We’ve reached the halfway point of ‘Apple Tree Yard’ and it’s clear, even without the obligatory handcuffs scene, that Yvonne Carmichael’s spontaneous outburst of lust in the House of Commons crypt has led to a lot more than a few stolen rendezvous in railway station cafes.
The biggest question must be... WHY? Not why did she start the fling, but why is she continuing in this madness?
Of course, a lot of our sympathy depends on the strength of Emily Watson’s performance, and she certainly delivers the mixed emotions of a woman caught simultaneously in the fearful aftermath of a terrible assault, and the self-indulgence of a neglected woman for whom fresh admiration serves as too potent a pill. But still, we must ask...
Specifically...
1. Why did Yvonne decide to tell her lover about her attack by George Selway, not the police?
2. How much does Gary know, anyway?
3. Why was Yvonne’s lover so concerned about George knowing anything about him? For her sake, or for his own?
4. Who was Mr X’s ‘expert’? And why were they meeting in a cafe, not an office? She was very quick to trust him with her most personal secrets.
5. How is Mr X planning to scare Selway, dressed in those jogging trousers?
6. What exactly went wrong in there, because clearly something did, hence the handcuffs?
If you can guess how this all ends, tweet me your theories at @FrostReporter. Catch up with ‘Apple Tree Yard’ on BBCiPlayer.