It's Leonard's Turn in 'Grantchester' Season 10

When James Norton attempted to pull a Dan Stevens on Downton Abbey and refused to sign on to return for Grantchester Season 4, it was deeply unfortunate timing. Much like Julian Fellowes with Stevens, the Grantchester production team assumed this was a ploy for money, and wrote a Season 3 finale that not only left zero openings for Norton's Sidney Chambers to leave, but doubled down on his staying at the vicarage, blowing up three years of the show's fan-favorite romance in the process.

When the production finally realized Norton was not holding out for money, a hasty deal was worked out where he would start the season, then exit after Episode 2, and a new vicar would arrive in Episode 4. That left the show with a single episode where the rest of the ensemble would pull together, and Geordie would solve a one-off case with Leonard Finch.

The experimental episode was a landmark moment for the series, proving that it could switch out its lead, Death in Paradise-style, and still work just fine. Moreover, Al Weaver turned out to be delightful as a foil for Geordie, though it was clear this was a pairing to be used sparingly. Grantchester's writers took that lesson to heart, and ever since, there has been one episode every season that I think of as "Leonard's Turn." This week's installment is our yearly "Leonard's Turn" episode, and Weaver, as always, does not disappoint.