'Broadchurch' Recap: 'Series 3 - Episode 7'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

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

​I wanted to open up today’s recap and say that I was utterly shocked and surprised over the fact that last night’s episode of Broadchurch finally opened up the case in all the ways that we were expecting, but I found, I simply could not. Because what I felt instead last night, was a sense of supreme relief and satisfaction over the fact that yes indeed, the case was blown wide open, the clues kept pouring in and we are now inches away from finding out who the monster is that committed this disgusting crime against Trish Winterman.
 
But before we dig into all the incredible details and surprises that came forth last night, we need to take a moment and discuss the painful storyline that was somewhat resolved from last week, the whole matter with Mark Latimer. Because by the grace of fate he did survive and he ended up in the hospital for his attempt at suicide and well…the fallout of his decision made for some incredibly compelling television. Not because of the fact that Mark tried to harm himself, we already knew he was at that point, no, what made this storyline so incredible was Beth’s reaction and her understanding of how utterly helpless she was in the matter and she also expressed that she was incredibly angry with Mark’s decision and to see her confess her fury, yet still do the right thing was touching, powerful and heartbreaking all at once.
 
However, while all of that was incredible to watch, it was grossly overshadowed by the revelations that came forth in the Winterman case, and as it turns out, there wasn’t enough evidence in place to keep Ed in custody so he was let go…but it wasn’t long before the cell he occupied found a new tenant. Because shortly after releasing Ed, it came to Hardy and Miller’s attention that the company that Laura Benson used to service her broken down vehicle was Jim Atwood’s and well…while he was brought in for questioning on the matter, things went from bad to worse for dear Jim because of what Cath found inside the house.

---

​While she was cleaning, she discovered a hidden stash of pornography and the suspicion that comes with the obvious question of ‘what else is he hiding’ led her to dig into Jim’s car and discover; a pack of condoms, the same brand that was used in the attack on Trish, and wouldn’t you know it…Jim purchased them the day of Cath’s party, a decision he claimed was related to a cute waitress that had been giving him the eye. But her damning testimony that she never allowed any intimacy to occur, thanks to the fact that Jim was far too rough with her, only makes it look more and more like he’s the guy that did it.
 
Yet while that would have served as plenty for this episode, it wasn’t quite done yet dealing with the many fascinating plot threads it has introduced this season. The whole mess with Ian was thrown back into the mix as well since he finally manned up and confessed to the police what he did with Trish’s computer, in that he had Leo install a little bit of spyware to keep an eye on Trish, and while it was nice to finally see Ian come clean about something, it doesn’t absolve him or Leo for that matter from the crime in question because while all signs point to Jim…there’s still the matter of Clive’s ‘souvenir’ tray, that his wife finally discovered in the garage, and the fact that the sock used as a gag came back from the lab, complete with the DNA of one of our suspects…
 
So yeah…this was the big one at last, and I don’t even care that it ended on a cliffhanger because that really is the right thing to do for an episode of this caliber. After all, this is the penultimate tale for the entire series, and we are now primed to see justice be delivered at last, but alas…we still have to wait one more week. However, it should be noted that while it was wonderful to see everything come together this week, it was also bittersweet. Because while it was thrilling to see the case unfold in this manner, it’s also the last time we are ever going to bask in that kind of wonder since next week’s story, is the series finale for Broadchurch, and judging from last night’s story, it looks like the show is going to go out in impressive fashion. Until then.  

---