Norman got one mention by name throughout the episode, but just what has happened to him, and has Parkinson left the show, or will he be back in the next instalment?
Read on for everything you need to know about Craig Parkinson’s role in Grace.
Has Craig Parkinson left the cast of Grace?
He has. Parkinson announced his departure from the show just before the fourth season aired, revealing it to be his final outing as Norman.
He made the announcement via Instagram, posting the following message: “After a very happy few years I’ve made the decision to hand in Norman Potting’s detective badge.
“It’s been a wonderful experience taking this character from page to screen and updating him for a new audience.”
Parkinson continued: “There was a huge sense of responsibility in portraying such a character from Peter James’s much-loved book series, but with a few tweaks here and there from our excellent script team and the support from Peter, I’m really glad that he resonated with the audience.”
He added: “It’s been a wonderful journey playing Norman Potting, chasing around the streets of Brighton and dangling bad guys off Brighton Pier. I really hope you enjoy this season, it’s been a blast.
“Massive thanks to everyone that’s watched, supported and also those that have said hello when we’ve been filming around Brighton and Hove.”
How has Norman Potting’s departure been explained in Grace?
Viewers first got a sense of where Norman’s storyline was headed back in the third episode of season 4, when he revealed to the team that he had been diagnosed with locally advanced prostate cancer.
Fans had thought this might have led to his departure in the season finale, but by the end of the episode little had changed. He had talked the diagnosis through with his partner Bella Moy, with whom he had developed a close relationship, but beyond that he was last seen with the team, celebrating their successful case.
As Parkinson had already revealed, Norman was nowhere to be seen at the start of the fifth season, with the first episode having now aired.
His departure was referenced once. Roy approached Bella, who seemed to be down, and he told her that he understood she had “a lot going on at the moment”, before asking her to help train up a new recruit.
He then asked whether she had heard anything from Norman, to which she bluntly responded: “Nope.”
Roy said he’d “like to say that’s him trying to protect you from it all”, to which she responded: “Yeah, well we both know that’s b******s.”
So, it seems that Norman has left due to his cancer diagnosis and has completely cut himself off from the team. Here’s hoping we get some more information regarding his whereabouts and situation in the coming weeks.
Grace season 5 continues on ITV1 and ITVX on Sunday 13th April, with seasons 1-4 available to stream on ITVX.
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