Everyone has a guilty pleasure TV show.
Whether you prefer to keep up with “The Real Housewives,” binge-watch “America’s Next Top Model” for hours on end or old episodes of “SpongeBob Squarepants” are more your speed, we’ve all fallen victim to that particular show we can’t help but love.
As guilty pleasure TV shows go, “Grantchester” isn’t your usual fare. More a miniseries than anything, the first six-episode season of the charming British crime drama introduced us to Reverend Sidney Chambers, vicar of Grantchester, and his detective friend Geordie Keating.
Set in an absurdly picturesque 1950s Cambridge town, “Grantchester” follows the adventures of the crime fighting duo as they solve murder after dastardly murder.
The first season of “Grantchester” had a simple, recurring format: Sidney and Geordie stumble upon a murder, and the police are unable to solve the crime until Sidney discovers the culprit just by paying attention — a blond, polite, devout Sherlock Holmes. Played by chisel-cheeked Brit James Norton, Sidney is irrepressibly lovable — a golden retriever in human form.
While the show doesn’t shy away from Sidney’s duties within the church, “Grantchester” doesn’t exclude nonreligious viewers. His faith is demonstrated in dealings with his fellow man, rather than restricting him to sermons and prayer sessions. Sidney’s belief in a higher moral power is what really defines him, as does his obsession with the twisted nature of human relationships.
“Grantchester,” while limited to what seems like a repetitive plotline, uses small-town crime to explore complex moral issues. Season one took on debates of social classes, racism, homophobia and PTSD. Season two goes much darker, discussing rape, abortion, child pornography and deception within the church — all in the first episode.
While the second season of “Grantchester” delivers the same charisma of seasone one, its compelling descent into deeper themes at first seems out of place for the formerly charming little show. As the season continues, a rift appears between Sidney and Geordie concerning their opinions on the death penalty.
Despite the scarcity of joyful moments this season, “Grantchester” remains a well-crafted and equally well-acted show. Norton, who has been having a moment with BBC’s well-received “War & Peace” and “Happy Valley,” centers “Grantchester” with a healthy dose of heart and a hint of inner turmoil.
Sidney is far from perfect — his vices include whiskey, cigarettes and women — but he remains the unquestionable moral leader of his town. While his detective colleagues become jaded by murder after murder, Sidney examines each tragedy as a window into the failings of mankind. Each case brings the opportunity to learn, listen and ultimately improve as people.
The drama in “Grantchester” stems not from the mind of some mysterious, immoral villain, but from the everyday failings of human beings. Sidney takes it upon himself to teach people to be better, and it’s that faith, not in God, but in mankind, that makes “Grantchester” so unfailingly uplifting.
