We see her push James away before he calls her a cocktease, biting her and ripping her clothing. From Olivia’s point of view, of course, it is rape. As they tell their stories on the witness stand, dramatisations bring to life what each person 'experienced'. For far too long – seemingly to keep the viewer guessing, like a teetering whodunnit (which feels wholly inappropriate in a sexual assault story) – we are offered no easy condemnation, with Olivia and James each telling the jury their own harrowing side of the story while Sophie, grimacing, watches on from the courtroom gallery. Here is the first major bugbear of the series, which is based on Sarah Vaughan’s bestselling novel of the same name and recalls her experiences as a political correspondent: it’s not immediately clear who has done wrong and where the justice should fall. The dark turn we’re expecting: we discover that Olivia has accused James of rape and it will go to trial, with steely prosecutor Kate Woodcraft (Dockery) responsible for bringing James to justice.
