S02.E03: Episode 3

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Hardy faces a race against time as Ellie discovers a startling new piece of evidence, forcing them to reassess their suspicions. Meanwhile, with DS Miller coming under intense pressure from all sides, life for Mark and Beth is about to change forever.

[Automne]

ITV Player was being a bitch, so my thoughts are scattered about since I originally missed the first ten minutes and then ended up missing the rest of the episode, so had to wait a while so I could watch the rest.

 

So when Beth said to Chloe in the first season that she was going to have to act older than she is, she meant that because Beth had no intention in acting like a mother in her 30s, right? Because in the few minutes Ellie and Chloe interacted at all since the big revelation, Chloe asks questions, lets Ellie talk and explain, Chloe listens and forms her opinion. Like adults do. Something that the woman twice her age and is responsible for raising her is unable to do.

 

With all the crap new parents talk, you'd think that a new baby mellows out people. In the case of Beth Latimer, nope. I really hope Beth's opinion is not vindicated. Although the new baby's name is setting up for a Beth/Ellie reunion (Elizabeth = "Ellie").

 

Welcome baby Elizabeth! With the two parents you have, you're screwed! And congrats, Chloe, you have been promoted to free babysitter/substitute parent! By the way Mark, saying, "We'll get it right this time," is a little shitty to say. Chloe is sitting right there, yo. Maybe her turning out to be an okay kid was like her conception - an accident.

 

Jesus, what evil did Ellie perpetuate in a past life to get this shit piled on her?

 

Ashworth is one dumb motherfucker. Hardy can take your ass in for impersonating a police officer and then he can gather evidence to put your ass away for murder in peace. Pure dumb luck (as it stands right now; I'm sure we'll find out the car break-in and theft wasn't happenstance, but planned by Claire or somebody) prevented you from being convicted of murder and imprisoned. Hardy needs to learn to play up his heart condition until he gets the surgery instead of letting himself get played around by some smug shithead like Ashworth. Even if he didn't kill the girls, he's still a dick. I don't know who started the fight, but a very healthy Ashworth will be viewed as the aggressor against a guy with a life-threatening illness aggravated by physical exertion.

 

Ellie is a much nicer person than I am. After a couple repeated efforts in trying to help the cow, I would have thrown my hands in the air and given in to her wishes. "Welp, your dumb ass forgot your phone in your jump to conclusions. I hope you can waddle your way to your house in time or somebody else sees you, otherwise you're having this baby by yourself in a fucking field. Better hope you don't tear or hemorrhage."
Really hate Ashworth.

 

But I think I hate the defense barrister more. What the everloving fuck was that? How is the judge allowing character assassination with absolutely no basis? Ellie went to talk with her detective partner on the case that was just solved and the person who was now pretty much her only friend in the world. Ooooh, how scandalous! Yeah, she's really in the mood to fuck a guy when her husband was just revealed to have killed a kid he was grooming to molest in a little hotel where the room barriers are so thin that a guest called in a noise complaint when Hardy collapsed and other guests called in noise complaints on the defense lawyer herself for talking too loud.

 

A CCTV recording of ONE event that can be easily explained away does not make a long-standing affair. Aside from multiple witnesses that could attest to Ellie downright hating Hardy for the longest time. JOE, being under oath, would testify that fact.

 

This travesty of a trial is ruining the show. I'm pretty sure this blatant jury manipulation would have the defense held in contempt. Juries are not smart; they're actually really fucking stupid. Go look up the Jacklyn Dowaliby murder trial jury for a perfect example. Plenty of reasonable doubt for the jury to acquit the girl's father, but they chose to convict him based on some door damage. They figured that was indication of him having a violent temper, so of course he must have murdered his daughter. Except that the door damaged was not entered as evidence by either the defense or prosecution and was sustained by the previous owners of the house before the Dowaliby family moved in. So juries are comprised of idiots.

 

If the defense is allowed to come up with all these wild-ass tales that can be easily destroyed with simple facts and evidence, why isn't the prosecution doing so? Everybody was saying how amazing Jocelyn and bothering the woman incessantly to get her to come out of retirement to take this case on, but unless we see some epic curb stomp in the courtroom from her, they probably should have let her stay retired for all the good that's doing them.

 

And Joe fucking Miller, letting his faithful wife have her character slaughtered and her life further ruined because of the shit HE did, continues to be THE WORST FUCKING PERSON.

 

GODDAMN I HATE EVERYBODY ON THIS SHOW (except for Ellie, Hardy, Paul, and Chloe).

Edited January 20, 2015 by Automne

[joelene]

I had to laugh when judge Meera was all, I put my trust in the jury, I find them pretty smart. Most people are idiots, judge Meera! Surely you know this?

How dare this police detective go and have a private, quiet conversation with her close colleague and only person who doesn't know her and her husband the killer as private citizens? How dare she?! Surely they're sleeping together. Good gawd. I get that doubt is enough to get Joe off and that's what Sharon is building but the whole thing was more infuriating than compelling. Why is this woman such a demon? I don't care if she has a son in prison.

Isn't Jocelyn supposed to be this star attorney? So far she hasn't impressed me. I sure hope next episode begins right where this one ended so Jocelyn can put those bricks back into place.

Ellie sleeping with that random was just the saddest thing I ever did see.

If Beth doesn't get off Ellie's case after that court hearing she will be irredeemable.

Hardy is behaving like and idiot with this whole Ashworth business. I started to wonder when Shaun Dooley would turn up again since he's a recognisable actor and was seen as one the dead/missing kids dad (or neighbour?) in the first episode, and bam, Ashworth slams a photo of him in front of Hardy. Eve Myles and Dooley done did it together and Ashworth was/is supposed to take the fall. Calling it!

Why was Eve Myles so angry with Hardy anyway? Because he dared plant listening devices in the room? Why would this be upsetting to her? And what was Ellie fiddling with her phone for? I couldn't make out what she was copying.

Edited January 20, 2015 by joelene

[Automne]

Re: Ashworth whining about being recorded:

I don't know about British laws, but in America, I'm hard-pressed to think Ashworth had a leg to stand on. He wasn't being recorded in private; he was in somebody else's home and the owner was present and had full knowledge of the meeting and that it would be recorded. It's illegal to record sound in businesses (like the security cameras that record cashiers can't record what the employees say so bosses can listen to conversations; those shows on TV are completely fake because illegal), but AFAIK, it's fair game in private residences by the owner/owner's knowledge/people who live in the home.

The only thing would be Hardy and Ellie working an investigation when no longer officers of the law. That's when things get murky and evidence could be thrown out.

 

 

And yeah, Ellie having that one-night stand was, as one Broadchurch Redditor put it, "Top-quality cringe."

[joelene]

I was writing my post when you posted yours, Automne, so yeah, we are of the same opinion. The trial is a fucking travesty.

[Lokiberry]

I don't understand how anyone could take seriously the idea that Ellie would destroy her career, make it so she was ashamed to show her face in town, drive away all of her friends, and of course, ruin her children's lives, just to get her husband out of the way so she could boink Hardy and his bad heart in peace? Don't they have divorce in England (rhetorical question)? Why didn't the prosecutor stand her ass up and point some of this out?

 

As for the Sandbrook case, I think Gwen is the killer (or in league with the killer), not Jarvis. It was the younger girl who's body was found, wasn't it? And, the older girl who was never found? If so, I'm calling it that Claire is the one who had something going on with the older girl, and somehow they ended up killing the younger girl. The older girl skipped town, and is the one who sent the bluebell.

[Automne]

 

The older girl skipped town, and is the one who sent the bluebell.

 

That's what I think. You see both girls playing in a field of bluebells in a flashback, so that's probably what they're leading to.

[ganesh]

By the way Mark, saying, "We'll get it right this time," is a little shitty to say.

 

Holy shit was that a morbid line. Yeah our other kid got choked to death, but not this one.

 

I cannot stand to watch cop shows and court shows on USA tv, but for some reason I'm watching a lot of UK shows in this genre. Maybe because I don't know much how it works in the UK. I don't have a problem with the defense attorney because she said that her m/o was to just take shots at the prosecution. They didn't really show the jury reaction, but it was like, "did you have an affair with Hardy?" "No." "You're under oath." "Yeah, no."

 

I thought Miller did pretty well on the stand, actually. She was clearly incredulous about the affair accusation. Since there was nothing to back it up, I would assume the prosecution will have a chance to question her again. I said before that this is about Broadchurch being on trial, and I think the prosecutor is going to wise up to that. Beth was awful on the stand. Get the husband up there. Get the bald guy (Nigel) up there and ask him if he wants to fuck Beth. What about when they drove Walder Frey to suicide? Put that on trial. I think it has to go that way. I'm of the mind that they're going to end with a guilty verdict, but to get there it's got to ruin this town. 

 

I mean, even the defense knows they don't have much to go on. 

 

So, we're ok with calling her Gwen? Because I don't even know the character's name. Usually it takes me 2 roles to burn that out, and I haven't seen EM in anything since Torchwood. 

 

What I really liked was Miller asking Hardy, "Did you ever think Gwen was a suspect." "yeah" "well fuck off!" We've all thought she was in on it since the start, no?

 

Awful, awful, awful, awful, awful, sex scene. Just brilliant. I was like, Miller, what are you doing?

[Bama]

I seriously don't think I've ever physically flinched from a single TV line reading.

 

"Say you love me" made me flinch.  Gah.

[staveDarsky]

The affair accusation is going to backfire when Hardy's medical records are brought into court. considering he collapsed just a couple of days before Joe's arrest as he was chasing Joe/the suspect from the cliff top cottage, it's all going to be laughable.  There's enough documentation on it between the hospital & the police discharge papers.

 

You know, Hardy's earlier collapse, when Becca got him to hospital, followed his dinner with the Millers, which Joe cooked. It would be great to see that investigated further. Did Joe try to kill Hardy, perhaps having recognized signs of coronary trouble in the DI, thanks to Joe's EMT training. He was pretty insistant Hardy have an extra glass of wine.

[Llywela]

Everybody was saying how amazing Jocelyn and bothering the woman incessantly to get her to come out of retirement to take this case on, but unless we see some epic curb stomp in the courtroom from her, they probably should have let her stay retired for all the good that's doing them.

 

Isn't Jocelyn supposed to be this star attorney? So far she hasn't impressed me. I sure hope next episode begins right where this one ended so Jocelyn can put those bricks back into place.

The impression I've got is that Jocelyn used to be the star attorney, but she hasn't practiced law for a long time now, for good reason - and they were already hinting at a problem with her eyesight last week, when she asked the newspaper lady (Maggie?) to read to her. So she's very out of practice. She can't read properly any more, which makes it a struggle for her to properly prepare her case, hence why she was demanding audio summaries of everything. She probably shouldn't have taken the case, but she felt sorry for the family - and, as we learned this week, she badly needs the money to pay for her mother's care home expenses.

 

Everyone has a story, on this show especially.

[fresiaa]

I didn't enjoy the episode. Particularly the accusation of an affair.

And now the prosecutor is blind, too. How many storylines are piled up here?

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I have no idea who British courts work either so this season I have been amused by Joe's glass cage, the judge and barristers wearing wigs, and the jury having built in desks for taking notes. But when the defense attorney started going on and on about Miller having an affair with Hardy, I was like why is the prosecutor not objecting to ANY of these completely unfounded accusations? Just because there is video footage of her entering his hotel room and leaving two hours later doesn't mean that they slept together. I mean, if that's true then holy crap, have I slept with a lot of people! And what about all the times that I shared a hotel room with my coworkers? So many affairs!

 

I was seething during that scene. I was like seriously, is it like 1865 and it's considered indecorous for a woman to be unchaperoned when there's A MAN in the vicinity? Good lord.

 

Man, this town is full of dicks. I hope that the defense doesn't somehow learn about Miller's one night stand and bring that up too.

[Eri]

I seriously don't think I've ever physically flinched from a single TV line reading.

 

"Say you love me" made me flinch.  Gah.

 

That scene was absolutely heartbreaking to watch. You know she's reached rock bottom when she consents to a random, discouraging one night stand just to get a little affection. I'd have gone straight back to the therapist. And Claire's influence did not help, she clearly sees Miller's blank, empty expression after said event and smiles and offers her some tea with a congratulatory "Feel better now?" I don't know if that is supposed to show the extent of her abusive relationship with the husband/suspect as this being a normal way of coping, but it was still messed up.

[ganesh]

I have no idea who British courts work either so this season I have been amused by Joe's glass cage, the judge and barristers wearing wigs, and the jury having built in desks for taking notes.

 

I know. It's so wtf I love it. 

 

I think the prosecutor is playing a longer strategy. The defense is going to eventually flame out. Notice how she's so subdued and the defense is so shouty. As it's been pointed out, most of the accusations can be easily disproven. So it makes sense for the defense to just hammer away until they run out of stuff and then the prosecutor just lines up each allegation and knocks it out. Because that would be the last thing the jury will hear. 

[Llywela]

The wigs are standard court wear for judges and barristers, they can be seen in any British (Crown) courtroom and/or legal drama. Archaic, perhaps, but still normal.

 

I've seen a lot of fans elsewhere online piling real vitriol and hate on the defence barrister Sharon - she's just doing her job.

Edited January 20, 2015 by Llywela

[joelene]

I know she's doing her job but there's something quite disturbing about her just really going for broke about getting this pedophile off, firstly because she didn't need to take the case and secondly because I don't believe for a second she thinks he's innocent. It's the 'I'm gonna destroy these townies because I'm a winner who wins, who cares if it's about getting a childmurdering pedophile off"-mentality. If it was simply her number two, the one who was originally assigned (if not hired by Joe, can't remember her name), who were using these strategies then it would be another matter. I think it's also extra frustrating because on the prosecution side Jocelyn has just been completely useless so far.

Edited January 20, 2015 by joelene

[solotrek]

The scene between Chloe and Ellie was fantastic. Someone in the Latimer family willing to listen to what Ellie was saying and understand what she was going through. It was a small moment, but showed that even with a tragedy like that, you can still behave like a normal human being.

 

Look, I'm all about female empowerment with all the females in the courtroom and I understand the actresses who play the lawyers and big names in the UK. I don't really care about their storylines. And really, how do they ultimately tie into this? We already have the original case trial, the Sandbrook case - both of which are pretty compelling, and now these two other storylines? We haven't seen enough of the people of Broadchurch this season. There's clearly something going on with the Vicar but we're not really seeing any of that. It'll probably be piled on in the end. I don't care that the defense lawyer's son is in jail. And I don't care about Jocelyn's issues either.

 

Even though I don't care, how was Jocelyn going to pay for her mothers medical bills if she never planned on taking cases to begin with? Also, she's awful. Just correlate the times the texts or emails were sent against when DS Miller was at work or working. If they were only sent from the home computer then it'll be really easy to prove something like that.  If they're going to poke holes in your case, then just mend it up and build a better one. When they were tearing her apart with ridiculous statements, say something. She's going blind, not mute. How about say something like "let's stick to the facts". Or get Ellie to say something like, "my husband was just arrested, DI Hardy was the only person who has no connection to the town whatsoever and I needed to talk about this with someone removed from the town itself."

 

Also I don't understand what the defense lawyer is trying to prove. That Ellie had planned/planted these emails and texts for months to kill Danny so she could hook up with a guy she didn't meet until the first day of the case? It's called a timeline and it just doesn't make sense.

 

No one is as much a fuckwit as Joe Miller. The only time his character ever reacted was when they brought up a possible affair. If this is like Mark not talking about his affair with Becca and almost screwing the investigation over; and Joe is protecting someone over his own wife and son, I'll rage. What an ass.

 

So Claire's the killer right?

 

Overall, not a big fan of these past few episodes. I know the court system in the UK is different from the US, but from what I'm hearing, Broadchurch is just pissing all over how the trial would work.  That and all the extra stuff that really hasn't grabbed me yet isn't making for a great viewing experience.

 

Olivia Colman is gold though.

[rozen]

In the earlier episode where Sharon's assistant was trying to convince her to take the case, they pretty heavily alluded to something awful happening that's sort of pushed them from riches to rags. Maybe it's whatever her son is locked up for, either way it sounded like they were only scraping by. She needed a flashy case to show her stuff/distract people from whatever happened. 

 

I think her strategy is pretty much what Joe Miller wanted. She's going to dig up as much dirt and shit she can on the town and sling it around until the jury is so confused they don't know how to proceed. Would a British court really allow an attorney to make statements about circumstantial evidence? I feel like on american jury shows (so realistic, I know), the judge would have at least admonished her to stick to the facts.

 

Oh, Miller is so broken, and all she's got is Claire and Hardy. What a sorry situation. That was, indeed, the most depressing sex scene I'd ever watched. What she needs is emotional intimacy, not physical. I kind of want someone to intervene and keep her away from Claire. She's such...an infantile bad influence. And she's certainly playing at something. Glad Miller is still on her toes, and not fully buying into their weird friendship. 

 

Yea, Miller was totally shagging the man who swooped in from nowhere to snatch her promotion. "Hey, you just torpedo'd my career, let's sleep together and frame my loving husband as a pedophile." Hardy can't even walk down the block without falling over, in what fantasy world could he have sex with anyone for 2 hours?

 

What's the opposite of sainthood? Because the writers are sure driving to make Beth into whatever that may be. Continuing to be absolutely heinous after the woman basically carries you home, organizes your home birth, and comforts your children, with you berating her all the while?  I need someone to squelch her like a bug, because I cannot stand her. I want to chuck her down a staircase.  God save the Latimer children, because there are no adults in that damn house. 

 

Jocelyn's assistant is one of those people who are saying absolutely reasonable things, but their voice just makes you want to throttle him. Listening to him wailing on the phone call to Jocelyn was making me anxious!  She should really get more help if she can't do any of the work necessary to actually prepare the case. I'm surprised the poor guy could talk after making an audio summary of everything in creation. 

Edited January 21, 2015 by rozen

[NorthstarATL]

I liked the first season of Broadchurch because we were presented with a seemingly nice, normal town, and then this one incident just tore it apart, and it was great TV. This season I just want a tidal wave to hit the town and destroy it, As horrible as it sounds, I could see the karma in getting Joe off and then releasing the defense attorney's kid, and having him become Joe's victim. Heck, I was annoyed enough at Beth that I felt the labor (would it be labour?) pains were not painful enough.

[PepperMonkey]

This epi made me anxious. You can feel each person's pain in whatever it is they are struggling to cope with (ugh, sorry, bad structure), and it's palpable.

 

This is beautiful television.

 

I hate Beth with a passion, but I think we're supposed to dislike her. I don't even feel sorry for her or her husband, especially after the comment that this time, they'll get it right. What an awesome thing to say in front of your daughter who's been so supportive and in front of the picture of your son who was so unhappy at home, he was hanging out with a pedo. Or, alleged pedo, since Joe says they never actually DID anything. Guess he hadn't worked all the way up to that, as he did admit he was in love with him.

 

I, too, am confused about the way the defense barrister is allowed to cast aspersions at Ellie with no real evidence to prove them. Is the prosecutor not doing her job properly?? Does she have a plan for later? We see that she is under a lot of stress and may be losing her vision so I'm wondering if she's just not on her game or if it's leading up to a dramatic comeback for her a la Paul Newman in The Verdict?

 

There are a few too many storylines this series, but overall, I'm still riveted. I think that's most due to DT and OC as actors who actually have great platonic chemistry. I'm not really caring for the Eve Myles character, even though I loved her on Torchwood. Everyone's probably correct in their guesses that she may actually be the guilty one in the murder of at least the girl whose body they did find.

Edited January 22, 2015 by PepperMonkey

[Sarahendipity]

Did anyone else notice the cinematography being completely different this episode? The whole look of the show was different. Or was it the channel somehow broadcasting differently? It looked more soap opera.

[briochetwist]

Did anyone else notice the cinematography being completely different this episode? The whole look of the show was different. Or was it the channel somehow broadcasting differently? It looked more soap opera.

Yes!  It totally drove me crazy, it looked so low budget to me.  It was exactly like the last Hobbit movie, it was so distracting that I had a hard time concentrating on the actual show.

[Pippin]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed the difference in picture quality.  It looked to me like most of the episode was shot on video tape as opposed to film.  There's a definite difference in the look between the two mediums.  It seemed, though, like the first part of the episode was shot in film and the rest in video.  Why, I have no idea.

[staveDarsky]

Did anyone else notice the cinematography being completely different this episode? The whole look of the show was different. Or was it the channel somehow broadcasting differently? It looked more soap opera.

Are you who saw the picture quality problems all in Canada? There was definitely something wrong with ShowcaseTV the other night. Several tweets and other online comments from Canadian fans said the same thing. Just wondering if they had the same problem in New Zealand on Sunday.

[briochetwist]

Yep, I'm in Canada.  Interesting...

[staveDarsky]

Good news. This morning's repeat on Showcase is film.

[Eozostrodon]

nm

Edited February 4, 2015 by Eozostrodon

[staveDarsky]

The e-books that were published following each episode give a little detail people are wondering about, not seen in series 2. Since they were written under the supervision of Chris Chibnall they're fairly close to canon. I'll put the little bit of detail we learn from each book into the corresponding episode thread.

 

From the e-book for episode 3, about Jocelyn:

In a nice call-back to series 1, Jocelyn was Jack Marshall's lawyer when he was on trial for having sex with his underage wife-to-be. From then on she was one of Jack's few friends. Also Jocelyn runs into the Latimers 3 days after Danny's birth. Beth mentions her friend Ellie is overdue with her own baby. So Tom and Danny were days apart in age.

[Primetimer]

Lee makes a move, and Ellie takes a pounding. ...Not like that! ...Wait, like that too.

Read the story

[sleekandchic]

Sarah, your Character Study of Lizzie is so fab! Love!

[stopeslite]

 

I had to laugh when judge Meera was all, I put my trust in the jury, I find them pretty smart.

 

Especially when she had JUST thrown out the confession becuase the jury couldn't be trusted to figure out whether it had been coerced or not. Which is it? Decide! 

If Beth doesn't get off Ellie's case after that court hearing she will be iredeemable.

 

I thought she looked like she was softening up, but then when the defense started throwing out that ridiculous affair stuff she looked like she was eating it up. Stupid, jerk Beth.

 

It occurred to me that Beth was the one who forced Jocelyn to come out of retirement. So, if the trial goes entirely south for them, it's really Beth's fault. Of course, she'll still blame Ellie.

 

The Ellie/Chloe scene was the only redeemable part of this episode. The rest was rubbish. Well, except for when Ellie finally yelled about not blaming everything on her, but only Hardy was around to hear it so it doesn't really count.

 

So now we know that the defense lawyer was angry about Jocelyn not taking her son's case (or nephew or whatever).I assume that was the background to her "But she wouldn't... " sputter when she found out that Jocelyn was on the case. I could really use a few more shots of Becca being cheerfully obstructionist to those defense lawyers. I think it would be entirely appropriate for all of Broadchurch to make it completely clear that they hated the defense. 

 

I also noticed that it looked different. I've seen the same thing a few times with movies on tv - I assume it's some kind of mismatch between the way the film was made and how it's being broadcast. 

[Sarah D. Bunting]

Thanks, @sleekandchic. Cracked myself up with the decimals. #nerd

[thuganomics85]

At this point, Chole is really the only Latimer I have a shot a liking anymore.  At least she's decent to Ellie.  Well, Mark isn't too bad, but he doing a whole bunch of other shit that makes him close to ever be likable.  And, I think I've given up on Beth now.  Even after Ellie helps her after her water broke, she treats her like complete shit.  My sympathy only goes so far, Beth.  Actually, I will take back what I said earlier.  Baby Lizzie has some potential.  Some of her faces killed me.  When Mark was all "I'm your daddy!", I swear she had a look on her face that was going "Uh... that's not a good thing.  I've heard some shit about you, man! Let me go!"

 

Welcome back to "Ellie vs. The World."  Even her brief victories (like telling Hardy to stuff it), can compare to all the shit that is piled on her.  She can't even have some casual sex, without it being unsatisfying.  That poor woman.  I hope she gets some kind of happiness by the end of all this.  But, knowing this show, it might just get even worse.

 

Really not liking the trial stuff.  Again, I'm not an expert on this, so maybe it's realistic, but I still feel like the defense is just walking all over Jocelyn, and she really needs to be objecting more then she is.  Again, I'm no lawyer, but I'm seeing arguments she should at least try to make, but isn't.  Then again, I'm honestly starting to think the judge has it out for them.  Again, maybe she is following the law, but at times, it feels like she is playing favorites, and she's on Team Joe.  Also, not sure if I'm interesting in any of the lawyers back-stories (sick mother, son in jail.)

 

Well, Lee may be... well, always Creepy Jarvis to me, I do think it's likely he actually won't be the killer.  Still a creep (my guess?  He slept with the babysitter), but I have to think something.  I'm sure it's involving Claire.  There has to be way more to her now.  Especially since she is bonding with Ellie.  Ellie can't have BFFs!

 

Thought this was better then the second episode, but I do hope we get some victory for the good guys.  Granted, since this is only eight episodes, I think (thanks British television!), so hopefully we're getting there.

[staveDarsky]

Nice touch Claire. Draw Ellie into telling you about the one-sided crush she had on a former boss and then go and set her up with a guy who looks like Hardy (plus 40 pounds or so). Ellie wins the award for saddest shag ever on TV.

 

Now I thought that unless something significant happened to require saving a tape, most CCTV tapes/disks were reused. So how on earth was the CCTV of a night 7 months earlier still in existence?

[stopeslite]

I think it's totally Claire. She's turning out to be weirder and weirder. My guess is that the girls were flirting with Ashworth in that silly awkward way kids do (they were staring quite appreciatively in that flashback), and she got jealous and decided they had to be stopped. But I don't think he knows she did it.

 

I don't know - this trial seems to be so incompetently run that it's ruining the show for me. I know that's what defense lawyers do, try to raise doubts everywhere they can, but Jocelyn's not even trying. I expect that when one attorney tries something like the affair bit that the other one will at least object to it. I don't know if you can't object in British courts, but this is excruciating.

[Bebecat]

I am so not impressed with the prosecutor...and loathe that woman helping the defense (not crazy about defense lawyer either). But then I can't bring myself to like any defense lawyers, lol, when they are so determined to get a confessed child murderer "off" at any cost. Honestly, though, Jocelyn just comes off looking clueless...how many times already have things come out that she had no clue about? If the defense can find them out, why can't she and her little helper? Because she is keeping him too busy transcribing? Then she should have more help. She just looks unprepared and witless.

Also...too many backstories with these people. I can't bring myself t care about Jocelyn's mother or the other one's son. Not everyone needs to have such complicated stories...good grief. So far, Ellie had the most "normal" life and her husband is a pedophile/killer...

[Popples]

God I hope Ellie had an upcoming, epic moment of losing her shit at all the people just dumping on her, because there is a long list of people she needs to tell to "go screw." I did like Ellie telling Beth "tough shit", although I probably would have left Beth in the field and told her to deal with it.That sex scene was just depressing.

 

I really hate Mark. Your wife is heavily pregnant, but you never answer your phone, then you say you'll get it right with the new baby, in front of your still living child (guess Chloe's screwed). Chloe is the only likable one in the family, and her parents dumped a few hours old baby on her to go to court. The baby would probably be better off raised by Chloe because their parents are just utter morons.

[staveDarsky]

Here's the link to the episode 3 podcast by the Sea Brigade. It's two Broadchurch fans recapping and discussing all they saw in the episode. I really enjoyed it.

http://seabrigade.libsyn.com/podcast/the-sea-brigade-a-broadchurch-podcast-s2-e3

[archer1267]

I've seen too many Law & Order (US) episodes, because I was waiting for Jocelyn to jump up and say "Relevance, your honor?" to several of the Defense's questions. And what's with the judge? She makes decisions the same way someone would say "I think I'll have a turkey sandwich today." Is it going to turn out that she never actually went to law school? I wouldn't be surprised.

 

I honestly don't care about Lee and Claire and Sandbrook, but it could be because I don't really understand the whole backstory. It's more of a distraction than anything.

 

Why did Mark object to the pastor touching Lizzie? I couldn't make that out.

 

Ditto on Ellie, and hoping there is something good for her at the end of all this.

[DeeJayKay]

 

Why did Mark object to the pastor touching Lizzie? I couldn't make that out.

Paul was tracing a cross on the baby's forehead.

[archer1267]

Ah, got it…thanks, DeeJayKay :)

[Constantinople]

They say consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.

 

Apparently that's not a problem the writers nor the prosecuting attorney need worry about

 

Previously On: We can't afford to lose this confession - Joceyln Knight, from Episode 2
This episode: Confession/shmession. Whatevs.  No biggie.  We do not get buffeted by daily winds - Jocelyn Knight (I'm paraphrasing)

[meep.meep]

And that's why you have babies in the hospital!

 

Why was Lee out in a field (presumably someone else's field) pounding a giant stake into the ground?  Aside from showing off his manly figure that is....

[Constantinople]

I've seen too many Law & Order (US) episodes, because I was waiting for Jocelyn to jump up and say "Relevance, your honor?" to several of the Defense's questions. And what's with the judge? She makes decisions the same way someone would say "I think I'll have a turkey sandwich today." Is it going to turn out that she never actually went to law school? I wouldn't be surprised.

Broadchurch Season 3:

DI Alex Hardy and DS (again) Ellie Miller investigate the disappearance and presumed murder of the real judge assigned to Crown vs. Miller after it's discovered the person sitting behind the bench is an impostor (and in fact may be the real Sandbrook killer). Of course this means Joe Miller's Season 2 trial will be tossed out and Joe will be tried all over again in Season 3, and Beth will blame Ellie for all of it.

[alias1]

I'm more interested in the Sandbrook plot than I am about either of the lawyers.  I don't care that one of them has a son in jail.  I just don't care.  I don't care that the other one has an elderly mum to take care of or that she may be going blind.   I just don't care.  The trial better start making some sense soon.  Accusing Ellie of having an affair with Hardy is just too laughable for words.  The first episode was so good.  These last two have been clunkers, except for Ellie finally yelling that she is tired of everyone blaming her.  Too bad only Hardy was there. 

 

What was the deal with Lee pounding in a stump in the middle of nowhere?

 

I think Constantinople is on to something.  The judge is an alien imposter.  The prosecutor is a robot.  The defense attorney is a Klingon.  

 

On the plus side, I thought the scenery was breathtaking.

[mjc570]

 

Why was Lee out in a field (presumably someone else's field) pounding a giant stake into the ground?  Aside from showing off his manly figure that is....

Isn't that enough reason?  It works for me.

[Marianne]

I got a very funny vibe from Paul during his visit to the new baby.  Any chance that the baby is his?  I almost hope so, since this turn of events, although fictionally-tragic for the baby,  would show Beth to be the biggest hypocrite and liar in a town full of them.  I really despise the character/the writing for the character.

 

Also, the baby's name is Elizabeth (she'll be called Lizzie) after the dead grandmother?  Wouldn't Beth's name also be Elizabeth??

 

How stupid is Mark to be meeting secretly with Joe MIller's son  Tom after the Lattimer's  son Danny  was apparently murdered by a guy who met secretly with him?  It is beyond belief that Mark

would do this and not think it was a rotten idea.

 

I really dislike the judge, and for all her brisk equanimity in the initial meeting with the lawyers, I have a sneaking suspicion that she is favoring the defense attorney for some reason, possibly because the have some past connection or possibly because she has a grudge agains Jocelyn.

 

 

[meep.meep]

Isn't that enough reason?  It works for me.

Well, some of us aren't nearly that shallow!  :-)  

 

So the mystery of the stake/stump remains?  Will he build a fence?  A tiny may pole?  Maybe it's a relaxation technique he developed in France.

 

The whole time Mark was talking to the baby, I was thinking, wrap that kid up!  Everyone else is in their coats, Father Paul showed up with his blue sweater, and the newborn baby isn't even wrapped in a blanket.

[Shopkeeper]

 

So the mystery of the stake/stump remains?  Will he build a fence?  A tiny may pole?  Maybe it's a relaxation technique he developed in France.

 

Lee had placed an ad in the paper for doing maintenance-type work, so I assumed he'd been given a job. Flashbacks to pounding hammers with murdered girls looking on admiringly were a bonus, I guess.

 

It did bug me that Beth said the baby was named Elizabeth "for Mum" when Beth's name is also, ostensibly, Elizabeth, so Beth should have said, "for me and Mum." Unless "Mum" was exclusively called LIzzie (I don't remember from the previous season), in which case it almost makes sense, but in either case, be more original and pick a new name. Although I was afraid for a moment that they'd call her Danielle.

 

What bothered me most about the affair accusaion in court, apart from its sheer lunacy, was how shouty and mean the prosecutor was about it. If I'd been a juror I'd have felt nothing but sympathy for Ellie for being so thoroughly lambasted. Lower your voice, Sharon, we're all right here together. And count me among those who do not care about her son's problems. Why must everyone have a troubling backstory?