BROADCHURCH is back– and so are the endless questions surrounding ITV’s hit whodunnit.
Crime-fighting duo DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and DS Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) returned for the third and final series on Monday night to investigate the rape of a shop worker.
More than 7.5million tuned in as the victim – new character Trish Winterman, played by Coronation Street’s Julie Hesmondhalgh– reported the attack.
Viewers are already speculating about potential suspects but there are bound to be more twists and turns over the next few weeks.
Here, Emily Fairbairn discusses seven talking points from the series so far – but now see what YOU reckon.
What’s Trish hiding from the cops?
Trish was attacked on the Saturday night but did not report it for two days. She claims she spent that period laying on her bed. Miller believes the delay is down to trauma but Hardy is unconvinced.
Trish says she recalls little, as she was knocked unconscious, yet she tells police she heard running water and had her hands tied. Later, she recalls something was put in her mouth.
New character DC Harford (Georgina Campbell) suspects that Trish may be hiding something.
Was attack at sex party?
The assault took place at the 50th birthday party of Trish’s pal Cath Atwood (Sarah Parish).
Cath claims she doesn’t know who was invited to the bash, at a remote manor house, but a later revelation that 50 of the 70 attendees were men raises suspicions it could have been a sex party.
Tellingly, details of the do are, so far, vague. And what does Cath, right, mean when she tells husband Jim: “I feel like it’s our fault”?
Condoms in Jim’s car?
The police conclude that Trish’s rape was premeditated, largely because a condom was used.
A condom wrapper found at the crime scene matches those in the glovebox of Jim’s car. This is Broadchurch, so it’s unlikely this is the smoking gun so early on, but there’s something dodgy about a husband hiding condoms – and some mystery envelopes – from his wife.
Even if Jim (Mark Bazeley), right, isn’t a rapist, he is surely a womaniser with secrets.
Why did Ed cause trouble?
When police call at the farm shop where Trish and Cath work, boss Ed Burnett (Sir Lenny Henry) gives them a frosty reception.
Cath tells cops about a fight at the party between Ed and Jim, describing them as “drunk schoolkids”. But could Ed, right, be responsible for more than just scrapping with the host? And was he the mystery figure returning to the crime scene to retrieve a farm shop bag full of twine identical to that used to tie up Trish?
Was attacker known to Trish?
The detectives note that the last rape by a stranger in the town was before Miller joined the force.
With 90 per cent of sex assaults in the UK carried out by attackers known to the victim, the same could be true for Trish.
While there are around 50 potential suspects from the party alone, creepy taxi driver Clive Lucas (Sebastian Armesto) is spotted near to Trish’s house. Or could Trish’s husband Ian (Charlie Higson), who left her six months ago, be involved?
Why did Hardy come back?
At the end of series two we saw Hardy bid farewell to Broadchurch to spend time with his daughter Daisy (Hannah Rae) – but now he is back in town.
So what has he been doing for three years? And why did he return?
While Hardy seems more involved in the teenager’s life now, there are signs that his determination to solve the case could put their relationship at risk. Daisy, right, moans that she will stay out till 10pm as her dad will not finish work until then.
Will Danny’s killer return?
The hugely successful series one focused on the the murder of 11-year-old Danny Latimer and ended with DS Miller’s husband Joe confessing.
In series two we saw him plead not guilty in court and he was eventually acquitted before being driven out of town by Miller and angry locals.
Will Joe return to Broadchurch to cause more grief for Danny’s parents and his ex-wife?
Mark Latimer, who has written a book about his son’s murder, and Beth, now a rape support officer, are both back as central characters, suggesting there could be more to learn about Danny’s murder.