'The Grand Tour finale is the perfect ending for Clarkson, May, and Hammond'
Towards the end of The Grand Tour’s final ever episode, One For The Road, Jeremy Clarkson issues a quick kerbside update: "Richard Hammond has broken down again."
Nothing unusual about that, you might say. Hammond’s vehicles are always breaking down. It’s been a running joke for over two decades. True. But for perhaps the first time in all the years that Clarkson, Hammond and James May have worked together, we can’t be sure that Clarkson isn’t in fact talking about the other kind of breaking down for once.
It goes without saying that this epic two-hour farewell adventure in Africa was always going to be a bit emotional for the millions of Top Gear and The Grand Tour fans around the world. Their controversial heroes are also saying goodbye though. And all three are keenly aware of it.
I’m not saying they are weeping around a campfire, flapping their hands in front of their eyes to stop the tears ruining their mascara like the ladies do on reality TV shows. It would, though, be fair to say they all have their moments along the way. Obviously, they betray their emotions in the most manly ways possible — but more on that later.
To be fair, at the start of the show Clarkson does attempt to set a "business as usual/nothing to see here" tone as he perfunctorily announces: "This will be the last time that James, Richard and I will ever work together." And before you go, 'Yeah, well that’s what Liam and Noel Gallagher said', I think it’s pretty clear he means it.
They’ve all stuck rigidly to that line since news first broke last year that their working relationship would soon be over. Once you have watched One For The Road all the way to the end of the road you will feel there’s a definite finality to proceedings. Hint: The massive lump in your throat will be your first clue.
Early doors in Zimbabwe though, Clarkson actually begins to see the positives in this being their last hurrah. When Hammond makes a slightly off-colour comment about the Titan submarine disaster, Clarkson dusts off his old routine of telling viewers where to direct their complaints. Then he stops himself in his tracks and proudly declares that as there will soon be no show left to cancel, "We can say whatever we want!"
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It would appear they were in a similarly anarchic mood when it came to the production team’s plans for this farewell show. Well, that’s if you believe Mr Wilman had really wanted their final challenge to simply be the three of them driving around the M25 in electric cars until the batteries ran out. (Yes, I would have gladly watched that as well.)
Instead, as James May explains, "We decided to buy things we’ve always wanted." That was their first mistake. The love between man and machines has formed the backbone of their 22 years of TV tomfoolery. Bringing their hearts’ ultimate desires along for the ride was always going to stir up emotions they might struggle to control.
Picking classic 50-year-old sports cars merely adds to the overall air of nostalgia. May goes for a Triumph Stag, while Clarkson chooses a Lancia Montecarlo and Hammond plumps for a Ford Capri. And off they go, bidding to drive across Zimbabwe from East to West.
The first hour or so of the film is pretty much monkey business as usual. The cars break down, the scenery is stunning, Clarkson and May gently bully Hammond (well, he had just had a naff tattoo done), Clarkson superglues his own finger to a table, and they contrive a silly stunt which results in a driverless VW Beetle hurtling off a mountain.
However, when they reach Harare, we begin to notice that the enormity of what they are doing may just be starting to hit home. What seems to spark it is a sweet and innocuous write up in the local paper, which describes them as "The most recognisable figures in the world when it comes to motoring on television." Although they try to brush it off, seeing those words in black and white while on the other side of the world clearly affects them.
There is a definite gearshift in the second half of the film. All three become much more reflective, and although initial discussion of their respective futures quickly descends into some admittedly excellent banter about not ending up in the same old folks together and wondering at which provincial theatre "and TV’s Richard Hammond as Buttons" will make his panto debut in 2026, they can’t put off the inevitable for long.
A simple skid is all it takes for Clarkson to get the wistful ball rolling. He realises it might be the last skid he will ever do on camera. "Everybody does something in their life for the last time at some point," he muses. "But you don’t know (it’s the last one) at the time. So, I shall remember that skid."
Later on, after he’s had a couple of drinks on board his newly-acquired bar boat (don’t ask, cos I’m not revealing the story behind that one here), he stares into the camera and sighs "What a job this has been. What a career."
Hammond is next, soliloquising that "I can’t pretend it isn’t going to be a wrench, ending this." Then he quickly chides himself for going to the dark place, and pulls himself together. I think it’s May who comes the closest to tearing up on camera, although even he manages to stiffen his lip with a quick, "Anyway, I hope we’ve brought you a little happiness."
I’d argue that was beyond question. I’d also say they have come up with the perfect ending to their journey. I’m not going to spoil things by revealing what actually happens before the engines are switched off for the final time.
Let’s just say that it may well be the most beautiful few moments of television you will watch this year.
The Grand Tour: One for the Road is streaming on Prime Video from Friday, 13 September.
This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/grand-tour-jeremy-clarkson-may-hammond-ending-230150259.html
