As Rosie Jones (Emilia Fox) stepped onto the train, her suitcase, a reflection of her pregnancy struggles, gave way to an alarming surge of blood, painting the luggage compartment in a shocking shade of crimson. The authorities, baffled by such a grim discovery, were compelled to question Rosie about the lifeless bodies she had unintentionally revealed. With a steely composure, she disclosed that the corpses belonged to her unfaithful husband and his paramour—a revelation that landed her in a psychiatric facility, deemed unfit to face trial due to diminished responsibility.
Fast-forward forty years, and we meet Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson), the well-meaning vicar of Little Wallop, who found himself enmeshed in a convoluted family dilemma. Oblivious to the turmoil plaguing his loved ones, Walter devoted himself to perfecting his sermon for an impending conference, completely unaware of his wife Gloria's (Kristin Scott Thomas) unfulfilled desires, which she planned to satisfy with her golf instructor, Lance ([Patrick Swayze]). Simultaneously, their daughter Holly ([Tamsin Egerton]) was navigating a wave of romantic entanglements, while their son Petey ([Toby Parkes]) endured the relentless torment of bullies.
Amidst this chaos enters Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith), the new member of the household staff, who quickly found herself knee-deep in the Goodfellow family's drama. She began her tenure by dealing with Clarence, the relentless Jack Russell, and the pesky Mr. Brown, whose incessant barking kept Gloria from resting. Next, Grace targeted Petey's bullies, cleverly sabotaging their bicycles, leaving one of them nursing a painful injury. Her crowning act was eliminating Lance, using a hot flat iron after catching him in a compromising position with Holly.
As Walter prepared for his crucial conference, Grace provided her unique brand of advice: infuse some humor into his sermon, suggesting that doing so may rekindle his love for both God and Gloria. Her insights resonated, and as the household's troubles began to surface, Walter set off for his event.
What Walter, Gloria, and Holly did not realize was that their new housekeeper was none other than Rosie Jones—returned from her past life of crime to disrupt their current lives. When they stumbled upon her photo in a news article detailing her release and her prior misdeeds, the pieces began to fall into place, revealing the extent of her chaotic influence. With a mix of horror and acceptance, Gloria emphasized that sometimes, "killing isn't the answer" when faced with dilemmas—a hard lesson her mother was destined to learn.
As tensions escalated, it became evident that Grace and her medical professionals had reached a stalemate during their discussions. In this fraught environment, Gloria tried to assist them as they coped with the grim situation regarding Lance's lifeless body, but her efforts fell short. The three women, sharing tea in an attempt to find tranquillity, resolved that discretion was paramount, collectively deciding to conceal their dark secret from Walter and Petey.
The comedic turmoil escalated when Mrs. Parker ([Liz Smith]), a persistent church member, paid an unexpected visit to discuss the flower arranging committee. Unbeknownst to her, this encounter stirred a moral crisis within Grace, who misinterpreted it as a golden opportunity to silence the bothersome Mrs. Parker with a frying pan. Fortunately, Gloria intervened just in time, but the incident proved too shocking for Mrs. Parker's fragile heart, leading to her demise.
Walter arrived home from his conference, blissfully unaware of the chaos that had erupted in his absence, only to discover Mrs. Parker’s lifeless body on the ground. The family's already strained dynamics were further tested when Grace abruptly left, forcing the others to mend the fractures in their lives.
Seeking clarity, Walter consulted Bob and Ted, two waterworks employees diligently tending to the vicar's pond, who informed him that it had become overrun with algae, necessitating immediate measures to drain it. This moment of crisis underscored the challenges Gloria faced as she served tea to her guests, her forced smile a symbol of her unwavering commitment to burying the family's secrets.
In a haunting final image, the audience gazes into the pond’s depths, where Lance and his unfortunate victims lie in eternal rest, alongside Bob and Ted, whose lives were snuffed out just moments beforehand.
