Beatniks & church politics dominate Grantchester’s ninth season finale.
Warning: finale plot spoilers for Grantchester season nine.
Alphy is initially hesitant to help Geordie with his cases due to past negative encounters with police.
While Sylvias committee to protest Alphys firing only had one real meeting, she produced results.
The letter-writing campaign succeeded in Alphy keeping his job and Reverend Lane conceding defeat.
After services, Alphy finds a woman pushing a pram and leaves yet another anonymous note at the parish.
This note says why have you given up?.
Fans may remember that there were other notes left at the vicarage before.
The woman runs before Alphy can ask her questions.
Meanwhile, Geordie is called to the scene of a new incident.
Fred Eccles, an accountant, fell out of the window of his rented room.
The landlady also told Geordie that she overheard Fred arguing over money with a man named Sam before.
It turns out this Sam is the same Sam in charge of the Way Finders group.
Sam claims that Fred was suicidal and also stole money from the group.
This makes Daniel having asked Jack Chapman for more money on Sams behalf earlier this season another red flag.
As the investigation continues, Leonard visits Alphy and tells him he needs support.
Then Alphy receives a call that Geordie has brought Sam in for questioning.
Later on Sam claims that Daniel doesnt want to come back to Leonard.
Daniel accuses Leonard of selfishness and also prioritizing his relationships with his friends over bonding with others.
Leonard and Daniel part but then Leonard sneaks back into the house to spy on Sams belongings.
He finds the article Innes Clark wrote about Sam being a fraud.
Geordie, Ms Scott, and Larry do a background check on Sam.
In 1948 there was a fire at Sams college, Corpus Christi, and his housemate died.
The dead student was also named Sam White which means Sam assumed his identity to hide previous illegal activity.
Geordie also goes to question the lady who left the note with Alphy.
Geordie suspected Sam may have been the father and Rose confirms it.
She also says Sam manipulated her emotionally.
Alphy has been studying the anonymous notes and their coincidental arrivals near the break-in attempts at the vicarage.
The words Corpus Christi are on one and there are circled passages on the other.
Alphy works out that the messages spell Amos 5:7 John 19:30.
All of the pieces from the earlier cases in the season are starting to line up.
Alphy getting the religious version of the merger followed by layoffs weakened his defenses with Caroline in episode six.
Christine still believes that Sams religious mission needs defending against unbelievers and skeptics.
The cult brainwashing element is a welcome diversion from what would have been a very predictable plot.
The Standoff
Back at The Way Finders headquarters, Leonard is snooping around upstairs.
He discovers Sams rifle.
Alphy then enters the house and demands to speak to him.
Alphy reveals that he knows Sams real name and his scamming ways.
Sam also claims that hes more accepting of Daniels queerness than the Church ever was.
He starts shooting outside and hits Larry in the shoulder.
Geordie gives him a handkerchief to stop the bleeding then sneaks inside.
Larry crawls to the phone booth to call the station for help.
More shots are fired inside and we also see Leonard is hurt.
Daniel finds Leonard which leads to their reconciliation.
Geordie sneaks up from behind and then tackles Sam for the arrest.
The tone of their conversation is clearly tinged with romantic feelings after their fling earlier this season.
Larry tries to stay on the line but the pain causes him to pass out.
We then flash forward to Larry getting a heros welcome from everyone at the station.
Larry then kisses her.
What Can Fans Look Forward to in Season 10?
The found-family dinner at the Keatings house is just the beginning of that journey.
The most pressing question that season nine hasnt fully answered yet is Alphys backstory.
We know he came from a suburb of Bradford and that his parents were an accountant and a homemaker.
Sams manipulation hints that Alphy has no family and is lonely but the exact details arent immediately clear.
Are Alphys parents deceased or is he estranged from them?
All episodes ofGrantchester Season 9are now streaming on PBS Passport and Masterpiece Prime.
A UK release date has yet to be confirmed.
