Who started the house fire? That is the big question we’ve been asking since watching the first episode of Deadwater Fell. This is Channel 4’s new crime drama about a small community that is shattered by the aftermath of a house fire. It follows the story of Tom (David Tennant), whose wife Kate (Anna Madeley) and their three children die in the blaze. But in order to find out who committed arson, there are a whole load of other questions we need to ask first. 

Before getting into the second episode of Deadwater Fell, here’s a very quick recap of what we know so far…

• Kate was being treated for depression after her second daughter Charlotte was born.
• Tom and Jess (who was Kate’s best friend) have sex at least once.
• The autopsy found pine needles embedded in the girls’ feet, despite the fact that their bodies were found indoors.
• The girls’ bedroom door was padlocked, and CCTV showed Kate buying a padlock. 
• Kate was involved in a car crash with her kids and Jess.

Deadwater Fell episode 2: the big questions

Who is the teenager in the woods?

The episode opens with a teenager running through the village in his underpants on the morning after the fire. It’s clear that he’s spent the night taking drugs and drinking alcohol. After Steve the policeman finds his bike in the woods, he pays the new character a visit and befriends him before asking what he saw happen in the woods on the night of the murders. “I don’t want to get anyone into trouble,” he responds, before the scene cuts.

Later we’ll find out what he claims he saw. But, for now, it’s clear he’s going to be a key part in this.

Who is the woman sat at the back of the church?

At Kate’s funeral, Jess spots a familiar woman sitting at the back of the church. When Jess approaches her afterwards, we found out she is called Sasha, and she knew Kate through teacher training – but there’s definitely way more to it. Sasha looks over to Tom, who is hugging people and shaking their hands, saying: “Puts on a good show, doesn’t he?” Later in the episode, we also learn that Kate confided a lot in Sasha about Tom. 

Hmmm, it’s not looking good for Tom…

Did Kate know about Tom and Jess’ affair?

In a flashback scene, we see the night that Tom and Jess had sex while Kate slept off a boozy night in bed (not cool). Jess then tells Steve about the affair – insisting it happened once – and later tells the police, in case it helps with the investigation. She recalls how Tom was very physical and grabbed her head while they had sex. It also turns out that Kate might have known about the affair. 

Things are looking even worse for Tom now.

Did Steve set Tom up?

Understandably, Steve is pretty upset when Jess tells him that she slept with one of his best friends. But has this prompted him to make sure Tom gets the blame for the fire? The answer might very well be yes. 

That’s because, at the end of the episode, the boy from the woods makes an official police statement about what he saw that night. He says he saw Tom running after his youngest daughter Charlotte (which explains the pine needles in her feet). But, in a flashback, we see that it was actually Kate running – Tom was nowhere in sight. 

So why did the boy lie? Is it a coincidence that Steve had been talking about it earlier in the episode? What did he tell him to do?

ARGH. 

Watch the trailer for Deadwater Fell

So, did Tom start the fire?

Tough question. Last week, it looked like the blame was on Kate. But most of the second episode alluded to Tom being the murderer. He’s been acting shifty AF, he clearly had big marital issues with his wife, he was physical towards Jess and he seems to be performing pretty well for someone whose whole family has just been killed. 

However, we know that he was not in the woods with Charlotte!

When we see him sat on the bed at the end of the episode, listening to the police cars that are coming to take him away, he seems eerily at peace. I don’t think he started the fire, but I do think the guilt of smaller crimes are catching up with him – and that’s why he’s ready to accept punishment. 

We need more answers in episode three, please.

Images: Channel 4