‘Broadchurch’ is, unfortunately for its fans, beginning to wind up. Sad but true. We’re a full five episodes in out of eight, but the investigation seems to be getting wider, not narrower. Good luck, writer Chris Chibnall, tying off all these loose ends, cross fingers in not too hurried a fashion... mentioning no names (’The Replacement’).
While all the settings remain beautifully lit, stunningly set, the narrative gets darker with every scene. At least annoying Aaron Mayford is off the hook, far too obvious and a red herring. For now.
Things we’re chewing on this week... help needed!
1. This new attack on Laura Benson that’s just been reported - the same assailant? Certainly sounds like it, with such similar detail, but that would make it someone not intent on hurting Trish, but instead a more random culprit, hardly the stuff of TV crime drama. Unless the two assaults are related, without it necessarily being the same perpetrator…
2. “She’ll be figuring something’s up.” Well, yes. What on earth does Trish’s daughter think Jim and Trish are talking about by the beach?
3. Why was Trish so intent on letting Cath know about her tryst with Jim? She seemed to be almost enjoying her power over him. A newly-felt indignation for her treatment by men, by Jim in particular, or was she actually out to get Cath? It was never going to end well...
4. … and it didn’t. Wow, what a scene between Trish and Cath (both actresses at the TOP of their game). And now Cath’s gone very, very dark. What does she have on her now estranged husband? And how’s she going to use it?
5. Meanwhile, “You have no idea what you’ve let yourself in for” was Jim’s surly response to Trish. Was that a threat of his own?
6. Ed’s very annoyed by every other man in town, it seems - first denying Ian a caravan, and then giving Jim a good seeing-to. Where else might his anger lead?
7. And now there’s ANOTHER attack along similar grounds, by a woman who didn’t report the crime but we’ve heard about via Beth Latimer. I have a feeling we’re going to know this victim, because otherwise that’s a lot of crime to be investigated in just three remaining episodes, but who is it?
8. I’d forgotten about the greasy taxi driver, Clive or whatever his real name is. He’s clearly a nasty piece of work, but I think his wife is hoarding more secrets than him. At least, I hope so. He deserves it.
9.Did Clive really see Jim that night with Trish, and if so, why on earth did he tell him? Some people just ask for trouble.
10. So Ian’s breaking into his estranged wife’s house - well, we already knew he was keen on getting “that stuff” off the computer, so this isn’t really a biggie, is it?
11. Elsewhere, what’s Mark going to do with Joe Miller now he’s found him - and this MUST have something to do with the present-day case, but what is it?
12. Finally, Hardy’s daughter is facing her own trials by schoolyard humiliation. Again, what does this have to do with the central case? With only three episodes to go, it MUST be related. Hardy and Miller are running out of time, and so are we.
Catch up with ‘Broadchurch’ on ITV Player.