Broadchurch – final episode preview

Louise looks forward to the grand finale of hit ITV drama Broadchurch…

The ITV drama Broadchurch concludes tonight, with a projected audience of millions tuning it to find who killed Danny Latimer-and, more importantly, why. Led by a grim David Tennant as Alec Hardy, a detective inspector with a whole lot on his mind, and a sparkling Oliva Coleman as his partner in anti-crime, the series has followed the murder of eleven-year-old Danny Latimer in the small village of Broadchurch, mixing police procedural with harrowing emotional drama as the after-effects of the killing begin to catch up with the residents of the town.
It’s a beautifully put together programme, elegantly shot, beautifully scored, and perfectly scripted. It smacks of a sense of uncomfortable voyeurism, from creeping camera angles to constant capturing of characters in personal, intimate snatches. The viewer becomes a mute character, becoming involved in the chequered history of the townsfolk and the tragic past of DCI Hardy, appalled and fascinated in equal measure by every revelation. It’s British television at it’s very best, an understated but disturbing look at the emotional side of the crime as opposed to just being CSI: Margate.
The cast have really been what’s brought the show to life; from Arthur Darvill throwing of the shackles of Doctor Who as the troubled local vicar to Jodie Whittaker as the grieving mother trying to hold herself together. A particular nod Andrew Buchan as Mark Latimer, the seemingly stand-up but slightly shifty father, pitching the performance perfectly between a man desperately trying to protect his own interests and obsessively mourning the loss of his only son. The huge cast gives the drama a sense of realism; the scores of townspeople, police, and journalists, each with their own backstory and secrets that might just be the key to unlocking the case.
I could very well spend ten pages speculating about who did what when and why, because there’ve been so many clues and red herrings and false positives, and the case itself is so intrinsically compelling. Everyone has their own theory, their own evidence and their own suspect. The only downside to this is that however ingenious the conclusion, it’s going to be a disappointment to hundreds of people who thought their answer was the right one. Either way, I, along with millions more enthralled viewers, will be tuning in on tonight to find out…