Why You Need To Get Hip To ‘Grantchester,’ The Anti-‘Sherlock’

A few years ago, America was swept away by a floppy haired detective in a massive Belstaff coat. Sherlock was a ground-breaking take on the iconic sleuth that took over the world and made Benedict Cumberbatch a household name. Now, though, we’re getting psyched about the return of a very different British detective returning to our screens.

Grantchester is the anti-Sherlock and it’s absolutely wonderful.

On the surface, both shows follow a similar tried and true formula. Grantchester and Sherlock focus on a compelling (and handsome) leading man obsessed with solving crime. His best friend and partner is a more “salt of the earth” kind of guy. Each episode features an open and shut case that only the leading man can figure out. But thematically, Grantchester and Sherlock couldn’t be more different and it all boils down to their leading men.

Sherlock Holmes is a human computer. He is obsessed with “the game” and sees every mystery as a puzzle to unravel. His success or failure might put lives in jeopardy, but Sherlock is always more interested in preserving his own reputation as a genius than saving the day. As the show has gone on, we’ve seen the character evolve into a more empathic soul. He discovers that relationships aren’t weaknesses, but the stuff that makes the game worth playing and life worth living. The modern London setting only highlights these themes. The sprawling city is at once a cold, heartless cesspool of human misery and an exquisitely-planned matrix of streets, rails, and relationships that connects every living soul together.

Grantchester, on the other hand, is set in a sweet and sleepy 1950s Cambridge town and follows the adventures of a smart, lovelorn vicar named Sidney Chambers (played with the sweetness of a golden retriever by James Norton). Unlike Sherlock Holmes, Sidney is defined by his tremendous compassion for people his belief in a higher moral power. The character is lovelorn over his best friend, Amanda, and intensely interested in the ecosystem of human relationships. While Sherlock‘s mysteries all have a clever twist to them, each episode of Grantchester uses a crime to explore complex political and moral debates. There are episodes that deal with class struggle, anti-German sentiment, racism, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, and PSTD. The second season premiere features discussions about rape allegations, child pornography, abortion rights, crooked parishes, parenting woes, and so much more.

While Sherlock seems to look at crime as proof of man’s cold, selfish, and indifferent evil, Sidney looks at these tragedies as commentary on our own failings. He sees each case not only as a puzzle to solve, but an opportunity to examine why we need to strive to be better to one another. The town of Grantchester, filmed in soft golden light, in the shadow of Cambridge’s climbing spires, feels like a pastoral dream land. As the town’s vicar, Sidney feels the stress of being the villager’s moral shepherd. He understands that the drama on the show doesn’t come from the mind of some shadowy and diabolical figure; It comes from normal human beings failing to care for each other. It is literally his job to teach people how to be better to one another.

Now, we would be remiss if we didn’t add that like Benedict Cumberbatch before him, James Norton is kind of a dreamboat of a detective. Norton is on fire right now, and while we’ve preemptively already named him our “new British boyfriend,” this is really the one show and the one performance that makes the strongest cast for his charisma as a leading man. Sidney Chambers is irrepressibly lovable. Though he might seem to be all-too-perfect on the surface, he’s dogged by trauma. He likes his cigarettes, his booze, and his experimental jazz. He also likes the women. Still, Sidney leads with his heart. It’s his blessing and his curse.

It’s kind of a perfect time to catch up on Grantchester. The first season is available on Amazon Prime and season two debuts on PBS on March 27. So, if you’re looking for a new British crime drama to sweep you away — and make you puzzle over life’s mysteries — give Grantchester a chance.

[Watch Grantchester on Prime Video]

[Photos: PBS]