To create a second series of a television show which received such high critical acclaim is always going to be a risk (particularly with a series that has received four BAFTA awards and gained 8 million viewers). Like with any sequel there is an expectation of disappointment. But wasn’t there just something about Broadchurch that gave us a slight glimmer of hope that series two could echo the success of series one? Did this optimism translate into reality? Yes, then no, but then yes again.
The success of series two is inconsistent. This differs from series one which was persistently intense, as episode after episode offered us clues about Daniel Latimer’s death, allowing us to become detectives in our own home as we imagined we were Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Coleman) (or maybe that was just me and my unhealthy obsession with Olivia). We were invited into a picturesque community containing secrets hidden in the shadows as lies lurked beneath the surface of tranquillity. These secrets emerged and shattered the neighbourhood. No longer was it a place of innocence, it was now a place where a boy of eleven had been killed. And there was one pressing question on everyone’s mind: who did it? Series one was a whirlwind of unexpected revelations, which then concluded with the shocking reveal that the murderer was in fact DS Ellie Miller’s husband Joe Miller (Matthew Gravelle).
So, what could series two offer us? We had our killer, or at least we thought we did. The twist: Joe Miller pleads not guilty. This was the development in episode one of series two that caused disbelief, distress and delight. The delight was established by the belief that the writer Chris Chibnall was going to once again formulate an unmissable TV show, not because I’m a creep who relishes in the potential lies of a man charged with murder, just to be clear. So, we were off on a high. The ‘whodunit’ series had grown into a ‘did-he-didn’t-he’ series, a courtroom drama; a necessary evolvement which developed without destroying.
We also welcomed new characters, new stories and new mysteries. But wait, don’t get too excited (as the #boredchurch will confirm). The new (or old) mystery introduced is the unresolved Sandbrook case which DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) was involved in prior to the Latimer case. Hardy continues his attempt to unravel the mystery that surrounds the death of one girl and the location of another girl who remains missing. This case contains all the obscurity that we desire in a ‘whodunit’, but there is something missing: an emotional attachment. As a result of this case being a revisitation and upheaval of past events, we’re not invested in the characters in the same way that we were in the first series. Of course we desire justice as this case arouses anger, but we are not familiar with the characters, despite already being on episode six of eight. What we know: the mother of the girl who died is an alcoholic and was having an affair with the man believed to have killed her daughter, Lee Ashworth (James D’Arcy) (found not guilty) and the father has a picture of the woods with the significant bluebells on his wall which the two girls were playing in before one of them died and the other went missing. Additionally, Claire Ripley (Eve Myles) is Lee Ashworth’s ex and was being protected from him by Alec Hardy before she returned to Lee and they had sex, showing that perhaps this terror of hers isn’t as great as she lets on. These are the highlights of the Sandbrook case, so yes there is intrigue, but where’s the sentimental connection? (There are also mini stories involving the two rival lawyers, Jocelyn Knight and Sharon Bishop, played by Charlotte Rampling and Marianne Jean-Baptiste, but to be honest we don’t have the time, energy or really the need to consider or care about them).
Despite the new series being a bit up and down, one thing that does remain consistent is the talent of the actors. David Tennant’s ability to play a man charged with determination, despite being on the brink of death, and Olivia Coleman’s ability to encompass the anguish of a woman whose life is unravelling, with the fortitude to prevent this collapse, is incredibly engaging. They are the series.
So was it worth the risk? If it means more Olivia Coleman on our screens then yes, yes it was worth the risk.
Edited by Georgina Varley
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