Broadchurch
Creator: Chris Chibnall |Number of seasons: 3 |Country: England
Broadchurch sets in an England fictional small town, Broadchurch, where people know each other and become a part of a community. The depiction of the people is what makes this series so special. It successfully shows the complexity of human crime. The central characters are DI Alec Hardy and DS Elly Miller who partner up to solve cases. In the first season, DI Hardy and DS Miller are faced with the death of a local young boy.
One morning, Broadchurch is shocked by the finding of a dead body on the beach. DS Miller recognises the body as Danny Latimer, a local young boy, and his son’s friend. Danny’s death is a tragedy and it ripped his family apart to grief. However, the tragic death of Danny doesn’t only change the lives of the people involved, but also that of the community. His death unravels peoples’ secrets and opens up their past wounds. But the truth must come out to find out who murdered Danny.
Get Rauuu’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
In the second season, Danny’s family goes to court to bring his murder to justice. Once again they must revisit their painful experience. In between the court, DI Hardy also reinvestigates his previous case that has been haunting him for the past 2 years. A little girl and her older cousin disappeared one night. The girl’s body was found several days later floated on the lake, while the cousin’s whereabouts are still unknown. With the help of DS Miller, he determines to catch the killers. Season two is a resolution phase both for the Latimer family and DI Hardy. It is a closing chapter for Danny’s case and DI Hardy’s trauma. But it is only the start of something new.
The final season took place 3 years after Danny’s death. Now, Broadchurch has moved on from it. The Latimer family too try to go on, putting their suffering to rest while starting a new life without Danny. But surely, grief is the ongoing process they must live with every day. It’s especially hard for Mark Latimer who can’t seem to let go of his regret.
In this season, DI Hardy and DS Miller investigate a sexual assault that happened at a birthday party to a 49 years old woman. Going deeper into the investigation, they find two other women who have been assaulted with similar patterns. Makes them certain that whomever they are dealing with is a serial rapist.
Among the three seasons, this one is probably the most disturbing and shocking. The ending is unthinkable. It breaks your heart to see how bad circumstances can push an innocent man to commit a heinous crime. It reminds me again about the multifaceted nature of the crime. There are bad people. But there are more vulnerable people who unfortunately get involve with the wrong people and make bad decisions.
Broadchurch is gripping, dark, yet funny. The moment you start it, you can’t take your eyes off it until you know what happens. But it’s such a profound watch. It makes you question your moral preposition and challenges you to stand with what’s right.
