"Broadchurch" Recap: "Series 2 - Episode 3"

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

I'm starting to discover that Broadchurch is becoming a fiercely frustrating show to watch. I say that not because the show is terrible, it is quite the opposite of that. I say it is frustrating for a couple of reasons, the closure we should be receiving from last season, is simply not there, nor it would seem is the justice the Latimer family deserves and all of these issues have left me shouting at my television on a regular basis when the show is on and last night's "Episode 3" only made it worse.  

We picked up mere moments after the end of last week's episode. With Lee and Claire gone from our sight thanks to Beth and her epic temper tantrum that sent her into labor. This was the only touching moment of the episode as she gave birth to her new child, a young girl named Lizzie, because once we got past the cuddliness and wonder of the new baby in the Latimer family, it was back to the usual level of ugly we have come to expect. 

It turns out, Claire was okay, Lee simply took her back to the safe house Hardy set up for her. Of course when Hardy returns there to look for her, Lee is waiting, forcing a quick confrontation between the two men before Lee takes his leave and Hardy has a moment with Claire to understand why she didn't reach out to him and we quickly learn there is a damn good chance she knows more than she is leading on. 

But the first big frustrating moment of the night comes from the attempt by Ellie to learn exactly what she knows. Despite a night of drinking and one night stands for both women, Claire keeps her mouth shut, claiming that her husband drugged her and she knew nothing. It was an interesting statement from Claire, seeing as to how Ellie was passed out courtesy of a sleeping pill when Joe killed Danny which led to frustrating moment number two of the night...the trial.  Ellie was at last put on the stand to speak to what she knows and well, Jocelyn's understudy, Sharon, made matters worse by being the skeezy lawyer she is.

She had the audacity to accuse Miller and Hardy of an affair because of that moment where Ellie sought out Hardy to try and wrap her head around what on earth motivated Joe to kill Danny Latimer and well, it's nuts. She truly is the epitome of a scumbag lawyer and I honestly question whether she is trying to win this case for the sake of Joe and his well being, or to stick it to Jocelyn and quite frankly, the judge is equally as incompetent.  In fact this would be where I was shouting at my TV set the most because seriously, this judge is letting Sharon do whatever the hell she wants. It's clear that the defense team, so hell bent on "sticking to the facts" does the complete opposite, putting wild concepts before anything else while the judge just sits there all lah ti dah. It's infuriating.

But on the plus side, it's clear we are inching toward some answers at last on the Sandbrook case, it's merely a question as to whether or not Lee or Claire will crack. In fact it was quite shocking to see Lee have the balls to visit Hardy after filing a formal complaint on the DI to try and clear his name with the case with the results of his own investigation.  Frustrating or not however, this show has me hooked once again and I'll be on my couch next week hoping that Hardy, Miller and the Latimers finally get a break from the stupidity surrounding them. Until then.

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