Spoilers/Speculations

[Cetacean]

What do we know?  What do we think we know?

[Cetacean]

Since Charlotte Ritchis is listed as returning, I kind of doubt they would be killing her off.  I think it's more likely that Will's "terrible accident" is something to do with him. Motorcyle wreck leaving him paralyzed perhaps?

[dubbel zout]

He was already almost fatally stabbed. Now he needs a "terrible accident"? Ugh.

[dargosmydaddy]

Oh gosh, I somehow missed the "terrible accident" phrasing... I was guessing some kind of miscarriage/ stillbirth. Maybe it is an accident with Bonnie that doesn't kill her but leaves her seriously injured/ causes her to miscarry?

Again, I do not know why Charlotte Ritchie wanted this role... Seems like she has a lot of projects going, so why would she want to tie herself down to Grantchester? And why would the Grantchester powers that be hire someone who probably doesn't want to stick around for multiple seasons? Unless season 8 is definitely the last one, but that's normally something that gets announced ahead of time in a long-running show (i.e. when we got the season 8 announcement, they would have called it the final season and had a lot of fanfare).

I am tired of the tragedies/ miseries that Grantchester seems to feel the need to heap on its characters in the last few seasons, as well as its need to then neatly and unrealistically wrap them up by season's end. Leonard's arrest and prison stay, Mrs. C's cancer, Geordie and Cathy's separation... enough already. There are plenty of decent secondary storylines they could use that aren't doom and gloom.

Bringing this over from the season 7 thread, but I'd like to see Bonnie's season 8 storyline be adjusting to life as a vicar's wife. I think that is going to be a big change for her! She did not seem particularly religious this season, and she's someone who seems to do/wear/say whatever she wants. I don't see that going over well with the congregation. And what about Mrs. C? Surely her job is no longer necessary? Or even if she stays on, she and Bonnie will clash. (I can't remember-- did we even get to see them interact yet?) To me that would be an interesting storyline with conflict, but it's not depressing and has the potential for humor.

[Driad]

Being a vicar's wife is a full-time job, as I understand it.  Bonnie will be expected to run the Sunday school and teach, be involved with the choir, organize fundraising events, counsel parishoners who prefer to talk with a woman, plan receptions for visiting clergy, etc.  She won't have time to do Mrs. C's job on top of that.

As long as Leonard and Dickens are OK at the end, I'm OK.

[12catcrazy]

"Unfortunately, it sounds like Will’s happiness is short-lived. According to a description from PBS, the vicar’s “world will be rocked by a terrible accident” in season 8. Though Will has always believed in a compassionate God, his faith is tested as despair leads him on a dangerous downward spiral. 

Meanwhile, Geordie and Cathy (Kacey Ainsworth) are moving forward as a couple after spending most of season 7 separated. But their happiness is threatened when both are confronted with shocking announcements at work. "

the above was copied and pasted from the first online teaser I saw for Season 8.  My guess is that the "terrible accident" will involve Geordie & Kathy's children as well as possibly Ernie and/or Bonnie

[dargosmydaddy]

22 minutes ago, 12catcrazy said:

My guess is that the "terrible accident" will involve Geordie & Kathy's children as well as possibly Ernie and/or Bonnie

I would think that would threaten Geordie and Kathy's happiness more than "shocking announcements at work," so the Keating kids are probably safe. Although for all the notice they get, you might be able to kill a couple off without creating too much drama... (I'm kidding, but there was a trivia video on the PBS website at the beginning of this season where Robson Green admitted he doesn't know any of Geordie's kids' names other than Esme.)

I wonder what the work drama will be? Trying to force Geordie into retirement? A management or union position for Kathy?

29 minutes ago, Driad said:

Being a vicar's wife is a full-time job, as I understand it.  Bonnie will be expected to run the Sunday school and teach, be involved with the choir, organize fundraising events, counsel parishoners who prefer to talk with a woman, plan receptions for visiting clergy, etc.  She won't have time to do Mrs. C's job on top of that.

I kind of figured it was expected of a vicar's wife back then to do it all, including the housework. Though I suppose it would make sense (show-wise) for Mrs. C to stay on, and I do think that sets up a lot of potential drama/ head-butting... I would think the housekeeping part would be within Bonnie's comfort zone (and she's going to resent that Mrs. C is doing all that/ doing it her way), whereas she's going to hate a lot of the vicar's wife duties. 

[cardigirl]

My first thought about 

Quote

the vicar’s “world will be rocked by a terrible accident” in season 8.

was that perhaps he loses his mother. 

[statsgirl]

It would be too reminiscent of Charlotte Ritchie's role in Call The Midwife if they killed Bonnie off now. But Bonnie really needs to have a talk with Barbara about what the role of a vicar's wife is and how she has to subjugate what she wants for his work. That's what ended Trixie's relationship with the deacon on the show. Bonnie would really have to subsume who she is now and I have no interest in seeing a season of that. Mrs. c. is rebel enough for me.

I had a French teacher once, a little older lady from France, who said that the advantage of the Catholic religion is that there is no vicar's wife.

From TVInsider

Quote

Will is the happiest he’s ever been but his world will be rocked by a terrible accident. He’s always preached the word of a compassionate God – but how can he now, when his despair leads him on a dangerous downward spiral?

Geordie has found a new contentment in his relationship with Cathy, but when they are both confronted with shocking announcements at work their happiness is threatened. As Mrs C, Leonard, Jack and Daniel rally around, both Will and Geordie find themselves in unfamiliar, emotional waters and murder is always around the corner.

The eighth season of Grantchester will range from Speedway to spies, exploring the lives of invisible women and the very visible problems caused by Leonard’s new vocation which may, once again, find him battling the law.

Exploring faith, forgiveness, and redemption – this explosive series tests Will and Geordie to the limit.

So both Geordie and Cathy have work problems? And Leonard has problems with the law again, poor thing.

[ComeWhatMay]

Bonnie could really just be a plot point, meant to get us somewhere too. It is written to me, however badly, that Will is more in love with the ready made family offered with Bonnie. For Bonnie, he’s a fantasy posh guy with a job she does not understand the implications of for herself. 

Mrs. C is probably not the only one who thinks of an aborted child from time to time and Will knows Ernie is missing his dad. 

We’ll see. This show really could focus more on the murders and stop mucking about throwing tragedy upon tragedy at the main players. 

[magdalene]

You know if they kill off Will's wife/step son after finally getting him settled it may be time for me to say good bye to this show.  There is plenty of realistic drama to be had from a young vicar and his wife balancing their duties and their relationship.

I wonder whether they thought they wouldn't get another season and "happy ended" everybody?  And now  that they got renewed they are all "oh no we gotta have our hottie vicar be able to sleep around - quick! kill off the inconvenient impediments to hottie vicar being all footloose and fancy free?

[dargosmydaddy]

3 hours ago, cardigirl said:

perhaps he loses his mother. 

Good guess. This seems more Grantchester's speed than killing off Bonnie or Ernie.

34 minutes ago, magdalene said:

I wonder whether they thought they wouldn't get another season and "happy ended" everybody?

I mean, they tend to do that most seasons, although this went above and beyond. I said it on the other thread, but even if they thought it was the series finale there was no need for a wedding. End it with the train station scene, and you've got a much better and more realistic ending, which would have worked equally well if it had been a series or season finale. And much easier to get rid of Bonnie in a non-tragic way if need be, too.

[Sarah 103]

On 8/15/2022 at 6:09 PM, magdalene said:

I wonder whether they thought they wouldn't get another season and "happy ended" everybody?  And now  that they got renewed they are all "oh no we gotta have our hottie vicar be able to sleep around - quick! kill off the inconvenient impediments to hottie vicar being all footloose and fancy free?

I understand your line of thinking, but I disagree with part of it. Will is hot whether he's married or single. They can film him in the white tank top/undershirt when he's in bed whether he's sleeping with Bonnie or some new woman. Now they have a new excuse for him to wear the black t-shirt he usually wears when he's boxing, teaching his new stepson how to box.

[sugarbaker design]

7 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I understand your line of thinking, but I disagree with part of it. Will is hot whether he's married or single. They can film him in the white tank top/undershirt when he's in bed whether he's sleeping with Bonnie or some new woman. Now they have a new excuse for him to wear the black t-shirt he usually wears when he's boxing, teaching his new stepson how to box.

Don't forget Will's favorite piece of clothing:  his girl-getting black polo.  That black polo has been to many jazz clubs and has gotten Will some serious action.  I guess now that Will's married and with a son, he'll be making more visits to the Tree of Contemplation, where he sits, smokes and stares at the clouds.

Edited August 26, 2022 by sugarbaker design

[Pallas]

On 8/15/2022 at 6:46 PM, dargosmydaddy said:

And much easier to get rid of Bonnie in a non-tragic way if need be, too.

But why would the show want to avoid a tragic loss for its romantic lead?  It sounds as if what I assume will be Bonnie's death in the first or second episode -- leaving Will the father to his orphaned stepson -- will serve as Will's storyline for the season. It's a tale as old as time, or at least, TV: male lead's romantic interest is martyred in the interest of his character development and a few juicy grieving bits. 

[statsgirl]

7 hours ago, Pallas said:

male lead's romantic interest is martyred in the interest of his character development and a few juicy grieving bits. 

Also known as fridging in the term invented by Gail Simone. I am no fan of Bonnie, she's too Mary Sue for me, but I'd rather see Will navigate an adult relationship at last than try to be a father to his orphaned nephew with no experience of parenting or even uncle-ing. The poor child does not deserve that.

Although it would be funny seeing Mrs. C. keep interfering.

[gingerella]

On 8/26/2022 at 6:10 AM, Pallas said:

But why would the show want to avoid a tragic loss for its romantic lead?  It sounds as if what I assume will be Bonnie's death in the first or second episode -- leaving Will the father to his orphaned stepson -- will serve as Will's storyline for the season. It's a tale as old as time, or at least, TV: male lead's romantic interest is martyred in the interest of his character development and a few juicy grieving bits. 

Because then Will can don his black polo shirt of virility and get back out onto that Jazzy dating scene!

[wanderingstar]

Do we know when season 8 is coming?

[dargosmydaddy]

2 hours ago, Gillian Rosh said:

Do we know when season 8 is coming?

A quick Google search shows March 24 in the UK, but I would imagine it will be summer again on PBS (I think the last few seasons have been June/ July?).

[Orcinus orca]

So another season since Brittney is being replaced.  

Dare we hope he spends the rest of this season in jail?

 

[ComeWhatMay]

Looks like I may be back next series. Ha! 

Best of luck to TB!

Hope the show does well by Rishi’s character. 

[NeenerNeener]

Grantchester vicars are turning over almost as often as Doctor Whos.

[DonnaMae]

Let's hope this new vicar actually acts like a vicar and doesn't hang out at the local bar.  Good actor, but this character was not happy in his job.

[HoodlumSheep]

Got blindsided about the recent news thanks to a tweet by masterpiece. Lol. With Sidney's actor we got an announcement before the new season had premiered. This was unexpected ngl. I'm fine with it. I've learned that the longer someone's a vicar in Grantchester, the more time there is to ruin their character.

I liked season 5 Will the best, I think, if I'm remembering the correct season (the one with the boys boxing storyline?).

So we're in for another new vicar and at least another season...They must be shooting for at 10 at the minimum.

On 8/14/2022 at 10:41 PM, HoodlumSheep said:

@ season 8 renewal: 

Hopefully with how season 7 wrapped up, the sidney-fication of Will has mostly come to an end, so I'm being hopeful in that regard.

*Applies clown make-up*

Whomp whomp. Shouldn't have hoped.

Edited July 14, 2023 by HoodlumSheep

[buttersister]

Good. 🍻

[magdalene]

This show is a spring board for the hot young ones ....

[Sarah 103]

14 hours ago, magdalene said:

This show is a spring board for the hot young ones ....

I am not proud of this, but I will admit it and I try to console myself with the fact that I am only watching what the creative team put on screen and I am not seeking things out online. When it comes to the show, I spend more time in the shallow end of the pool than I probably should. 

[magdalene]

After tonight's light speed happy ending I hope they shuffle off Will +family as angst-free as possible in the next season to bring in the new vicar. Just make it a transfer to a new vicarage for family reasons.

[dargosmydaddy]

I would think that's what they'll do, and I was kind of surprised they didn't set the scene for it in the finale. I would think Tom Brittany knew he was leaving by then (and I'm half convinced he's known for even longer... that's the only reason I can think of for the always-in-demand Charlotte Ritchie to commit to the role, if she knew it was for a finite time), but maybe they really didn't know if they were getting another season and figured it would be nicer to end the way they did rather than setting up a departure that wouldn't be necessary if the show didn't continue. (Though honestly that baffles me, too... it's lasted eight-soon-to-be-nine seasons, surely it's not going to be cancelled unceremoniously at this point?)

[Orcinus orca]

On 8/7/2023 at 2:03 AM, magdalene said:

Just make it a transfer to a new vicarage for family reasons.

I wonder if they will have them move closer to Bonnie's family.  They set that up with the whole stroke thing.