A Grantchester season 7 recap could be much-needed as it’s been quite some time since the crime-solving duo Reverend Will Davenport and DI Geordie Keating have been on our screens.
Excited fans might be forgiven for a little impatience as the anticipation builds ahead of the release of Grantchester season 8. It’s been two years since the Grantchester season 7 finale aired and whilst the next instalment was broadcast in the US last year, UK-based fans are still awaiting the return of our much-loved detective pairing - Geordie and Will. Given how long ago the last episode aired, there are likely many fans in need of a Grantchester season 7 recap before diving into season 8. As the start of the new series of Grantchester draws closer we’ve got all the details - including whether Bonnie and Will actually got married in season 7.
*Warning: Spoilers ahead*
Grantchester season 7 recap: What happened last series?
Grantchester season 7 had one overarching storyline that kept haunting friends and unofficial crime-solving colleagues DI Geordie Keating and Reverend Will. Whilst each episode of the ITV drama tends to be standalone, in the seventh series a case that the pair believed to have been solved turned out to be anything but.
The case in question was their investigation into the murders of homeless men in Grantchester season 7 episode 3. The DI linked a current murder with two unsolved cases and he and the vicar eventually ended up identifying student Robin Fellowes as the person responsible.
Robin had disappeared after having a breakdown and dropping out of his studies but later turned up at Will’s former curate Leonard’s cafe. Geordie arrested him as the killer but it was evident to everyone that Robin was in no state to stand trial.
Towards the end of Grantchester season 7 Robin’s guilt was then called into question as whilst he was behind bars, another murder took place. This forced Geordie and Will to accept that either a copycat killer had struck or Robin had never committed the other murders.
The finale saw the pair rushing to determine the truth but when Geordie went to question Robin again, he was told that he was dead. Shortly before his death he’d received a visit from Professor Edith Lawson and whilst she claimed she had nothing to tell about this meeting, this couldn’t have been further from the truth.
After she was attacked later on in the Grantchester season 7 finale Edith finally admitted that Robin had told her a fellow student Jim Baker had been the killer, not him. She’d refused to believe him but this was a grave oversight on her part. Whilst Geordie was putting some disturbing pieces of the puzzle together, a none-the-wiser Will had actually invited Jim into the vicarage for tea.
It all came out when Jim told Will that he believed killing the people he did was an act of mercy and a way of ridding them of “the guilt, the weakness [and] the desires of the flesh”.
In his mind Robin (who had known Jim was responsible and took the blame hoping it would make him stop) was also weak for not helping him and having a breakdown after seeing him kill. Jim ended up viciously calling Will “pathetic” too and he violently stabbed him, no doubt leaving many fans terrified that Grantchester season 7 would be Will’s last appearance on the show.
Thankfully Geordie came to the vicar’s rescue in the nick of time, accompanied by his niece (and Will’s will-they-won’t-they love interest) Bonnie. She’d come to the vicarage to say goodbye before leaving the village forever and didn’t realise when Will didn’t come to the door that he was physically unable to. After running into her uncle she found out Will was in trouble and the two forced their way inside and Geordie punched Jim.
Fans were in for an anxious wait as Will’s fate remained uncertain for several moments, but he was revealed to be alive and in hospital. After intense scenes and that shocking escape from death for Will, thankfully Grantchester season 7 ended on a much more hopeful note.
Did Will marry Bonnie in Grantchester season 7?
After all that murder and mayhem the Grantchester season 7 finale turned its focus to romance as Will and Bonnie finally got married. Of course, this being Grantchester, their nuptials went far from smoothly and very nearly didn’t happen at all. Will almost lost Bonnie and her son Ernie forever as when he lay injured in the vicarage she was hoping he’d persuade her to stay in the village. Given Jim was inside with him, Will sensibly stayed quiet to protect her and Bonnie was upset and believed that he had no feelings for her after all.
Even after she realised what was going on and he was recovering in hospital, Bonnie still wasn’t convinced that Will loved her. Someone who was convinced was Geordie and he visited Will in hospital and urged him to tell her the truth before she left Grantchester that very day.
Following his heart the vicar went to talk to Bonnie before she caught the train out of there and he and Bonnie married at the very end of Grantchester season 7. The bride had gained her mother-in-law’s approval despite fearing that she wasn’t “posh” enough for Will’s family when he admitted his love for her.
Amelia Davenport told Bonnie that she’d never seen her son look happier, adding, “And that’s down to you”. By the time the speeches came any fans that weren’t already a bit tearful likely became so when Geordie proudly declared, “The only thing better than having Will as my friend is having as part of my family”.
Ultimately, Will marrying Bonnie in Grantchester season 7 rounded off the series in heart-warming style. Mrs C who had been awaiting surgery nervously appeared to have recovered well and attended the wedding, even catching the bouquet which she passed to Daniel who, along with Leonard, looked incredibly touched.
And the theme of love continued into the final scenes which saw Will tell his new “Uncle Geordie” that he loved him. Initially hesitant to express his own feelings, the DI responded and the pair embraced as they looked back at the church in the sunshine.
What is the Grantchester season 8 release date?
After an agonising wait following Grantchester season 7, the release date of Grantchester season 8 is confirmed as 11th January. The new series of the drama will start at 9pm on ITV1 and will continue to air in that same scheduling slot on a weekly basis. Episodes will also become available to stream on ITVX too if you’d prefer to watch Grantchester season 8 at a time that better suits you.
What will Grantchester season 8 be about?
When ITV first confirmed that there would be another series after Grantchester season 7 it was announced that the focus of the latest season would be “faith, forgiveness and redemption” and that Geordie and Will would be pushed to the “limit”. They added that whilst Will would be the “happiest he’s ever been” his world will be “rocked by a terrible accident”. According to ITV, the Vicar’s “despair” will lead him on a “dangerous downward spiral”.
Whilst his friend is going through a challenging time, Geordie has apparently “found a new contentment” in his relationship with Cathy but their happiness will be “threatened” by announcements at work.
We already know what Geordie’s work announcements will be as actor Robson Green explained to RadioTimes.com about the character’s boss Elliot Wallace trying to force him out.
"It's a defining moment for Geordie when he realises his shelf life has expired," he explained. "He's closed for business, he needs to move on and leave this place that he loves, and has given his life to, because he can't compete with Elliot and his entourage. Elliot's got people in his pocket who are far more powerful than Geordie. It's a very painful moment for Geordie and great to play as an actor. We'll have to see if he can find a way around it."
Alongside this, ITV added that fans can expect Grantchester season 8 to include stories that focus on everything from “Speedway to spies” and will delve into the lives of “invisible women” and how Leonard’s vocation could find him “battling the law”.
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