Honestly, if you’re a fan of British police procedurals, you already know there’s something different about George Gently. It isn’t just about the trilby hats or the vintage Rover 2000s. It’s the grit. By the time we hit George Gently Season 7, the show had moved past the "Swinging Sixties" nostalgia and dove headfirst into the messy, industrial reality of the late 60s and early 70s.
It’s 1969. The world is changing. People are angry.
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The seventh season, which aired back in 2015, consists of four feature-length episodes that feel more like gritty movies than standard TV. We’ve got the usual suspects: Martin Shaw as the stoic, moral compass George Gently and Lee Ingleby as the often-frustrated, ambitious John Bacchus. But this season is where the cracks really start to show—not just in the cases they solve, but in the men themselves.
The Cases That Defined George Gently Season 7
Most people remember the season for how it tackled issues that felt "too big" for a detective show. Take the first episode, Gently with the Women. You’ve got Bacchus being his usual dismissive self when a prostitute reports a rape. It’s uncomfortable to watch today, but that’s the point. The show forces you to see the systemic sexism of the era through the eyes of WPC Rachel Coles (played brilliantly by Lisa McGrillis). Gently, ever the outlier, is the only one who treats the victim with an ounce of dignity.
Then there’s Breathe in the Air. This one hits different because it touches on industrial negligence—specifically asbestos. It’s a slow-burn mystery involving a GP’s supposed suicide that spirals into a massive cover-up at a local factory. It’s bleak. It’s foggy. It’s quintessential Northern noir.
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A Breakdown of the Season 7 Episodes:
- Gently with the Women: Deals with a serial rapist and internal police corruption.
- Breathe in the Air: Investigates a suspicious suicide linked to industrial pollution.
- Gently Among Friends: A death at a fortieth birthday party leads to a web of debt and construction fraud.
- Son of a Gun: A high-stakes bank robbery on Christmas Eve involving skinhead gangs and machine guns.
The Bombshell Nobody Saw Coming
If you’ve watched George Gently Season 7 all the way to the end, you know about the "Son of a Gun" finale. This isn't just a "case of the week." Gently is forced to drop a massive truth bomb on Bacchus: he has Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
It’s a heartbreaking moment. Gently, the man who represents the "old guard" and immovable strength, is suddenly vulnerable. He spends most of the season hiding his symptoms—the tremors, the fatigue—because he doesn’t want to be seen as "done." It adds a layer of desperation to his pursuit of justice. He knows his time is running out.
Why the Setting Matters
The show is technically set in Northumberland and Durham, but a fun fact that bugs some purists is that much of the early series was actually filmed in Ireland (Dublin and Wicklow). However, by Season 7, the production leaned heavily into its North East roots. You’ll see the High Level Bridge in Newcastle and the historic streets of Durham.
The filming locations aren't just pretty backdrops; they represent the "New Age" clashing with the old. You have the brutalist architecture of the 70s starting to replace the Victorian brickwork. It mirrors the tension between Gently’s traditional morals and Bacchus’s desire to move into the modern, often more cynical, era of policing.
Dealing with the "New Age"
The season is a bridge to the final episodes. You’ve got WPC Rachel Coles becoming a permanent fixture, and her presence is vital. She represents the future. She’s smarter than Bacchus in many ways—or at least more thorough. The dynamic between the three of them is what keeps the show grounded. Bacchus is jealous of her relationship with Gently, and Gently is trying to mentor both of them while his own body is failing him.
It’s also important to clear up a common misconception: some fans confuse Season 7 with the final season. It’s not. There is a Season 8 (often referred to as the "final two films"), but Season 7 is where the emotional groundwork for that finale is laid. If you skip this, the end of the series won't make a lick of sense.
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Actionable Next Steps for Fans:
If you’re looking to revisit this era of the show or watch it for the first time, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Watch "Gently with the Women" first: It’s the strongest episode for character development, specifically for Rachel and Bacchus.
- Pay attention to the background: The 1969/70 transition is reflected in the music (Ska and Rocksteady in the "Son of a Gun" episode) and the changing fashions.
- Check the streaming rights: In the US, it’s usually on Acorn TV or BritBox; in the UK, it cycles through BBC iPlayer and Alibi.
- Look for the "Isabella" references: Gently’s late wife is a ghost that haunts this entire season, setting up the ultimate closure we get in the series finale.
The beauty of George Gently is that it doesn’t give you easy answers. It’s a show about a man trying to be good in a world that’s becoming increasingly complicated. Season 7 isn't just a collection of mysteries; it's a character study of a legend facing his own sunset.