eb999
I'm a big fan of British series, but James Norton is a poor actor. He seems to have two major moods. He's either the lighthearted and optimistic vicar or the morose, self-pitying and alcoholic depressive. The latter seems more true to the character which makes his religious life seem like an act. With a more skilled actor, these two aspects might have been meshed together to show an interesting and complex human being, but Norton doesn't have the skill to portray such a man. There is very little subtlety and nuance in his performances, so he is always unconvincing. But he is physically a beautiful man which makes him watchable.There is another issue for me and that is the subplot of Grantchester's romance with his childhood friend who is married. To me, this is like fingernails on a blackboard. This attachment doesn't fit into his life, nor does it fit the show. Whenever there's a scene with her I just want to make her go away. This actress as well is mediocre and it's hard to believe that she's the focus of such intense passion. She's kind of a blah human being.For me, the saving grace of this show is Robson Green. He's a magical actor who's been wonderful in every show he's been in (my favorite being "Wire in the Blood"). Without him, this show wouldn't be worth watching.
kmatlack
For starters, Grantchester isn't really a mystery. It's a 21st century soap opera dressed up as a 1950's period piece. Very little time in the very short hour of the program is actually spent on any mystery or how it's solved. The show revolves around the sordid lives of most of the characters. An alcoholic, chain-smoking, carnal Anglican priest, a cop who cheats on his wife, a wife who cheats on her husband and so on and on. I think the only honest, honorable character is Leonard, the homosexual priest, who takes his vows and commitment to the church seriously and really is a good man. Not a single social justice issue or talking point escapes the writers even though most of what they're lecturing viewers about had nothing to do with how anyone in the 50's lived. They seem to have no idea at all of history. All the characters and especially the Vicar seem to have no problem making excuses for their terrible behavior. Giving in to temptation is just fine because God wants them to be happy. What a sad, ugly, depressing little show.
mitya_ilx
I very much enjoyed seasons 1 and 2 - another "cozy" mystery series, gorgeously filmed and well-acted. The mysteries themselves are self-contained from episode to episode, while character development story arcs take place in the background to tie things together. As other reviewers have noted, the writers have made hero Sidney Chambers remarkably liberal and modern in his views. Perhaps in 1953 there were small-town vicars with such attitudes, but after a while it feels unrealistic. For whatever reason, season 3 fell flat for me, to the extent I thought they might have changed writers. Perhaps it's the peaking of a couple of those story arcs in season 2, but I found that I no longer cared very much about the characters, while the mysteries began to feel secondary to the characters' stories. I'm unlikely to come back for season 4.
B24
An alcoholic skirt-chasing priest, a timid gay curate, a five-foot police inspector who wears a six-foot overcoat in all kinds of weather, and a stern housekeeper with a heart of gold. Who wouldn't love it? This is the stuff of British Soaps invading Masterpiece Theater, albeit cast in the popularly retro 1950's. Or at least what a politically correct screen writer in 2014 imagines the 1950's to have been.Seriously, I enjoy flawed stereotypes as a rule, and this one takes the cake. No Father Brown sly jokes here. Just all very earnest sentimental twaddle (as my favorite lit prof used to call it). I guess it's even been renewed for a third season. Great fun! I wonder what twisted deeds will work their way into the next few episodes, making fun of fallen icons...especially those in the Church of England. And making us feel good that those bad old days are behind us.I have a good idea for a 45-minute plot: have the priest fall for a gorgeous woman who wants desperately to be a priest but can't wait for the 21st Century to make it a reality. He can switch her off with all the other women in town, agonizing as his raging hormones drive him to drink and despair. He is then saved by her eventually deciding to be a deaconess, whilst he takes his dog for a walk before going over to give his cop mate a big hug.Wait a minute! I think that will sell equally well over at Hollyoaks.
AD
