Susan Wright

Susan Wright lives alone in a caravan on the edge of Broadchurch, gruff and unwelcoming to anyone who comes near. She keeps her own counsel, snaps at questions, and seems to know more about the town's comings and goings than she lets on. Wary, watchful, hard to read.

Pauline Quirke plays her as a closed door — every answer clipped, every glance guarded — so you sense there's a story underneath without knowing its shape. The writing gives her just enough oddness to make you suspicious, and Quirke resists ever tipping into caricature, keeping Susan stubbornly, believably human.