Season 12 could be the end for two of Father Brown‘s beloved characters. Claudie Blakley, who plays Mrs. Isabel Devine on the British television series, hinted that she and Tom Chambers, who plays Chief Inspector Edgar Sullivan, could be exiting.
The characters got engaged at the end of Season 11 and are in the throes of wedding planning amid Season 12. “Lady Felicia (Nancy Carroll) is helping out with the wedding planning, but she gets carried away with the flowers and hair, and Mrs. Devine lets her take over a bit, so the day is at risk of not turning out how Mrs. Devine wanted her day to be,” Blakley told The Mirror.
An issue with Sullivan’s father could also take a toll on the couple, as Blakley teased, “Sullivan’s father also says that he won’t give the wedding his blessing unless they both move to London, which shocks Mrs. Devine. She’s scared at the prospect of having to leave Kembleford and her friends, but she considers it for Edgar and for his career. She loves him.”
Should the duo decide to relocate per Sullivan’s father’s wishes, it would likely mean the end of Blakley and Chambers’ journeys on the show. The actress confirmed that the wedding does happen but didn’t reveal whether Mrs. Devine and Sullivan agreed to his father’s demands.
“On the day of filming it felt like an actual wedding,” Blakley spilled. “All the behind the scenes team were wearing hats! I also got married 18 months before we filmed it, so it was quite close to that too.”
Mark Williams, who portrays the titular character, teased a similar struggle in Mrs. Devine and Sullivan’s wedding planning ahead of the Season 12 premiere on January 10. “In this series, we have another Flambeau episode, and this time we are on a secret mission from the Vatican,” Williams revealed. “I love the Flambeau episodes, it feels like we are in a 1950s thriller and John Light plays him to the hilt. We also have a battle re-enactment in which I got to fight a duel with an expert swordsman, although Father Brown was somewhat handicapped by only having an umbrella. We also have a long awaited wedding, although it isn’t easy getting the happy couple to the altar!”
Father Brown has already been renewed for a Season 13, but the cast has not been confirmed yet, so Blakley and Chambers’ fate is unclear.
Father Brown, Season 12 Premiere, Thursday, January 23, BritBox