Everything to Remember Ahead of the 'Grantchester' Season 8 Premiere

Almost a decade ago, the good Reverend Sidney Chambers (James Norton) was assigned to the vicarage of Grantchester, where he became BFFs with the local detective inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green) and had three seasons of a will-they-or-wont-they romance with the posh Amanda Kendall (Morven Christie). However, in Season 3, they landed on "Won't," and Norton decided he wanted to see other television shows. In a historically inspired plot twist, he fell in love with the daughter of an American civil rights activist and emigrated to America in Season 4.

After the vicarage's curate Leonard Finch (Al Weaver), attempted to team up with Geordie in Chambers' absence, the new vicar, Will Davenport (Tom Brittany), rolled into town on his motorbike. A celibate priest with anger issues, which stemmed from growing up in genteel poverty with an abusive father, he found friends in Keating and Leonard, despite their disparate backgrounds. It took the vicarage's housekeeper, Sylvia (Tessa Peake-Jones), who had recently married Jack Chapman (Nick Brimble), a bit longer to warm up to Will, but eventually, she did too.

Will has dealt with a lot of upheaval since being stationed in Grantchester. His father passed away, and his mother, Amelia (Jemma Redgrave), remarried St John Gurney-Clifford (Dominic Mafham), adding party girl socialite half-sister Tamara (Emily Patrick) to the family. He worked through his childhood traumas and started seeing women, including a one-nighter with Tamara. The local bishops, Gabriel Abuto (Gary Beatle) and Aubrey Gray (Stuart Bowman), were initially uncertain about Davenport's fitness for the job due to his wealthy background, but they came around.