5. Nige Carter
The character of Nige Carter had his moment in the spotlight in episode seven of Broadchurch, after ambling along for much of the series. Joe Sims has played Nige with a permafix goofy grin and vacant look, making many think the plumber, who works for Danny's dad Mark, was nothing more than a dim witted bystander. However his role as ringleader of the angry mob that harassed newsagent Jack Marshall raised a few eyebrows, but it was his collection of crossbows and the whispered arguments with creepy caravan dweller Pauline Quirk that put him on the suspects list. And then he stole a charming chocolate Labrador, and people were ready to throw away the key. In the penultimate episode, Quirke's character Susan Wright had been taken into custody, where she revealed that she had seen Nige on the beach the night Danny was murdered, and also that she was in fact his birth mother. Nigel's father was a child abuser who killed his own daughter, then killed himself in prison, leaving Nigel, their newborn son, in care, perhaps with some dark genetic tendencies. With a few explicit threats Nige drove his newfound mum out of town after they had both been released at the end of the episode, but suspicions still hang over the crossbow wielding, roast dinner cooking plumber. Especially after Dean revealed that Nige and Danny used to go animal catching with him at night, supposedly with the permission of Mark and Beth.
Did he kill Danny? The evidence is certainly stacking up against Nige - the weird collection of weapons, the family background, the secret night time trips with Danny - and he has shown the slightly demented tendencies so beloved of TV killers. But with the various reveals about Nige's true character in episode seven, it would probably now amount to a disappointing reveal if it turned out to be him.
Suspect rating: 7/10