Grace Season 5 reinforces the John Simm-led drama as one of the best shows on BritBox. Even with changes in front of and behind the camera, the series still delivers impeccable acting and cracking adaptations of Peter James’ mysteries. Fans will once again be watching from the edge of their seats.

The fifth season is the first to take the Roy Grace novels out of order, which is slightly jarring. The episodes go from “Dead If You Don’t” (which is book 14) and “Dead at First Sight” (book 15) to “Need You Dead” (book 13) and then to “Find Them Dead” (book 16). The change isn’t a deal-breaker, but noticeable because the show has always followed the source material. But while it may no longer be in order, Grace continues to preserve the complexity of James’ storylines. It never feels like the plots lose too much in translation. And the actors are well-settled into their roles at this point, making everything feel that much more natural.

The best example of this is the Grace Season 5 premiere, “Dead If You Don’t.” It’s far from a procedural whodunit. The initial crime is actually connected to another one, which then spirals into a third problem. And the antagonists in the story have their own conflicts that make their side of the episode feel incredibly well-developed. They’re not just the people for Roy Grace and his team to arrest. And the script by Jess Williams, who co-wrote the Season 4 finale, weaves in Grace’s personal struggles so that they work in tandem with the crime-solving, instead of feeling like an aside. “Dead If You Don’t” is like a well-oiled machine, which is also a great way to describe Grace as a whole.

The absence of Craig Parkinson—who left the series after Season 4 but mystery fans may have seen as the co-lead in Mrs. Sidhu Investigates—is definitely felt. His work as Norman Potting brought a spark and deadpan charm to the Grace ensemble, yet Parkinson’s departure allows for Laura Elphinstone to have more screen time as Bella Moy. Actor-musician Juliette Motamed (Halo) is introduced in Episode 2 as Vee Wilde, and the new recruit gets off to a rough start. The character initially leans too much into certain crime drama archetypes.

But John Simm and Richie Campbell continue to lead the way as Roy Grace and Glenn Branson, in a partnership that is perfectly balanced; the actors have a fantastic give and take between them. Zoe Tapper also does some of her best work as Cleo Moray in Season 5—after she and Simm also starred in the miniseries I, Jack Wright, which premiered on BritBox last year. One of the best things about Grace is that the team feels like a team; the writers make sure all the main characters have something significant to do. There are also wonderful guest stars across the four episodes, such as Parkinson’s Line of Duty colleague Maya Sondhi now being on the other side of an investigation.

Story-wise, there’s always one episode in every season that makes the audience squirm. In Grace Season 5, that’s Episode 2, “Dead at First Sight.” The series is once again able to find that balance between being unsettling, and not feeling gratuitous. It’s often about what’s not shown, and the directors don’t need to showcase blood, gore or other violence to get a reaction out of the viewer. The tension comes from the fans being able to connect the dots themselves, and letting them paint the mental picture. Ed Whitmore (Silent Witness and the new FOX drama Memory of a Killer) returns to write the season finale “Find Them Dead,” ending a solid season on a strong note.

Grace Season 5 proves that the drama shows no signs of slowing down. There are new cast members and new members of the creative team, but there’s still a clear respect for Peter James’ novels and getting as much of those stories on screen as possible. Nothing is melodramatic and every scene has a point. And as long as John Simm and Richie Campbell want to keep going as Grace and Branson, the series will be worth watching. These are well-rounded stories sharply brought to life by an experienced cast; crime dramas don’t get much better than this.

Grace Season 5 premieres Thursday, Feb. 5 on BritBox. Photo Credit: Courtesy of ITV.

Article content is (c)2020-2026 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.