Grantchester (TV Series) Episode #4.2 (2019) User Reviews

Farewell Sidney.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 19 January 2019]

I like the fact that Sidney was given one last full mystery to solve with Geordie, before moving on for pastures new. I liked that it wasn't soppy, and didn't feature his replacement. As a mystery it was pretty good, suitably seedy for a Vicar that's descended into a work of casual sex and alcoholism, though where he finds time to address his flock is the real mystery.

Patrick Baladi was very good as the bad guy behind the scenes, so often a nice guy, good to see he can do a character that gets under the skin.

It wasn't super sentimental, but it had a touching scene, appropriate for the time I guess.

I was sceptical that the show still had legs, but after the first two, I feel like it still does. 8/10

There is a reason this doesn't completely work

[Venge · 8/10 · 17 August 2022]

I'm happy that Sidney has found "real love", after sleeping with a girl after a couple of chats. People fall in love at first sight all the time, right? But something just felt rushed and unsatisfying with this sudden romance with ... what was her name again? ... oh yes, Violet.

The reason? That after 3 seasons and a Christmas Special of following the tragic, forbidden love story of Sidney and Amanda, there is absolutely no satisfying conclusion to their relationship. After binge watching the first three seasons of this marvellous show, I got to Season 4, Episode 1, and was going "WTF? Where's Amanda?"

Of course, we all now know Amanda had gone on to the be the mother of an autistic child, while simultaneously becoming a Detective Sergeant in a seaside community, but at the time I just thought our morally upstanding alcoholic parson was just demonstrating more than a bit of unfaithfulness by suddenly hopping in the sack with the beautiful, if only just met, Violet. It felt like I spent that entire first episode playing catch-up.

Otherwise, I found this a very good episode. The tragic crime scene drew me in, the interplay of characters was engrossing, and the ending was unexpected. But if would have been so, so much better, if prior to this episode, the writers had taken the time to resolve Sidney's relationship with Amanda, and had slowly developed the new relationship between Sidney and Violet. Since so much of this series has been focused on the importance of relationships, it is ironic that the series failed so badly in this regard.

Seatbelts

[hoova-46823 · 7/10 · 20 January 2019]

Seeing that this is supposedly set in 1953 why are there seatbelts in Sidneys' car?With the way the English produce some of the best series in the world i'm surprised that this got passed the editors.Apart from that it's another great show but it must be coming to an end this year.

Loved it

[terrycowan-45764 · 10/10 · 24 July 2019]

The Amanda relationship never rang true for me, she seemed to be 1 reason our hero was so troubled. He finally realized, walked away & recognized real happiness when she arrived. Sidney isn't leaving the Church, he's following his faith to an even higher realm where he'll be an advocate for change more than he ever could be in Grantchester. Loved the mystery, its affirmation of Sidney's humanity & that he didn't have to suffer an unhappy ending.

Harsh Treatment

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 22 July 2019]

Sidney has been drinking to excess throughout this first part of the season. In a drunken stupor, he converses with a prostitute. She is later found dead in the street. He can't remember anything, other than she gave him a light. He and Geordie investigate a nasty set of circumstances. This appears to be the last episode for Sidney and his successor will be the focus.

Weak episode, disservice to the character and the viewer

[invaderzim365 · 5/10 · 16 July 2019]

An overall good mystery, but it's spoiled by the shoehorned, rushed romance subplot. We're supposed to believe that after pining for Amanda the entire series, he leaves her behind only to run off with a girl he barely knows? It's an insult to the viewers who love the show. It's made worse by the fact that the two actors had ZERO chemistry.

Episode 4.2

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 2 April 2020]

Sidney's last episode and you would think he would be booted out of the church for being drunk and disorderly.

When a prostitute is found dead, Sidney was the last person to see her alive but he does not remember a thing.

Luckily Geordie does not view Sidney as a suspect. It is the great and good who come on the radar. The local councillor and his mates who own the bar where the girls work as hostesses or the slums houses where they pay good money to live in dives.

Realistically I felt there could only be two suspects and one of them certainly was not Young Sherlock Holmes.

The mystery was subdued, what came to the forefront of how these women were treated. These issues would be a stepping stone for Sidney's next move. Across the pond and the emerging civil rights movement. It is a bit hard to take that Sidney fell for a woman he hardly knew.

Not the best

[kristhebass · 1/10 · 28 February 2023]

These last two episodes are not the best

Let's start with the southern American accents, could they not find suitable actors from that part of the world? These were not good.

Then you have the West Indian Archdeacon most unlikely in fifties England but we have to crowbar in someone of this, almost non existent in the UK at the time, ethnic minority.

Finally the completely unbelievable story-line of Sidney completely forgetting Amanda. Dumping the love of his life for the church then running off with the woman from Alabama.

We viewers understand why James Norton wanted to leave the show. What we don't understand is why we couldn't have the happy ending we wanted with Sidney leaving the Church and marrying Amanda.

Unforgivable!

Good procedural

[sasha99 · 4/10 · 15 July 2019]

At least some real crime-solving went on in Sidney's swan song. I was surprised at who the perp turned out to be. But here's what I can't get over: he broke up with Amanda and leaves the Church anyway?? I can't forgive him for that. And as I mentioned in another review, the phony Alabama accent was excruciating to listen to. Even Americans who aren't from the South can't do an accurate Southern accent. No wonder the Brits can't do it. Except maybe Kenneth Branagh-- he probably could.

Why drag this out???

[Apd227 · 3/10 · 22 July 2022]

Why the hell would James Norton leave now instead of 2 episodes before with the storyline with Amanda. Instead he sleeps around and we're to believe he's so captured by this woman or the movement he has to move away. Wonder what happened. But it's pitiful. What a horrid show. They also purposely don't mention Amanda at all. He's a womanizer and a drunk and somehow we're to believe he's a man of god. Or even a gentleman. A gentleman would've married Amanda and been a father to grace. He's just a cad.

Goodbye to Sydney??

[pgreywacz-500-46798 · 1/10 · 15 July 2019]

Hated this episode!!! So no more Sydney?? I guess I missed that!!!

Boring

[thekimberley · 2/10 · 24 December 2019]

I was bored by this episode and I never reached the end of it. I kept ffwding until i finally gave up. So I had to pick up here from the reviews that it was the end of Sydney for this series. But i don,t mind that because it was to boring to watch. The first 5 minutes i got irritated by the excess of the smoking in this episode. It went from cigarette to cigarette and with that irritating sound it makes when he draws his cig. But the stupid smoking did not stop after that..... No... almost every other character in this episode had a cigarette in his or hers hands or mouth. Far to much to my liking so i gave up on this episode.