SPOILER ALERT AND WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Grace Season 5, Episode 1. It also contains discussion of pregnancy loss.

The return of Grace to BritBox is well worth the wait. Season 5 starts with “Dead If You Don’t,” which is one of the more complicated Roy Grace novels—and the TV version doesn’t miss a beat. All of author Peter James’ plot twists and, more importantly, character layers are taken to the screen.

What was so memorable about the book Dead If You Don’t was that any one of its plots would have been enough for an average crime novel. At first glance, it seemed like James might have been doing more than he needed to. But the story unraveled in the way all fantastic crime books ought to—with all the pieces methodically clicking into place, and the reader being able to make those connections for themselves, instead of being spoon-fed the intended narrative. The Grace episode “Dead If You Don’t” does the exact same thing, and thus it makes for a perfect Season 5 premiere.

The episode has the big scope that TV audiences expect from any season premiere; it doesn’t get much bigger than a bomb threat at a football stadium, while Grace and his son Bruno are watching the match. But this major crisis is just the tip of the dramatic iceberg. Bella Moy and Glenn Branson find a body on the beach before that, and then there’s a kidnapping afterward. Yet the audience never feels confused by having three things to keep track of, and the script does a great job of not just how, but when it reveals the connections. Each time the penny drops, viewers are easily able to understand how the characters got to this point.

Speaking of character, the chaos of the plot thankfully does not mean Grace skimps on character development. The quiet MVP of this episode is Zoe Tapper as Dr. Cleo Morey. “Dead If You Don’t” spends a decent portion of its time on how Cleo is coping—or not—with the loss of her and Grace’s unborn child. Bruno’s visit both helps and hurts; one of the best scenes in the entire show is when he innocently asks Cleo if she’s a mother. The silent gesture that subsequently passes between Cleo and Bruno says so much to viewers. On many other series, their arc would simply be used as filler between crime-solving scenes, since they are quickly out of harm’s way. But in Grace, this feels like its own full story.

And it’s not just Cleo’s story, either. Grace has his own moment that applies, when he interviews the distraught mother of the kidnapping victim (wonderfully played by actor/writer Maya Sondhi, although it’s strange to see her on this side of a crime show after all the time she spent on Line of Duty). She speaks about losing a child, and it clearly has an effect on Grace, as subtly played by the always-spot on John Simm. It’s worth repeating: for all the cops that Simm has portrayed over the years, it feels like all his experience is coming to a head in Grace. The role of Roy Grace fits him so naturally.

It’s a shame that Craig Parkinson is no longer in the cast, both because it would’ve been fun to see him in a scene with Sondhi again and because he was so good as Norman Potting. Grace does not rush to fill his spot, and there’s a lovely scene between Laura Elphinstone and Simm when Grace asks Bella Moy if she’s heard from Norman. The silver lining of Parkinson’s absence is that Elphinstone has a more prominent role as Bella. Brad Morrison is also back as Nick Nicholl, and of course one can’t say enough about Richie Campbell as Glenn Branson. He is still an excellent foil for Simm, as at this point the two know how to work wonderfully in concert together.

But “Dead If You Don’t” allows all of its characters to breathe, even the antagonists. That creates an episode that feels so much more engaging than the usual whodunit. The bad guys (and girls) are more than pieces on a chess board for Grace to capture. Most notably, when the episode gets to the usual late-stage reveal that every crime drama has, it feels more like an “of course” than a “gotcha.” The twist makes sense because of the careful groundwork laid before; it’s not just out of nowhere for the most dramatic effect. In fact, it makes the whole story better. There are a few relatively minor niggles (how the bombing suspect escapes early on will make viewers groan), yet overall this is a tightly plotted story placed in the hands of an always reliable cast.

Last but certainly not least, the Grace Season 5 premiere makes the audience excited about the show’s future. It’s evidence of how much there still is left to do with the characters. They’re turning pages in this episode (no pun intended), and it feels like the start of something new for several people. Of course Peter James has a few more novels left to adapt as well, but “Dead If You Don’t” makes viewers want to see where Grace, Cleo, Branson and everyone goes next, not just whatever case they’ll get to solve.

Grace streams Thursdays on BritBox. Photo Credit: Courtesy of BritBox.

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.