burn story of the death of a boy in a small town and the quest to solve his murder. Except that it wasn't really a crime drama. Sure, there was a crime and an investigation. But the power of the show was its relationships, and the damage done when the case was solved. The finale of "Broadchurch" was one of the best single episodes of television I've ever seen.

Here's what I wrote when lauding it last year: "There were two hours of TV in 2013 that left me stunned. One was this final episode of "Broadchurch." For most shows the reveal of the killer is the coda to a season, but for this series that was merely the beginning of a powerful emotional journey. The way the series wrapped up its stories, and the beautiful performances left me hooked and emotionally drained when it was over."

I wasn't the only one taken with what "Broadchurch" accomplished. Kevin Reilly, who ran FOX broadcasting, optioned the series for the U.S. It was re-made as "Gracepoint," a 10-episode limited series. The same writer helped translate it, and star David Tennant took the lead role in the American version as well.

Last night, the show delivered its final episode. Instead of a gut punch, it felt a bit like a cheat. All along, the producers claimed the ending would be different. That the series would be slightly different. Much of it felt like a carbon-copy, with a few different flourishes. That was true of last night's finale, too.

Was it different? Sure, it was slightly different. Was it as powerful? Not even close.

The devastation of "Broadchurch" stemmed not so much from the reveal, though that was part of it, as the emotions and the relationships that were changed, damaged, and destroyed. One of the biggest problems for "Gracepoint" has been the lack of depth in the character connections. It couldn't feel as strong or hurt as much because you weren't invested in the characters.

In addition, the same gut punch can't be replicated when you know it's coming. Those who saw the original would have recognized the set up in the first act of last night's finale. When you know it's coming, it can't possibly be as affecting.

Sure, there was a slight wrinkle. But if anything, that just reduced the emotional impact of everything else, making the relationships and interactions less dramatic.

"Gracepoint," then, becomes a lesson. An idea for a story can be powerful, but simply re-making it with different actors and a different setting doesn't get there. FOX was right to want something as good as "Broadchurch" on its air, it was just mis-guided in how it went about getting there.