Television: Broadchurch 2.5

Well, now, where are we? Susan Wright gets decimated by Jocelyn during testimony. But still, the element of doubt has been introduced, hasn't it?

Ellie goes on a tear investigating Sandbrook. She sorts out that Lisa took money out of her account before going to babysit Pippa, and that she made one last phone call to her mother that afternoon, but then Lisa's phone was off for 18 hours before pinging a tower in Portsmouth. Who or what is in Portsmouth? Some agriservices firm . . . with a big incinerator.

So Ellie's theory that Lisa killed Pippa and then went on the run and is still alive goes up in smoke, so to speak.

But I think she had something there, given that the flashbacks show Lisa looking pretty put out about the bond between Pippa and Lee. And Ricky has said Lisa had a difficult relationship with her father, which probably extends to a messed up relationship with men in general.

There were all kinds of things going on, it seems. Lee and Cate, for one thing. And weird games of hide and seek between Lee, Ricky, Pippa, and Lisa? And Claire doing Pippa's hair, too, so we know they were all pretty tight. Partner swapping? Meanwhile, the wedding alibi for Ricky goes out the window when the bridesmaid says she rejected him. Yet Ricky was MIA for about two hours at the wedding . . . And carrying a flask that probably had rohypnol in it; Lee tells Alec he'd used it once and gotten it from Ricky, who made trips to Amsterdam and brought back all kinds of drugs.

The Sandbrook stuff has become more interesting than the Broadchurch trial. The writers are trying to keep Beth and Mark relevant by having Beth start a charity in Danny's name. Thing is (a) Mark isn't interested, and (b) Paul is encouraging Beth to have the charity help child sex offenders, which is something she's having trouble stomaching. Makes sense, but it's really hard to care about this particular plot line.

Tom, meanwhile, continues to be a brat by refusing to move back with his mother. Instead, he approaches his dad's defence team and asks to give evidence. Ugh.

And speaking of sons, Sharon's son is given a black eye in prison, and Sharon gets mad at Jocelyn because Jocelyn wouldn't take his case way back when, which is why he's serving time.  We still don't have the whole story, but we do know whatever Jonah did, a man died as the result of it.

Sharon also asks Paul to testify as a character witness on Joe's behalf. When Paul tells Becca—and admits he'd been visiting Joe in prison—Becca offers no comfort. Instead she complains she feels like Paul has dragged her into it by telling her. What a rotten girlfriend.

There's a lot going on, to be sure. The show continues to be well crafted and compelling. I'll be sad when I have to wait again for more. That day is coming too soon for my taste.