My reaction to Episode 1 of Season 2 was (in writing, in an IMDB review) "Is this necessary?". Season 1 seemed like a solid mini-series, complete in every way. I knew when I finished watching S1 that there's S2 and S3 but didn't really want there to be as they could only bring down the overall quality and legacy of the show.
And here we have it. Just when you thought the Joe Miller story was done, like the villain in a horror it springs back to life. The court case is reasonably interesting but I kept feeling this was just drawing out the story unnecessarily.
The Sandbrook case is even less necessary and less well thought-out, plot-wise. Being something dredged up from DI Hardy's past rather than a murder relevant to Broadchurch itself, it is not very engaging. The plot is a random walk, pin-balling between different suspects. Some of the plot developments don't make too much sense and the conclusion seems far too easy.
Overall, interesting enough but not anywhere as good as Season 1.
