[7.4/10] The division in my feelings about Broadchurch are starting to solidify a bit. I continue to enjoy the scenes with Hardy and Miller investigating the mystery, and I even like the red herrings they’re investigating. I am far less invested in the Lattimer family, as they seem much more generic and given less depth than the pair of detectives working the case.
That holds up here. For one thing, as predicted, the dinner with the Millers and Hardy is pretty fun. Hardy’s awkwardness about the whole thing, the laugh between him and Miller’s husband over whether Ellie likes working with him, and the revealing dinner conversation all make it the stand out scene here.
Their investigation is also interesting. We get details on the burning boat from the last episode, pointed conversations with other contenders, and the pair’s back and forth about the reasons to go to church was a solid laugh. Likewise, Miller’s family continues to be adorable, with the “Didn’t know he was a churchgoer” “Didn’t know we were” exchange being particularly choice. On the other hand, Hardy’s passing out from overstress or whatever and being rescued by Becca played as generic hardboiled detective stuff, but that’s largely what you get with Hardy. I do like that they’re leaning more into his social awkwardness as a character trait.
The most interesting side element here though is Jack, the paper shop owner. David Bradley plays him with such conviction (no pun intended), and it’s compelling to watch him struggle with the public revelation of his past offense with a minor. My bet is that it’s a Romeo/Juliet law-type situation, but either way, Bradley does a good job at showing Jack’s wry dismissal of the cops insinuations, his anger at Oliver, and his sincerity with the Lattimers. One of the best parts of the episode
Speaking of the Lattimers, I don’t really care about them here. Beth taking solace with someone who claims to be psychic has some resonance, in principle, but it’s a pretty ridiculous subplot and her “I’m all alone” statement is just turning subtext into text. Mark continues to be an asshole even when he’s no longer under suspicion, though Beth telling him she knows about his affair right before they have to give a public press conference feels like something that just happened to increase the drama factor.
The media story here isn’t terribly interesting either. The “We trusted this out of town reporter and now we’re subject to a media circus” routine is fairly rote. You can see the “Why isn’t our son’s case getting more attention?” angle, but the manipulation by Karen White and the ensuing paparazzi nonsense doesn’t do much for me.
I do, however, continue to like Maggie, the local editor. Her taking Karen in so as to keep better tabs on what the competition is up to is smart, and her scene with Susan Wright is downright terrifying. Wright (who has a name now!) continues to be one of the more intriguing presences in the series. She commands every scene she’s in, and I can’t wait till we learn more about what her (increasingly murky) deal is.
Top Suspects: 1. Reverend Coates -- He doesn’t have an alibi for the night of the murder. He has a connection to both Danny and Tom. And he’s up late tortured with insomnia. You remain my number one suspect, Rev! 2. Nigel -- He strikes me more as the “involved, but not the perpetrator” candidate, but he’s close to the family, and clearly has info that he hasn’t shared, which suggests something’s up 3. Susan Wright -- Mysterious past. Trying to work something out with Nige. And she’s legit scary! I bet it’s more likely she and Nige found the crime scene and tried to clean it up to avoid suspicion, but she too clearly has something up!
Review by Andrew BloomVIP 9BlockedParentSpoilers2021-06-03T03:23:39Z
[7.4/10] The division in my feelings about Broadchurch are starting to solidify a bit. I continue to enjoy the scenes with Hardy and Miller investigating the mystery, and I even like the red herrings they’re investigating. I am far less invested in the Lattimer family, as they seem much more generic and given less depth than the pair of detectives working the case.
That holds up here. For one thing, as predicted, the dinner with the Millers and Hardy is pretty fun. Hardy’s awkwardness about the whole thing, the laugh between him and Miller’s husband over whether Ellie likes working with him, and the revealing dinner conversation all make it the stand out scene here.
Their investigation is also interesting. We get details on the burning boat from the last episode, pointed conversations with other contenders, and the pair’s back and forth about the reasons to go to church was a solid laugh. Likewise, Miller’s family continues to be adorable, with the “Didn’t know he was a churchgoer” “Didn’t know we were” exchange being particularly choice. On the other hand, Hardy’s passing out from overstress or whatever and being rescued by Becca played as generic hardboiled detective stuff, but that’s largely what you get with Hardy. I do like that they’re leaning more into his social awkwardness as a character trait.
The most interesting side element here though is Jack, the paper shop owner. David Bradley plays him with such conviction (no pun intended), and it’s compelling to watch him struggle with the public revelation of his past offense with a minor. My bet is that it’s a Romeo/Juliet law-type situation, but either way, Bradley does a good job at showing Jack’s wry dismissal of the cops insinuations, his anger at Oliver, and his sincerity with the Lattimers. One of the best parts of the episode
Speaking of the Lattimers, I don’t really care about them here. Beth taking solace with someone who claims to be psychic has some resonance, in principle, but it’s a pretty ridiculous subplot and her “I’m all alone” statement is just turning subtext into text. Mark continues to be an asshole even when he’s no longer under suspicion, though Beth telling him she knows about his affair right before they have to give a public press conference feels like something that just happened to increase the drama factor.
The media story here isn’t terribly interesting either. The “We trusted this out of town reporter and now we’re subject to a media circus” routine is fairly rote. You can see the “Why isn’t our son’s case getting more attention?” angle, but the manipulation by Karen White and the ensuing paparazzi nonsense doesn’t do much for me.
I do, however, continue to like Maggie, the local editor. Her taking Karen in so as to keep better tabs on what the competition is up to is smart, and her scene with Susan Wright is downright terrifying. Wright (who has a name now!) continues to be one of the more intriguing presences in the series. She commands every scene she’s in, and I can’t wait till we learn more about what her (increasingly murky) deal is.
Top Suspects:
1. Reverend Coates -- He doesn’t have an alibi for the night of the murder. He has a connection to both Danny and Tom. And he’s up late tortured with insomnia. You remain my number one suspect, Rev!
2. Nigel -- He strikes me more as the “involved, but not the perpetrator” candidate, but he’s close to the family, and clearly has info that he hasn’t shared, which suggests something’s up
3. Susan Wright -- Mysterious past. Trying to work something out with Nige. And she’s legit scary! I bet it’s more likely she and Nige found the crime scene and tried to clean it up to avoid suspicion, but she too clearly has something up!