Grantchester (2014) s05e04

“Grantchester” is definitely not going to be one of those shows where they take out a lead character, drop in a replacement and it’s about the same. The show has been reminding Tom Brittney isn’t just a brunette version of departed ginger(?) James Norton, but it triples down throughout this episode. First, there’s so much with the class difference between blue blood Brittney and working stiff Robson Green. It’s foundational, with the showing opening on it—Green’s not just out of touch with the changing times, he’s now got the voice of the wealthy explaining behaviors to him, making excuses for them.

In some ways, it contributes to a big-ish blowout between Green and Brittney towards the end of the episode; Brittney’s become addicted to solving mysteries and Green’s worried he’s created a murder out of an accidental death. A truly unfortunate one involving LSD—which is just being developed—but apparently not a murder. Or maybe Brittney’s just distracted by his love life problems, which Green has a great time teasing him about.

Green also has a great time teasing Brittney’s love interest, Lauren Carse, about their burgeoning romance, not knowing it’s run into hiccups due to Brittney’s chastity. Brittney comes up with a solution this episode, so he thinks, but not one Carse is interested in because it’s all about Brittney’s religiosity. And there’s the other way he’s so different from departed James Norton—this episode goes hard on challenging Brittney’s religious beliefs.

Like when he tries to tell the scientist he’s living the capital T truth and the scientist—doing the LSD experiment for psychotherapy—just rolls his eyes at him; Brittney takes it as a challenge, the scientist means it as a dismissal. Juxtaposed with that religious challenge, Leonard (Al Weaver) and Mrs. C (Tessa Peake-Jones) have a lovely little subplot about Peake-Jones miserable having left her war profiteer husband and not wanting to lay it out for Weaver. Instead, she just tells him God doesn’t care if she’s happy, which gets Weaver hitting the good book for proof otherwise.

Then there’s Green’s whole home situation with mother-in-law Paula Wilcox, which blows up in unexpected ways to Green (though maybe not wife Kacey Ainsworth), which ends up giving Green some great character development, modern husband stuff to do.

The show gets in a lot of cultural commentary—between Carse and Ainsworth as working women, the treatment of Wilcox, the pre-anti-drug LSD, college students from the colonies—there’s a lot going on with the times and the characters. “Grantchester”’s pushing forward, embracing the fifties’s societal changes.

Bummer the show aired on Brexit day, as it seems entirely opposed to isolationist, patriarchal jingoism.

Oh. And they do a 16mm film strip but it’s really obviously video and it seems like they don’t employ anyone who knows how to fake the look. But “Grantchester” has definitely shown it doesn’t need Norton’s love stud of a vicar to succeed.

Grantchester (2014) s05e03

Lots ends up happening this issue, even as the episode starts with Tom Brittney getting returned mail from his estranged mother. In fact, there’s going to be something for everyone this episode—except Leonard (Al Weaver); Leonard is background.

Will (Brittney) doesn’t just have a murder case—a very Sherlock Holmes affair involving a murdered cinema projectionist and a Brown man (Hamza Jeetooa) in fifties England, the sins of Empire being revisited and such—he’s also started regular dating reporter Lauren Carse and there’s still more with troubled youth Jim Caesar. Robson Green’s mostly just on the case, though he figures into the Caesar stuff and has his own home situation brewing as mother-in-law Paula Wilcox starts causing problems Kacey Ainsworth (Mrs. Robson Green) can’t ignore. Nice stuff for Ainsworth and Wilcox with the subplot.

But the biggest subplot, which ties in to mystery man Jeetooa, is for Tessa Peake-Jones. What starts as an adorable story arc for Peake-Jones and, to a lesser extent, husband Nick Brimble, turns very, very serious and Peake-Jones does a phenomenal job with it. There’s some other excellent acting in the episode, with mystery storyline damsel Zoë Tapper going from stereotype (at least what “Grantchester” is willing to do as a historical stereotype) to a full-fledged character as the solution unveils.

The Sherlock Holmes comparisons don’t stop with the mere presence of Imperial subject Jeetooa, but also how the murder (you’ve got to wonder if writer Jake Riddell was being intentional or if it was all subconscious) gets discovered, and in some of the plot details… like rocks through the windows as clues. Just feels very Conan Doyle. Except, obviously, everything else about it.

Like Brittney and Carse’s romantic thread, which survives the hiccup of jealous copper Bradley Hall, but goes very discomforting, very serious places. Just when you think Brittney’s going to be the stable stud vicar.

And Ross Boatman might be getting more important; he runs the gym where Brittney boxes and where Caesar is supposed to be rehabilitating through positive social and athletic structure.

“Grantchester”’s getting some big developments without having to make its likable characters, you know, unlikable. Well, some of them but certainly not like it’s done in the past. It’s definitely got solid footing this season.