BROADCHURCH fans had one piece of the puzzle solved on Monday night after it was revealed Jim Atwood was Trish Winterman’s secret lover.
The rape victim – played by Julie Hesmondhalgh – had previously refused to tell DI Alec Hardy (David Tennant) and Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) who she had had sex with on the morning before she was raped.
But during Monday’s episode, her mystery lover was revealed after DNA matched her best friend Cath’s husband to her.
Thinking they had found their rapist, the detectives headed round to question Jim, who then admitted the affair, insisting he didn’t need to attack Trish as he could have consensual sex with her if he wanted, and did.
Viewers were shocked at the news of Trish’s betrayal towards her best friend, with one writing on Twitter: “Once again, if Trish had came clean about having sex with Cathy’s husband then he’d never have been wrongly accused.”
Another added: “So that’s the mystery sex partner #Broadchurch”.
A third quoted Jim’s reason for being in bed with Trish on the morning of his wife’s birthday, writing: “‘She was at work’. So you had to have sex with Trish because your wife wasn’t available?”
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The news also pleased many fans who had suspected Jim was the mystery man, with one writing: “I was spot on with the Saturday sex guy! had to be dirty Jim!” while another wrote: “Boom! I knew it was Jim who Trish slept with on the morning of Cath’s party!”
The revelation also lead to a new theory among some viewers as to who the culprit of Trish’s harrowing attack was.
One wrote: “Trish was having an affair with Jim n his wife set up the rape of trish as revenge. Anyone agree?”
Another did, adding: “so cath knew Trish was sleeping with jim and arranged for her to be assaulted maybe?”
Elsewhere in the episode, it was revealed that Trish’s estranged husband Ian has a new girlfriend, Sarah, who was the one sending mean tweets to Trish.
Mark Latimer also confessed to having found his son Danny’s killer, Joe Miller, using a private detective following his acquittal.
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