Two Vicars, Two Strippers & a Murder Walk Into 'Grantchester' Season 10...

Coco Chanel was a Nazi collaborator, but the fashion icon knew what she was on about when she (apocrophally) said “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory.” It’s a rule of thumb that many shows should follow more as well: Before sending it out, look in the script and remove one excess subplot. Grantchester could have used that this week in an episode that is admittedly as hilarious as it is convoluted.

Within the first fifteen minutes, viewers are bombarded in rapid succession with confirmation that last week’s moment with David Keating in a dress was not a one-off. It’s not yet clear which color of the LGBTQ+ rainbow he falls under, but at least his mother doesn’t mind his impressions of the lady comedians on TV. Meanwhile, Alphy can’t cook (at least not with Mrs. C underfoot “helping”) and Leonard is developing a drinking problem; all this is topped off by the return of Rev. David Lane (Jonathan Rhodes), aka Vicar Terrible David.

Terrible David brings this week’s murder along with him. Since he’s not running Grantchester’s parish, he’s been drowning his sorrows in “ministering to the carnal artists” of the village, which was probably going exactly as one would expect when the Madame of the establishment keeled over, with a stab wound to the back of the neck. Vicar Terrible David tried to run to the church for “sanctuary” with his “nieces,” Kitty and Joan. However, Alphy locks doors to buildings he’s not in, so all three end up at the vicarage, interrupting Alphy and Meg’s date and bringing Mrs. C downstairs, followed by Leonard’s arrival after another fight with Daniel, and finally Geordie, with the strip club’s handyman, Stanley, in tow.