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“Gracepoint” recap (1.10): Forever Unclean

Well humpback whales, we are finally here: the finale episode of Gracepoint. And boy is it a uterus punch of emotions! Unlike previous episodes, this one keeps a tight focus on the murder investigation, with almost no peripheral town drama.

We begin at Gracepoint PD, where Carver is interrogating Tommy Miller about his broken laptop. Tommy is accompanied by noted enchilada enthusiast/father Joe. We find out that Mark hit Danny after he quit the soccer team, and that Tommy and Danny were fighting in the weeks leading up to the murder. Joe abruptly ends the interview when Carver intimates that Tommy might have hurt Danny. Meanwhile, Ellie continues to interview Vince, who is just worried about his sick mother.

Carver and Miller go to the beach, where Carver tells her that she has done good work on the case. It’s his last day on the job, and this uncharacteristic gesture of openness suggests what we soon know to be true. Danny’s cell phone is turned on and traced to the garage of the Millers.

Carver brings in Joe Miller, and we see a flashback to the night of the murder. Joe and Danny struck up a friendship after Danny’s dad hit him, meeting in secret to talk. Joe makes a sexual advance towards Danny, who promptly freaks out and runs from the cabin. Danny threatens to jump off the cliff if Joe comes any closer, and Joe begs Danny just to forget everything that happened. He says they can just go back to normal and forget about it, but Danny runs. Joe grabs his sweater to stop him, and Danny trips and hits his head on a rock. Joe panics and cleans the cabin, then dumps Danny’s body on the beach.

Carver tries to get Joe to confess to molesting Danny, but he never did. He just exists in the awful in between of attempts and accidents and darkest thoughts. Carver demands to understand Joe’s motivations, but Joe claims that even he doesn’t understand his sick desires. After the cover-up, he crept back into bed with Ellie, who was knocked out on sleeping pills.

Joe had tried to confess before, but Ellie kept showing up and he couldn’t tell her. He begs Carver to break the news, which leads us to the most gut-wrenching scene of the series.

Carver breaking the news to Ellie is an intensely painful scene to watch, and showcases what a powerful actress Anna Gunn really is. She shifts between sickness, anger, and total sadness throughout the rest of the episode, and it truly is a powerhouse performance.

Ellie rushes into the interrogation room and starts hitting and kicking Joe, before she is dragged off by the other officers. Carver sends her home to pack some clothes and checks her into a motel. It’s heartbreaking to see Ellie leave her home as the police turn it into a crime scene. Carver tells everyone in the department that Ellie was in no way culpable and in desperate need of support.

Carver then tells the Solanos of Joe’s arrest, and they are shocked and distraught. Mark goes to the jail to talk to Joe, who is remorseful but defiant in his defense that he never assaulted Danny.

Miller brings her boys to the motel, and sits down to tell Tommy about the true nature of his father. Tommy says he was never touched by Joe, and Ellie looks at him and starts putting together the mystery. Carver had always told her she was too close to the case to see things clearly, but the trauma of the day’s events throw everything into stark relief. Ellie questions her son about what really happened that night, and we see a flashback from Tom’s point of view.

Tom followed his dad out to the cabin and watched him try to seduce Danny through the window. When Danny runs towards the cliff, Tommy picks up an oar and swings it at his father to defend his friend. On the backswing, the oar collides with Danny’s head, killing him instantly. Tommy Miller killed Danny Solano. Joe tells him to run home and stay silent while he cleans up the scene.

And there it is: the real, complete, awful truth of the crime. Ellie meets Joe at the jail and he confirms Tommy’s story. He is ready and willing to take the fall for the murder, and tells Ellie that he never touched anyone. But he wanted to. And all Ellie wants is to protect what’s left of her shattered family. They agree that Joe will take the fall, and Ellie becomes complicit in the cover-up of a murder.

Ellie stands outside the Solano house, and Beth walks out to ask her the same question Ellie asked Susan: how could you not know? It’s a devastating moment, marking Ellie’s connection to her family’s crime as a dark mark she will carry forever.

Danny Solano’s funeral is finally held, and the community of Gracepoint convenes on the beach for a bonfire memorial. Matching bonfires are lit across the bay in a show of support, a literal circle of mourning and grieving, courtesy of Paul. Sitting outside the circle are Ellie and Carver, forever outsiders. Ellie tells Carver she’s going to take the boys and move somewhere else for a fresh start.

Carver, meanwhile, has reconciled with his daughter and plans to get the life-saving surgery he needs. As Ellie walks away, he re-watches the interview with Joe and Tommy. He focuses in on Tommy’s phrasing that “no one ELSE hit Danny,” and realizes that Tommy was involved in the murder. He calls Ellie at the hotel, but she ignores his call.

And that’s it folks. We knew the finale of this dark show wouldn’t be a barrel of laughs, but man was it rough. And I can’t even make a joke about Kathy’s mismatched bangs because she didn’t show up in the episode.

Ugh, I need a handi-wipe for my soul.

What did you think of the finale? Tweet me @chelseaprocrast

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