As 'Grantchester' Season 9 Continues, the Alphy Kotteram Era Is Still Finding Its Feet

Change is always hard. That's more than evident as Grantchester settles into the third vicar of its run, proving that while the show is more than capable of surviving a significant character change, like anything else, there's an adjustment period involved. Admittedly, things are slightly less awkward this week — Mrs. C's bigotry is somewhat softened by her aggressive minding of the vicarage, Leonard gets the chance to do something other than overcompensate for her rudeness, and Geordie and Alphy's interactions slowly begin to feel more natural. (Or at least less like Geordie thinks he's entitled to Alby's companionship, personally or professionally.)

Unfortunately, Alphy still makes for a relatively clunky investigative partner, and other than last week's "Hey, yeah, I guess mystery solving is sorta like explaining God's mysterious ways to people" conversation, Grantchester makes almost no effort to show us why he's even interested in helping Geordie out with his cases beyond the fact that the entire premise of the show revolves around him (or someone in his role) doing exactly that.

Thankfully, we get more insight into his personality and past, from his working-class background to his reasons for becoming a vicar. He's flirty and fun and strangely light on the proselytization, even when confronted with people who require some moral clarity in their lives. After years of Will's tortured little rich boy persona, there's something refreshingly genuine and uncomplicated about Alphy. However, the constant microaggressions and bigotry he faces from all corners are both surprisingly prevalent and deeply uncomfortable to watch.