‘Apple Tree Yard’ Episode 2 review: The world starts falling around Yvonne

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“There are no more refuges for me, no places of safety.”

If last week was all about the fantasy then episode two serves as heavy doses of reality crashing to the floor. Yvonne goes from flaunting it in public spaces to hiding in her own home. The tone shifts drastically to one of creeping suspense and the music almost has a hammer horror feel as the tension builds.

The world starts falling around Yvonne. Her husband admits to cheating,  their bipolar son is distant, she looks set to quit the job in order to stay away from her attacker but unfortunately George Selway can’t stay away from her. He stalks the streets she walks and the house she lives.

The flashbacks of the rape do feel unnecessary. It’s repainting a garish picture we’ve already seen and don’t need to keep seeing. The act of rape doesn’t need to be repeated with stylish editing to for us to get the message that its harrowing.

That aside, it’s good to hear the harshness, and in places somewhat unjust aspects of the legal system laid bare. If she wants to go to the police, she’s told that every aspect of her private life would be examined. Her marriage, online activities, sexual interests and any extra marital activities which, of course would implicate ‘X’. Or Mark Costley as we now know him.

There’s not much in the way of light relief but for a visit to a dinner party at the house of friend Marcia. The host goes on a diatribe about certain girls claiming rape to be liars. Naturally it’s a subject that jars and Yvonne responds firmly with “It’s bad enough men peddling crap like that without women making it worse” before giving the worlds’s worst apology.

“I’m sorry, you’re lovely. And your house is lovely and you give lovely dinner parties and everything in your world is lovely so you don’t really have the imagination to see what it’s like when bad things happen, just randomly. Great torrents of shit descending on ordinary people. So you’re looking for whose to blame because that’s less scary than facing up to the fact that awful things can happen, even to someone as lovely as you”.

It’s a “HELL YEAH” moment similar to that famous Doctor Foster scene. She really was a Wolf tonight! Better than being eaten by one for sure.

By the end 007 wants to come to the rescue. They conspire to take the creepy grin off Selway’s face but where Yvonne assumes it’s going to be a jolly good talking to and some stern finger wagging, it seems our fake Bond has other ideas.

We don’t see or hear what happens in the house but it’s highly likely Mark shouted “No Mr Selway, I want you to die!” Probably.

Blind Alleys

Mark seemed a lot less sinister this week, coming across as compassionate and genuinely in love with Yvonne.

Though compassion may be out the window if his definition of “free style” is murder.

Maybe Costley was just handing over some takeout to Selway’s house? Perhaps his big secret is that he really works for Deliveroo?

Aired at 9pm on Sunday 29 January 2017 on BBC One.

Order Apple Tree Yard on DVD on Amazon here.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Let us know below…

Read Michael Lee’s blog here.