Because The A.V. Club knows that TV shows keep going even if we’re not writing at length about them, we’re experimenting with discussion posts. For certain shows, one of our TV writers will publish some brief thoughts about the latest episode, and open the comments for readers to share theirs.
- This is going to sound like a weird thing to say, but I’m kind of sorry that Mark’s suicide from last week was a fakeout. It was so well done, gloomy and moody in that perfect Broadchurch kind of way, Also, it seems amazingly improbable that someone would have discovered him in the middle of the night in the water. I was straight-up shocked to see him alive in a hospital bed. But, as Maggie says, that family has been through enough.
- At least it gives Jodie Whittaker some opportunities to rant against Mark and his inability to get over his grief to Paul. She is going to be a great new Doctor.
- This episode is a pretty tremendous one for Hardy, who’s fed up, like he always is as he nears the end of a case. He starts going off on everyone magnificently, especially the suspects, and the teenage boys harassing his daughter. Tearing up Daisy’s ticket on the advice of Miller was a cheerworthy moment. And Hardy’s protest to Miller that his problem is that he’s too nice, and her resulting stammering expression, might be the most hilarious moment of the entire series. Well done, Broadchurch.
- This case almost has too many likely suspects, doesn’t it? And even the ones who may not be guilty of Trish’s attack in the end, like Ed or Jim, presumably, still seem to be guilty of some awful things, like unhealthy obsession and indiscriminate cheating. It’s hard to muster any sympathy for Kath after her comments to Trish last week, but her rummaging around and turning in clues against her husband does help a bit.
- Maggie just churns out platitudes like a journalism fortune cookie: “What we publish is just as important as what we don’t publish.” But her horrified look at Petal when she says she doesn’t call herself a feminist was perfect.
- This week in ”Shut up, Katie”: Blaming her dad for the loss of her job when it was her fault for not coming forward in the first place.
- My least favorite parts of Broadchurch are when it gets sappy, like the ending of season one when they see all the bonfires on the coast. So while I appreciate all the women coming out to walk with Trish, lighting their phones in support, it still feels a bit out of place to me.
- Guiltiest suspect this week: Pick ‘em.
- Next week: I will be sad to say goodbye to this series! Did you know that David Tennant will be the voice of Uncle Scrooge in the new Disney XD version of DuckTales that starts this weekend? Won’t really be the same, but no one can say that the man isn’t versatile.
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