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Grantchester

There were a lot of big “h” words on last night’s episode of Grantchester. There were multiple references to hangings, to horse races, and to hauntings. Not to mention, the biggest and most dire “h” word of them all: The Holocaust. What tied all of these words together — besides alliteration — was the idea of justice. What is it? Why does it dog us so and how can we ever be sure it’s been found.

Sidney Chambers (James Norton) is busy preparing to go to bat for young Gary Bell (Sam Frenchum) in court. For him, justice isn’t “an eye for an eye,” but a matter of mercy and understanding. The way he sees it, Gary was trying to help his friend. Abigail’s death was an accident and now the murderer is as much a victim as anything else. For the rest of Grantchester — including Geordie (Robson Green) — murder is murder, death is death, and Gary must hang for killing Abigail.

In the midst of all this, he’s called up on to perform an exorcism.

Yes, an honest to (Sidney Chamber’s idea of) God, exorcism. It seems a wealthy widower, Mr. Lawson, is being haunted by the ghost of his dead wife, Anna. He built his horse racing business on her Jewish family’s money and then she succumbed to depression and hung herself in the stables. Now painting fall off the wall and horses are spooked and he can smell her perfume everywhere. Sidney listens to this and helps him deal, but the next day, he’s found hanging in the same place.

As it turns out, there was no ghost. It was all just guilt. Mr. Lawson killed his wife for her money and then her Auschwitz-survivor brother decided to take revenge. The theatrical flourishes — ruining pictures, spooking the horses, spraying perfume — were meant as a test of guilt. When Sidney confronts him, there’s absolutely no remorse. “An eye for an eye” seems to be the conceit. “Is that justice? Everyone dead?” Sidney asks. “Everyone is already dead.”

Despite Sidney’s testimony (that conveniently throws Geordie under the bus), Gary Bell is found guilty and is also sentenced to hang. Sidney has to confront his own conscience in this episode. Was it worth betraying his friend for the guilty verdict? Can he indulge in the pleasures of the flesh with Margaret (Seline Hizil) without feeling like he’s betraying Amanda? Is he good? Is he evil? Does God care? What’s the point?

Sidney may be wrestling with the big moral questions, but his biggest issue is, as always, Amanda (Morven Christie). He’s haunted by his love for her and her obvious unhappiness in her loveless marriage. There’s a beautifully lit party scene where the two catch a moment alone together before being discovered. Everyone is colored in the warm light of the inside room except for Amanda. She looks pallid in the moonlight — a living ghost, already dead.

Just as Sidney and Amanda seem to be reaching a true understanding, she has to reveal that it’s too late for them. She is pregnant with Guy’s child. And now Sidney is stuck. He’s doomed to be forever haunted by his love.

Oh, but it’s not all bad. There’s another ‘h’ word in the air: homosexuality. Yup, Leonard (Al Weaver) is quietly grappling with his own feelings for his particular friend. Sidney has been trying to signal that he’s not only aware of it, but that he wants to encourage it. However, when Leonard wins money on a horse-racing bet — a blasphemy! — he chooses to spend the money on a dinner for himself, Mrs. Maguire (Tessa Peake-Jones) and Sidney, and not, as Sidney suggested, a date. If nothing else, it’s good that Leonard has a good friend and ally in Sidney, but hopefully he can also find love.