Set some three years after the murder trial that ended season two, Broadchurch continues where it left off, with many familiar faces populating the small seaside town.
Part of the success of the earlier seasons was undoubtedly the chemistry between Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman): both are back to continue their bickering spar of a professional partnership underscored by reluctant mutual respect. A rape following a 50th birthday celebration is the procedural case the two investigate – the solving of which is made doubly difficult by the fact Trish (Julie Hesmondhalgh) reports it on Tuesday morning – four days after the party.
A tight script with empathic characters underscored seasons one and two – and the latest installment is no different as the two officers are confronted with numerous suspects (a private event in an isolated location has helped narrow the search) and a wider narrative than that confined to the case. Sexual violence and misogyny; teenage schoolboys’ sharing of internet pornography; a rehoused sex offender all form part of that wider narrative. And, bubbling below the surface, is the fallout from the earlier murder of Danny in season one as parents Beth (Jodie Whittaker) and Mark (Andrew Buchan) look for closure.
The orignal season one storyline benefitted from a slow unfolding over 16 episodes. Season three, with its wider concerns, needed a similiar treatment. Sadly, whilst still engaging as a police prodecure, season three feels a little rushed, a little truncated in its social commentary. Even as a secondary narrative, Beth and Mark (in particular) dealing with their grief remains visceral in its power.
Rating: 70%
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