SPOILER ALERT: The following contains spoilers for Grace Season 5, Episode 4.

It’s sad that Grace Season 5 is coming to an end, but the season finale is an example of how British TV’s shorter season orders can be a positive. BritBox viewers see the series clearly finishing one character arc and setting up the next (don’t worry, Season 6 is coming per Radio Times). The real concern with “Find Them Dead” is that it isn’t nearly as intense as the episode that came before it.

Finales are expected to be emphatic periods on the season, often containing some of the biggest moments. American TV shows have a tendency to overdo this, as if trying to coax audiences—and sometimes networks—into coming back for more. Grace Season 5, Episode 4 does have a big cliffhanger at the end, but otherwise it feels like pretty much another episode. It’s impossible not to want a little more, knowing that it will be a while until viewers see Roy Grace again.

The plot revolves around the trial of Terry Maxwell, a lawyer accused of also being the drug kingpin known as “The Merchant.” Maxwell’s crew work to sabotage witnesses and jurors alike, making this installment feel like a British version of Runaway Jury. The constant cuts back to courtroom testimony slow down the pace considerably, even if that’s understandable. Court scenes typically don’t have the same level of drama that investigative ones do, unless you’re Linus Roache in Law & Order. The big reveal that it’s actually Maxwell’s wife who is the villain won’t come as much of a surprise either; that’s a common trope, one that FBI used just this week.

There’s at least enough suspense to keep viewers watching, but no real moments that pop either plot or performance-wise. Simm is as able as ever playing Grace, yet the idea that Grace is on tilt because of Cassian doesn’t get pushed as far as it could have. He never truly feels like he’s out of control. Richie Campbell gets two different scenes where Glenn Branson tries to confront Grace, yet the subplot involving Branson’s wife Ari remains unresolved for now. And there’s a story about Vee Wilde and her estranged father, but there’s not enough of it nor are viewers attached enough to her yet for that to come as a huge shock.

The cliffhanger won’t surprise anyone who’s read the Peter James novels, but it will catch out those who haven’t. Cassian tells Grace that Grace’s late wife Sandy was actually murdered, and since Cassian was unable to pay Sandy’s debt to the organized crime family, those people will be coming after Grace and Sandy’s son Bruno. If Grace Season 6 is also four episodes, that means the Season 6 finale will adapt They Thought I Was Dead, which James wrote from Sandy’s point of view. That will be something to look forward to.

Despite not having any massive moments, “Find Them Dead” still tells a story that has a clear beginning, middle and end. It also wraps up the big emotional story of the season involving Cleo Morey’s miscarriage, as her part of the episode involves packing up the nursery and telling Grace that she doesn’t want to try to get pregnant again, at least for now. Grace started on that crushing note, has played out the sadness enough to do it justice, and is allowing Cleo to move on. Grace may not be doing the same thanks to the Sandy reveal, but audiences at least feel like that’s the only thing left hanging.

Grace season 5 is now streaming on BritBox; a sixth season has been ordered by ITV. 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.