All Creatures Great and Small Recap: The Gang’s All Here (Except Tristan)

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What plans do we have once this series concludes? I tend to forget about it for most of the year, but around December, I find myself wondering, “Aren’t there new episodes of All Creatures coming out soon?” And indeed, they are! We’re now in our fifth season, and I can only hope for at least five more. Ideally, at least three of these future seasons will concentrate on the domestic harmony of Mrs. Hall and Siegfried after their marriage. (I believe this will eventually occur; let me hold onto that dream).

It appears that James is primarily training pilots, but there might be a possibility that he’s also being trained himself, given my lack of knowledge about military roles. He operates aircraft and his team is relatively new. Just before embarking on a lengthy flight to Scotland, he fainted. Unfortunately, it was discovered that James contracted brucellosis! I had momentarily forgotten what this illness was as well. During the previous season, he was responsible for examining cattle for this bacterial infection, and there was concern that Helen might have caught it (but she didn’t). However, it was ultimately confirmed that James was infected instead. Now, he is recuperating in a military hospital.

Simultaneously, at home, everyone seems to be bustling about. To put it frankly, this episode felt a bit disjointed with numerous small events unfolding. Jeremy Swift, famously known for his role in Ted Lasso, plays Mr. Bosworth, who appears to oversee Civil Defense in the region. Mr. Bosworth finds himself at odds with Mrs. Pumphrey, and fortunately, she has Tricki Woo by her side, along with Tricki’s plush cushion. Mr. Bosworth is demanding more vegetables to be grown and additional wardens for blackout duty. Furthermore, the first Land Girl has arrived, but we don’t get a glimpse of her in this episode. It seems they decided the episode had enough minor storylines already.

Hello there! As a new parent myself, let me tell you, babies are an entirely different ballgame – one that I’m thoroughly enjoying. My little bundle of joy, Jimmy, is simply adorable in his tiny knitted outfits. It’s hard to believe I ever had doubts about infants.

On the small screen, my fellow character Siegfried seems to share my sentiment. He’s become quite smitten with our baby boy. The producers could swap out any other character on this show for a while, and I’d manage, but if they were to part ways with Siegfried, I fear the whole show would lose its charm.

Siegfried adds that essential grumpy touch, acting as our reliable anchor amidst the chaos. And speaking of anchors, I must commend the writers for the delightful scene where Mrs. Hall and Siegfried sit side by side in their matching armchairs – a perfect representation of their long-lasting partnership.

Kudos to the creators for providing such a heartwarming visual; it truly added to my viewing experience. Keep ’em coming!

It’s clear that everyone recalls Richard, who has taken over from Tristan. Richard is teaching dogs to give paws and setting up effective training methods. Keep up the excellent work, Richard! Even Siegfried acknowledges this and delegates the clinic duties to him for a day. Unfortunately, a mishap involving a not-quite-deceased cat occurs soon after Siegfried expresses his confidence in Richard.

Dot, with an unclear relationship to Helen, has undergone a hysterectomy and is recovering alone except for her cat Frisk, with occasional visits from Helen. Later, when we see Dot again, she’s delivering Frisk’s deceased body to the veterinary clinic and asks them to dispose of it. Richard plans to contact the abattoir to collect it. It’s perplexing to consider what an abattoir would do with a dead cat, as an abattoir is essentially a slaughterhouse. One might speculate that the cat could end up in the offal pile, which raises questions about its fate. A troubling aside: my hometown, Chicago, has a section of the Chicago River known as “Bubbly Creek” due to waste disposal from Union Stockyards, causing the water to bubble up. My former girlfriend who rowed crew practiced there, and she claimed that if someone fell into the water, they would need hospitalization.

To put it simply, even though things were looking grim, Frisk turns out to be alive. He manages to get out of the cat box and Mrs. Hall discovers him on a chair. Siegfried feels let down that Richard might have caused the death of the cat if not for Frisk’s miraculous escape. In turn, Richard seems as though he is about to cry due to losing Siegfried’s favor. Everyone else seems to be having a tough time, but Frisk remains unscathed and appears to be doing well once more.

It seems we might return to James, a devoted fan of the show about sick livestock (not aviation!), who was recently diagnosed with brucellosis and his superior doubts his ability to fly. James is disheartened because he was replaced by an incompetent pilot, leaving him feeling worthless. He’s instructed that if he recovers, he can perform manual labor, like digging trenches for a grumbling farmer. The purpose of the trench remains unclear. However, I’m here for the animals! And it’s fortunate that the grouchy farmer has an agitated cow. James attends to the cow and assists in delivering a calf stuck in labor. Now, he feels valuable once more! This is a positive turnaround for James, as the inept pilot met with an accident, and James lost several crew members. Wow, that sounds tough, something I’d rather not contemplate during this challenging month of January 2025. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the baby cow instead! No harm can come while we admire baby cows.

Initially, James returns home from military service to contribute to the war effort as a veterinarian. Interestingly, in real life, James Herriot underwent surgery for an anal fistula and left the military before this. However, the show chose not to address that aspect. So, without his anal fistula, James surprises everyone upon his return, including Helen in her typical sweater and blazer. He arrives just as they’re discussing Dot’s cat, which had been mistakenly thought dead due to consuming morphine. This situation leads to a hearty laughter among the group.

Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Pumphrey manage to persuade Mr. Bosworth into allowing Mrs. Hall to take on the role of a blackout warden. Initially hesitant, considering it not a suitable job for women, Mr. Bosworth changes his mind upon learning that Mrs. Hall had served as a Wren during World War I. She expresses her determination to navigate Darrowby on a bicycle and instruct residents to close their curtains. When Siegfried discovers her in uniform, he feels an immense sense of pride towards her. They are a delightful pair.

As the story concludes, James approaches Helen, Jimmy, and their infant, who is sleeping in a crib for now. While this might stir thoughts about co-sleeping in some circles, I must admit that as someone with family in pediatrics, it gives me pause. However, a quick search reveals that Jimmy survived to adulthood, so everyone is safe and sound. Everyone is safe and sound.

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2025-01-13 07:54