All Creatures Great and Small Recap: A Two-Sided Love Triangle

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Hello to all the fans of All Creatures Great and Small! I’m happy to see a new romantic connection developing. While I haven’t always been a fan of Tristan, he has great chemistry with Charlotte Beauvoir, and I’m glad they’re getting together. I just hope the show doesn’t focus too much on the romantic lives of the main characters – sometimes I think Helen gets a little too much attention!

I’m really loving how Siegfried’s story is unfolding this season. It’s not being hurried, and he’s slowly learning and changing with each episode. After being isolated for about four years, it’s clear Siegfried needs connection with others. He’s a bit unusual and benefits from the gentle guidance of normal social interaction. It reminds me of a friend who spent too much time alone and started talking to himself, then immediately telling himself to be quiet! I told him it’s perfectly normal to talk to yourself, but the shushing was what made it strange. Siegfried needs that kind of honest feedback, and luckily he now has people around him who can give it. He can’t just live on sardines and disappear on mysterious trips, and it’s becoming clear that kind of isolation comes at a cost – it leads to loneliness. I say it every week, but we should all be thankful for Mrs. Hall.

The episode starts with Siegfried getting an invitation to a fancy dinner at Orley Castle on Saturday. He cancels his plans to go to the Drovers with Tristan, hoping to impress some wealthy people. While he claims it’s for business, it’s clear he just enjoys being around luxury. This makes a later conversation between James and Tristan about Siegfried’s motives particularly amusing. Tristan is disappointed because he’s feeling isolated and wants to spend time with his brother, but Siegfried is too self-absorbed to notice.

Both Siegfried and Tristan received a request for Captain Farnon to visit the Beauvoir estate, so they both went. This led to a comical situation when Charlotte greeted them, explaining her father needed a Captain Farnon known for his skill with horses – a description that fit both of them! They followed Charlotte to the stables to look at her horse, Philbrick, who wasn’t feeling well. Siegfried suggested rest, while Tristan thought exercise would help. They eventually agreed to start with rest and see how it went. Privately, Siegfried and Tristan argued about which of them General Beauvoir had actually summoned. Later, Mrs. Hall mentioned to Siegfried that Tristan seemed upset about the cancellation of a trip to the Drovers, but Siegfried brushed it off, preoccupied with preparing for a party.

Have you noticed a resemblance between Charlotte and Emma Thompson? That’s because Charlotte is actually Emma Thompson’s daughter, Gaia Wise! Her father is Greg Wise, who played Willoughby in the movie Sense and Sensibility. If you watch All Creatures Great and Small, you might already know that! It’s fascinating to think of Elinor Dashwood and Willoughby having a daughter – and Gaia is beautiful. But let’s not forget Willoughby’s flaws – no redemption for him!

Philbrick continues to refuse food, and Tristan learns he’s a horse originally from Sicily with a military past. Charlotte served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service in Sicily before falling ill with malaria and returning home. This situation reminds one of the novel Daisy Miller. As a result, Charlotte and Tristan connect through their shared love of horses, their attraction to each other, and the challenges of returning to normal life. It’s nice to see them finding common ground.

James has a tough week. Siegfried keeps borrowing the car, forcing James to cycle a very old bike through the Yorkshire Dales whenever he wants to see Helen during his lunch break. And when he finally gets to the farm, Helen isn’t even there – she’s dealing with a sheep stuck in the hedge! James tells Jenny he’s planning a movie date with Helen for Saturday, hoping they can finally spend some quality time together. I’m rooting for their unusual relationship, even though there’s still no spark between them. James also has to find a companion for Tricki Woo, but breeders aren’t interested because Tricki is an older dog. Mrs. Pumphrey asks if they’ll consider his experience, which is a good point. I don’t know anything about breeding, but couldn’t she just offer a breeder a lot of money?

Siegfried and Tristan are still arguing over who should handle the Beauvoir case. Siegfried was angry to discover Tristan went to investigate on his own, and James believes their conflict is actually about Charlotte. James jokes that Siegfried has always been attracted to wealthy women. Siegfried, however, feels that’s unfair. He thinks it was clear he wasn’t interested in Charlotte – when he is attracted to someone, he’s either overly affectionate or completely withdraws, becoming a loner without that special person. (By the way, did anyone notice Mrs. Hall’s hair covering this week?)

Things get interesting when General Beauvoir, played by Jonathan Hyde (you might recognize him as Richie Rich’s butler or Robin Williams’s dad from Jumanji!), arrives. It turns out he was looking for Tristan, which has left Siegfried feeling insecure. Tristan mistakenly believes Siegfried is interested in Charlotte, and this misunderstanding is spreading around the veterinary practice because Siegfried isn’t communicating with Mrs. Hall. Seriously, Siegfried, get it together – but maybe don’t change too much!

Okay, so things were getting interesting! Charlotte sweetly asked Tristan to the Orley Castle event, which was adorable, and Siegfried was practically buzzing with excitement for the Elgar concert, even practicing air cello! But then, at the event itself, all the tension finally came out. Siegfried and Mrs. Hall had a little pre-event drink where they chatted about Tristan mysteriously hiding his Army medal. When Tristan and James finally told Siegfried that Charlotte had asked him out, he was so confused by how gently they were breaking the news. Honestly, it’s like he doesn’t even notice the age difference or who he’s dating! It’s all about securing that deal with General Beauvoir for him, I guess. But the whole conversation was cut short when they got a phone call – Philbrick, the horse, was really sick, and everyone had to rush off to help him!

Both Tristan and Siegfried examine the patient and Siegfried determines he has a kidney infection, known as pyelonephritis. This means Philbrick can start antibiotics, which is good news. Hopefully, the veterinary practice will earn enough money from treating horses to cover the cost of the X-ray machine they recently purchased. After the diagnosis, Siegfried returns home, and Charlotte and Tristan celebrate with a dance in the stables. Then, surprisingly, Tristan kisses the daughter of Emma Thompson! I’m really enjoying their characters – I’d love to see more of Charlotte!

Mrs. Hall tells Siegfried she was upset he hadn’t considered how his actions affected others, mentioning James’s struggles and Tristan’s sadness. She points out that if Tristan had shared his thoughts about Siegfried and Ms. Beauvoir, she would have understood Siegfried’s perspective sooner. Siegfried is receptive to this feedback, which is a positive step for him. Tristan returns home cheerful, and Siegfried responds with a playful, almost wolf-like sound. Despite everything, they’re able to enjoy a drink together on Saturday night, and Siegfried finally manages a genuine smile.

Oh, and Tricki has amorous relations with a miniature poodle. We’ll see how that turns out.

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2026-01-26 05:59