Grantchester Recap: Will’s Long Goodbye Culminates in a Perfect Final Exchange With Geordie
The second episode of Grantchester’s ninth season will be remembered as both Tom Brittney’s swan song as Rev. Will Davenport and as another example why the PBS Masterpiece Mystery! series will be worthy viewing as long as the excellent Robson Green remains as detective Geordie Keating.
The hour revolved around Geordie coming to terms with Will’s decision to move to Newcastle, where the vicar believes he can make a bigger difference with more boats to rock. Will wanted to know that Geordie understood, but he didn’t: He accused Will of being selfish and not thinking about those he’s uprooting and those he’s leaving behind. Geordie stormed off — after blurting out the news to Mrs. C, Leonard, and the others and lashing out at Bonnie, Will’s wife. But then it was Will’s turn to make a pointed claim: Geordie was behaving like Will’s father, trampling over everyone.
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A few other things helped Geordie see that he was the selfish one. Bonnie bit back and told her uncle-in-law that Will would stay in Grantchester and live an unfulfilled life just to please him, which wasn’t fair to Will. Geordie also saw Leonard and Will share a hug after their heart-to-heart in which Leonard realized his own attempt to guilt Will into staying was unfair. “You go and be brilliant and deliriously happy. I absolutely demand it, my brother, William Davenport,” Leonard said in apology. And then there was the case of the week: Miss Bradley, the headmistress of a girls’ school, bullied her pregnant, unwed teacher niece, Rose, into having a baby that she intended to use to keep Rose under her thumb and raise as her own. Miss Bradley didn’t understand that it’s Rose’s life to do with what she wants, and that love isn’t forcing someone to do what you think is best for them. In the end, Miss Bradley was arrested for inadvertently murdering the manager of the hotel where Rose had given birth before she left her newborn at the church. Geordie convinced Rose that if a self-proclaimed “cantankerous old bastard” like him could find himself a family of friends after walking away from his dad at her age, she shouldn’t be afraid that she’ll have to raise the baby alone.
Geordie missed Will’s teary-eyed last sermon and emotional farewells with Mrs. C and Leonard. But as Will and his little family drove away in the car that the Chapmans had gifted them, Bonnie insisted Will hit the brakes and go find Geordie. As he rushed through the field, he spotted Geordie walking toward him.
Longtime Grantchester fans may recall that it was in the field where, in Season 4’s second hour, exiting vicar Sidney Chambers (played by James Norton) asked Geordie for his blessing after Sidney decided he’d follow his civil rights activist love Violet to America. In that case, Geordie was a man of few words, quickly acknowledging that Sidney was happy and saving their true farewell for one last pint and game of backgammon at the pub (where Sidney, still trying to make Geordie a better man, gave him the needlepoint that reads “Abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good”). So while Geordie taking an entire episode to grant Will his blessing could be somewhat frustrating to watch, the show allotting Geordie that amount of time to process the loss — and scripting a monologue for him—is a testament to the depth of that relationship. Geordie and Will are family, and not just because Will married Geordie’s wife’s niece.
“Meeting you, it’s been a godsend. You’re a godsend, Will. You saved me. You have. When I struggled, when I’ve been down, you saved me. And I’m so grateful. I am so goddamn grateful,” Geordie said. “You have my blessing. That’s what I’m trying to say. Whatever you wanna do with your life, you have my blessing.”
Their embrace was long, and you weren’t sure if Geordie repositioning his hand on Will’s back after leading the exchange of “I l love you”s was the character trying to hold on to Will for a little while longer or Green clinging to Brittney.
“Go on, then. Off you go,” Geordie said, with a crack in his voice that betrayed his attempt to lighten the mood by adding “Crimes won’t solve themselves.” Will chuckled, and Geordie started to walk away. Then came the moment that made viewers struggle to hold back tears as much as Will was.
“Geordie,” Will said, stopping him.
“Yes?” Geordie answered, his voice cracking again.
“I hope I made you proud.”
“Every day, son. Every day.”
Chills. How did Brittney keep it together? Judging by his quivering bottom lip, we’re guessing there were takes where he didn’t. Will receiving the validation and unconditional love that his late abusive father (who referred to him as “a constant disappointment”) never gave him was the perfect bow on the character’s run. That we, as an audience, value Geordie’s opinion as much as Will does — and can be as moved by Green’s subtle gestures and inflections as we were — leaves us excited to see Geordie start a new but different relationship with the next vicar (Rishi Nair’s Alphy Kotteram, who drives a red convertible into town next week).
As for the other important development in the episode, Miss Scott gracefully declined a marriage proposal from Larry. He seemed to ultimately accept her belief that they’d have killed each other before they made it down the aisle. Of course he was genuinely happy to hear that she had no complaints about the night they’d spent together. Are you hoping we’ve seen the last of this will-they-won’t-they storyline, or did their banter leave you wanting more? (“There’s a Mrs. Peters out there, and she’s beautiful and clever and not quite as obstinate as me.” “You’re not obstinate.” “Yes, I am.” “No, you’re not.”)
Join the congregation in the comments to share your thoughts on their future and Will’s goodbyes.
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