‘Grantchester’ Season 7 Finale Recap: A Big Change for Will
Season 7 of PBS’s Grantchester came to an end on August 14 with a surprising finale that featured an unexpected development in the vagrant murders case, as well as a major twist that put Will (Tom Brittney) in serious jeopardy. Meanwhile, Leonard (Al Weaver) and Mrs. C (Tessa Peake-Jones) also found themselves looking at a future that wasn’t quite what they imagined.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the Grantchester Season 7 finale.]
Will grapples will the fallout from his affairs in the ‘Grantchester’ Season 7 finale
When the episode begins, Will is dealing with the fallout from his entanglements with Maya (Ellora Torchia) and Bonnie (Charlotte Ritchie). He confides in thoughtful Cambridge student Jim (Tom Gleniston), who’s considering a career in the church, about his relationship woes, confessing that he’s not proud of his liaisons and claiming that he’s sworn off love.
Will also attempts to apologize to Bonnie, but she tells him that he doesn’t have to “vicar” her. She then tells him that she and her son are leaving Grantchester. Later, when he reaches out to Maya’s fiance, the other man bluntly asks if he’s just there to make himself feel better.
The case isn’t closed on the vagrant murders
Will doesn’t have too much time to wallow in self-pity, though. Another homeless man has been found dead. The crime bears a suspicious resemblance to the vagrant murders he and Geordie investigated earlier this season. But Robin Fellows (Jeremy Ang Jones) confessed to those crimes. Is the latest killing the work of a copycat or accomplice? Or did Geordie arrest the wrong man?
The detective and the vicar head to the asylum to interview Robin, who they hope will shed some light on the situation. But they’re too late. Robin has killed himself in his cell. An orderly reveals that Robin’s former professor Edith Larson (Rowena King) visited him shortly before he took his life.
Geordie and Will meet with Professor Larson, and she’s predictably unmoved both by Robin’s death and the news that another homeless man has been killed. She argues that some people who refuse to change or get help are better off dead. It’s a callous statement, but one that sends Will into a bit of a spiral as he wonders if he might be beyond redemption. He also takes note of a Latin saying posted on the professor’s wall: “What harms often teaches.”
Leonard finds new purpose; Mrs. C’s faith is tested
As Will and Geordie dig into the latest crime, Leonard has discovered that although he’s lost his religious collar, he hasn’t lost his desire to serve others. Earlier in the season, he threw himself into running his new cafe, but he’s now spending more and more time in the alley out back, counseling homeless runaways and other people in need. It’s a noble impulse, but one that puts Daniel (Oliver Dimsdale) in a difficult position, as he’s the one who has to run the business while his partner helps the less fortunate. And Leonard is feeling torn because Mrs. C and Jack have invested so much money in his cafe.
Meanwhile, Mrs. C has decided to go through with the treatment for her cancer. But she’s terrified of the impending surgery. Worse, she no longer has her strong faith to rely on because she’s still convinced that God has abandoned her. Will tries to reassure her that everything will be OK, but she’s unconvinced.
Jim turns on Will
Back at the police station, Geordie is going through the dead man’s personal effects when he discovers a note with the same Latin phrase seen on Professor Larson’s wall. He heads to her office to question her again, where he discovers her semi-conscious on the ground. She doesn’t immediately reveal who attacked her, but eventually, the truth comes out: It was her student Jim. When she visited Robin, he told her that Jim committed the murders. Rather than revealing the truth to the police, she confronted him herself.
Geordie’s beginning to put the pieces together, but it might be too late for Will, who’s invited Jim into the vicarage. The two men talk about the murders and the idea of God’s forgiveness. Will realizes that Jim is the killer, not Robin. Jim admits that he tried to stop killing after Robin’s death, but he wasn’t able to rein in his impulses. He still believes he’s relieving his victims’ suffering by killing them. Then, he turns on Will, telling him he’s pathetic and saying he has let people down before stabbing him in the stomach.
As Will is bleeding out on the vicarage floor, Bonnie shows up to say goodbye. She initially thinks Will is ignoring her. But then a frantic Geordie arrives. He restrains Jim and then tries desperately to keep Will – who is clinging to life – awake.
Will and Bonnie get married
Mrs. C has made it through her surgery, and she wakes up to see Jack, Leonard, and Daniel looking down at her. Later, Will wakes up in the hospital. Mrs. C is by his side. She was upset when he wasn’t there when she went into surgery, but his recovery from his attack has restored her faith in God. Even the irreligious Jack has had something of a conversion. He tells Leonard and Daniel that he’d prayed for his wife to make it through her surgery. Now that his prayer has been answered, he tells Leonard to do whatever he wants with the cafe, so long as it’s something good.
Later, Geordie shows up and reveals that Bonnie – who sat by Will’s side until she knew he’d pull through – is leaving town. Will is in no condition to leave the hospital, but that doesn’t stop him and Geordie from heading to the train station to catch her before she leaves. As Will and Bonnie stand on the platform, he tells her that he doesn’t know what a good relationship looks like. But he wants to try to find out. Bonnie replies that she’s not even sure she believes in God. They kiss.
Will and Bonnie waste no time in making their relationship official, and this season of Grantchester concludes with the pair’s wedding The groom gives a touching speech about only regretting the things he hadn’t done while his friends and family look on. But in its final moments, the episode doesn’t focus on the newlyweds. Instead, we end with a quiet, post-wedding moment between Will and his father figure Geordie. Will tells the detective that he loves him. The older man tries to brush it off. But he quickly admits he loves him too, and they exchange a hug.
Will there be a ‘Grantchester’ Season 8?
It’s a far happier ending for everyone than season 6’s somewhat bleak conclusion. Will and Cathy (Kacey Ainsworth) have resolved their marital difficulties, Leonard has found fresh purpose after being forced to leave the church, and Mrs. C is (presumably) cancer-free. The episode almost feels like a series finale, but it’s not. Grantchester is confirmed to return for season 8. So what’s in store for Will now that he’s a married man? We’ll have to wait and see. There’s no premiere date yet, but production is already underway in the U.K.
For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel.
