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Well, I failed spectacularly at predicting the killer of Pippa and Lisa, didn’t I? Last week I recounted my theory that Alec had killed the girls for some unknown reason, and Claire had stolen the pendant because she and Alec were a couple. How wrong I was.
But whilst I may have been wrong, this didn’t matter in my viewing experience as the real culprit(s) came as even more of a shock. Yes, Claire, Lee and Ricky were all involved on that harrowing night. A drunken Ricky brutally struck Lisa’s head repeatedly against the floor after discovering her having sex with Lee (why, though? Was he jealous?) and Claire comes back to discover what has happened.
Sickeningly, she administers whiskey and rohypnol to twelve-year-old Pippa to put her to sleep, and then Lee smothers the poor girl to death. Lee and Claire lie to Ricky and claim that Pippa had a dodgy reaction to the drugs and thus lay the blame upon him, whilst Lisa is buried in a recent grave.
Like last series’s flashback, all of this packs a punch. It was extremely bleak but extremely satisfying at the same time by showing the extent to which people will go. The clues were there all along, really, what with the bluebell delivered to Claire and Ricky’s bizarre photo of the bluebell field. It was as though he was inviting Alec to put two and two together.
Speaking of Alec, how brilliant was David Tennant? Whereas the final of series one belonged to Olivia Colman, this year it was all about Tennant. His breakdown at finally closing the case was heartwrenching to watch, as was his unknown decision at the close of the episode.
Now that he has accomplished what nearly killed him, just what will he do? Well, he’ll stick around in Broadchurch surely, for a third series has been commissioned. This isn’t surprising in the slightest; Chris Chibnall reportedly envisaged Broadchurch as a trilogy.
Whilst I have no idea where the story is going, the fact that Tennant and Colman are both returning means that whatever we are delivered will be sensational.
But it wasn’t just Tennant who was brilliant. Colman was, too, in the final confrontation with Joe, and Eve Myles as Claire Ripley was hauntingly mesmerising as she consoled Pippa before forcing the drugs upon her. Claire and Lee have been a revelation to watch this series, though unfortunately it looks as though that pairing is now over.
Another pairing set to end is that of Jocelyn Knight and Sharon Bishop. Both have been brilliant characters to watch, but I very much doubt that there is anything more to be with with either of them. I suspect in series three Jocelyn will move to London to work alongside Sharon, and Maggie will move with her, thus trimming off some of the fat in the cast list and allowing Olly to take the reigns of the Broadchurch Echo.
Unsurprisingly Joe was found not guilty. Surprisingly Mark didn’t kill him. I felt for sure Joe was about to meet his maker when Mark and Nige kidnapped him and took him to the hut where Danny was killed. As Joe was given a second ‘trial’ (of sorts) viewers were greeted to brilliant performances all round.
Jodie Whittaker is just brilliant as Beth and it was great to see the townspeople not club together and kill Joe, but rather send him on his way. I entirely believe Ellie though when she said she’d kill Joe if he ever attempted contact with his children. You just know in series three he’ll return – otherwise why find him not guilty?
It was beautiful to see the Lattimer family returning to the beach, alongside Ellie and her children. Both families are now united in their grief and shared hatred of Joe and I am glad that Beth and Ellie are friends again. Whilst the Lattimers will hopefully return next series, they need to have less focus. Paul and Becca need more focus, because they each did nothing this series.
So where do you think series three will take us? Sound out in the comments below.
