As the episode begins, Alec Hardy (David Tennant) meets up with Ellie Miller (Olivia Coleman) at the scene of the crime. Ellie admits to touring the scene and insists the attacker would have been covered in mud. Alec admits he got very little sleep. Back at the station, DC Katie Harford (Georgina Campbell) and the rest of the time is briefed. Katie asks several unsettling questions. The team learns that they’re the only ones investigating the case, since there is a lack of resources. After the briefing ends, Ellie and Alec visit a local store, which sells nets and twine. They speak with the man in charge Leo Humphries (Chris Mason). Leo is cocky and seems hesitant to give up any information. Nevertheless, he eventually succumbs. While signing paperwork, Ellie notices a lot of sexualized images in the company office.

Leo admits around 11 people work at the facility. He agrees to provide the police with a list of employees. Alec and Ellie leave moments later. They confirm they’re not sure whether or not the twine was made at that particular store. Nonetheless, Leo’s attitude definitely left an impression. Afterwards, the duo meets up with Jim Atwood (Mark Bazeley). Jim quickly asks about Trish and Ian. Jim tells the detectives about his marriage, while Alec inspects a bunch of fishing gear nearby. Jim insists Cath won’t let him keep the items at home. Eventually, Jim is asked for a sample of his DNA. He doesn’t seem concerned and replies that it won’t be a problem. Then, Jim seems perplexed by the thought that one of his friends could’ve been involved in the assault. Ellie scans over the guest list on the way out. She confirms she knows quite a few names.

Next, Maggie (Carolyn Pickles) heads to the Wessex News Group office. She speaks with her boss and learns that the company intends to shut down the Broadchurch segment. Maggie tries to convince the woman otherwise, but her pleading falls flat. Alec tells Ellie he believes they need to interview Trish (Julie Hesmondhalgh) immediately, so they can prevent another attack. On the other hand, Ellie doesn’t believe she is ready and is worried interviewing her too soon could hurt their case. Ellie meets with Beth Latimer (Jodie Whittaker). First, they speak about Ellie’s son, before their conversation switched to Trish. Ellie tries to pressure Beth into getting the woman to open up to them. Next, Beth meets with Trish at a nearby restaurant. She tells Trish about her responsibility to guide Trish through the investigation and potential court trial. Eventually, Trish admits she wants to give an interview, but suggests she might not be ready yet.

Nevertheless, Beth makes contact with Ellie later and agrees to set up the meeting. Ellie and Alec arrive on the scene and make it clear they intend to release limited information to the public in hopes of getting witnesses to come forward. They also set a time for Trish’s ABE interview. After the conversation ends, Ellie and Alec argue about the decision. Then, they meet up with Trish’s husband Ian (Charlie Higson). The man admits to being at the party. He also accuses his wife of sleeping with half of the men there. He is unable to recall which cab company took him home. However, he confirms he got into an argument with Trish at the event. Ian is asked to give a DNA sample and he refuses. After leaving, Alec and Ellie quickly decide to track down the taxi driver. They also agree that Ian’s refusal to turn over his DNA was interesting.

After arriving outside of a local cab company’s office, Alec gets a call from Daisy (Hannah Rae). He is reminded about their lunch date and is forced to cancel it. Then, the duo interviews the taxi driver, Clive Lucas (Sebastian Armesto). Clive admits to knowing Trish and also refers to her as a regular. He also confirms she had him booked for the return journey after the party. However, Clive insists that Trish never showed up. Instead, he took a couple back to town. However, he is unable to give the detectives any names. Clive also complains about his radio, which hasn’t been working appropriately. Clive finally learns about the sexual assault. He scoffs at the idea that the police would try to pin it on him. Clive is asked for a DNA sample, before he gets a call on his radio, which seems to be working just fine. He rushes off quickly. Next, Beth meets up with Mark (Andrew Buchan).

Beth quickly begins complaining about her job. She admits to calling Mark, because she doesn’t get support at work. Mark reminds Beth that she isn’t being fair. He suggests she cannot keep calling on him like a puppy. Mark is given a letter from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. The envelope contains a check and an apology. Rev Paul Coates (Arthur Darvill) meets with Maggie and learns about the closure of the newspaper. They both wind up complaining about their careers. Alec and Ellie visit the taxi office and speak with the receptionist. She admits that Clive had tons of bookings that night and it turned into a nightmare. Seconds later, Leah Winterman (Hannah Millward) arrives home to find Beth with her mother. Trish breaks down and tells her daughter about the assault. Ed Burnett (Lenny Henry) and Cath (Sarah Parish) learn about the assault from a newspaper article online. Leo, Clive and others hear about the news as well.

Mark visits the church and speaks with Paul. He admits the check brings up all of his old feelings. He also confirms he thinks about how they got it all wrong frequently. He regrets not throwing Joe off of the cliff. Beth and Trish arrive at the station for the interview. Katie is given a list of people that attended the party. She seems taken back when she notices Ed Burnett’s name. The interview with Trish begins. She first tells the detectives about her wardrobe on the night of the attack. She admits Clive drove her to the party. It is also revealed that Trish knew Clive very well and they even went on a date once in the past. She names people that she spoke with at the party. She also admits to drinking a large amount of alcohol. She estimates she went outside around 11. Once she went outside, she argued with her husband.

After the fight, she thought she heard someone call out her name nearby. When she followed the trail, she was attacked from behind. She admits she believes she was hit with something solid, such as a piece of wood. When she woke up, she struggled before her attacker slammed her head onto the ground. After a few more questions, Trish is asked about her sex life. She admits to sleeping with a man on the morning of the attack. She admits it was consensual, but unprotected. She also claims it was a stranger she had met online. Trish becomes belligerent and ends the interview. Now, Alec and Ellie contemplate why Trish would lie. At home, Ian opens a bag and washes clothes and shoes. DC Katie Harford heads to Ed’s house. When he opens the door, she refers to him as her dad and insists they need to chat. At the end of the episode, Trish receives a text message telling her to shut up or else.

 

Broadchurch Review

The second episode of Broadchurch’s 3rd season examined our potential suspects a little closer. We learned more about Trish’s husband, Jim and her taxi driver. One thing that stuck out to me was the DNA requests. Clive and Ian weren’t eager to give up their DNA. However, Jim didn’t seem to mind. Obviously, the perpetrator would have known about the condom and wouldn’t have to worry about DNA. We also saw a similar condom in Jim’s glove box. While this points the finger at Jim, all of the suspects seem to be hiding something.

The episode was good and left a lot of questions unanswered. An 8.5 out of 10 is deserved. Catch up with previous recaps of Broadchurch now!