Season 2
The shocking murder of 11-year-old Daniel Latimer rocked the quiet seaside town of Broadchurch, as everyone in the tight-knit community suddenly became a suspect. After a tumultuous investigation, a killer was finally named.
Now, Broadchurch is still reeling and the case of young Danny Latimer is far from over. The new season of Broadchurch follows two seemingly unconnected events: the trial of Joe Miller (the man charged for Danny's murder) and the Sandbrook case – Alec Hardy's previously failed investigation, which has dogged his existence ever since.
Though all expect a swift sentencing, Joe Miller's hearing quickly escalates into a full-trial, proving there are undeniable discrepancies and still more secrets hidden among the townspeople. At the same time, Hardy's past comes back to haunt him when his primary suspect in the Sandbrook homicide resurfaces, looking for the woman who testified against him—his wife, Claire.
What unfolds is a series of twists and turns as the Sandbrook case bursts back open, unraveling Hardy's past and bringing shocking truths from both cases to the surface.
In Season 1, Detective Inspector Alec Hardy (David Tennant) – still haunted by the collapse of his previous murder case – was put in charge of the Latimer investigation, much to the chagrin of local officer Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman). Strong yet compassionate, Ellie was forced to put her personal connections to the victim aside to help solve the case that devastated the close-knit community.
As the detectives scraped for evidence and fought to narrow the suspects, the town was turned upside down.
The investigation saw many townspeople come under suspicion, including Danny's father Mark (Andrew Buchan). But after many twists and turns, the revelation of the killer's identity had far-reaching consequences for Hardy and Ellie.
In the Season 1 finale, Joe Miller (Matthew Gravelle), Ellie's husband, was found responsible for the unspeakable crime – leaving the entire town, especially Ellie, shell-shocked.
Season 2 begins on the day of Joe Miller's hearing. All of Broadchurch awaits his sentencing— eager to gain some sense of closure from the nightmare of Danny's murder. But to everyone's disbelief (including his barrister's) Joe enters an astonishing plea – 'not guilty.'
Joe fixedly avers that nobody is innocent and promises to expose more secrets of the town's residents. He goes on to enlist a fearsome defense team led by Queen's Counsel (QC) Sharon Bishop (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) and junior barrister Abby Thompson (Phoebe Waller-Bridge).
Now bracing themselves for a full trial, Danny's parents, Beth (Jodie Whittaker) and Mark desperately seek legal representation from esteemed local QC barrister Jocelyn Knight (Charlotte Rampling). At first she refuses to take on their case, but will she have a change of heart when she learns that former pupil Sharon Bishop is representing the defence?
Hardy, no longer on active duty as detective, remains in Broadchurch – but why? With his health condition worsening, he desperately needs Ellie's help to make things right with a previously failed investigation. As Hardy's past comes back to haunt him, the two detectives (Hardy and Ellie) are forced back together.
Following Joe's arrest, Ellie is left broken and alone. She's left Broadchurch to serve as a traffic officer in Devon and her son (Tom) refuses to live with her. There won't be a light at the end of the tunnel for Ellie until Joe is brought to justice – only then can she even begin to find a sense of normalcy again. For now, she finds solace and some fleeting sense of purpose in helping Hardy.
One thing is for certain, as the hearing of Joe Miller unfolds and Hardy's past bubbles to the surface – nothing will stay hidden in Broadchurch.
Broadchurch is executive produced by Chris Chibnall (Law & Order: UK, Life on Mars) for Imaginary Friends and Jane Featherstone (The Hour, Spooks) on behalf of Kudos, a Shine Group company. The Producer is Richard Stokes (Silk, Law & Order: UK) who also produced the first season.
James Strong (Downton Abbey, Doctor Who) who directed five episodes of the first season, directed episodes one and two of the new season.