At the beginning of the 6th episode, we see a dream of Mark Latimer (Andrew Buchan). Mark wakes up in the middle of the night and finds Danny (Oskar McNamara) playing video games. Mark plays games with his son, while also giving him a pep talk. Seconds later, Beth (Jodie Whittaker) gets a call from Trish (Julie Hasmondhalgh). Beth tries to convince Trish she is tough enough to make it through her ordeal. At the station, Alec (David Tennant) and Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) scour over their list of suspects once again. They receive a call from Jim Atwood (Mark Bazeley). They rush to Jim’s garage and discover that he has been beaten. Jim tells them that Ed (Lenny Henry) is responsible for the attack. The detectives rush over to Ed’s shop and take him into custody. Alec transports Ed back to the station, while Ellie scours through the evidence at his office and shop. Ellie quickly discovers evidence that could potentially link Ed to the crime.

During the interrogation, Ellie interrupts Katie (Georgina Campbell) and asks for her assistance. Ellie becomes enraged when Katie refuses to help. Ellie interrupts the interview and speaks with Alec outside. She tells him about the evidence against Ed. Katie interrupts and finally tells them the truth about Ed being her father. Alec angrily ridicules Katie for keeping the relationship a secret. He scolds her for potentially putting the investigation in jeopardy. Then, Katie is forced to go home. Next, Mark spots Joe Miller (Matthew Gravelle). Joe notices Mark and quickly heads in the opposite direction. Alec and Ellie try to figure out what to do about Katie. They’re told they’ll have an hour before the DPS will be notified. Meanwhile, Beth and her boss meet with another victim, Nira (Ellora Torchia). Nira admits she doesn’t want to relive the attack. Nevertheless, she gives them a brief walkthrough of it.

Mark follows Joe home. Alec and Ellie meet up with Katie once again. She promises she didn’t do anything out of line. Still, she is criticized repeatedly by Ellie. Despite Katie’s desire to return, the detectives insist she is finished. Next, Ellie gives the press information about the assault. Trish and Beth watch the news report together. At the school, Ian (Charlie Higson) speaks with Leah (Hannah Millward). He is accused of stealing Trish’s computer. Leah promises to return it, but Ian isn’t interested in giving it back. Cath (Sarah Parish) visits Jim at the shop. They argue briefly, before Jim suggests they leave the city and start again elsewhere. Mark finally confronts Joe. Despite some hesitancy, Joe finally agrees to speak with Mark. Joe first makes Mark turn his phone off, so the conversation isn’t recorded. Then, Joe admits he feels terrible and would like to kill himself, but is too much of a coward to do so.

During their conversation, we also see Beth speaks with Nira again. At home, Ellie has lunch with her father and Tom (Adam Wilson). Tom’s phone begins to buzz and Ellie quickly becomes angered. She takes Tom’s phone and quickly shames it to bits. Alec speaks with Daisy (Hannah Rae) and learns that she wishes to leave. He tries to change her mind, but doesn’t seem to get through to his daughter. Alec admits he feels obligated to be in Broadchurch after his near death experience. Ed is interviewed again. He quickly plays the race card. The question Ed about sending the flowers to Trish. He admits he did, but also insists he didn’t commit any crime. Then, the detectives ask Ed about the weird pictures he has taken of Trish.

Ed is asked where he has been staying for the past few weeks. Ellie tells him about a call they received from one of Trish’s neighbors. The woman claimed she saw Ed’s car in the area overnight. Eventually, Alec gets under Ed’s skin. He stands up, but is forced to calm down very quickly. Ed is asked what he wore to Cath’s party. Cath confronts Trish and tells her about their decision to leave the area. They remain on bad terms. Ian takes the computer to Leo (Chris Mason). However, Leo refuses to take it, since he believe the detectives are watching. Ed is taken home and evidence is collected. Beth calls Ellie and tells her that Nira isn’t ready to speak with the authorities. It is discovered that Ed has twine in his suit. Back at the station, he insists he just happened to leave it in his pocket.

Ed remains adamant that he knows nothing about the attack on Trish. He asks about hitting his wife. Ed admits he did once. Then, Ed asks about Katie, before turning to his wife again. Ellie asks about the grass and mud stains found on his suit. He doesn’t answer. Outside, Alec and Ellie tries to figure out what might’ve pushed Ed over the edge. They get a message from Trish about the computer. Then, they pay a visit to Ian. Ian makes an excuse for stealing the computer. Ian hands over the computer, before asking about Ed. Ian confirms that Ed had been sexually harassing Trish for a period of time. After the end of the episode, Chloe (Charlotte Beaumont) gets a call from Mark. It looks like Mark is in the same location where Danny was found. It appears he could throw himself over the edge of the cliff.

 

Broadchurch Review

The 6th episode pushed the narrative further, while potentially bringing an end to Mark Latimer’s struggles. This episode mainly focused on Ed as the primary suspect. This also hurt his daughter and got her removed from the case. While the racial propaganda was very off putting, the episode was decent. Actually, the story could’ve been wrapped up perfectly in 6 episodes. It feels like Alec and Ellie are retracing their steps repeatedly. At least Mark’s aimless hunt for Joe will finally stop now.

A 6.5 out of 10 is earned. Catch up with previous recaps of Broadchurch now!