Grantchester sets stage for Will Davenport’s exit with ‘big’ change
Tom Brittney will soon depart the ITV show, and series 9 finds Will Davenport contemplating his place in the village and what he can offer the people there.
What did you miss?
Grantchester is about to lose its vicar Will Davenport, and the ITV series has begun to set the stage for his exit, as Tom Brittney passes on the collar to his successor Rishi Nair later in the season.
The show's ninth series finds Will in a sombre mood as he contemplates his place in the village and whether his skills as a pastor could be put to better use elsewhere. It's as he considers his future in the parish that an opportunity for a "big" change in his life comes in.
But what could this mean for Will and his family? And what exactly will he do? Read on to learn more, but be warned that there are spoilers in this article for series 9's first episode.
What, how, and why?
The series 9 premiere sees Will, Bonnie (Charlotte Ritchie), DI Geordie Keating (Robson Green) and their families go to see a travelling circus, a trip that inspires one of Will's sermons. The problem is, though, that the parish's congregation is starting to diminish.
With religion taking a back-seat to other things like television, Will is starting to wonder if there is any point to his being in Grantchester when he could possibly do better elsewhere. This is when Bishop Aubrey Gray (Stuart Bowman) tells him that he could make more of a difference with building a faithful congregation in another location.
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Bishop Gray tells Will: "Grantchester will endure, but there are less fortunate places where a boat rocker could make a tremendous difference."
He explains that there is a role for Will in a "new parish with tougher challenges" which will be "more helping the needy and less helping the law". Will remarks that Newcastle would be "a big move" for him and that it could also be a strain on his family, particularly his young children who have come to be quite happy in Grantchester.
The bishop tells Will that he has until the end of the week to give him an answer about the role, and the episode sees the character grapple with the pros and cons about the move. It is a sweet comment from Geordie that helps him along the way to making a decision.
"Seeing someone grow up and grow beyond you, it's a hard thing," Geordie says, reflecting on his daughter growing up. The comment is also a subtle nod towards Will's struggle to decide about his family's future, and in a way feels like the detective's way of saying that it is okay if the vicar does grow beyond Grantchester.
Even if Will doesn't say more about his new role, Geordie then adds: "Will, let's make the most of this Summer, make it the best one ever."
The episode ends with Will going back to Bishop Gray, and he tells his superior that he hopes he's "not too late" to give an answer about the new position. While the credits roll before Will gives his answer, it is implied that he is planning on saying yes — thus explaining how the character will exit the series.
What else happened on Grantchester?
Brittney reflected on what it was like to pass the torch to Nair, who joins the ITV show in series 9's third episode, ahead of the show's launch.
"We didn't have a handover episode like me and James [Norton had]," Brittney said. "So once I'd left it was Rishi on his own, and instantly he just took to it. I mean, the only thing that we had was that I briefly came back to direct some second unit footage and it was such a strange experience seeing Rishi do his thing and me leaving.
"It was a really lovely way to leave that, I didn't just disappear completely it was in a completely different format and just watching Rishi do his thing and go 'Yeah, the show's in great hands'. Because you feel like that when you leave, not that the show can't continue without me, but just to see him and watch it from afar and be a viewer now it was good."
Grantchester will air at 9pm on ITV1 every Wednesday, and all episodes are available on ITVX.
