Broadchurch Series 2 Episode 4 Recap and Discussion

Previous recaps: Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3
SPOILERS follow for Episode 4 of Broadchurch Series 2:

Ellie and Hardy

Naww. That’s just cute. First they’re accused, in court, of having an affair. Then they take off to Sandbrook together.

Look at us
Olivia Colman as Ellie Miller and David Tennant as Alec Hardy

(“Look at us: Thelma and Louise.” Harder-Hardy gets to be Susan Sarandon). Then the hotel booking goes astray and they have to share the last available room. (And that’s totally not going to come back to bite them. Of course not. No way.) So Ellie gets to sleep under the covers and makes Hardy sleep on top of the covers. And she has the most adorably frumpy pyjamas. Love that woman.

I meant to go back and grab a screenshot of those PJs, but I forgot 🙁

Hardy’s symptoms are increasing. Uh oh. (I wonder if it was his near-drowning (infection, perhaps?) when he pulled Pippa Gillespie’s body from the water that is the cause of his heart condition...)

Hardy-ill

His ex-wife and daughter seem nice, though, considering how bad the communication situation was implied last season. Two interesting points regarding Hardy’s ex:

1. She is played by Lucy Cohu, who was in Torchwood : Children of Earth, as Jack Harkness’s daughter, Alice;

2. The character’s name in Broadchurch is “Tess” (another Thomas Hardy reference?).

Meanwhile Lucy’s not helping matters by lying under oath—and putting the blame on the police (read: Ellie and Hardy) for not bothering to record that she named Joe Miller as the man she saw when she made a statement to police. I won’t be surprised if the town picks up flame torches and pitch forks before the end of the series and runs these two out of (another) town.

Sandbrook

Speaking of that other town, Ricky Gillespie is not happy that Hardy has dared to show his face in Sandbrook.

Creepy Lee Ashworth pays for Ellie’s parking in order to drop the bomb that Hardy slept with Claire (who is one busy woman if we’re meant to believe she was also sleeping with Ricky Gillespie, who is a very busy man, sleeping not only with Claire, but also with a bridesmaid at the wedding that occurred at the same time as the murder(s)). (Head spinning yet?)

Meanwhile Ollie sees fit to let all the world know that Lee Ashworth is bedding down in Broadchurch.

Knight vs. Bishop

Jocelyn’s confusing my chess theory by comparing herself to a boxer (instead of, say, Gary Kasparov). But, with Ben’s help, she makes a nice forward and slightly-sideways move by calling to the stand a paramedic who once worked with Joe Miller and witnessed him explode with road rage and beat up another driver. Sharon calls it a “Sneaky move” and adds, “I'd be impressed if I wasn't so irritated.” One, two, sidestep.

Interesting direction on the chat between Sharon and her junior Abby, who is so much taller than Sharon that she has to bend and sway in order to hold a conversation while they walk. Abby is awkward and clumsy; Sharon is contained, controlled. Dynamite, and all that. Jocelyn describes her as a “Rottweiler”. Abby believes Joe is guilty; Sharon (via her son’s experience otherwise) believes that everyone is entitled to a good defence.

So Susan Wright’s back (yay, more Pauline Quirke!) to stiff old Nige again.

The Latimers

Surprisingly, Mark appears to be coming good now that he’s a dad—I mean a dad for the third time. But, hey, homebirth can have a profound effect on bonding, and not just between mother and baby 🙂

But, whoa, weird scene between him and Tom when he brings baby Lizzie along to say goodbye and see-ya to his secret not-so-little friend. The way this plays out makes it sound like everything was Tom’s idea. The new baby has cleared Mark’s mind—so much so he even sticks up for Ellie and says Tom should talk to her. But, foreboding much?

Next: Episode 5

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