Dicey Partnership

Robson Green plays DI Geordie Keating in 50s drama series Grantchester. In season 3, both he and Rev Sidney Chambers face crises in their personal lives.

Why is Geordie’s marriage to Cathy (Kacey Ainsworth) under threat this season?

Geordie is paralysed with the burden of guilt and obligation and has an overwhelming sense of routine. He feels the relationship is stale and redundant, but he’s looking at the wrong aspects. He sets out to destroy everything that is precious in his private life and seeks approval from Sidney (James Norton). The overriding arc of the whole series is that both Sidney and Geordie have crises of self. They try to advise one another on how to deal with this, but both quickly realise they’re not qualified to give that advice. It’s love versus duty, loyalty versus love, which are very powerful emotions and issues to play.

What are Sidney’s thoughts on Geordie’s behaviour?

Sidney tries to give Geordie advice and Geordie says to Sidney, “How can you give me advice? You are going out with a married woman who has a child with another man and you’re standing there giving me advice?” Sidney points out that Geordie has a wife and four beautiful children. Geordie, in a way, seeks forgiveness throughout the whole series, but not from God.