Grantchester is back tonight!

[squoosh]

Such a wonderful show. I think it wonderfully demonstrates the internal struggle that a person of faith has. The dichotomy of their their spiritual self and their.........

Who am I kidding? I'm only watching it because the lovely James Norton is in it. Such is my (non spiritual) devotion I'm even willing to tolerate Robson Green.

Selfless that's what I am!

I saw some of this online, and surely it must be acknowledged that, despite the considerable charms of James Norton and the watchable knack of Robson Greene, it's shit?

Twinkle, I think it's surprisingly good. I started watching it thinking it'd be cosy Sunday-teatime type fare, but actually find it pretty dramatically satisfying. They go into some quite dark corners and deep emotional currents, IMO.

Granted, there is a bit of a disconnect between the above and the outbreaks of 'comedy disapproving housekeeper rolling eyes' and 'comedy closeted gay curate tittupping about'.

Agree not the finest drama but I'm happy enough with a cycling vicar & detective duo. Plus MrsM, the curate & the lovely scenery

Can forgive the plotholes & frankly quite loopy suspects. Even the dreary Amanda story. Plus SnoggyFace Margaret's off now. She was quite jarring.

JN gardening is a bonus too.

JN gardening is a bonus too.

Cor, yes. Young maaaaaaaan! I haven't watched the latest episode so have been mildly spoilered about Margaret the strumpet. I can't say I'll miss her, but that snogging session up against the wall...

Oh yes, "I'm no Saint"

I think the writing and SL are actually quite poor, though somewhat redeemed by JN.

Awww. I like it.

James N has just turned me into an acritical puddle, basically.

"I think the writing and SL are actually quite poor, though somewhat redeemed by JN."

I agree.

Who would be watching if it wasn't for JN?

No-one.

The murder plots are lamentable. You know whodunnit half way through and spend the rest of it waiting for JN to take his shirt off twig.

You know whodunnit half way through

I don't. I'm famously stupid about whodunnit plots.

Not that I care. Yes, I watch it basically for James. Also – genuinely! – for the lovely village and the 50s aesthetic.

"Also – genuinely! – for the lovely village and the 50s aesthetic." Me too. We're back and to to Cambridge a lot at the moment so I enjoy seeing the city. We're staying over next week just outside Grantchester, I'm looking forward to having a wander around the village.

Ooh, let us know if it really looks like in the show, or if they just wheel in the 50s facades and then wheel them out again at the end of filming.

I hope they're not going to go down the route of hanging the young man JN's been helping, not least because it would be pretty improbable. After 1914 the norm was for anyone of 18 sentenced to death to be reprieved, though in practice two 18 year olds were hanged subsequently, one being a prisoner of war.

We were in that cafe! The one in the first scene, and we were sat at the same table, I was sat where Amanda was and had a view of Kings.

Presumably the Copper Kettle?

Yes it was. We're off to Cambridge again later today, visiting Grantchester tomorrow. Spent most of last night's episode being distracted by identifying locations for photos!

Found it a bit unbelievable that the poor wife would have left a smashed glass and rat poison all over the floor for a couple of days, especially when she had young children in the house.

Yes I thought that too, she clearly came home long enough after the hospital to change for her dalliance.
That gave me a lump in my throat, the prison bit.
I love spotting where they are filming stuff around the area!

Well that was harrowing.

Is Sidney going to have a crisis of faith(?) now?

Blimey. That was grim. What OnlyLovers said about the disconnect between the serious themes & the comedy/character bits with the housekeeper & the curate was massively jarring in that episode.

Would prefer the cycling vicar/detective duo, the housekeeper & curate stories with the odd serious theme. And no more bloody Amanda.

The episode seemed all over the place, trying to do too much of everything.

SnoggyFaceNoStockings did turn out to be a right bitch.

The rats were v Chekhov's gun. Actually think I've have preferred a gloomy Russian tale to the episode.

Yes it's trying to be a weird mix of grit and cosy. Heartbeat as directed by Shane Meadows.

Grantchester this morning. And THE wall!

Is that Sidney's bicycle propped up against the wall? Were you propped up against the wall you shameless strumpet?

I jolly well hope you were wearing stockings.

We did wonder about the bicycle, there was no-one else there, only us. There was a poster up in the church saying how locals were used for extras etc.