The episode opens with Alphy Kottaram (Rishi Nair) going out for a job. DI Geordie Keating (Robson Green) complains about vicars believing a petty disagreement is the end of the world. He had gone through it with Sydney and Will before Alphy. He knows how it will end with him apologizing. Putting on makeup, Cathy Keating (Kacey Ainsworth) sarcastically tells him not to apologize. He assures her that he won’t. She knows better because he is a softy. They kiss. Upon leaving, he encounters Alphy who immediately apologizes for being rude and disrespectful. Geordie apologizes and admits it was wrong of him to find his mum. Alphy praises him for being a great dad and a wonderful friend. Elsewhere, Mrs. Chapman (Tessa Peake-Jones) insists Jack Chapman (Nick Brimble) cut the sandwiches into triangles, not squares. An anxious Leonard Finch (Al Weaver) asks for their opinion on his attire. Jack compliments his handsomeness. Mrs. C tells Jack that she wants Daniel Marlowe’s (Oliver Dimsdale) parents to like them. He agrees to cut the sandwiches into triangles.
Alphy explains how, as a kid, he fantasized about his mum. He claims to have purchased his Triumph to impress his parents if he ever met them. Geordie says he is already a man to be proud of. En route to the church, Geordie tells Alphy about fascist Wilbur Church (Richard McCabe). Blocking the entrance, Simeon Jones (Sam Reuben) insists on a peaceful protest. Geordie and Alphy step over him and enter the auditorium. Student Union Vice Co-Chairman Eve De-Beauchamp Berenet-Vaux (Madeleine Sidi) shows them a vandalized flag. Geordie criticizes her decision to allow Wilbur to speak. She argues that everyone has a right to voice their opinion. She and Simeon get into a verbal disagreement about Wilbur’s speech. Wilbur and Maude Church (Maya Barcot) arrive. Eve welcomes them. A security guard, Eddie Cain (Duncan Lacroix), asks Geordie if a security sweep of the building was completed. Geordie tells him that he investigated the desecrated flat. Wilbur asks if Alphy is there to cause him problems. Alphy says it’s a pleasure and shakes his hand. After Wilbur and his entourage go inside, Geordie questions Alphy’s shaking of Wilbur’s hand when an explosion rings out. They hurry inside and find a deceased Maude. Wilbur is distraught.
Eve tells Geordie that a parcel arrived for Wilbur and it was given to Eddie. Outside, Eddie and Julian Church (Milo Hallett) watch as the medical examiner takes Maude’s body away. Seeing Geordie, Eddie demands to know why he isn’t trying to find the culprit. Geordie warns Wilbur that the bomb was meant for him. Wilbur is unimpressed with his assumption. Geordie asks Eddie if he gave the parcel to Maude. Wilbur admits to receiving 13 death threats this year. Geordie announces the cancellation of his speech. Julian insists that was the intention. Wilbur says, “Onward, Christian soldiers.” Alphy argues that it isn’t a war but Wilbur disagrees. Elsewhere, Daniel greets his mum with a kiss and an embrace. She informs them of his father’s back ailment which is why he didn’t come. Leonard introduces himself. Mrs. C escorts her to another room for refreshments. At the police department, Eddie hands Geordie a file containing Wilbur’s death threats and police reports. Geordie orders Jennifer Scott (Melissa Johns) to pour over the documents. He and Alphy assess the evidence collected from the explosion. The bomb was made of nails and components found in kid’s train sets. Seeing there is no sender or address on the parcel packaging, Geordie believes it was hand-delivered. Alphy recognizes the writing.
A short time later, Alphy and Geordie question Simeon about the parcel. Simeon denies sending it to Wilbur. Geordie claims to have fought against the Nazis. After the interrogation, Alphy insists poets like Simeon don’t send bombs. Geordie says it probably wasn’t him. He asks Eddie what he did before security. Eddie tells him that he served in the Sixth Airborne. Geordie admits to preferring latrine duty to being Wilbur’s security guard. Eddie describes Maude as kind and virtuous. He regrets giving the parcel to her. Jennifer informs them that the superintendent authorized Wilbur’s speech. Elsewhere, Clara praises Daniel as a young boy. They recall him running away from home because he couldn’t have a dog. Leonard offers her more tea. She is pleasantly surprised they are putting Granny’s teapot to use. He says they love it. At the campus, an excited Eve tells Geordie and Alphy that Wilbur will be allowed to speak. Wilbur reminds Geordie that his superintendent promised him the highest level of protection. Geordie warns that someone aims to kill him. Wilbur denies caring what happens to him with Maude gone. Alphy intervenes to stop Geordie from allowing Wilbur to speak.
They talk about it at the police station. Geordie says he has to sort out this bloody mess now. Jennifer and Larry say he’ll come around. They tell Alphy about Geordie’s file on Alphy’s mother. Larry tells Alphy it’ll be in his office. Alphy finds his folder and an address. Geordie talks to the team about Wilbur’s upcoming speech. They’re told to keep an eye out for Simeon. Eve used to be a communist. Jennifer gets a call saying more will die together. Eve is brought in and asked about the phone call. Eve says leftie chaps are damaged and brooding. Simeon says Eve was all in and spouting Marx nonstop. She went away and came back a fascist. They continue wasting their time questioning both of them. Eva admits he wanted to get the attention of her parents. She’s adamant she couldn’t make a bomb. Plus, her parents are coming tonight. Geordie claims she’s unleashed hell for her parents’ attention. Clara speaks to Leonard who says Daniel means a lot to him.
Clara says her husband is sick. She says Daniel deserves to be happy. Leonard insists he is happy. Clara asks who Leonard is to tell her about her son. She claims Leonard corrupted him and it makes her sick to look at him. Jack overhears them. Clara changes her tone and asks for a tour of the church. Jennifer says every case has an initial report, but they all amount to nothing. Geordie speaks to the other officers who seem to have appeared out of nowhere. Jennifer asks Larry not to go. Daniel sees his mother walking away with Sylvia. He goes inside to tell Leonard and Jack about the experience. In private, Jack tells Leonard he heard what Clara said. Leonard thinks they should just let Daniel be content. Jack tells Daniel that Clara called Leonard a perversion. He admits she was cruel. Leonard explains to Daniel why he wasn’t going to say anything.
Geordie speaks to Wilbur who asks if he knows he can trust him. Geordie says that’s his job. He says he fought a war to protect Wilbur’s right and he will do that. A boy throws something at Wilbur before he’s arrested by Larry. Daniel’s mother, Clara, says her cab is there. She hopes Daniel will visit them next time. Daniel suggests Leonard could come too. Leonard thinks it’s a small price to pay. Daniel follows Clara outside to say he wants Leonard to come too. Clara will need to speak to his father about that. Daniel believes they just want what’s best for them and whatever prevents the neighbors from suspecting. Daniel says he ran away that one time because he was so desperately unhappy. Leonard saved him. Leonard watches as Daniel tells his mom he doesn’t want to see her again. Back inside, Daniel gets upset and breaks something. Jack tells him he’s sorry. While checking the venue, Alphy and Geordie find a picture of Wilbur and Julian with a train. They question Julian about liking trains.
Geordie threatens to take Julian down to the station. He asks Julian about the train piece. Julian says he doesn’t like them. Geordie says his son doesn’t either, but he appeases him. Julian admits he hates his father. He goes on to say she didn’t love him and didn’t believe in him. Julian says he hated her because she didn’t stop him from making him like that. Julian goes inside. Geordie and Alphy talk about Julian. Wilbur speaks to the crowd while Julian sits nearby. Julian takes out a camera and snaps photos. Jennifer Scott joins Larry who is busy keeping an eye on things. She sits down next to Alphy. Larry notices a box under a chair nearby and approaches it. Someone throws a firecracker inside. Alphy sees Simeon running past the window. Geordie yells for everyone to get out before Larry finds the bomb. Alphy goes after Simeon. Larry tells Geordie about the explosive device. Alphy tackles Simeon who says it was just firecrackers. Alphy returns and accuses Wilbur of sending the bomb that killed his wife. He says Wilbur made up the death threats and the bomb.
Wilbur tries to set off the bomb, but Larry says it used a dodgy wife. Eddie goes after Wilbur. In an interview room, Wilbur is accused of making the bombs to try to kill Eddie. Alphy believes Eddie and Maude were closer than Wilbur could stand. Eddie knew there were no death threats so he gave the post to Maude. Wilbur flipped the switch and tried to kill him. Wilbur tells them he feels sorry for them. He says they took a heathen and gave him a Bible. Alphy says he was born there. Wilbur suggests he was moved from one place to another and never really fitting in. He tells Alphy that he’ll never be one of them. When Alphy leaves, Wilbur tells Geordie he’s ready to speak now. Alphy praises Larry for stopping the bomb. Larry says he had a train set when he was a kid. Alphy asks Simeon if he’s being freed. Simeon is waiting for his poetry. They talk about Simeon’s poetry. Simeon says he’s not white enough for his uni or his mother. He never met his father, but he believes he would be too white for him.
Alphy finally returns to the church to give a sermon. After the session, he steps outside to speak to Daniel about his mother. Alphy asks Daniel if he regrets seeing his mother again. Daniel says he met his mother on his own terms and that’s all he could ask for. He can’t regret that she got to see him as he is. Sylvia has a surprise. She tells everyone that they’ve had the first month’s takings from CeCe’s. As a result, everyone is getting presents. In private, Geordie asks Cathy if she thinks David hates him. She doesn’t think that, but she believes David is just different. Cathy urges Geordie to spend a little time with him. Sylvia gives Alphy a box with his mother’s letter. She insists it’s a beautiful letter. Sylvia says that’s not the kind of love that goes away. Later, Geordie and Alphy take David fishing. Geordie asks Alphy if he’s staying. Alphy says he thinks he’s ready. Geordie hangs out with David. He tells him that he’ll always be proud of him no matter what he wants to do in life. Alphy goes to the address to look for his mom. Someone finally opens the door just before the episode ends.
Grantchester Review
The finale of Grantchester’s 10th season really felt like it had jumped off the ledge and became just like everything else. The whole thing has become utterly ridiculous at times. How can we forget how awful Jennifer Scott and Alphy were to Larry in the last season? Those things are very hard to overlook. Not to mention, Geordie has become an incompetent old fool who still bullies Larry.
He can’t do anything without having his sidekick Vicar point it out for him or at least point him in the right direction. It’s no wonder his son doesn’t really care for him. It’s not like Geordie has been a perfect father or husband over the years. Alphy is equally stupid sometimes. He’s already prejudiced when he said a poet wouldn’t send bombs. He seems to have forgotten he’s a vicar considering he’s rarely at the church anymore. Maybe they could wed someone, bury someone, or baptize someone at some point?
The clothing boutique is a bit silly as well, but at least it’s somewhat of a new idea. Then again, Leonard was running a café and a halfway house at some point. What else happened to the halfway house? Truthfully, the character struggles are genuinely very weak. Alphy’s orphan story has been done a million times in other shows so it’s not interesting.
Daniel and Leonard have obviously come a long way from the days when Leonard went to prison for being homosexual. It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal that their parents don’t approve. It’s not like these characters or viewers ever see them anyway. The whole storyline with Meg went nowhere. Eve should’ve played the role of Simeon to really give that character and the story some authenticity.
The series is set in the 50s, but it’s still playing on the same modern tropes. That’s really humorous considering how diverse the cast has become. It really doesn’t make any sense. Grantchester has a heavy minority cast at the moment so those agendas don’t work as well as they could.
The writers are also playing the politics so heavily that you can always pinpoint the culprit as was the case here. How many recent shows have covered Oswald Mosley? When did Grantchester get such a big police force? It’s usually four people besides the guy who died when Leonard was locked up.
That’s why the Vicar volunteers and is more of a detective than anyone else. Find some new material or get out of the business already because it’s beyond old. It’s really no wonder the ratings have been cut in half and the show has lost two vicars.
Nevertheless, it’s been renewed for an 11th series with even more tropes to explore and ratings drops to ensure. At some point, a turd is a turd and it needs to be flushed. This episode scores a 4 out of 10. Recaps of Grantchester can be found here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising with us here. Join the discussion at the forum.
Jay Skelton is a fan of all television shows and movies. He tries his best to keep up with the latest foreign television shows and movies. Jay loves skinny dipping in the dark too.