Broadchurch 1.3: The Spy

Broadchurch 1.3 continues with its almost everyone a suspect in Danny's murder - even after someone is apparently cleared after lying.

Danny's father is the prime suspect in 1.3, which starts with his lame alibi for the night Danny was murdered, Danny's blood on his boat, and Ellie's son telling Alec that Danny told him his father Mark had a temper and hit Danny a few times.  Mark is held but released, when the woman he was sleeping that night - not his wife - comes forward.  This was my feeling all along - that Mark was lying to police to cover up not the murder of his son but his cheating on his wife.

But where does this leave us?  Not 100% sure of Mark's innocence, because, even though he has a good explanation for how Danny's blood got  on the boat, we see someone - presumably Mark - burning it at the end of the episode.  Is this where Mark slept with the blonde, not his wife, on the fateful evening, and that's why he burned the boat?  That would make sense, since Mark feels guilty about what he was doing on the night of the murder.   But we don't know for sure at this point that Mark burned the boat, or even if the burning boat was Mark's.

And what's going on with Ellie's son?  Was he telling the truth about Mark hitting Danny, and, if not, why not?  Here's a wild little theory:  Ellie's husband killed Danny, and Ellie's son is lying to protect him.  Or maybe not - it's just a wild theory I have with no evidence at this point.

The show continues to have great scenes and lines.  Like when Ellie tells Alec to back off,  and says she'll "piss in a cup and throw it at you" if you don't.  Those courteous Brits know how to hurl an insult when they're mad - just as you see to such good effect on another brilliant show, Luther, which is coming back week after next.

But in some ways my favorite scene is when Danny's mother Beth warns daughter Chloe not to talk in front of the mild-mannered cop who is staying with Danny's family ostensibly just to be of help.  He's a "spy," Beth tells Chloe, and Beth is right.   One of the few things we can sure of - one of the few pieces of incontestable truth - we get on this taut and excellent show.


See also Broadchurch: Powerful Viewing ... Broadchurch 1.2: Brooding Excellence



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