Suicide instead of suspense? There was little headway in the rape case investigation as Episode Six ended with the wrong kind of cliff-hanger in Broadchurch, by Jim Shelley 

By Jim Shelley for MailOnline

Published: 17:57 EDT, 3 April 2017 | Updated: 21:29 EDT, 4 April 2017

Broadchurch always leaves us in suspense but the ending of this week’s episode was literally a cliffhanger, although not necessarily the type viewers really wanted.

The painfully protracted scene showed Mark Latimer, still consumed with grief over the murder of his son Danny in the first series, on his mobile, out late at night.

‘It’s nice and peaceful,’ he reassured his daughter Chloe. ‘You know I love you, don’t you?’

Never a good sign...

Grieving: The painfully protracted scene showed Mark Latimer, still consumed with grief over the murder of his son Danny in the first series

Grieving: The painfully protracted scene showed Mark Latimer, still consumed with grief over the murder of his son Danny in the first series

Sure enough when the camera swooped up into the black sky above him, we saw that he was on the top of the town’s famous cliff, at the very edge, looking down dizzyingly at what would be certain death.

We didn’t see him jump but the only hope was an unexpected twist - something of a speciality where Broadchurch is concerned but not usually in a good way.

In hindsight, even the opening scene (a flashback) had been ominous. Mark was in bed with his wife Beth sleeping next to him and getting up to find Danny still awake and playing a computer game.

On the edge: The painfully protracted scene showed Mark Latimer, still consumed with grief over the murder of his son Danny in the first series, on his mobile, out late at night

On the edge: The painfully protracted scene showed Mark Latimer, still consumed with grief over the murder of his son Danny in the first series, on his mobile, out late at night

‘Worrying about your exams?’ Mark asked his son gently? ‘Is that what’s keeping you up?’

Probably not, we thought. Unbeknownst to his father, in fact the boy had been trapped in an illicit friendship with Joe Miller, the paedophile who eventually killed him.

‘You’ve got everything ahead of you Dan,’ Mark remembered telling him. ‘You’re going to have such a brilliant life.’

What had seemed such a tender moment between them was only another a bitter, dark, memory now – one Mark was having as he sat in his van, by the docks where Joe Miller worked, waiting to confront him.

Whether he had wanted to entrap Miller into confessing, persuade him to give Danny’s family justice, or stab him, Mark probably didn’t know himself.

Whether he had wanted to entrap Miller into confessing, persuade him to give Danny’s family justice, or stab him, Mark probably didn’t know himself
Whether he had wanted to entrap Miller into confessing, persuade him to give Danny’s family justice, or stab him, Mark probably didn’t know himself

Seeking answers: Whether he had wanted to entrap Miller into confessing, persuade him to give Danny’s family justice, or stab him, Mark probably didn’t know himself

Detective work stalled? There was little headway in the rape case investigation as Episode Six

Detective work stalled? There was little headway in the rape case investigation as Episode Six

Either way he only failed.

Miller guessed he was recording their conversation and Miller insisted that he couldn’t face jail, whining: ‘I know you want me in prison but look at my life here. I’ve lost my family, my friends. I lost everything I had. Everything I was. I’ll never escape it. I’m only here because I’m not brave enough to kill myself.’

Latimer wanted him to explain the fatal night but Miller refused arguing only: it was a mistake what happened with Danny. I didn’t mean to kill him.’

The only consolation Latimer gained was that his guilt that he hadn’t saved his son had been unfounded.

Mark had been parked nearby but Miller said matter-of-factly: ‘no he was already dead. You were too late. It wouldn’t have made any difference.’

No headway? The case didn't seem any clearer as investigations continued

No headway? The case didn't seem any clearer as investigations continued

Latimer still had his knife but cried: ‘I can’t live with what you’ve done to us and I’m not strong enough to make you pay. It’s pathetic isn’t it? What do I do now?’

The answer, we saw later, was to call his daughter.

‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ Chloe asked. ‘You sound a bit odd.’

‘You know me I’m always OK,’ Mark smiled weakly. ‘I’ve done my best for you Chloe - and Lizzie and mum and Dan. I’m just sorry if sometimes that wasn’t enough.’

Again it didn’t bode well. Neither did the shot showing the photo of the family, including Danny, on the Latimers’ wall.

Beth Latimer had been counselling rape victim Trish Winterman.

‘It’s not a straight road,’ Beth had told her at the start of the show. ‘Some days will be better than others.’

Not in Broadchurch, we thought – as she would soon discover (again).

‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ Chloe asked. ‘You sound a bit odd.’

‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ Chloe asked. ‘You sound a bit odd.’

Eerie: The shot showing the photo of the family, including Danny, on the Latimers’ wall didn’t bode well

Eerie: The shot showing the photo of the family, including Danny, on the Latimers’ wall didn’t bode well

This was after Trish had told Beth she’d been struggling to come to terms with being attacked.

‘I feel like I’m sinking Beth,’ she had said.

Fifty minutes later, as Mark stood on the cliff with tears in his eyes there appeared to be a boat out at sea but it was an image of himself and Danny – a memory and then a vision.

Mark climbed into the water out of the boat, which was now empty.

Again the camera moved above him. It slowly started pulling away, looking down on Mark as he lay on his back staring up at the stars.

Going under... 

A literal cliffhanger: Mark stood on the cliff with tears in his eyes there appeared to be a boat out at sea

A literal cliffhanger: Mark stood on the cliff with tears in his eyes there appeared to be a boat out at sea

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