Broadchurch’s Detective Alec Hardy is possibly one of the most socially awkward lawmen television has come across. The dour, workaholic, unfriendly detective played by David Tennant has his own demons to battle and previous professional failures with which he has to deal. He also doesn’t really gel well with the people in Broadchurch, a quiet beach town where everyone knows everyone.
Hardy’s lack of social graces quickly becomes one of the most endearing things about him. Though people in Broadchurch don't especially like him, they start learning that he’s not a corrupt person. Some of his most awkward but touching scenes are with his subordinate-turned-friend DS Ellie Miller (Oscar winner Olivia Colman), whose sunny persona directly counteracts Hardy’s broodiness. Here are some of the most hysterical and adorable sequences from Broadchurch, featuring a socially awkward DI Hardy.
When Ellie Invited Him To Dinner With Her Family
Hardy has never been a family-style dinner kind of a person and usually eats takeout Thai food at work if he eats at all. So when his subordinate Ellie asks him over to dinner at her place, he is taken aback and obviously made things super awkward as he couldn’t even understand why she’s inviting him to dinner with her family.
“It’s just what people do,” Ellie told him. “Do they?” Hardy asked her, very befuddled. Although he nodded a very reluctant yes, Hardy was mainly confused because Ellie and he have never really seen eye to eye since he was the one who took her job.
When He Tried To Ask Out Becca Fisher
One of the weirdest moments on the show happened when Hardy actually tried to ask Becca Fisher if she wanted to hang out with him in his room. Fisher manages the hotel at which he’s staying, and after his health scare, the two were chatting in his room.
It’s not that Hardy was being creepy or out of line, he’s just obviously not good at asking out women and doesn’t have a great sense of timing. Things got weirder when Becca said no because Hardy was immediately mortified. But the manager confirmed that she didn’t want to take a chance as she’s still not sure his health was fully recovered.
When Asked About His Tinder Date
Ellie is one of the few people who’s aware of what goes on in Hardy’s personal life and had found out during one of the episodes that Hardy actually had a date. Fans of the show were absolutely shocked when Hardy actually went on a Tinder date with a woman named Zoe, considering the detective is the last person anyone would expect to see on Tinder.
And as luck would have it, he ran into Ellie while he was walking home from his date, and he was clearly not ready for the barrage of questions she had about his dinner.
When Ellie Discovered His Rather Disgusting Tea Habits
Hardy is so used to being single and making questionable hygiene decisions that at times he doesn’t even fix himself when there’s company present. During Season 2, Hardy decides to have some tea in the middle of a conversation with Ellie. So he microwaves a cold cup of tea, instead of making a fresh pot!
And if that wasn’t unhealthy enough, he actually pours cold milk from an uncapped carton directly from the fridge and stirs the tea with the back of a knife! Needless to say, Ellie was justifiably aghast, but when Hardy realized his odd tea-drinking habits were now public, he just got on with it.
Whenever He Saw Ellie With Food
It was established fairly early on that Hardy only eats for sustenance, doesn’t share Ellie’s enthusiasm for snacking, and also has very different preferences when it comes to food. Fans have noted Hardy rolling his eyes whenever he saw Ellie with food.
An example of Hardy's food outlook is when he sent her out to get him Thai food and she returned with a carb-loaded fish and chips meal. “You don’t eat fish n chips? What kind of a Scot are you?” Ellie had quipped. Another example is when she actually made him hold a semi-eaten Scotch egg as she took a call.
When Ellie and Reverend Coates Bonded
Hardy didn’t have it easy as an outsider in Broadchurch, especially as his lack of people skills earned him cruel nicknames from people in his professional circuit. But it wasn’t as if Hardy specifically wanted to fit in; he never made a secret of the fact that he didn’t like it in Broadchurch.
He hated how closely knit the town was, how everyone knew everyone and he also had a difficult time with the lack of privacy. Once, as Ellie and Reverend Coates bonded over a familiar story about a former teacher, fans noticed Hardy rolling his eyes in exasperation, instead of trying to participate.
When He Tried To Explain Why First Names Are Useless
One of the most hilarious sequences on the show was when Hardy went to Ellie’s house for dinner, something already briefly touched upon. He wasn’t sure what to do, so instead of taking a chance, he bought her family flowers, wine, and chocolates. When Ellie asked him if she could call him Alec for the night instead of Sir or Hardy, he awkwardly tried to explain why she didn’t have to use his first name at all, leaving Ellie and her husband flabbergasted.
And while that may have been considered rude by some people, it was hilarious how Ellie and Tom didn’t take it in a bad light because they’re so aware of his poor social skills.
When He Had to Tell Ellie About Tom’s Crime
One of Broadchurch’s most heartbreaking scenes is also really fraught with tension because first-time watchers of the show were anxious about how exactly Hardy would reveal to Miller that her husband was Danny’s killer.
When he did tell Ellie about Tom’s truth, she obviously burst into tears and was on the verge of throwing up. Hardy may not be the most comforting person in the world, but he did feel horrible about what was happening. So, he awkwardly patted her on the shoulder and remained beside her silently as she came to terms with the truth. This is a rare vulnerable moment for Hardy, making his actions even more endearing during a moment of tragedy in the show.
When Hardy Offered Ellie a Hug
Hardy found Ellie crying in the ladies' washroom and knocked on her door. When Ellie reminded him that it was the women’s loo, and they saw a woman entering the washroom, Hardy yelled at the latter and pretended there was a cleaning in session.
Fans have often noted that Hardy doesn’t have much to offer in terms of emotional support, and can only pacify someone with logic. So everyone was shocked when he actually asked Ellie if she needed a hug. While Ellie obviously said no, the scene did cement the fact that both detectives shared a secure friendship since they already knew so much about each other’s baggage.
When He Was Being Yelled At
In season, 1 episode 6, it’s revealed that Hardy isn’t doing too well medically. He has a heart attack and refuses hospitalization. He is informed that if he doesn’t get medical attention he will be dismissed from the case in under a day.
When he is hospitalized, Ellie obviously lashes out at him for not taking care of his health and also keeping his medical issues a secret. This is also a really interesting scene because Ellie is one of the few people who can hold him accountable, since they are on the case together, and Hardy is not used to being disciplined. It becomes very clear in this scene that Hardy doesn’t actually know what to do when he is being yelled at.