Season 9 discussion

[dargosmydaddy]

So for the second week in a row, Dora gets to be the lone representative of at-home Keating children... Maybe she's the best actor of the three, or the most readily available for filming, but why do they keep writing her like she's eight? Surely a 13-14 year old girl can bandage her own skinned knee? 

Predictions for the finale: Sam will be arrested for something nefarious, Leonard and Daniel will (somehow, improbably) reconcile, Alphy's job will be saved, and the episode will end with a heartfelt-yet-humorous exchange between Alphy and Geordie, either at a celebration of some sort or while walking Dickens (and maybe Milburn) across a picturesque field.

[Driad]

Who owns that house? Daniel? Or Daniel and Leonard? Poor Leonard.

[Daff]

3 hours ago, Driad said:

Who owns that house? Daniel? Or Daniel and Leonard? Poor Leonard.

Daniel. He said it out loud, using a tone which implied Leonard had taken excessive liberties while residing there (ouch-and it showed on Leonard’s face).

[Daff]

Did the actress who played the missing reporter remind anyone else of the Weeks sisters (Foyles War, Magnum PI)? Both her looks and mannerisms were so like them. 

[dubbel zout]

Finally, we get confirmation Kathy is in menopause and not turning into her mother. I had to laugh that she expected Geordie to get it when her own doctor seemed pretty clueless. Love it when Jack noped out of the conversation when Mrs C. mentioned "dryness downstairs." (I did think that was unrealistic coming from Sylvia, but on the other hand, she can be very blunt.)

I don't care about the Keating children, so it doesn't matter to me how many of them we see.

I wonder if the season will end on a cliffhanger. The show doesn't usually do that, but I feel like we're building toward a few things that won't be wrapped up in 50 minutes.

[12catcrazy]

I had to laugh with Mrs C talking to Cathy about "the change" - it was almost like a public service announcement.

Couldn't help but catch the bit about people sitting in their room and giving the world their opinions on things - the writers' snark about social media.

And I agree with dubbel zout - I think we are going to get a cliff hanger this season (and probably with a few of the issues we've been seeing).  I can't see a happy reconciliation between Leonard and Daniel (especially if Daniel does wind up selling his house).  At this point there seems to be a lot of water under that bridge and I'm wondering if the writers have run out of steam with them as a couple.  You have two men in a time and place where their relationship is not sanctioned by society and its not as if the writers can have them get married, which would be the usual thing to do in this type of tv show.  I hope that they do work it out and stay together, but it's not looking good.  

There will probably be issues involving Alphy staying in the Grantchester church, but that will eventually be worked out.  Hopefully, Sam winds up under a bus - we'll if they drag that storyline into next season.  

[JudyObscure]

2 hours ago, 12catcrazy said:

Couldn't help but catch the bit about people sitting in their room and giving the world their opinions on things - the writers' snark about social media.

Yes, we laughed, but when you think about it the writers are sitting in a room giving the world their opinions and lucky enough to get paid for it so who's the biggest slice of vanity at the fair?

Have they forgotten that Mrs. C was between husbands when she was going through menopause? She probably wasn't really aware of any dryness unless she had  one of those wild nights at that  local Mugs and Jugs where nothing is ever witnessed or remembered.

I've never thought Daniel was quite good enough for Leonard so I wouldn't mind the two breaking up and a new romance for him.

[wanderingstar]

I knew that Sam was shady.

I continue to enjoy this season and Alphy. He's a great addition and has chemistry with everyone.

[Calvada]

Sam's not just shady, he's becoming a psychopath. But then aren't most cult leaders?  I wonder what Leonard told Mrs. C and Jack.  If Mrs. C knew that Sam had threatened her beloved Leonard, wouldn't she be confronting Sam?  Caroline kills someone because he's writing a damaging article about Sam and Geordie doesn't wonder what dirt there was on Sam?  That maybe Sam encouraged Caroline to be a killer and might have been there participating in or witnessing the murder?  Geordie never realizes that Sam's false alibi for Caroline also provided an alibi for Sam?  

Poor Larry. His face when Miss Scott laughed was heartbreaking.

And poor Alphy - if only he wasn't a vicar!  "I once slept with a murderer" makes a good story to tell at dinner parties.

[Orcinus orca]

Daniel had better not accept any Kool-Aid from Sam.  That dude is pure Jim Jones evil.

Poor Leonard, he is just so befuddled about this mess.  And poor Larry who got a double whammy with that vile article and Miss Scott laughing.  That nasty little newspaper twerp deserved a slap upside the head.

But kudos to Mrs. C for spelling things out to Kathy.  For once her plain speaking is for the good although poor Jack couldn't get out of the room fast enough with that "dryness" remark.  I burst out laughing at that.

It does feel like the last episode will be a cliffhanger unless the tie up a lot of loose ends all at once.

[Sarah 103]

I had to look up what year this season/series was set in and wow are hair and make-up getting it wrong. The costumes, hair, make-up, and dancing looked more mid 1960s to me, but it's supposed to be 1960-1961. Also, it seems a bit early for Sam and his cult. I think of groups like his being associated with the later 1960s.  

[buttersister]

Either the make up person who does Sam hates the actor or they’re not experienced enough to deal with HD. He looked practically embalmed. Foreshadowing? 
I like Alphy more than the other vicars, but I’ll wait, it’s early.

[peeayebee]

23 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

So sam getting arrested at some point isn't enough. I need him gone. Like six feet under gone.

Ooooo, I want to punch his smug, manipulative face.

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Heck, have him infiltrate sam's cult and be the key to taking him down. Let him get a big snazzy article about in the newspaper and let him rub it in that pretentious college dude's face.

I think you're on to something: Larry will play a nice role in solving this case or at least in arresting the guys. Funny that early on in the series Larry was not a sympathetic character at all. But now... yes.

And I want to punch that college kid's face right after I punch Sam's.

 

17 hours ago, Daff said:

Did the actress who played the missing reporter remind anyone else of the Weeks sisters (Foyles War, Magnum PI)? Both her looks and mannerisms were so like them. 

Honeysuckle Weeks. I do see a resemblance.

 

11 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Love it when Jack noped out of the conversation when Mrs C. mentioned "dryness downstairs."

That was great. I love Jack.

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I don't care about the Keating children, so it doesn't matter to me how many of them we see.

Same. Plus, I understand it's not feasible to have all the actors present for every episode -- nor is it good for the show -- so I don't mind not seeing the kids.

 

1 hour ago, Calvada said:

Sam's not just shady, he's becoming a psychopath. But then aren't most cult leaders?  I wonder what Leonard told Mrs. C and Jack.  If Mrs. C knew that Sam had threatened her beloved Leonard, wouldn't she be confronting Sam?  Caroline kills someone because he's writing a damaging article about Sam and Geordie doesn't wonder what dirt there was on Sam?  That maybe Sam encouraged Caroline to be a killer and might have been there participating in or witnessing the murder?  Geordie never realizes that Sam's false alibi for Caroline also provided an alibi for Sam?  

Is it clear to everyone here what Sam is up to? Is it just a cult? Seems he also manipulated Daniel to sell the house so (I presume) Sam could get money. IDK. Maybe it's just that Sam is a psychopath like you said.

And speaking of the house: Yes, Daniel said it was his house, but I just don't remember that part of the series. Did he have that house when he and Leonard met? Or did he buy it for Leonard's halfway house project?

When Alphy first saw that Leonard was upset, I was saying, "Go talk to him!" I'm glad there finally was a conversation. I felt so bad for Leonard. What an absolute creep that Sam is. But we all called it. And of course Leonard saw early on that there was something not right about him.

It really surprised me when Caroline just proclaimed that she killed Innes for Sam. Whoa. 

 

[JudyObscure]

8 hours ago, peeayebee said:

And speaking of the house: Yes, Daniel said it was his house, but I just don't remember that part of the series. Did he have that house when he and Leonard met? Or did he buy it for Leonard's halfway house project?

Yes Daniel had the house.  When the two first fell for each other, Daniel made physical advances toward Leonard, before he was ready.  Leonard ran off.  The next morning he went to Daniel's house to apologize and saw a handsome young man leaving the hose.  Leonard was in love and so very hurt. Daniel's attitude was, "If you aren't going to put out you have no right to complain." Hence me never warming to Daniel that much.

 

9 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I had to look up what year this season/series was set in and wow are hair and make-up getting it wrong. The costumes, hair, make-up, and dancing looked more mid 1960s to me, but it's supposed to be 1960-1961. Also, it seems a bit early for Sam and his cult. I think of groups like his being associated with the later 1960s.  

  It's been so bad it takes me out of the show.  Esme's mini-skirts and bright clothes didn't come along until about 1966 at the very earliest and that look was never combined with red lipstick -- white or pale pink went with the short skirts. NO, they wouldn't have been dancing like that for a while yet and never to that extreme unless they were in a  coffee house in New York.

On the other hand Kathy and Mrs. C are still wearing 1940's hair and make-up, they should all be in bubble cuts of various sizes. Smaller for the older women more bouffant for Esme.

Barbie 1961

[dargosmydaddy]

23 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I don't care about the Keating children, so it doesn't matter to me how many of them we see.

11 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Same. Plus, I understand it's not feasible to have all the actors present for every episode -- nor is it good for the show -- so I don't mind not seeing the kids.

I just feel like in a season that is focusing on an at-home Keating crisis, the writing for/ (non)inclusion of the kids has been grating... and could have been easily remedied without having to use the kids much! A two-second scene of the kids cowering/ listening in while Cathy screamed at Esme would have been a realistic way to show how Cathy's mood swings are affecting the whole family (and if only using the kids in a certain number of episodes is the issue, cut their pointless inclusion from Will's departure instead). A brief mention of Ivy always studying at the library and Dora having drama club practice (or whatever) to explain why they're never around and helping their overwhelmed mother (which, let's be honest, is what two teenage girls would have been expected to to in that era, no?).

And when you do decide to include them, for plot purposes, as was done in the last two episodes, have it make sense! Either use David for the two scenes (since an 8 or 9 year old boy would realistically break something and blame the dog, and need his skinned knee bandaged), or, if Dora was the actor available to you, write her like the 13 or 14 year old that she is. She could have broken the vase while cleaning in an attempt to help out, and told Geordie she feels so bad and/or is terrified her mother is going to freak out at her. She could have been attending to her own scraped knee and told Geordie she can't find the plasters, where has Mom put them? Both (very short) scenes would lead to the same results (Geordie telling Cathy about the vase and seeing her muted reaction; Geordie discovering the pills), while being realistic and non-eyeroll-inducing.

TLDR: My issue isn't that I want to see the Keating kids all the time, it's that the writing for the Keating household is terrible and could so easily be improved .

In the same vein, the complete lack of mention of Cathy's job also bugs. (I think we got some vague allusion to it in the previous episode, but before that they've been acting like it doesn't exist for weeks. Again, I don't need to actually see Cathy at work, but a few references to it would certainly help with the Cathy's stressed/ angry/ not herself narrative.)

[dancingdreamer]

I'm still enjoying  this show, especially  with the addition  of Alphy. I love Mrs. C, she's  so straightforward,  in a lot of ways she reminds  me of my grandmother,  who wasn't  as prickly as Mrs. C can be. It's  strange  for Daniel to  take off,  when he just put  his house up for sale. I never  liked Sam, I never  found  him charming. A good episode. 

[Sarah 103]

16 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

On the other hand Kathy and Mrs. C are still wearing 1940's hair and make-up, they should all be in bubble cuts of various sizes. Smaller for the older women more bouffant for Esme.

I have no problem believing Kathy and Mrs. C were wearing clothing/styles 20 years out of date. It is in keeping with their characters that they would not be interested in nor keeping up with the latest style. It is not who they are.

Like you, what really bothers me is the younger characters. They are getting it completely wrong, and it doesn't take much effort to do a bit of research and get it right. Call the Midwife has done a much better job of keeping the styles appropriate for the year depicted in a series/season. 

[JudyObscure]

7 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I have no problem believing Kathy and Mrs. C were wearing clothing/styles 20 years out of date.

You're right about Mrs. C, but we did see that episode when she went to Kathy's department in her store and bought a lot of expensive up to date clothes.

Kathy deals with fashion and sees well dressed women and their hair styles at work every day.  She would also probably hear the women her age talk about hot flashes and weight gain and the reason why as they try on clothes. 

I'm probably expecting too much continuity but as you say, Call the Midwife, is doing so much better.

[sugarbaker design]

On 7/29/2024 at 10:40 AM, dubbel zout said:

I don't care about the Keating children, so it doesn't matter to me how many of them we see.

Ditto, the less kids the better.

 

On 7/29/2024 at 8:11 PM, Calvada said:

Poor Larry. His face when Miss Scott laughed was heartbreaking.

I can't believe I feel bad for Larry and detest Miss Scott.  

[dubbel zout]

43 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

Ditto, the less kids the better.

Unless they're braiding flowers into Leonard's hair, of course!

[peeayebee]

7 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I can't believe I feel bad for Larry and detest Miss Scott.  

I cringed when Miss Scott laughed, but I don't hate her. In my view, she was just responding to the wordplay (which I can't remember now... Sherdumb Holmes?). The 'joke' wasn't particularly funny or clever, but that's what she was laughing at, not at Larry. And the second she realized what she'd done, she regretted it. 

I wouldn't be surprised if she and Larry actually become a couple. (Never thought I'd say that.)

She will even let him call her by her first name!

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, peeayebee said:

In my view, she was just responding to the wordplay (which I can't remember now... Sherdumb Holmes?). The 'joke' wasn't particularly funny or clever, but that's what she was laughing at, not at Larry. And the second she realized what she'd done, she regretted it. 

I see it differently. I saw a woman kick a man when he's down. To make it doubly worse that man's a co-worker. To make it triply worse that man expressed feelings for her. I know this show loves couples, save the vicar, but I wouldn't mind seeing Larry give Miss Scott the cold shoulder.

[Orcinus orca]

10 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

I know this show loves couples, save the vicar, but I wouldn't mind seeing Larry give Miss Scott the cold shoulder.

I think he will IF he actually returns. 

And I do think she feels badly about the incident.  I like her, she has an uphill battle based not only on her sex but on her perceived disability.  Back then she must have been turned down for jobs because she was "not normal".  But she is smart and sassy and doesn't take any crap.  Actually I think she's a lot smarter than Larry but if they are to be a couple, more power to them.

[dubbel zout]

3 minutes ago, Orcinus orca said:

I think she's a lot smarter than Larry

A lot of people are smarter than Larry; his dimwittedness has been a major characteristic since the first season (or whenever he was introduced).

[dargosmydaddy]

3 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

I think he will IF he actually returns. 

Where's Larry going?

[Orcinus orca]

7 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

Where's Larry going?

They showed his empty desk.  No way of knowing what he's going to do.

[dargosmydaddy]

4 minutes ago, Orcinus orca said:

They showed his empty desk.  No way of knowing what he's going to do.

I doubt he's running away from his job of multiple years just because Miss Scott was mean to him.

[Orcinus orca]

8 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I doubt he's running away from his job of multiple years just because Miss Scott was mean to him.

I guess we will find out.

[JudyObscure]

It seems like a required trope in British mysteries for the second in command to be a complete idiot.  In Midsomer Murders, Chief Detective Inspector Barnaby was so mean and sarcastic to Sgt Troy, I had to quit watching. Of course if they want a spin-off they have to suddenly get a lot smarter.

Count me in with the ones who want Miss Scott and Larry to get together.  I hate myself for saying that.

 

[peeayebee]

12 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

They showed his empty desk.  No way of knowing what he's going to do.

I didn't take that as meaning he had left. He was just gone from his desk, and this shot of Miss Scott looking at his desk was just to show that she was thinking of him and regretting that she'd laughed. He's not going to flounce off because she laughed.

16 hours ago, sugarbaker design said:

I see it differently. I saw a woman kick a man when he's down. To make it doubly worse that man's a co-worker. To make it triply worse that man expressed feelings for her. I know this show loves couples, save the vicar, but I wouldn't mind seeing Larry give Miss Scott the cold shoulder.

I understand, but I still see it as her laughing not at HIM, but at the joke. I think most people would not laugh when a joke is directed at someone they like, but sometimes we fail, and she did in this moment. However, she instantly regretted it, and even later belittled the arrogant college guy over grammatical and spelling mistakes in something he wrote. And she stood up for Larry. 

[12catcrazy]

Maybe Larry is going to be the person who takes down Sam, or gets enough dirt on him that Geordie can take him down. 

[Orcinus orca]

"Poppet"?  That dude really had a death wish.  Talk about not being able to read a room.

I was so afraid that Sam/John was going to set fire to the place and burn them all alive.

Edited August 5 by Orcinus orca

[HoodlumSheep]

9x08:

Larry and Leonard got shot!!!! 😭 Tbh i wasn't too worried about Leonard. Larry, however, made me worry there for a second :(. He was a champ this episode.

And Larry and Miss Scott!!! HUZZAH!!!! Larry 'got the girl' and will hopefully get the medal too.

Happy that the cult was dissolved, not the happiest with Leonard and Daniel seemingly patching things up so quickly. I know daniel was heavily brainwashed but i do hope they sat down and talked things out. Still think they could use some space for a bit if daniel still needs to figure things out.

Mrs. C followed thru with her letter writing!!! just for that she can share episode mvp with larry.

Overall i enjoyed this finale. I also appreciate this season for shaking things up a bit. I thought it was great this season managed to avoid the usual terrible romance subplot we tend to get stuck with.

Edited August 5 by HoodlumSheep

[dargosmydaddy]

On 7/28/2024 at 10:59 PM, dargosmydaddy said:

Predictions for the finale: Sam will be arrested for something nefarious, Leonard and Daniel will (somehow, improbably) reconcile, Alphy's job will be saved, and the episode will end with a heartfelt-yet-humorous exchange between Alphy and Geordie, either at a celebration of some sort or while walking Dickens (and maybe Milburn) across a picturesque field.

If nothing else, a Grantchester finale is reliably predictable. I wasn't expecting the bloodshed, though!

 

[Quilt Fairy]

55 minutes ago, dargosmydaddy said:

If nothing else, a Grantchester finale is reliably predictable. I wasn't expecting the bloodshed, though!

 

By my count, @dargosmydaddy, you went 7 for 7!

[JudyObscure]

Yay for Dargosmydaddy's powers of prediction right down to the dogs!

Also, yay for Larry proving why he's  part of the police force even though  not the brightest bulb on the tree.  It also looked like he was a good kisser.

Most of all, yay for Alphy for threatening to punch the mean vicar's lights out over Mr. C's aprons.

[cinsays]

i can't believe we were already at the season finale! went; way too fast. 

not sure about leonard and daniel actually staying together.  daniel said some very mean things.  he was never happy? ouch

were we supposed to be able to read the scrawled message that was on one of the passage pages? i couldn't make it out

[dubbel zout]

I should have known Grantchester would wrap up everything with a neat bow in the season finale. I'm not mad about that, though.

The Sam/John thing was a bit anticlimactic as it related to him specifically, but the action side was done well. Larry getting shot was a decent bit of suspense, and while Leonard wasn't shot, getting speared by a giant splinter is nothing to sneeze at, Sylvia! He could have developed sepsis! I was holding my breath a bit when Sam/John locked himself and Leonard in the bedroom—thank goodness Sam/John didn't hit Leonard.

The not-to-be vicar was too cartoonish for me—would he really call someone like Mrs. C "poppet"? I don't think so—and the bishop is also a bit too aloof for my taste (was he always like this, or is it just with Alphy?), but at least we know how Alphy gets to stay.

People bemoaning the lack of the Keating kids should be happy with this episode. ;-)

[Sarah 103]

3 hours ago, cinsays said:

i can't believe we were already at the season finale! went; way too fast. 

not sure about leonard and daniel actually staying together.  daniel said some very mean things.  he was never happy? ouch

I don't Daniel meant that; I think he was just angry in the moment. Part of Daniel's problem was that he felt like the only reason he was ever invited or even tolerated was that he was Leonard's boyfriend. If he didn't have a strong connection to Leonard, they would not have wanted him around. 

[dancingdreamer]

I really  enjoyed  the finale. I knew Mrs. C would  loathe  David calling her poppet, before  she said a word, I said it for her. 

What a horrible  person Sam/ John was, and it was good how they tied all the murders to him. I thought  the woman that slept with Alphy, did so,    so Sam could  get into the vicarage. 

I was worried  for Larry, worried for Leonard( I thought  they were going to write him out of the show) Alphy has such expressive  eyes , that change beautifully  with his range of emotions. 

What a good season. 

[peeayebee]

17 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

Larry and Leonard got shot!!!! 😭 Tbh i wasn't too worried about Leonard. Larry, however, made me worry there for a second :(. He was a champ this episode.

I wish I hadn't been spoiled. When I went to the PBS site to watch the ep, there was a still from the ep of Miss Scott standing with Larry who had his arm in a sling.

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Happy that the cult was dissolved, not the happiest with Leonard and Daniel seemingly patching things up so quickly. I know daniel was heavily brainwashed but i do hope they sat down and talked things out. Still think they could use some space for a bit if daniel still needs to figure things out.

Yeah, that was poorly done, imo. It's like the magic spell was broken, and Daniel was back to his old, in-love-with-Leonard self. I wasn't bothered that he was so concerned about Leonard when he found him shot (or splintered), but I wish the show could have handled their reconciliation better.

 

6 hours ago, cinsays said:

were we supposed to be able to read the scrawled message that was on one of the passage pages? i couldn't make it out

There were three pages. The latest one said "Why have you given up?" The previous one said "Corpus Christi." The last one just had a passage circled, I think. I'm not sure if we were told what that said.

 

1 hour ago, dancingdreamer said:

I really  enjoyed  the finale. I knew Mrs. C would  loathe  David calling her poppet, before  she said a word, I said it for her. 

I think I actually gasped when he said that. I love how Alpha snapped at him when he was about to throw away Mrs. C's apron. What an arse.

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What a horrible  person Sam/ John was, and it was good how they tied all the murders to him. I thought  the woman that slept with Alphy, did so,    so Sam could  get into the vicarage.

Yeah. When that happened I thought she was in cahoots with someone who wanted to steal the cross, but when the cross was still there, I figured I was wrong. So, yeah, she slept with Alphy so Sam/John could break in and find the missives Rose Shirley was leaving for Alphy. I don't know why the guy never found them.

Sam/John was such an awful person. I was afraid that he'd cause Alphy to hit him, but Alphy was strong. If I'd been there, I'd gladly punch him for everyone. I will say that the actor was very good at being so awful.

When Leonard came in asking for tea with Alphy and started to cry, I started to cry. Leonard deserves better than Daniel. Even now. 

Did anyone else recognize that that was Rose Shirley when Alphy spotted her putting a letter thru the slot? I said to myself, She looks familiar. It didn't occur to me that that's who she was. I liked the line she said to Geordie about how Sam/John gets his followers. "He draws them all together like beads on a necklace."

I figured Sam/John would have to do something egregious that would convince even his followers that he was a bad man. I'm glad he did because I really hated the guy.

So funny when Leonard and Daniel were coming to the party and Leonard said, "I think I might've overdone the sherry in the trifle. Before you know it, Mrs. C'll be putting on records and demanding a spin." And then later Mrs. C says, "I want to dance... Somebody spin me."

My mother was English and made trifles regularly. She put sherry on the lady fingers. I like booze, but I didn't like it in the trifle. I've made it many times, never with sherry.

[Shelbie]

I enjoyed the episode and I loved it when Geordie punched Sam in the stomach and said “that’s for Larry “.

[J-Man]

The resolution of the parish consolidation/new vicar story was much too simple and unrealistic. 

[Driad]

14 minutes ago, J-Man said:

The resolution of the parish consolidation/new vicar story was much too simple and unrealistic. 

Yes. Next year maybe they will switch to a medical drama, treating the people who got sick from the mold in the church.

[Irlandesa]

12 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I don't Daniel meant that; I think he was just angry in the moment. Part of Daniel's problem was that he felt like the only reason he was ever invited or even tolerated was that he was Leonard's boyfriend. If he didn't have a strong connection to Leonard, they would not have wanted him around. 

All of these people are Leonard's friends and very much akin to their family so of course Leonard is going to be their favorite.  It's silly for Daniel to be 'woe is me' about being an in-law who seems to be well-liked. It's the same way with Mrs. C and her husband. 

Finally, everyone has caught up to where I was after watching the season on Passport.  Just in time for me to forget pretty much everything about the season. 

I'm glad other people think something broke in this Leonard and Daniel story.  Leonard is a forgiving man but I just don't see how he can trust Daniel after all this. Daniel had always seemed so practical but given how easily he fell under the charms of the cult leader to the point of leaving Leonard behind, he lost all that sheen. 

I also didn't like Alphy jumping into bed for a one night stand.  I don't mind the vicars being sexually active out of wedlock but I thought it might be nice to do something a little different.  I especially became frustrated when I realized it wasn't to establish something about his character* but more to serve as a plot point. 

*Except that he feels no guilt about it which is a nice change, at least.  So far, there doesn't appear to be some deep dark secret or turtorous past he's hiding which is refreshing. (Although I'll admit, I have secretly hoped he's bi and he turns into a love interest for Leonard.)

I'm glad Larry got a hero moment.

6 hours ago, J-Man said:

The resolution of the parish consolidation/new vicar story was much too simple and unrealistic.

Could someone remind me what happened?  I truly thought that was left open ended.

[peeayebee]

6 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Finally, everyone has caught up to where I was after watching the season on Passport.  Just in time for me to forget pretty much everything about the season. 

I have Passport as well, but this season I decided to watch week to week so I wouldn't forget plot points so I could engage in discussion here.

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I'm glad other people think something broke in this Leonard and Daniel story.  Leonard is a forgiving man but I just don't see how he can trust Daniel after all this. Daniel had always seemed so practical but given how easily he fell under the charms of the cult leader to the point of leaving Leonard behind, he lost all that sheen. 

Yeah, this storyline didn't seem believable to me. I understand that cult leaders, or just magnetic personalities, can manipulate people do to as they want, and I do think it was clear that Sam excelled at this. But I just didn't buy Daniel turning on Leonard like that.

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Could someone remind me what happened?  I truly thought that was left open ended.

The new vicar was terrible. Vain, dismissive of others, materialistic, racist. And he didn't like Dickens! Anyway, Alphy was all set to leave. Near the end the Bishop came to the vicarage and revealed that he had been receiving lots of letters (particularly from Mrs C) saying that Alphy should be allowed to stay. So he said Alphy would be staying.

[sugarbaker design]

13 hours ago, J-Man said:

The resolution of the parish consolidation/new vicar story was much too simple and unrealistic. 

The entire season is simple and unrealistic, that's part of it's charm.  It's a great Sunday night show in the sense it's not about what it used to be like, rather what it should've been like.

I can't imagine any vicar in an Agatha Christie novel hugging a gay parishioner because the gay parishioner is upset his boyfriend joined a cult. Not one parishioner had a problem with the new vicar of Indian descent.  I'm more than okay with this, watching an English village in the early 60s with it's inherent sexism, racism and homophobia might be too difficult to watch.

That being said, the last episode was a humdinger!  A season long storyline was wrapped up, Larry got shot, Leonard got a splinter, Mrs. C saved the day (Mrs. Sylvia Chapman), Alphy keeps his job and Esme falls in love.

[12catcrazy]

I'm really glad that everybody got a happy ending this season.   

And yes, the show is unrealistic but I agree that it is much more pleasant to watch this way.  I'm scratching my head about the bible pages that were being left for Alphy - like why didn't Rose just drop a letter that just plain stated Sam's real name, or better yet, mail such a letter to the police?   And were those bible pages what Sam was looking for when he broke into the rectory?  I know that the writers wanted Alphy to solve a mystery but still...

I still think that the actor playing Alphy is one of the most handsome men I've ever laid eyes on!  Pardon me while I go swoon.  

[peeayebee]

1 hour ago, sugarbaker design said:

The entire season is simple and unrealistic, that's part of it's charm.  It's a great Sunday night show in the sense it's not about what it used to be like, rather what it should've been like.

That's a good way of putting it. And I might complain about certain things being unrealistic, but I also know that it's not meant to be. It's like griping about the dancing in West Side Story being unrealistic.

Quote

Not one parishioner had a problem with the new vicar of Indian descent.

When he first arrived, most of the townspeople were not welcoming. Mrs. C was one of those. But, yes, they all came around very quickly.

Quote

That being said, the last episode was a humdinger!  A season long storyline was wrapped up, Larry got shot, Leonard got a splinter, Mrs. C saved the day (Mrs. Sylvia Chapman), Alphy keeps his job and Esme falls in love.

Don't forget Larry and Miss Scott kissed!

5 minutes ago, 12catcrazy said:

I'm scratching my head about the bible pages that were being left for Alphy - like why didn't Rose just drop a letter that just plain stated Sam's real name, or better yet, mail such a letter to the police?   And were those bible pages what Sam was looking for when he broke into the rectory?

I was wondering all this, too. I know Rose said that Sam threatened her (killing her and the baby in a fire), so her surreptitiously dropping the pages in the mail slot made sense. But why not just say it plainly? Maybe she knew that Sam could break in and find the pages, so that's why she chose this method. Sam DID break in. Was there another letter that Alphy received that Sam took? I'll have to rewatch the first ep.

[sugarbaker design]

22 minutes ago, 12catcrazy said:

like why didn't Rose just drop a letter that just plain stated Sam's real name, or better yet, mail such a letter to the police? 

Seriously, what was Rose's thinking process?  Should I anonymously write a letter to the police that tells of Sam's secret identity and his nefarious plans or should I send a series of cryptic Bible pages to the local vicar?  Hmmm.

10 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

When he first arrived, most of the townspeople were not welcoming. Mrs. C was one of those. But, yes, they all came around very quickly.

I did forget about Mrs. C and the swarthy comment.

10 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Don't forget Larry and Miss Scott kissed!

It was a big year for Larry!

 

Edited August 6 by sugarbaker design