Apple Tree Yard’s captivating final episode took a dark turn in court which leaves it open to a second series for Emily Watson
THE heart-stopping conclusion to Apple Tree Yard proved the BBC drama was much more than just a romp in a London alleyway between two middle-aged strangers.
The show sold itself as something a bit too steamy for Sunday nights, as it aired five minutes of explicit sex in the hour-long first episode – including romps in a toilet and a cupboard.
But the thriller captivated viewers right to the end as Emily Watson told the story of a wife in crisis who found herself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong man.
Last night’s finale was completed in an unsparing fashion – as Dr Yvonne Carmichael was forced to relive her brutal rape at the hands of George Selway.
Emily Watson put on a particularly poignant display as her fragile character took to the stand in court and told the jury about being treated like a “collection of holes” by murdered Selway.
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The tension later ramped up as Yvonne and Mark’s affair and string of lies were slowly exposed one by one by his barrister, played by fierce Lydia Leonard.
In the closing minutes, the show reached particularly dark territory as Yvonne reunited with her partner-in-crime following the shocking court verdicts.
The unnerving clip summed up the author’s message about just what happens when fantasy begins to conceal real life.
This slow-burner of a thriller ignited to a particularly nail-biting finale – that leaves it open for the potential for a second series.
★★★★☆