The Grand Tour finale: Truly the end of an era

05/10/2024

Alex Herzmansky (he/him) discusses the finale of The Grand Tour, and the one of a kind dynamic between its hosts

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By Alex Herzmansky

After working together for over two decades, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have finally concluded their journey together. As a long time fan of both Top Gear and The Grand Tour, I dreaded watching the finale. When I did get around to it, there were naturally several moments which provoked strong emotion from me. The moment that perfectly summarised and reflected on what these two shows were all about, was when James May said “I hope we brought you a little bit of happiness”. I thought to myself then: “More than you could ever know Captain Slow, more than you could ever know”.

One simply cannot overstate the cultural and societal impact that Top Gear and The Grand Tour have had on the world. Both shows have been broadcasted in over two hundred territories and subtitled or dubbed in multiple languages. Several countries have even produced their own localised versions of them. Top Gear began as a mere car show, with a sprinkle of humour, but it soon became an international success boasting comedic adventures, information on-global car culture, and scenic travel, all with absolutely no shortage of fooling around. It was a brilliant combination of journalism and entertainment, the likes of which had never been seen before. However, what really made Top Gear so appealing was, of course, the trio of hosts. There was something so iconic and unique about the way that Clarkson, May and Hammond played off each other. The humour and banter, the insults and mockery, were all somehow brilliantly timed and balanced with the serious and emotional moments. Even though they had their individual successes, starting their own shows such as Clarkson's Farm, nothing could quite match the energy we witnessed when all three were on screen together.

They have not, however, been immune to controversy over the years, and the reasoning behind the conclusion of Top Gear in 2015 almost certainly tops the list. It is a lengthy and complicated story that really deserves its own article, but to cut a long story short, it involved Clarkson physically and verbally assaulting a producer in a dispute, an event which ultimately led to all three hosts leaving Top Gear all together.

While the show would be revived with new hosts, all eyes were set on the original trio’s new show: The Grand Tour. Other than an additional element of travel, it was more or less the same show (not that that's anything to complain about). What was something to complain about however, was the show's apparent end in 2019. However, having felt as though it had not been a proper goodbye that fans deserved for years of love and dedication, they decided to give it one last stint - and that's how we got here. The restarted The Grand Tour has now concluded with the aptly named finale ‘One for the Road’.

In this final episode, they embark on a road trip across Zimbabwe and Botswana, driving their dream cars: Clarkson in a Lancia Montecarlo, May in a Triumph Stag, and Hammond in a Ford Capri 3.0. Unlike previous episodes filled with extreme stunts, the finale focused instead on raw adventure, nostalgia, and emotional reflection as the three explored scenic African landscapes and reminisced about their decades-long partnership. The episode was a parallel to the original Botswana adventure seventeen long years ago - Top Gear’s first ever special. There were several references to it, such as Clarkson and May ‘happening’ to come across the cars that they used in some random village. They cross the same salt flats as before, and strip the cars of their doors, so as to make them lighter. They conclude by driving to Kubu island again, going back and forth between shots from the past and present episode; the trio walking towards the island, Hammond admiring the Baobab tree, and the panning drone shot of them glaring off into the sunset.

The last time we hear them speak is when Hammond simply shrugs and says “that's it” in reference not only to the conclusion of the episode, or the series, but their collaboration as a whole. Clarkson then proceeds to unplug his microphone, leaving the audience in complete silence as the three of them shake hands. The camera then pans over to the crew as George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' begins to play and everyone celebrates. The very last scene is particularly emotional, as we watch the trio drive off into the sunset, both metaphorically and literally. They wave goodbye to one another and proceed to split off, signifying the end of their partnership. And as a final little laugh, James May takes out his phone and pretends to delete Clarkson and Hammond’s phone numbers (as he said he would earlier in the episode). One last nod to the ongoing joke that they all hate each other, which has run since the beginning of Top Gear.

I don’t think that there has ever been a group quite like Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, and it is difficult to imagine there ever being one again. Looking back, it is truly fascinating how three men driving around, talking about cars and insulting one another could be so entertaining. Yet somehow, twenty two years of Hammond being mocked for being short, May for being slow and lacking any sense of direction, and of course the Orangutan’s infamous ‘SPEED AND POWER!’, has brought so much joy to countless people, including yours truly. And that's why what May said about happiness so perfectly summarises the impact of Top Gear and the The Grand Tour; you could always make a bad day better simply by sitting down, turning on the tv, and watching the three of them. So, in response to Clarkson’s final words to the camera on approach to Kubu island: “Thank you very very much for watching”, I think I speak for all of us fans when I say: “No Jezza, thank you! And with that in mind, back to the studio!”