NOT since the heyday of Taggart, when everyone in Glasgow was either a murrderrer, a victim, or a cop, has there been a TV crime drama hotspot to rival Broadchurch. Last night, after seven weeks of a tale with more twists than an audition for Chubby Checker: The Musical, the man who raped Trish Winterman was revealed.
Would it be Ian, her dirtbag ex, Ed the stalking greengrocer, sleazy cab driver Clive, or AN Other creep?
It is fair to say the male of the species in general came out of this third and final series of the ITV whodunnit with a collective blanket over their heads.
With the honourable exception, that is, of DI Alec Hardy (Scotland’s David Tennant) whose job it was, with sidekick DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) to catch the serial rapist.
Since the list of suspects was as long as the Dorset coast, the viewer had to swim through a shoal of red herring to arrive at a final list of three possibles. It was tense.
“Nights like this I wish I still smoked,” said Hardy. Didn’t we all.
As alibis disappeared and late evidence poured in, suddenly we were down to two men: arrogant graduate turned porn pedlar Leo Humphries, and taxi driver’s stepson, Michael.
As Humphries boasted about what he had done and how he groomed Michael to be his accomplice, the camera cut away to Hardy and Miller. Their faces, switching between disgust and rage, said it all.
Chris Chibnall, the show’s creator, has moved to quash speculation there could be a fourth series. But after four years and a triumphant return to form after a duff series two, can it really be the end for Broadchurch?
Will DI Hardy never again give the hairdryer treatment to a suspect in a manner that makes Sir Alex Ferguson look wetter than SpongeBob SquarePants?
Will DS Miller finally have time to look in a mirror and see navy, grey and black really don’t match?
Chibnall ended on a choker of a scene. With the sun going down on the cliffs, Miller and Hardy sat on a bench. “We did our job, Miller. We got the people responsible.”
Miller dared to say something she never had to her boss: “Shall we go to the pub? We’ve never been to the pub. “Nah”, said Hardy. “I’ll see you ramorra.”
Broadchurch went out in the style to which viewers had grown accustomed – classy and grounded right to the end.
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