This script has been lightly edited for clarity.
Jace Lacob: I’m Jace Lacob and you’re listening to MASTERPIECE Studio.
A vicar and a policeman walk into a fashion show… while that certainly sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, what Alphy finds out at Cathy and Sylvia’s boutique showcase in Episode Seven is anything but. Geordie has been doing some sleuthing on the side in what he believes to be Alphy’s best interest. However for Alphy, this is nothing short of a betrayal.
CLIP
Alphy: I knew you’d make a success of it. Congratulations, Cathy.
Cathy: Aw, thank you! We should celebrate you, too.
Alphy: Hmm? Celebrate what?
Cathy: Well, finding your mum!
Geordie: Cathy.
Cathy: Isn’t Geordie a marvel?
Alphy: What?
Cathy: You’re a dark horse, keeping all that quiet. I’m so pleased for you, you’ve got so much to look forward to.
Geordie: Give us a minute, would you Cathy.
Ever since Alphy read the letter his mother left him at the foundling home, he’s been trying to make sense of the situation. His mind races with questions; Why did she leave him? Did she love her son then? Would she love him if she met him today? But for Alphy, that’s all these are, empty questions with no answer, or at least no answer that he feels ready to confront.
CLIP
Alphy: I never met my parents.
Simeon: Don’t you think sometimes… Perhaps all the answers are there, with them?
Alphy: Do you know, the older I get, the less I think that can be true.
Alphy isn’t the only one thinking about his relationship with his parents. Parent-child dynamics have been at the heart of this season, and by the end of Episode Eight, Geordie makes a real effort to spend time and connect on a deeper level with his son, David, from whom he has been distant.
CLIP
Geordie: First job of a fisherman, find a pleasant spot.
David: Here?
Geordie: Within walking distance of the pub. Perfect.
Today, we wrap up this beautiful season of Grantchester by first talking with lead writer and executive producer Daisy Coulam, and then with the vicar himself, Rishi Nair, as they both reflect on the heartfelt themes of belonging, family, and parent-child dynamics.
Jace Lacob: And this week we are joined once again by Grantchester head writer and executive producer Daisy Coulam. Welcome.
Daisy Coulam: Thank you. Hello again.
Jace Lacob: As we reach the end of this series of Grantchester, there is an undercurrent in Series 10 about our characters’ relationships with their parents, whether that’s Geordie and David, Daniel and Clara, Leonard and his father, or Alphy and his mystery mother. Was the focus on parents intentional this season with the mystery of Alphy’s past looming?
Daisy Coulam: Yeah, it sort of all came into focus. That was the first one we thought of, we knew where we wanted to go this series with Alphy going back to his past, letting Geordie in, and then somehow all the other strands seemed to fall into that thematic world. And we had Leonard and his father dying, and him spiraling a little. And it sort of seamlessly fell together in quite a nice, easy way actually.
Jace Lacob: We’ve had father issues crop up before in Grantchester with Leonard and his father, or Will and his dad, but I love that in Series 10 we get both sides of the parent-child divide here; what it means to be a supportive or protective parent, or even a destructive one and what it means to construct our own identity around our parents. Why was it important that Alphy seek out his mum to try and understand where he came from?
Daisy Coulam: I’ve known a few people who are adoptees and there is that sense of a whole piece of yourself you don’t know. And Alphy has the children’s home where he grew up with Reverend Potts. He has that, but there’s a whole part of himself he doesn’t know. And it’s that curiosity, I think. And I think it’s not about blaming anyone or wanting retribution or anger. It’s about understanding who he is. And that’s the journey we’re setting him off on by the end of the series.
Jace Lacob: Alphy’s introduction in Series Nine skirted the issue of his past. Romford is all we knew, that he was raised in the church. How does the fact that he is a foundling, that he grew up in a group home and never knew his parents and was raised by a reverend, how does that alter our perception of the character? Is it the root of why he needs to feel he belongs?
Daisy Coulam: I think so, I think it’s about religion. Religion has become his safety net. Christianity has become what has defined him. He was brought up by a vicar who almost in a way, formed him in his own image. That’s the world he’s clung to, and now he’s only just got to the point in his life where he has his found family. He has that safety net where he’s able to go out and truly face up to where he came from.
Episode Four I really love, which Nessah Muthy wrote, because it’s just that sense of all these little children who don’t have anyone and they’re all in a way searching for their own identities. And Alphy, much like the nurse, she’s clung to that home because it’s the only home she’s ever had. So, it’s like looking for home, I suppose. In a weird way, that’s what this whole show is about, really is looking for home, looking for family, looking for acceptance and love and that’s the journey Alphy is on now.
Jace Lacob: Alphy sees Geordie tracking down his mum behind his back as a betrayal, though Geordie clearly meant it as a kindness. They have this particularly brutal confrontation about this before each of them apologizing to the other in Episode Eight.
CLIP
Alphy: I’m so sorry.
Geordie: No, I am. I’m sorry.
Alphy: I said some terrible things.
Geordie: Well, you were angry.
Alphy: No, I was rude and I was disrespectful and—
Geordie: I overstepped the mark.
Alphy: You didn’t overstep the mark.
Geordie: It wasn’t my place to find your mum.
Alphy: No, I should’ve been grateful. I am grateful.
Geordie: It wasn’t my decision to make.
Alphy: I shouldn’t have said what I said.
Geordie: All in the past.
Jace Lacob: Was it important that they have a disagreement this early in their friendship and that both of them equally try to repair it?
Daisy Coulam: Yeah, it was interesting because the schisms between the vicar and Geordie is a common theme throughout. But it was funny, we got to Episode Eight and I said, I just don’t see that Alphy would let this carry on. I just don’t see… he’d be cross in the moment and then he’d instantly apologize, and I was like, and then Geordie should do exactly the same. And so that’s how that first scene came about. We just couldn’t figure out how… they’re not the kind to be resentful or hold that resentment. I really like that opening scene where you think they’re both going to be cross with each other and then they’re just like, I’m so sorry.
Jace Lacob: Alphy agonizes all throughout the series about whether he ought to read the letter written by his mom and left at the orphanage. And he ends up tearing it up after the fight with Geordie, but ultimately does read it and goes to see his birth mother. What initially holds him back and what ultimately compels him to find his mum?
Daisy Coulam: If you had a letter like that, as Geordie calls it, it’s Schrodinger’s letter. It could mean anything. When it’s unopened, it can mean anything. I don’t know whether you know this, he didn’t see the letter in the script, so he played it all as if he was Alphy hearing it for the first time in that scene.
So when he cries, it’s really moving because you know he’s literally hearing those words for the first time. And you just think as a little kid, hearing that you were loved and you were cherished and that somebody did wish you well, that’s all you could ever hope for really. Sorry, I’m getting emotional now, God. Something’s in the air. That scene is so beautiful, and that was Maya who wrote that. He’s fearful of what he’ll find and sort of paralyzed by it, and then when he does, it’s like the floodgates open.
Jace Lacob: Throughout Series 10, Alphy has wrestled with whether he belongs. And that struggle comes to a head in episode eight with his confrontation with fascist Wilbur Church,
CLIP
Wilbur: You know, I feel sorry for you. They took a heathen and gave him a bible.
Alphy: I was born here, Mr Church.
Wilbur: Shunted from one place. Forced into another. Never quite fitting in. He must be so confused.
Alphy: I know exactly who I am.
Jace Lacob: How significant is this moment for Alphy’s character arc?
Daisy Coulam: I think that’s it. I think that’s the moment where he goes, no, I’m ready to do this, I’m ready to go and see her. Because if you’re going looking for answers, maybe that’s the wrong time to go. Going knowing who you are, that’s the time when you should face somebody. That’s the time. When you are certain of yourself and can hold that in your heart, I suppose. You’ve got to be strong for those moments, I think. And he feels in that moment that he’s strong. And yeah, that build to that end of that episode is so lovely.
Jace Lacob: Well let’s talk about that scene. It is the final scene of Series 10 and we get him knocking on his mum’s door, which opens revealing, well, we don’t know yet, and Alphy simply says, “Hello.” What can you tell us about where this storyline is heading and about maybe even who might be playing his mum in Series 11?
Daisy Coulam: Ah, we are still in the early stages of that, but we have some ideas of who’s playing his mum. We want to do a story that’s quite complex about this, about reconnecting with somebody who is, you know, a blood relative, who is the closest relative you could ever have, and yet you’ve not seen each other for 32 years. You have no frame of reference. For Alphy, it’s about where does he fit in now? Does he fit in with his mum or does he fit in with the church? Does he fit in with everything he was brought up to believe? Again, it’s throwing those quite big questions at him. Was faith forced upon him or did God bind him? It’s quite big questions for him. But also, there will be some heartwarming moments as well, I promise. There’s some love.
Jace Lacob: There’s some love. You tend to approach each series finale as a potential ending. This is the first time I can think of that you’ve written a cliffhanger ending, that door opening to the past and the future at once for Alphy. What was different about the end of Series 10 that made you want to write this as a cliffhanger?
Daisy Coulam: Do you know, I wonder if we were just being a bit cheeky really, going surely you can’t leave it here. Maybe we would. But I also think that this, in a way, if it had been the last series, like you say, it’s the past and the present and the future rolled into one word really, in “Hello.” You could have gone, oh my God he’s found happiness, he’s found completion, but then actually it also gives us somewhere really fun to go in the next series. When you bring her back into his new found family, and how ‘real family’ in inverted commas, and found family fit together, there’s a lot to explore there.
Jace Lacob: The brutality of the scene between Leonard and Daniel’s mum, Clara still has me shaken. It was so unexpectedly cruel, particularly after how Leonard was treated by his own father, even in death.
CLIP
Clara: My husband is very sick.
Leonard: I’m sorry to hear that.
Clara: It’s worry, for his son.
Leonard: There really is no need.
Clara: Daniel had a wife, you know. Madeline. We’re still very close, she and I. Daniel deserves to be happy.
Leonard: He is happy. I can assure you of that.
Clara: Who are you to tell me about my son? You corrupted him with your filth and your perversion. You’re nothing but a deviant. It makes me sick to even look at you.
Jace Lacob: And Jack tells Daniel because Leonard wasn’t going to tell him. Al is amazing as always here. What do you think kept Leonard from speaking up? What was the small price to pay that he mentions?
Daisy Coulam: I think he’s got no one. Essentially, Leonard is an orphan now. He lost his father. His father didn’t even want him at the funeral. I think it’s about forgiveness. And if they don’t accept Leonard, if Daniel’s parents don’t accept Leonard, maybe that’s the price to pay for Daniel being happy. And actually what’s lovely is Daniel chooses Leonard.
Because I think there’s that amazing scene at the end of Episode Six where Daniel and Leonard have that huge argument, and Leonard says, I’ve given everything for you and you’ve given nothing back. And in that moment, Daniel finally sacrifices something. He sacrifices his family for Leonard. And it is sort of equal pegging again, I think they’re back to being equal.
Jace Lacob: I love that Mrs. C and Jack have become surrogate parents and their love and acceptance has been so tender. Jack’s paternal kindness to Daniel after he smashes the teapot is gorgeous. And Nick Brimble is so great in that scene. Given parenthood is such a dominant theme for this series, how does the Chapman’s love, the love of that found family, offer hope to Leonard, Daniel, and Alphy?
Daisy Coulam: If you think how far Mrs. C, especially, has come, I mean, Jack weirdly has always been quite open-minded, I think. He’s a man who’s seen the world, who feels a bit more worldly than other people. Mrs. C has been, well, the first time she caught Leonard kissing it was like he broke her heart. And it was devastating for her, and it took a long while to come back. And now I think it’s just about love, isn’t it?
It’s one of those things that when you realize you love somebody, it doesn’t matter if they’re gay. If they’re happy, you are happy for them. And I think that’s what’s so lovely about it. And with Rishi, again, it’s about love and acceptance and kindness. What I love about that is this raggle-taggle bunch are a family, all of them. Daniel’s there, why should he be part of it? In a weird way, why should Jack be part of it? It’s this weird group of people that have all come together and all have each other’s back, which I love.
Jace Lacob: I love that. Elsewhere, there’s the gorgeous fishing scene between Geordie and David, where Geordie evolves into a supportive and caring father and says,
CLIP
Geordie: You know, David… Whatever you want to do in life. Whatever you like. Whatever you wanna be… I’ll always be proud. I love you, son.
Jace Lacob: It’s such a gorgeous and powerful moment from Robson. What was the inspiration for this scene juxtaposed with Clara’s hatred?
Daisy Coulam: There was a previous episode where Geordie couldn’t say the words, “I love you.” He just couldn’t. It’s Episode Five. It’s almost like that man thing of not being able to express it because somehow that’s dangerous. And I think what we wanted to do was get to by the end of this series, that he is capable of saying those words. And it’s not even about that he wants his son to say it back. It’s not about that. It’s just about going, you are you David, I am me, and I’ll be proud of you, whatever. Oh no, I’m getting emotional again. Good Lord. Yeah, and I think they played it really well that scene, and obviously Robson is very good at fishing, so he added some fishing talk. But I think he played it very beautifully. It’s very sort of underplayed in a way.
Jace Lacob: It’s very human. Very human.
Daisy Coulam: Yeah. And in a way, Alphy’s bid to go and see his mother has sort of inspired him, I think. You have these chances very rarely. You might never have that moment again. It’s sort of fleeting, isn’t it, I suppose. So he picks that moment and does it. Yeah, fathers and sons, big theme. Well, just parents in general, I suppose. Yeah.
Jace Lacob: Yeah. Big themes, big stuff. Cath and Sylvia have opened their own clothing boutique, which I think captures the spirit of changing women’s roles in the 1960s and shows just how much both characters have grown across 10 series. How did you land on the idea of a boutique for the two of them, and how does this crystallize their friendship?
Daisy Coulam: It’s about them coming together. We wanted to do something which was empowering, I suppose, it’s about two women empowering each other. They’ve sort of lived for everyone else. Cathy’s lived for Geordie and the kids and brought them up, and Mrs. C has basically brought up every vicar that’s in that house. It’s about those two having their time. And I think we started it in, Kacey, the episode I did with Kacey last year, where it was about women, really. We got really excited about that notion of those two following their dream for once, having that moment to follow their dream.
And it’s just fun to have them go to the bank manager and tell the bank manager off. And then, I don’t know how we stumbled on fashion. I think because Cathy has always worked in that fashion-y world, and Mrs. C is always supportive of Cathy. That sort of became the world. And then as soon as we had that world, we were like, oh, we’ll do a crime in that world. That’d be great. And then you have the fashion show. It’s just quite fun and vibrant.
Jace Lacob: I love it. I love it. So Series 10 does end on that cliffhanger of Alphy at the doorway, quite possibly about to meet his mother and solve the mystery of his past. We know that there’s an 11th series on the way for 2026 here in the States. What can you tell us in the broadest of strokes about Series 11?
Daisy Coulam: It’s very exciting. Again, it’s about Alphy connecting with his mother, but where does that go? Oh God, there’s some exciting things, basically. There’s some exciting things about Alphy questioning the church, but there’s also some fun and Geordie… I can’t tell you! I’m trying to think how to say it without giving it all away.
Jace Lacob: You can tell me. You can tell me.
Daisy Coulam: No one will hear. It’s fine. Let’s just say that there are some big shakeups and some potential danger in some characters’ lives.
Jace Lacob: Mm. That’s worrisome. That’s worrisome.
Daisy Coulam: It’s worrisome. But you know, it’s Grantchester. It’ll all come right in the end, I think.
Jace Lacob: It’ll all be okay. Just don’t pay attention to the murders.
Daisy Coulam: Yeah, exactly. Everything else is fine.
Jace Lacob: Daisy Coulam, thank you so very much.
Daisy Coulam: Thank you. So nice to be back.
MIDROLL – We’ll take a quick break to hear a word from our sponsors, and when we return, we’ll talk with Alphy Kottaram himself, actor Rishi Nair.
Jace Lacob: And we are joined again this week by Grantchester star, Rishi Nair. Welcome.
Rishi Nair: Thank you so much.
Jace Lacob: So before we get deep into Episode Eight, I want to backtrack and talk about the scene where Alphy has Geordie read the letter from his mum in Episode Six.
CLIP
Geordie: My dearest. Never question if you were loved. Make no mistake, you are a blessing and you deserve to live a full and happy life. Forgive me, but I simply cannot give you that. I have nothing and nobody. Even though we will no longer be together, I will think of you every day until I die. I know you will make the world a better place simply by being in it. May your light shine bright, my son.
Alphy: Thank you, Geordie.
Jace Lacob: Is it true that you hadn’t read the contents of the letter in the script before shooting this scene and that this was the first time you were hearing these words?
Rishi Nair: That is correct, yeah. We had filmed so much about this letter in the buildup to this. From when he got it from Reverend Potts, we did, I don’t know how many scenes there are where Alphy’s in his office debating whether or not to open the letter. We obviously shoot economically in terms of, we’re in our location, so we shoot a couple of scenes together.
So, those scenes I did all in one day. And by the fourth time we did it, I was like, I don’t know how else to portray me deliberating whether to open this letter or not. So there was so much emphasis on that. And obviously the contents of this letter were such a big deal for Alphy that I just thought if I didn’t read it in the scripts beforehand and we just shot it for the first time on camera, it would be real and kind of raw. And, it might not have worked, but it would’ve been nice to experience that. So yeah, I kindly asked the script team not to send me a script with that letter in it. So there was a version which I think was just called ‘Rishi Version’ which didn’t have the contents of the script there.
And then obviously that got around to everyone and when it came to the day of actually filming it, I remember a lot of the crew were coming up to me like, oh, you haven’t read anything about the letter. And, I put so much pressure on myself then because I was like, God, I’m going to have to deliver now, because we’ve gone this far to not include it in the script. But yeah, I mean, for me as an actor, it really helps because I kind of just put myself in Alphy’s shoes in that moment in time and just listened, listened to the letter. And Robson, who plays Geordie, read it so beautifully that just brought out all these emotions. And so I would like to think that it was probably a good decision not to read that beforehand.
Jace Lacob: I think so much of acting is reacting and you’re able to just be in that moment and react to this message that you’re hearing for the first time. And your performance is so profoundly beautiful. You have this single tear running down your face. It feels so genuinely rooted in emotion, that I think you pulled it off.
Rishi Nair: Thank you very much.
Jace Lacob: It just feels very genuine. “I know you will make the world a better place simply by being in it. May your light shine bright, my son.” Is there finally a sense of closure for Alphy hearing these words? Can he finally let go of something he’s held onto for so long?
Rishi Nair: I think so. I think he can. And you know, the letter, I have to mention this before we move on. We talked about how beautifully Geordie read it or how I reacted to it, but in actual fact that, the credit for that goes to the writers because it was so beautifully written. It was so short, I was expecting it to be super long, obviously I hadn’t read it. It was so short that it was so economical. It was just, every line meant something. And it was so easy to react to because there was so much meaning behind each line. And like you said, those two lines at the end there, in a few sentences, it’s funny how something that you’ve been questioning your whole life can kind of be answered in such a small amount of words.
And obviously, I don’t want to make it seem like everything’s perfect now, but I think what Alphy takes from that letter is he’s always had this fear that he wasn’t wanted. He wasn’t wanted for one reason or another, or why did this happen?
Like most people, you kind of think the worst of any situation that you don’t know about. But I think by the end of the letter what he realizes is he was loved. And I think that for him means so much. It kind of means the world to him just to know that he was loved. And I think from hearing that we see him in the next episode and he’s kind of got this skip in his step again and he’s back to Alphy as we know him and very content and very happy with his life because yeah, he knew that he was loved by his mother.
Jace Lacob: The letter could be dynamite, but instead I think it is a salve like, it heals this thing he’s been feeling. How has your dynamic with Robson deepened in the time you’ve played Alphy? Does it mirror Alphy’s and Geordie’s even if Robson does support New Castle?
Rishi Nair: Yeah, do you know what, we’re really, really close. And obviously spending time together, working together for another year brought us even closer. Robson just turned 60 this year and I am 34 years old, so there’s a big age gap. But me and Robson, I guess if you had saw two people like that, you would maybe think more like a father-son relationship or something like that. But you know, me and Robinson are literally just two best pals. We just get on and I think we have that same love language of football and acting, and we both care so much about the show.
We work 12 hours a day, but in the evenings we’re constantly messaging on WhatsApp, voice-noting or jumping on a call, discussing the scene for the next morning, which is really helpful for me because I’m someone that loves to prep and know what we’re doing. And Robson is exactly the same. We both care about the show so much. And obviously, Robson’s been in this industry for such a long time, and when we have our downtime, he has the greatest stories to tell, and he loves telling a story as well. And I love listening to his stories. So yeah, every day is enjoyable with Robson Green.
Jace Lacob: We end episode seven with Alphy tearing up that letter from his mum, and it somehow feels like he’s conflating his anger at his unknown parents with his anger at Geordie for opening up this wound by tracking her down.
CLIP
Geordie: I just wanted to help. I’ve been making calls and pulling favors. I got an address. That’s all. Last known residence. It could be her.
Alphy: How dare you. I never asked you to do that. Why won’t you just let me move on?
Geordie: Because I think you’re missing an opportunity.
Alphy: Don’t you dare try and be my father too because I really don’t need that. You know, I’m not scared of rejection. I’ve decided to close that door!
Geordie: Oh, bollocks. It’s your bloody mother! You can’t bottle that stuff up and avoid it forever. Just like you can’t keep playing friends with Meg!
Alphy: Oh because you know best, right? Because wise old Geordie’s got it all figured out. The arrogance!
Geordie: Hey, I‘m just trying to help.
Alphy: You can’t even talk to your own bloody son! You can barely hide your disappointment. So you can imagine how compelled I feel to hunt down the woman who abandoned me, when you’re demonstrating such world class parenting. Well you know what, to hell with you, Geordie.
Jace Lacob: I love the fact that the two men don’t spend several episodes brooding, but they immediately apologize to the other. Geordie assures Alphy it’s all in the past. What do you make of Grantchester‘s exploration of male friendships?
Rishi Nair: Yeah, do you know it is actually the second fight they’ve had because the first scene I had, I punched him in his face.
Jace Lacob: They were strangers then, though. They were strangers.
Rishi Nair: That’s correct. That’s correct. Yeah no, it’s their first argument they’ve had as friends. Geordie’s telling Cathy it was his fault. I’m never going to apologize, I’m never going to apologize. And Alphy’s kind of going on this run to clear his head and they both see each other and they both just pour their heart out to each other and apologize. And I think male friendships are quite like that, aren’t they? When I’ve grown up with my male friends, if you ever have gotten into an argument, 10 minutes later you can be having a laugh about it, and it’s all forgotten. We don’t really hold grudges. So, I think that’s probably quite accurate with Alphy and Geordie.
And I think just on the topic of male friendship, I think this season really explores that quite beautifully because there’s a lovely scene, and I can’t remember what episode it’s in exactly, between Alphy, Geordie and Leonard. And it’s a really long scene, it’s just three of them. But it’s just three men talking, and I don’t think you get that very often, and I think especially in 1962, you wouldn’t just have three men just talking about how they’re feeling or their family. And it’s also funny, isn’t it, because they all give each other advice and it’s all great advice, but none of them really take it.
And with most people is that if you talk to a friend or someone, everyone’s great at giving advice, but whether people actually listen to their own advice is a whole different thing. But yeah, that scene in particular was really lovely to film with Robson and Al and we had a lot of fun filming that.
Jace Lacob: We get in this episode as well the origin story for Alphy’s Triumph, and it is rooted in this deep emotional wound that Alphy has.
CLIP
Alphy: You know why I bought my car? That stupidly expensive Triumph?
Geordie: More money than sense?
Alphy: So if I met my parents, they’d see me in it and think, that’s a man to be proud of.
Geordie: Here’s a thought, what if you’re already a man to be proud of?
Jace Lacob: How does Alphy conflate possession with pride or even with masculinity?
Rishi Nair: Yeah, it’s strange, isn’t it? It’s a strange thought to buy an expensive car and the hope that your parents that abandoned you as a baby would see it and think that. I mean, it’s so far-fetched. But it’s so deep rooted in him, isn’t it? I guess for Alphy, what it stands for is, I guess he’s trying to prove the world wrong. He’s trying to prove to people that you can be a foundling or you can be an outsider in this world, and you can still be something that people are proud of. I’m not too sure whether possessions are that important to him, but I guess in this instance, it is in a way.
It’s a very brash statement, isn’t it, driving around in that car, especially being a vicar. It’s not what you would expect a vicar to be driving today, let alone in the sixties. And I think that is just a part of his personality, is that he’s taking life head on. He’s going against the norms. And he doesn’t really care what people think of him. I think he’s so self-assured. I mean, how much of that is real and genuine is another question. But, he’s had to constantly prove people wrong because they look at him and they judge him instantly. And I think that’s what he’s doing here now with his car I guess, it’s the same thing.
Jace Lacob: Mrs. C painstakingly restores the letter from Alphy’s mom and gives it to him as a gift within that box.
CLIP
Mrs. C: It was in the bin and I thought, he’ll regret that one day. It’s a beautiful letter.
Alphy: She wrote it a long time ago.
Mrs. C: That’s not the kind of love that goes away. That’s the kind that grows and grows till your heart’s fit to burst.
Alphy: Well, she left a baby and um… Well, she loved him, but I um…
Mrs. C: But what?
Alphy: But what if she doesn’t love me?
Mrs. C: Oh, Alphy. Who couldn’t love you?
Jace Lacob: What does this mean to him, both the gift and the sentiment behind the message, “Oh, Alphy, who couldn’t love you?”
Rishi Nair: Yeah, I think it’s a really lovely scene, and a very emotional scene. An emotional scene to film as well. It’s so ironic, isn’t it because it’s… the way I saw this scene was, he’s kind of given up on this chance to meet his mother because he’s ripped up this letter and thrown it in the bin. Yet the irony is that it gets put together and given to him by Mrs. C who really is like a mother to him. It’s her giving him this chance to meet his birth mother, but in that whole scene, the fact that she’s glued it back together and of the words that she says, you are watching it thinking, well, he’s already got a mother figure in his life in Mrs. C. And so, yeah, that scene was really, really beautiful to film and the super talented Tessa Peake-Jones made that scene so easy for me.
Jace Lacob: One of the joys of these two series has been seeing Alphy and Sylvia forge this rather unique bond, and I love watching you and Tessa together. Are the two of you as warm with each other off camera as you are on camera?
Rishi Nair: Oh, we are. We love spending time together. It’s like Robson as well, Tessa has great stories from her time in the industry. Tessa really is one of those people that lights up a room. She comes in and she just gives everyone so much energy. She comes in with so much energy and she’s so positive and happy. She’s actually one of the people that when we go to start filming makes me laugh the most because she’s such a warm, smiley person. But as soon as she goes into Mrs. C, she has this kind of grumpy face on and just before we’re about to go to action, kind of seeing her go from Tessa to Mrs. C, I have to give myself a minute to kind of lock in before we go for a take because it is quite funny.
Jace Lacob: Series 10 ends with Alphy on that precipice about to meet his mum and hopefully start the road toward understanding his past. What are your hopes for Alphy in Series 11?
Rishi Nair: Well, I hope he gets to meet his mum. We obviously know he’s met his mum. Well, we don’t know. It could not be his mother. It could be someone else that lives there. But yeah, I think it would be nice to explore that. It would obviously change the dynamics. It’s funny, isn’t it, you have a set of characters, or in any life you kind of have a set of a group of people and it only takes one person to enter that or to leave that, to change the dynamics. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse.
So I think it’ll be really interesting for Alphy to explore that and to explore having a mother and also asking questions about his culture and identity and maybe learning a little bit more about that. That would be nice. And it would be nice to see where things go with Alphy and Meg, whether anything does actually happen there or whether they can just remain friends.
Jace Lacob: Maybe some more samosas.
Rishi Nair: Maybe some more samosas.
Jace Lacob: Rishi Nair, thank you so very much.
Rishi Nair: Thank you so much for having me.
Next time, another murder, another cozy village, and another small team of unlikely detectives.
CLIP
Peter: I’m worried something might happen.
Judith: Something bad?
Peter: Look, I can’t say, not over the phone. Come to the party and I’ll tell you all about it there.
In three weeks, don’t miss the Season Two premiere of The Marlow Murder Club followed by the Season Six premiere of Unforgotten. It all begins Sunday, August 24th at 9 pm Eastern.
