Broadchurch
ITV, 9.00PM
We’re past the midway point of the third and final series of
Broadchurch and the drama is showing no sign of releasing its grip. And while it might be too much to hope that it will deliver up the sort of nationwide nail-biting frenzy provoked by the series’ first outing back in 2013, this is still a very impressive return to form. That’s partly attributable to writer Chris Chibnall’s rediscovered skill at keeping the suspense ticking over nicely as he moves the story relentlessly on, and partly to the charisma of leads David Tennant and Olivia Colman. Last week’s revelation that Cath Atwood’s (Sarah Parish) husband Jim (Mark Bazeley) was the person rape victim Trish (Julie Hesmondhalgh) slept with on the morning before the attack may not have been a huge shock, but the closing scene that saw a new victim come forward guaranteed everyone who saw it would be back on the edge of their sofa tonight.
Understandably, getting to grips with this new evidence occupies much of Miller and Hardy’s attention so it is left to DC Katie Harford (Georgina Campbell) to deliver the first big jolt here when she unearths a creepy new link to an existing suspect.