> Order Broadchurch on DVD on Amazon.
It’s too early for us to think we’re close to the truth, but far enough along to enjoy having a good guess at who the killer is. So without further ado…
1. Susan Wright (Pauline Quirke)
For the prosecution: She holds the only keys to the chalet where Danny was murdered. She has his skateboard in her wardrobe. In addition to ‘Susan’ she also goes under the name ‘Elaine’. To top things off, she emerged from the shadows this week to tell the local newspaper editor to back off, or she would send somebody around to rape her!
For the defence: Nine years of Birds of a Feather.
2. Jack Marshall (David Bradley)
For the prosecution: He has spent time in prison for sexual offences. His involvement with the local Sea Scouts now looks a bit… dodgy, given his past. He ‘found’ Danny’s phone, but only four episodes after the murder.
For the defence: He looks uncannily like William Hartnell in BBC Two’s upcoming Doctor Who drama, Adventures in Time and Space.
3. Nige(l) Carter (Joe Sims)
For the prosecution: He knows Susan Wright. And he’s too friendly – he spent this week cooking Sunday lunch for the Latimers, in an attempt to get things back to normal. I realise that’s pretty tenuous stuff, but it’s at least a step up from “his eyes are too close together”. Although now I come to think about it…
For the defence: Nothing at all, did you not hear me tell you about his eyes?
4. Steve Connolly (Will Mellor)
For the prosecution: He seems very well-informed about the murder, knowing that the body was moved by boat before the police knew it. Maybe he really is in touch with the spirit of Danny. Or maybe he just knows because he’s the murderer.
For the defence: Nothing. I’ve seen White Van Man.
5. Tom Miller (Adam Wilson)
For the prosecution: Back in the first episode he deleted a load of texts and emails from Danny.
For the defence: He’s only a kid. And the kid of investigating DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) at that. Could it really be him?
In the interests of full disclosure, I spent two or three years in the early 1980s convinced that Admiral Piett would turn out to be Yoda’s “There is another.” (If you don’t want to know the result look away now….. It’s actually Princess Leia.) So with that track record it could well be that my singling somebody out as a suspect means they’re almost certainly NOT the killer.
And in my defence… With another four episodes still to go, anybody looking a likely suspect now is only looking that way because writer Chris Chibnall has chosen to paint them very Red (or spray them particularly Herring-y, if you prefer).
If you’ve not yet tuned in to Broadchurch, the long Easter weekend is the perfect opportunity to catch up. It’s a slow-burner, but very compelling, so fire up the ITV Player and get yourself up to date. Then dig out your deerstalker and dust off your magnifying glass ready for more sleuthing on Monday night!
> Order Broadchurch on DVD on Amazon.
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