TV Focus // Previously on Broadchurch - A Summation of Series 1 For Confused Viewers!

Previously on Broadchurch… 

After our review of the first episode of Broadchurch series 2, we had some strongly worded feedback that the story was baffling for anyone who hadn’t seen series one. Therefore, dear readers, we at #SRCZ Towers have put together an update on the story so far so that you can enjoy series 2 in possession of enough information for it to make sense.

So what’s happened so far?

In series one, 11-year-old Danny Latimer was found dead on the beach at the foot of the cliffs in the town of Broadchurch. Made to look like an accident, Danny’s death was actually more sinister and a post mortem reveals that he was strangled and his body dumped.

The head of the local police, Elaine Jenkinson, brings in Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) to oversee the investigation, much to the annoyance of Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller, (Olivia Colman) who wanted the job.

Ellie Miller, her husband Joe and son Tom are close family friends with Danny Latimer’s family - mum Beth (Jodie Whittaker), dad Mark (Andrew Buchan), daughter Chloe and the now deceased Danny.

The hunt for Danny’s killer brings great interest from the press. There’s journalists Maggie Radcliffe (Carolyn Pickles) and Olly Stevens (Jonathan Bailey) from local paper The Broadchurch Echo. Olly is Ellie Miller’s nephew and he’s a bit ruthless in his desire for a big story that’ll get him noticed by one of the nationals.   

Speaking of which, Karen White (Vicky McLure) of The Daily Herald is in town to cover the story and gain some professional credibility. And she knows a fair bit about Hardy’s last case, the botched Sandbrook murder investigation.

Everyone in the town of Broadchurch appears to be highly suspicious and could be Danny’s murderer. Dad Mark has no alibi, but it turns out that he was bonking hotel manager Becca Fisher (Simone McAullay). Mark’s mate and co-worker Nige (Joe Sims) is as shifty as they come - big, bald and angry and carries weapons around in the boot of his car. Could he have killed his best mate’s boy?

Local Vicar Paul Coates (Arthur Darvill) does his best to keep the community together, but his general awkwardness arouses suspicion. He’s also a recovering alcoholic. Which can’t be good for a vicar.  Local weird, angry dog lady Susan Wright (PaulineQuirke) lives in a caravan near to where Danny’s body was found. She looks like prime suspect number one until her own rather tragic tale unfolds and she disappears.

Will Mellor (yes, that one) does a cracking turn as local strange person, telecoms guy and self-confessed psychic Steve Connelly. Connelly is so unnervingly right about much of the case, that you start to wonder if he knows so much because he is the murderer. Local shopkeeper Jack Marshall (David Bradley) has a criminal past that’s revealed in the press and he’s hounded by the town so much that he throws himself off the same cliff that Danny was found at the foot of. And Danny’s best friend (and Ellie’s son) Tom (still with me?) acts all moody as it’s revealed he and Danny had fallen out and he’s smashed bits of technology to hide something. But what?

Turns out it’s all red herrings as the real killer is revealed to be Ellie’s husband Joe Miller, who was trying to cover up an inappropriate relationship with Danny and didn’t want his wife to know.  Faced with a load of evidence, Joe confesses everything to DI Hardy. Ellie rages at Joe while Danny’s mum Beth rages at Ellie, convinced that Ellie must have known that Joe was the murderer all along.

As the series closed, Beth faced the future pregnant with another baby and trying to reconcile with Mark; Ellie moved into a hotel with her children, and Hardy was lucky to be alive after a life-threatening heart attack almost saw him off. We’ve also discovered that Hardy’s wife was responsible for the collapse of the Sandbrook case and that Hardy covered up for her, making himself look like the bad guy in the process.

So, here we are post episode 1 of series 2 and along comes Joe to shockingly plead not guilty and we know we’re in for another fraught couple of months as the tale continues to unfold.

Now we’re all caught up, let’s press play on episode 2….

(Andrea McGuire)