S02.E06: Episode 6

[maraleia]

 

Last week, as Miller and Hardy continued their unofficial investigation into the Sandbrook case, new information forced them to re-evaluate the things they believed. Now, Ellie is trying to wrest back control, while time starts to run out for Alec. Elsewhere, Beth has to face an emotional ordeal alone.

 

[staveDarsky]

Hands up if you had bet Hardy's pacemaker surgery was going to be the series 2 cliffhanger?  -- I know I wasn't alone in that. So I'm happy he's come through it to detect another day, but surprised Chibnall settled it now. Certainly the tweets over the 1/2-way-point commercial break were entertaining.

 

This seemed to be an episode where finally some loose strings were getting tied up. Sandbrook seems to be somewhat clearer, though I draw more hope from the presence of Hardy's ex surveying Ellie's wall of evidence than to the shade being decisively thrown on Claire. What a huge surprise that Tess would head to Broadchurch to give post-op care to good ole Alec. May I also say I cheered when Tess confirmed the story of the pendant being stolen from her car. Till then I was becoming quite afraid Alec was lying and it was stolen from his custody. I can withstand all the misdirections with the Sandbrook case EXCEPT Alec Hardy being a liar and behind the whole thing. Same with Ellie in Broadchurch. I will break my TV if she turns out to be somehow guilty of Danny's death.

 

Speaking of which ... Big huge cheers for Ellie reading the riot act to Tom. It now looks like Joe may get convicted, but I'm not convinced that we won't get a big twist in episodes 7 and 8 that reveals at least one other character was an accomplice to the motive leading to Danny's death.

 

Mark and Beth's marriage seems to be over.

I could care less about Sharon's son or Jocelyn's mother. I'd rather see the young guns face off in court now, anyway.

 

Ollie -- roving reporter who brings gals back to his mum's for a shag. Loser!

[kieyra]

I'm still watching but not really tracking on all the new faces and relationships at this point. Really really really don't care about the b-plot, with Claire and her danger-sex addiction or whatever is going on there. They could have filled the season just fine with the trial and some b-plots with the lawyers instead.

[ganesh]

Big huge cheers for Ellie reading the riot act to Tom.

 

That was a long time in coming. She really ripped into him. He deserved it though. Up until that point, he was a sullen (justifiably) teen lashing out. Then, he lied in court, forcing Mark on the stand. He almost cost them the trial. 

 

I'm figuring that this was the defense lawyer's only real gambit. She had to have known that the prosecutor would get Tom to admit he lied. It was irrelevant as long as it forced them to put Mark on the stand. With the trial continuing, I don't see if they have much left. 

 

The assistant said she found something "juicy". But gossip only goes so far in court. 

 

I like that Pastor Rory wrote off Miller too. Pretty much no one is arguing that he didn't do it. 

 

I'm sure no one is surprised that Claire is in on it this much. It sucks that they can't get their hands on the picture with the pendant, but it's at least something to go on. I liked Miller's idea to Hardy that he should starting pushing at the others more. Force them to make mistakes. 

[rozen]

I wonder if Sharon's assistant went after Ollie because she was desperate, or because she wanted to nose around Eager Journalist in Training's home? God knows there's tons of stuff he's dug up that his boss has promptly buried again. 

 

Screw Mark  and his endless whining when all the stupid shit he's done (as recently as a few days ago) gets thrown in his face. A new baby is not a restart button, you did not reincarnate into Mark  2.0, capable of having healthy human relationships. Who has sex with someone once and then thinks they are going to run away together? He is truly simple.

 

Figured Claire was more the mastermind of the two. They clearly have a (highly dysfunctional) S&M relationship, and the sub is always the one *really* in control. I like how every member of the Sandbrook four has done some iteration of "me, sleep with her/him? Nooooooooo, def not." Ellie's not buying any of it.

 

Tom is creepy. I flinched when he sniped, "Danny was my friend, not his." I'm not sure I want him back in the same house as Fred. Ellie has again put her blinders on, committed to scrubbing Joe out of their lives and carrying on as if everything's fine. I think there was more than one crack in that china, lady. Glad she finally pulled the mom card with him, though. He needed it, could see it in his face that he was grateful. His actor does really good work with facial expressions.

 

I liked the subtle acknowledgement of gender dynamics between Alec and Tess. Her affair alone was enough to effectively torch her career, no pendant required. If the whole truth had come out she'd have been crucified and probably locked up as a scapegoat. 

Edited February 10, 2015 by rozen

[dbrits]

Speaking of which ... Big huge cheers for Ellie reading the riot act to Tom.

This. So much this. It was a long time coming, well-deserved, and it made me a happy viewer. I'm glad the vicar pointed out to Joe that he caused his own son to lie under oath. Joe really is an unrepentant bastard. Olivia Colman really knocked it out of the park tonight. She needs to start making room for some additional awards because she's seriously amazing.

Ellie gets kudos for her bravery. I wouldn't let someone who is a suspect in a murder investigation work on my hair. I was half expecting Claire to shank her with her scissors once she realized that Ellie had recognized the pendant.

When the show faded to commercial as you heard a heart monitor flat line, I genuinely thought Hardy hadn't survived the pacemaker surgery. It was a pleasant surprise to see him alive in the subsequent scene - and even Hardy seemed happy about it. I mean, he laughed! I never expected to see him laugh or smile the way he did when spoke with his daughter on the phone. For all the crap that Hardy and Ellie have endured because of others, I hope they get a bit of individual happiness at the end of all this. But there are still two episodes remaining. Plenty of time for everything to be shot to hell.

Edited February 10, 2015 by dbrits

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Mark: Don't talk to me like that!
Beth: Why? What are you going to do about it? Write me a letter?

 

Ha, that entire conversation is the most I have ever liked Beth. Mark is a pathetic selfish piece of shit. It's about time she gave him hell. He doesn't seem capable of being honest with her about anything.

 

Ellie gets kudos for her bravery. I wouldn't let someone who is a suspect in a murder investigation work on my hair. I was half expecting Claire to shank her with her scissors once she realized that Ellie had recognized the pendant.

As soon as Claire offered to do Ellie's hair, I assumed her ulterior motive was to kill her so I was surprised when Claire actually did her hair and just chatted with her. When Ellie saw the picture, I thought okay, now Claire is going to try to slit her throat or something, but nope, just threw the portfolio in the bag and had the most awkward hair appointment ever.

 

ITA - I don't care about either lawyer's families. I'm still annoyed that Sharon blames all of this on Jocelyn. It's not Jocelyn's fault that Sharon's son killed someone and it's not Jocelyn's fault that he was sent to prison for it. There are thousands of other lawyers in the UK so I'm sure that there must be at least a handful of criminal defense lawyers who could have successfully defended him. It's not Jocelyn's responsibility to fix whatever happened. Unless Jocelyn bribed a judge to convict Sharon's son, then Jocelyn is totally off the hook as far as I'm concerned.

 

I'm glad Ollie's mom had the sense to throw out Sharon's underling. Ollie really is an idiot.

[Llywela]

Everyone seems to hate Mark. I just can't, no matter what, but that may be because I'm a big fan of Andrew Buchan and have been following his career for years, so I'm just really enjoying watching him in this role.

 

Broadchurch isn't about goodies versus baddies. It's about people, flawed human beings, about the baggage they carry around with them and the way it impacts on every choice they may, the ripple effects of those choices spreading out in unpredictable directions. Which is why the private lives of the barristers is important; it plays into that central theme. They can't just be barristers pleading a case, because they are also flawed human beings with baggage, and that baggage has an impact on their professional lives, which has an impact on everyone else connected with the case.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

While that may be true, that doesn't necessarily make their baggage interesting. And if we're going to need the baggage of everyone involved, what about the judge. the cop who let Mark see Joe, Sharon's assistant, Jocelyn's assistant, and everyone else who is tangentially involved with the case? I'm just saying that it has to end somewhere.

 

Honestly, I'm fine with baggage and seeing people's flaws, but in two seasons I haven't seen anything redeeming about Mark. He cheated on his wife, continued to lie to her and keep secrets from her,

[Llywela]

While that may be true, that doesn't necessarily make their baggage interesting. And if we're going to need the baggage of everyone involved, what about the judge. the cop who let Mark see Joe, Sharon's assistant, Jocelyn's assistant, and everyone else who is tangentially involved with the case? I'm just saying that it has to end somewhere.

 

Honestly, I'm fine with baggage and seeing people's flaws, but in two seasons I haven't seen anything redeeming about Mark. He cheated on his wife, continued to lie to her and keep secrets from her,

Yes, it has to end somewhere - it ends with the two barristers, which is why we aren't seeing such minutiae of detail for anyone else. The two barristers are major players in this story, which is revealing very clearly that taking a case to court is not straightforward. All kinds of distractions and prejudices come into play, not just among those intimately involved with the case and investigation, but also among those at the forefront of the trial. The two barristers are key figures, too important to merely be cardboard cutouts presenting evidence, because their hang-ups and personal dynamic and mistakes will have as big an influence on the outcome of the case as any witness. That's why we are being shown what's going on in their personal lives, so that we can clearly see the impact that baggage is having on the case. It's what Broadchurch has been about from the start. It was never a murder mystery. It was the story of the impact a murder had on a community, and how the baggage of everyone involved, from the murdered boy's family to the investigating officers, influenced the outcome of the investigation. It figures that the same theme would carry forward into the trial.

 

On a separate but related note, I was very frustrated that Tom was questioned in the witness box without anyone mentioning that key bit of evidence: the computer he tried to destroy. You'd think his testimony about that would be important. I can see what the critics mean about the trial - the course of it is being driven very much by dramatic requirements rather than how an actual trial would proceed.

[solotrek]

On a separate but related note, I was very frustrated that Tom was questioned in the witness box without anyone mentioning that key bit of evidence: the computer he tried to destroy. You'd think his testimony about that would be important. I can see what the critics mean about the trial - the course of it is being driven very much by dramatic requirements rather than how an actual trial would proceed.

 

I thought for sure that's what they would ask him.  But I still think that's going to come up with Paul in the stand, once they put that with the fact that he was visiting Joe (because he can't lie and say he didn't), the crazy defense attorney can make all sorts of wild accusations. That seems to be her thing.

 

I enjoyed the scene where Paul basically told Joe off. Joe's motivations are confusing. He obviously doesn't want to spend any more time in jail, but does he honestly think he'll get any semblance of life back? That'd he'd be welcome back to Broadchurch by the people and into his home by Ellie? The way he kept asking Paul if he'd be let off was sociopathic.

 

50 Shades of Sandbrook anyone?

 

Hardy finally getting that pacemaker. Made for my favorite exchange in the episode:

Hardy - I'll give you money to shut up.

Miller - I'll give you more money to be less of a knob.

 

So good to see Ellie grow a spine this episode. Telling Tom off and bringing him back home. Telling Claire off. Telling Hardy off (though she does that a lot). While Olivia Colman is a fantastic actress (I hope she wins awards for this season of Broadchurch, because she's the main thing keeping me coming back), Ellie is awful at it. Should have tried harder to hide the fact that she saw the pendant when what is now her prime suspect has sharp objects around her head.

 

Broadchurch isn't about goodies versus baddies. It's about people, flawed human beings, about the baggage they carry around with them and the way it impacts on every choice they may, the ripple effects of those choices spreading out in unpredictable directions. Which is why the private lives of the barristers is important; it plays into that central theme. They can't just be barristers pleading a case, because they are also flawed human beings with baggage, and that baggage has an impact on their professional lives, which has an impact on everyone else connected with the case.

 

Problem is, they've written the court scenes so poorly and the defense attorney so insanely bad at her job/over the top, I don't care about her inability to keep her private life from influencing her work life. Don't care about her son. Don't care about that entire arc. On the other side, while Jocelyn is a  more likeable character, I don't care about her mom.  They had interesting characters who were flawed with baggage, they chose instead to introduce new characters and focus on them.

[ganesh]

I wouldn't let someone who is a suspect in a murder investigation work on my hair.

 

I think Miller was taking a risk in order to get more info out of Claire, and bonus! The pendant picture. Miller was the one who told Hardy to put his foot down with Claire, and now she's coming around being all nice cop. Sort of. She wasn't that nice. 

[scarletregina]

I'm indifferent to Mark, perhaps because I have very little sympathy for Beth solely due to her treatment of Ellie this season. 

 

I was annoyed by the Claire storyline at first, but now I am completely invested. Eve Myles keeps me interested. However, I'm over her twisted relationship with her husband. The story needs to move forward and fast or I will lose interest again.

 

Ellie really blew it with the necklace. Considering what she does for a living, she should have more of a poker face. I'm sure she realizes that Claire is going to destroy that picture.

[staveDarsky]

Ellie had already tipped her hand to Claire by mentioning that she'd just been to Sandbrook and had met Cate. Claire would know that Ellie likely saw the photo of Pippa wearing the same necklace, no matter how much of a poker face she put on. I'm glad Ellie made it out of there without being stabbed by Claire and her scissors.

Also, Ellie's the one who first raised the idea of Claire doing her hair -- back in episode 2 when they were happily sharing an order of chips/fries behind the beach huts.

[Eri]

Hardy finally getting that pacemaker. Made for my favorite exchange in the episode:

Hardy - I'll give you money to shut up.

Miller - I'll give you more money to be less of a knob.

 

That exchange made my night! :)

 

I second everyone's views on Ellie finally becoming a mother and putting her foot down with Tom. The poor kid is hurting but he's needed that tough love for a long time. If Joe Miller had any decency left in him, it would have been a turning point for him to confess and spare his family any further grief. Paul may no longer have sympathy for him but I think his actions won't save him for what he's been hiding. The fact that he's dating the town homewrecker may not help either. The fact that the laptop evidence still hasn't been brought up is astonishing. Where is the electronic forensics there?

 

The Latimers' marriage was over from Season 1. They've been hiding things from each other episode after episode, even when it compromises the case. Is pride really that more important than seeing justice for your son? The emotional scene of Beth breaking down in the stairwell and finally letting Ellie comfort her (very moving) and Mark walking away after their argument spoke volumes for how much they've hit rock bottom.

 

Once again why is Ollie getting laid...much less in his mother's house? Is he supposed to be the town Romeo? The dude will seriously flirt with any skirt including the prosecutor of the case when the trial is on the verge of being dismissed. What is the point of him? A brainless, talentless gossip columnist is what he is. I really didn't mind Sharon's junior until this point.

 

Claire and Lee's unhealthy relationship is disturbing on one too many levels. I really like Jocelyn for some reason and Ollie's boss caring for her is touching. I hope she wins the case with her junior. As much as you want to hate Sharon, I really admire her spirit even in the face of her personal issues.

 

It's great that the story can progress even with limited Hardy scenes, but am I the only one who doesn't trust the ex-wife being around him too much? I hate to see him hope for something that may not happen and get disappointment again. I must say it was delightful to see Hardy smile for the first time while on the phone with his daughter. Truly heartwarming, pardon the pun :)

Edited February 11, 2015 by Eri

[MYOS]

I think that Ollie's boss and Jocelyn have a history, and that Ollie's boss is the person Jocelyn never made her feelings clear to (as per discussion with Alec, Jocelyn never ever used "he", which is a telltale sign.)

Jocelyn coming clean about her sight was good, but I hope it's not going to resurface and be used against her.

As for the mom, I think it's not about her per se, but since this is about the people's personal lives, well, Jocelyn would be affected, obviously - would she be able to do a good job anyway?

The defense's underling sleeping with Ollie... was it taking a chance on a casual hook up, or hoping to get to Ollie's house?

I bet she found out that Ollie's mom drinks and likely didn't see anyone, or couldn't have identified anyone, because she was drunk (she was known to us in Season 1, I think, but the defense doesn't know it, right?)

I am ambivalent about Tom. He's a little creepy. I hope it doesn't turn out he's got something to do with Danny's death.

Then again, I also find the young vicar a potential suspect, even though I know he's got nothing to do with Danny's death, so maybe I'm overly suspicious.

Joe Miller is totally unrepentant, he's focused on "winning"!! At no point does he say he didn't do it, nor does anyone say that. It's not about finding out Joe Miller is innocent, then, right - this way, it's not a story about "finding the real truth that isn't what you thought from Season 1". Yet I keep thinking, are there hidden suspects? Things we don't know about Danny's murder?

I love Olivia Coleman. One reason I couldn't watch the American version is that the American actress just wasn't "right". She wasn't bad, but she was too un-ordinary, too pretty, too something. Ellie "works" because she looks like a real mom, a seaside small town cop, and she doesn't try to be a superhero who knows everything and does everything right.

Loved the bit of dialogue between her and Alec, at the hospital, and Alec's smile.

Edited February 11, 2015 by MYOS

[mledawn]

I loved Ellie's rant to Tom in the courthouse. I rewound it and watched it 3 times, I may yet go back and watch it again.

 

Hardy's wife grates on me like no other - why he still holds a candle for her I just don't understand. She was barely civil to Ellie at the hospital with her, "I've got it from here"... Grrr.

 

Loved Hardy's smile while on the phone with his daughter. Awww.

Liked Tom's smile when Ellie said it was their house, now.

 

Beth and Mark can jump in a fire, along with the junior defense lawyer. And Joe - screw that guy.

[spottedreptile]

She was barely civil to Ellie at the hospital with her, "I've got it from here"... Grrr.

Yes, what was that? Was she actually jealous of Ellie? Or was she just trying to look all concerned and caring? Either way it came off very rude. 

[staveDarsky]

I'm on the side of giving Tess the benefit of the doubt. In the context of Ellie having just complained that she had her own agenda and wouldn't be able to take Alec home, I saw Tess letting Ellie off the hook. Had Tess not shown up, Ellie would have caved and put off the reclaiming of the house for a night or two to take care of Alec. I was miffed that Ellie's first post-op scene with him was cut so short because the comedy between them is so good.

 

Back to Tess - I know her tone was brusque, but her intention in coming seemed to be to express her gratefulness to Alec for covering up her part in the pendant theft, especially since he had told her he'd made a will to set things right for Daisy. She'd also seen how scared he was and I'm sure she knew he was prone to checking himself out of hospital and risking his recovery if no one was with him. Since she'd only met Ellie briefly before at the diner, she'd have no idea how likely Ellie was to provide that after-care. I will gladly eat my words if I am wrong, but I do think Tess is on the side of good. She's going to help Ellie and Alec wrap Sandbrook up officially and then probably let Daisy make visits to Alec in Broadchurch.

 

Plus, the marriage is over - Alec accepted that in what he said just before the phone call from Daisy.

Edited February 12, 2015 by staveDarsky

[mledawn]

staveDarsky, I agree with much of your post but my intent wasn't to say Tess was shady or holding back the Sandbrook investigation because she was dirty. I just don't really like her. She cheated on him, let him take the fall for the pendant - yes, she thanked him NOW, finally, but she just irks.

 

The part of Hardy's surgery that stuck with me is that he told Tess at the diner, and she was all, "Eh...Good luck?", however; he knew if he told Ellie she'd be all over sitting with him and being his advocate. Meh, to Tess. Yay to Ellie.

 

I do wish Ellie and Hardy at the hospital was longer - their short quick back and forth was fantastic (as always).

 

Last night I watched DT and OC on Graham Norton, and Graham showed some fan art and talked about the "sexual tension" between the two (they laughed - DT's expressions were classic). I don't see it but I think they're developing into pals.

[ganesh]

Yes, what was that? Was she actually jealous of Ellie? Or was she just trying to look all concerned and caring? Either way it came off very rude.

 

She walked in when Hardy was telling Miller he needed *another* ride and then said, "I'll take it from here." I think she was giving Miller a break. 

[solotrek]

She walked in when Hardy was telling Miller he needed *another* ride and then said, "I'll take it from here." I think she was giving Miller a break. 

Yup, I thought it was pretty congenial. Though I will say that there's something off about the way the actress is playing her, I haven't figured out if that's just the actress I'm having issues with or if there's something to the character.

[staveDarsky]

mledawn There was nowhere near enough DT and OC on Graham Norton. I could have done with a lot less of Harvey Weinstein and Jesse J. The only good thing about Weinstein being there was that he might be the avenue to getting David and Olivia big roles in future productions. He did seem to be interested in them.

 

OK, back to Ellie and Tess. I do get the anti-Tess thing -- and I think it's thanks to Olivia Colman's acting in the hospital scene. In the wake of Ellie taking control over Tom, starting to get back in with Beth and reclaiming her house, Alec wrong-foots her by not telling her about the surgery -- the most major event she knew he'd face at some point. Just when she'd made inroads into a great working partnership with him, he stays silent until he needs her services as a chauffeur and a nurse. Notice that he never asks Ellie if she'd do him favours, he just states his needs and expects she'll fill them.

 

And as a further slap in the face, Tess' arrival means he had told his ex! It was subtle, but Ellie's face did fall and she beat a hasty retreat. Tess didn't kick her out. It's quite true to life that just when you get control over one or two aspects of your life, someone puts you right back in your place and Olivia played it so well that we're all pissed at Tess when we should be annoyed at Alec.

 

P.S. Pacemaker recipients are allowed to drive two weeks after their operations, so Hardy shouldn't be needing Miller's taxi services for much longer.
I wonder if he'll soon apply to get back on the Broadchurch force.

 

P.P.S. I am really glad Lucy Cohu is playing Tess and not some far-too-perfect-looking young actress. There's a great believability factor in the Tess/Alec relationship. Plus I noticed that she's somewhat the same build as Olivia and with curly hair so it raises the prospect that Alec Hardy may fall for Ellie eventually because she's his type.

Edited February 12, 2015 by staveDarsky

[mledawn]

And as a further slap in the face, Tess' arrival means he had told his ex! It was subtle, but Ellie's face did fall and she beat a hasty retreat. Tess didn't kick her out. It's quite true to life that just when you get control over one or two aspects of your life, someone puts you right back in your place and Olivia played it so well that we're all pissed at Tess when we should be annoyed at Alec.

 

Yes (to the first part)! And of course the scene at the diner from last ep, where Ellie suddenly realises, "OH! You're his WIFE!" because of course, why would he tell her.

 

As to the second part about being pissed at Alec - that's his relationship with Ellie, though.

 

But good points.

 

Edited February 12, 2015 by mledawn

[staveDarsky]

Bonus scene for episode 6 put out by ITV. It's on Facebook, so it may not play if you're not an FB user.
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=793620257360490&theater

[flutist4fun]

Just caught up with this episode in time to watch e07 tonight. Claire and Lee are the creepiest couple ever (even though I love Lee's actor over on Agent Carter). Hope they both go to jail for something. They are twisted enough to do well there.

Love love Olivia Colman screaming at the kid. "No more of this SHIT! I am your MOTHER!!" Scary wonderful. Inspiration to mothers everywhere. And painting the house/obliterating Joe from their lives. Nice touch.

Glad DT survived surgery. ;) I want a regular pairing of him and OC. They are the only detective duo I can tolerate...and actually love.

Alec's wife doesn't seem to realize what a creep she is for LETTING him take the blame for her mistake.

Love the Broadchurch theme music, makes me weepy, and reminds me of the lights on the bay at Danny's memorial last season, a great closing scene. Still don't care much for the lawyers.

[briochetwist]

Alec's wife doesn't seem to realize what a creep she is for LETTING him take the blame for her mistake.

I know!  She is the one who effed up, on both a personal and professional level, he gallantly (stupidly?) takes the blame, and she treats him in a totally condescending manner.  Drives me crazy.

[Unusual Suspect]

Everyone seems to hate Mark. I just can't, no matter what, but that may be because I'm a big fan of Andrew Buchan and have been following his career for years, so I'm just really enjoying watching him in this role.

 

I like him too, but that might be for shallow reasons.

[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 6, about Beth:

Beth's mum died of a stroke three or four months before Joe pleads not guilty. Chloe's boyfriend Dean, took a job on a sheep farm in New Zealand and didn't tell her until the night before he was leaving.

[jeansheridan]

Yeah!  His heart is fixed.  Now I don't have to worry he's gonna keel over every time he goes for jog up another wet hillside.  And hello David's gorgeous smile.  I knew you had teeth.

 

I didn't think his ex was rude.  I think the scene was really brisk and Ellie does have quite a few things to occupy her.  Plus she's not the wife and I don't think she wants to be the wife.  I'm not sure what they are to each other.  Pretty decent work partners clearly.  Well, at least she a lot of patience for him and his demands.  And I think he respects her (and maybe sometimes pities her which is less cool, but I do think he finds her pitiful sometimes).  Unlike the barristers, I think they both really do like each other without needing to be overt about it. 

 

Tom so deserved that smackdown.  Go Ellie!

 

The actress playing Claire unsettles me.  Sometimes she seems so cheery and just an average woman and other times I think she might be a bit crazy.  I like the performance because she doesn't seem all that smart, but I get the feeling she knows what she knows and that gives her confidence. 

[staveDarsky]

The Sea Brigade Podcast for episode 6 is here. http://seabrigade.libsyn.com/podcast/the-sea-brigade-a-broadchurch-podcast-s2-e6

Some great observances and jokes. Host Emily had just binge-watched series 1 before series 2 started and she retained a lot of detail that I'd forgotten. It helps as they recap the episode.

[Bebecat]

Hardy is really the only character I can stand on this show. Miller is okay though she has been pretty dense, and slow to come around and behave like a cop. The rest of them I can't give two #^%€£ about.

[Primetimer]

As Joe's trial continues to open old wounds (and create new ones), a portfolio pic may Claire-ify a certain couple's involvement in the Sandbrook case.

Read the story

[Constantinople]

Joe Miller is scum, but I'd be willing to let him go in exchange for brutally murdering the entire Sandbrook crew.

[jeansheridan]

I am not quite as blood thirsty as you but I do think the show has managed to make Sandhurst as interesting as the first season murder without short shifting the fallout of Danny's death. And in only 6 episodes. And without feeling rushed. I don't care about Mark & Beth at all but I like that the show hasn't forgotten them. <br /><br />I do want more of Teas however. Less creepy Claire and more Tess would please me.

[Broderbits]

Tess can go jump in the ocean as far as I'm concerned. She cheated on Alec AND let him take the fall for her mistake; now she wants to bask in the glow of his love while holding him at arm's length, knowing full well how much he wants her back. Pure ego, that one.

 

I find Claire fascinating, but maybe that's because I remember her from Torchwood and nothing would please me more than seeing Captain Jack again.

[DeeJayKay]

I think we understand that Joe's arrest cost Ellie Miller dearly.  She lost her family, left her job, feels her reputation is in tatters.  In parallel, we now know that Sandbrook did the same for Alec Hardy.  He lost his family, his home, his reputation, his health. Ellie's trying to pull it together now.  At the same time, Hardy is, too.  The surgery he so feared.  And listen carefully to the tone of his voice when he says, "I miss you, Tess." (Early on, telling Tess he's made a will, etc.  Near the end of that scene.)  It speaks volumes about his damage and his hopes to fix it.

 

And Ellie has Tom back, but look at Hardy's smile as he speaks to his daughter.  He knows he has her back, too.

Edited April 9, 2015 by DeeJayKay

[debi49]

Ok so the junior defense lawyer is found going thru the town reporters private papers in his own home? After banging him?

This sounds pretty dodgy ...Lucy should report this to Jocelyn.

[Constantinople]

Honestly, I'm fine with baggage and seeing people's flaws, but in two seasons I haven't seen anything redeeming about Mark. He cheated on his wife, continued to lie to her and keep secrets from her,

Didn't Mark keep the town from attacking Jack in Season 1 when everyone was pitchforks at the ready?

 

While that may be true, that doesn't necessarily make their baggage interesting. And if we're going to need the baggage of everyone involved, what about the judge. the cop who let Mark see Joe, Sharon's assistant, Jocelyn's assistant, and everyone else who is tangentially involved with the case? I'm just saying that it has to end somewhere.

 

Yes, it has to end somewhere - it ends with the two barristers, which is why we aren't seeing such minutiae of detail for anyone else. The two barristers are major players in this story, which is revealing very clearly that taking a case to court is not straightforward. All kinds of distractions and prejudices come into play, not just among those intimately involved with the case and investigation, but also among those at the forefront of the trial. The two barristers are key figures, too important to merely be cardboard cutouts presenting evidence, because their hang-ups and personal dynamic and mistakes will have as big an influence on the outcome of the case as any witness. That's why we are being shown what's going on in their personal lives, so that we can clearly see the impact that baggage is having on the case. It's what Broadchurch has been about from the start. It was never a murder mystery. It was the story of the impact a murder had on a community, and how the baggage of everyone involved, from the murdered boy's family to the investigating officers, influenced the outcome of the investigation. It figures that the same theme would carry forward into the trial.

Bishop apparently has no ties to the community, so if the point is to see how the crime affects the community, we don't need to know anything about her or her son.  In any case, everything I've seen suggests she's a total asshole, so I don't need to see variations on the theme, over and over.

 

And Knight's macular degeneration is a little too cutsey about how justice isn't really blind but the prosecuting attorney almost is.

 

I also don't see how the judge is any less a major player than the barristers.  The judge, after all, is the idiot who made legal history by excluding a suspect's confession that was made before his police officer wife beat him up.

[Kat]

 

Tess can go jump in the ocean as far as I'm concerned. She cheated on Alec AND let him take the fall for her mistake; now she wants to bask in the glow of his love while holding him at arm's length, knowing full well how much he wants her back. Pure ego, that one.

I've had a problem with Tess' holier-than-thou attitude from the beginning! SHE is the one who fucked up the case! And I just know somehow she's going to make Ellie feel guilty about not being able to get that photo of Claire. Grrrrrr

 

Ok so the junior defense lawyer is found going thru the town reporters private papers in his own home? After banging him?

This sounds pretty dodgy ...Lucy should report this to Jocelyn.

 

This also bugged me. What possibly could Ollie or his mother have had lying around on the kitchen counter that would help Abby and Sharon's case?

Edited April 9, 2015 by Kat

[alias1]

I like Tess and I'm glad we're getting to know some of that backstory.  She is trying to redeem herself because she knows she screwed up.  I don't see the door closed on Tess and Hardy.  There is still a glimmer of something there.  And, oh my gosh, David Tennant smiled!  I didn't find her treatment of Ellie rude.  Ellie said she couldn't give Hardy a ride and Tess said she had it covered. 

 

I loved how Ellie made a comeback.  She is so straightforward with everyone.  There isn't a duplicitous bone in her body.  She wasn't taking any shit from Claire, either (I think you've played us all)

 

I don't dislike Mark.  He is kind of a parallel to Tess and he genuinely regrets his actions.  I find him more likeable than Beth, who has made everything about herself.  Her husband cheated on her.  Danny's death affected her the most.  She was totally clueless about Danny's activities and yet she has never blamed herself for anything.  She is totally self-absorbed. 

 

I still don't care about either Lawyer.  But I am interested in the Sandbrook case, because Hardy needs to have closure.  To me, the series is about Hardy and Ellie and that's where my focus is.  The trial and the Joe Miller drama is fine.  I just don't need the extra drama of the lawyers back story.  Totally pointless to me.  I don't see where either of their back stories have contributed to how they're handling the case.

Edited April 9, 2015 by SierraMist

[seamusk]

I really, really liked this episode. What a great show this is most of the time.

 

Ellie was great. Everyone has already noted this, but she handled everyone perfectly (Hardy, Tom, Claire, etc...) except for that she totally gave away that she noticed the necklace in the pic.

 

Now for my unpopular opinion. I like Beth. She's a great character. She doesn't have our birds eye view so it's completely rationale for her to question what Ellie might have known, and even more realistic under the circumstances to lash out at someone close to her as a point of blame. She's been slow to come around but you see her coming to her senses more and more, though obviously slowly. Honestly, it's amazing she isn't more of a wreck right now. And in this episode I thought it was great that she stood up to Mark. I think the show did a masterful job in showing how two big revelations about Mark sort of woke her up in a sense. I think that's very real and it's that sense of writing that gives the characters in this show depth, even when they don't have it at first.

 

I've also liked Mark this year. I don't think he is a good husband, always keeping stuff from Beth, but he is showing real depth and you can sort of get why he'd be a bit too hopeful about a new baby and doing weird things to help cope with losing his son. But I did see him genuinely trying to get better. He has a long ways to go but right now he's mainly paying the price for his earlier mistakes, where I think he has improved. He may have a ways to go yet to be a real good husband, but I can't knock a guy for trying. He did sort of wake up when the baby came it seems, but possibly too late.

 

Ok, that's a treatise for a forum post.

[editorgrrl]

I like Beth. She's a great character. She doesn't have our bird's eye view so it's completely rational for her to question what Ellie might have known, and even more realistic under the circumstances to lash out at someone close to her as a point of blame. She's been slow to come around but you see her coming to her senses more and more, though obviously slowly. Honestly, it's amazing she isn't more of a wreck right now. And in this episode I thought it was great that she stood up to Mark. I think the show did a masterful job in showing how two big revelations about Mark sort of woke her up in a sense.

 

I can only hope that Mark's testimony has woken Beth the hell up. Just as Ellie assumed that a wife must know when her husband is molesting their daughter, Beth assumed that Ellie must have known what Joe was doing with Danny.

 

Whilst it may be understandable to lash out at someone close to you and blame them when you discover a secret about a third party, I'm not sure it's forgivable. And does that make it okay for Ellie to now treat Beth like crap because she didn't know what Mark was doing with Tom?

[mledawn]

I didn't know Yahoo did postmortems of Broadchurch, so when you're done reading this one for last night's, you can read the rest.

 

The interviews are with executive producer Jane Featherstone.

[seamusk]

Whilst it may be understandable to lash out at someone close to you and blame them when you discover a secret about a third party, I'm not sure it's forgivable. And does that make it okay for Ellie to now treat Beth like crap because she didn't know what Mark was doing with Tom?

Ellie's empathy and awareness is what makes her a very likable character. I don't know that it's ok for Beth to treat Ellie the way she does, or for Ellie to do the reverse, but it's understandable and I think Ellie gets that. I think it would be understandable for Ellie to be angry at Beth in return, but again not necessarily ok (but that depends on the how of it too). To me, what makes the characters great here is that they are flawed and not singular per se (though in some cases it takes time to develop that).

[editorgrrl]

Since there isn't a thread for quotes, I'll put this here:

 

Ellie: Sit down! Do you see what you put Mark and Beth through? He wouldn't be up there if it wasn't for you. I know you want to protect your father, but he is a murderer and a shit and he deserves none of your feelings for him. Look what you ended up doing: You lied, on oath, in a court of law and I hope you're ashamed. Are you? Are you?!

Tom: Yes. Yes, Mum.

Ellie: You are coming home with me tonight—back to the house.
Tom: No we're not, ’cos—

Ellie: Yes we are because I am your bloody mother! If I have to drag you kicking and screaming, I will. Your father has done enough damage, and I will not let him destroy us. Do you understand?

Tom: Yes, Mum.
Ellie: Right, that's good.

[meep.meep]

Since you just quoted the whole thing, I have to say that if they do a second season of Gracepoint, there's no way that Anna Gunn could deliver that speech with the intensity and heart that Olivia Coleman did.  And that's the difference.

[secnarf]

They're not doing a second season of Gracepoint, so it's totally moot, but yeah that scene definitely wouldn't work as well. Or at all, given the ending of Gracepoint :P Also, GP's Tom is way creepier.

I think that scene was my favourite in the entire Broadchurch series.

[thuganomics85]

Crap, I'm starting to think Joe might actually be found not guilty, thanks to fucking Mark.  That guy just can't help himself, can he?  He picks the absolute worst times to try and hide things.  Part of me does think he really is trying to be better, but he just can't help himself.  That said, I do think Beth should leave him.  I honestly don't think he does love her.  It really does feel like he's just sticking around out of loyalty for what happened to Danny and their new child.  But Beth?  I really don't think he has many feelings for her anymore.  I'm not even a huge fan of Beth for most of this season, but she should be freed of him, if he keeps acting like this.

 

Ellie finding going full-angry mom on Tommy, was wonder to behold.  Olivia Coleman was brilliant as always, and watching Tommy looking stunned and terrified was perfect.  Added bonus was all the on-lookers, who totally couldn't believe what they were seeing.  I don't blame; he was going past merely being a punk to her.  He damn near ruined Mark and help plant more seeds into letting a killer loose.

 

Second favorite part was Paul being through with Joe.  I wish this would effect Joe on some level, but I wouldn't be surprise if his coward-ness outweighs any guilt he has for all the lying, and harm he has caused.

 

So, now we know Claire was the one that stole the evidence from Tess, during the affair.  This is getting good!  Still wondering what Lee's involvement is in all of this, but at the very least, the dude clearly has a temper.

 

Tess really comes off very flippant about the whole cheating thing, and almost acts like it was Hardys fault or something.  Not a fan of that.

 

Glad Hardy got the pacemaker and seem to be livelier then normal.  Loved all the Hardy/Ellie scenes as always.  Coleman and David Tennant are the best. 

[staveDarsky]

Since you just quoted the whole thing, I have to say that if they do a second season of Gracepoint, there's no way that Anna Gunn could deliver that speech with the intensity and heart that Olivia Coleman did.  And that's the difference.

Even if Gracepoint was going on and Anna was given a scene like that, they'd homogenize the language too much.

The UK finally got their first look at Gracepoint last week and the viewers were upset that "Bloody Twitter" was missing from Carver's/Hardy's rant about Danny's ID being tweeted out. A lot of colour lost with those two words being edited out of the GP script. :)