Grantchester (2014) s07e06

Something’s obviously going on when this season finale’s murder mystery is about halfway through the episode. The mystery’s sequel to a previous episode this season; a copycat killing has happened, only Robson Green didn’t give out some of the details, so it can’t be a copycat. The plotting is trope-y but not the details. There’s still some real personality to it.

There’s also a Christian fundamentalist psycho killer (run, run, run away) on a show about a vicarage. It works better than the last time the show dealt with problematic godliness (a homophobic Black curate from a British colony). It’s also exceptionally terrifying because there’s one of the Grantchester flock out to off the unsuspecting vicar. I don’t think. Considering Tom Brittney’s once again a failed Grantchester vicar this episode—he gets blotto, smokes cigarettes, but doesn’t listen to jazz because he knows he can’t handle that life—it’s nice he gets to do something for the first time in the series.

While the entire second half of the episode, which includes a fast-forward epilogue, is about closing “Grantchester” down enough if it doesn’t get another season, there are also some shoehorned-in threads while the murder mystery’s still happening. Tessa Peake-Jones gets her season-long cancer plot resolved, with, unfortunately, some very middling writing for her. The show skipped important parts of her story since the last time she got a subplot, and they don’t make up for it here. It’s the season finale, and it’s outstanding business, so let’s get it resolved, however abruptly.

It’s a particular bummer for Peake-Jones and Al Weaver’s relationship, one of the season’s early focuses. During this episode’s first act, he’s oddly disconnected from her plot, which makes sense pragmatically—he’s got an entirely new subplot this episode to finish off his season and, potentially, his character—but not in terms of narrative.

Weaver’s new plot is caring for the unhoused people in town, an arc he kind of started a few episodes ago, but they never did anything with until now. Thanks to Weaver, an amusingly overwhelmed Oliver Dimsdale, and a lovely Nick Brimble, it works out okay, but it’s still a rush job.

Green’s got the truncated mystery plot, little bit of action, little bit of family comedy. It’s not a lot (though he gets some good material in the epilogue), especially if it ends up being the last episode.

Brittney’s non-murder mystery-related plot involves apologizing to Charlotte Ritchie for being a shitty suitor as she prepares to leave forever. Ritchie gets a couple adorable scenes with son Isaac Highams, who’s appropriately wiser than the adults when needed. Ritchie has a good half episode, though the resolution’s a little contrived before the epilogue.

The epilogue does bring back Brittney’s family, who went unmentioned this season even though last season had set step-sister Emily Patrick as some kind of recurring character. Maybe they just couldn’t get the whole supporting cast together because of Covid-19.

It’s a nice finish to the season, with some very sturdy acting from Green throughout. Thanks to Christian serial killers and fast-forward epilogues, Brittney gets an easier character development arc than the last episode implied. Still, he’s definitely come into his own as a new kind of Grantchester vicar.

Especially if they get another season. It’ll be too bad if they don’t, but it’s also a very nice conclusion and setup. No playing chicken here.

Oh, and besides an actual “Sidney” name-drop at one point, there’s also a lovely, old school Grantchester river montage (to help the fast forward along). It’s a very “Grantchester” finish.

Grantchester (2014) s07e05

“Grantchester” is rarely as subtle when focused on character development than in this episode. Credited to Richard Cookson, the script weaves leads Robson Green and Tom Brittney’s romantic woes underneath the mystery A-plot, which isn’t a surprise. The surprise is just what the episode will do with the result; the episode goes from being a relatively traditional outing to Brittney’s most significant episode of the season in terms of character development.

Since there’s been no mention of his family—specifically his inappropriately amorous step-sister—this season at all, and with this episode resolving Green and Kacey Ainsworth’s two seasons-long troubled marriage arc, it feels like “Grantchester” has settled all business from before this season.

After an amusing introduction to the eventual murder scene, the episode begins with Green and Brittney getting together a picnic for Green and his kids. Charlotte Ritchie brings the kids over, and she and Brittney have a little talk about their encounter last episode. He’s after friendship, she’s after romance, they’re going to go with the former.

Only then his latest ex-girlfriend, the very engaged Ellora Torchia, appears and tells him she’s left fiancé Michael D. Xavier (who’s also Green’s new boss). Does Brittney want to run away with her?

Before Brittney can process this new information—Torchia and Xavier have been missing from “Grantchester” the last couple episodes, with Green usually just missing Xavier at the office—there is, of course, a murder. And the suspects are Brittney’s pals from the old folks’ home, Bruce Alexander and Anna Calder-Marshall. They’ve done a runner, making them the (very unlikely) prime suspects.

The episode juxtaposes Alexander and Calder-Marshall’s almost entirely offscreen adventuring with Green and Ainsworth, and Brittney and Torchia. There are some comparisons so obvious even the characters remark on them, but it’s usually understated. Green and Brittney have a friendship arc—Torchia’s return makes things awkward for Green at work—but they’ve also got a class one separate from any romantic partner quibbles. Green and Ainsworth’s plot will have some of those class issues running under it as well; it’s an incredibly well-thought-out plot.

No wonder there’s no time for Tessa Peake-Jones and Al Weaver. Weaver doesn’t even appear in the episode, and Peake-Jones only gets a couple short scenes, including a fantastic one opposite Green. They rarely get enough time together, so it’s very nice when they do. There’s a quick check-in on her ongoing season plot, which at least comments on Brittney’s character development arc (if not directly affecting it). Weaver’s presumably just off at the cafe. “Grantchester” seems to have forgotten how to do six-episode seasons after getting eight last time. They’re out of room here.

This season started with Brittney maybe prematurely acting like a “real Grantchester vicar” (meaning jazz, booze, and man-slutting), and it turns out he might not actually know how to lead that life. But thanks to the major changes to the characters’ situations in the last season or three, his inadequacies might run even deeper.

There’s one episode to go, and the show’s operating with a mostly clean slate now, so it’ll be fascinating to see where they go. Especially since they’ll be setting up the prospective eighth season.

Some outstanding acting this episode from Green, Ainsworth, and Ritchie. Great guest spots from Alexander and Calder-Marshall. And Torchia and Xavier, who presumably won’t be in town much longer, both have their best episode here.

It’s such a good episode the omissions don’t matter. Well, as long as they don’t bungle the finale, I suppose. But they’re going into it far stronger than I’d have expected.

Grantchester (2014) s07e04

The mystery plot is particularly good in this episode. And it's all about the vicarage. Maybe the location was busy for the first two episodes of this season; they're very much back to services, with Tom Brittney giving a couple sermons. He's also potentially hiring a new curate (Tom Glenister, briefly returning from last episode). Brittney takes Glenister to visit Al Weaver, which is just set up for Tessa Peake-Jones's subplot. She still hasn't told anyone but Weaver about her cancer diagnosis.

"Grantchester"'s got alternating C plots this season: there's Peake-Jones and cancer, then Robson Green and Kacey Ainsworth's marital woes. This episode starts with Peake-Jones as the main subplot, switches over to Green and Ainsworth, then is back to Peake-Jones for the finish.

It balances out nicely—with some great acting from Peake-Jones and Nick Brimble (as her husband)—because the Green and Ainsworth subplot echoes in the main mystery plot.

The victim this episode is the husband of one of the church ladies, who Brittney thought he knew well, only to discover they've all got secrets from him. Except for Oliver Dimsdale (Weaver's beau), the lone dude in the group. Louiza Patikas plays the controlling leader of the group, with Lauren Douglin and Sophie Fletcher as her chief sidekicks; Alaïs Lawson is the youngest, a French girl who Patikas micromanages the most.

Brittney thinks he knows all of them, only for the murder to reveal he's completely unaware of what's going on with his parish. Green's even surprised at how out of touch Brittney is with the goings-on amongst his most needful "customers." Though at this point, there's no longer mention of Brittney not hanging around the station to help Green with investigations; Green's new boss doesn't put in an appearance this episode (or last), and junior officer Bradley Hall is back to hanging on Green's every potential compliment.

The mystery reveals things about the victim, the victim's wife, and the three other women in the church group; lots to unravel, lots of well-acted drama. Patikas proves a deeper character than implied initially, and she's terrific. The murder arc ends up far more haunting than it originally seems like it'll turn out.

It also ties into the Green and Ainsworth subplot. Brittney and Charlotte Ritchie are convinced all Green and Ainsworth need is a nice night out and set them up, unknowingly, on a double date. Ritchie realizes Brittney sometimes defaults to vicar behavior when things go wrong and right for certain attendees, making him less than sincere when he needs to be. Unfortunately, the episode leaves that development hanging for next time, instead toggling back over to Peake-Jones's. It's an okay move (the Peake-Jones subplot does take precedent), but they seem to be dragging out Brittney and Ritchie's flirty friendship.

Even with the frayed subplots, it's another good episode. Though it's only a six-episode season this time, so they're nearing the finish, and almost everything outstanding is very outstanding.