All Creatures Great and Small Recap: Tricki Woo Lives

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I recently received a message asking about Tricki Woo’s well-being after the show jumped forward four years, and I’m happy to share that he’s doing just fine – and it’s actually his birthday! If cloning technology existed back then, Mrs. Pumphrey would absolutely have used it on him, ensuring his legacy lived on. Tricki Woo truly is the heart of the All Creatures stories.

This week’s drama includes an X-ray machine malfunction, a sick dog, and Siegfried upsetting the locals. Every year I’m grateful this show exists – it’s a peaceful escape with relatively small problems. They even skipped over four years of World War II! It makes you wonder if the writers realized people watch to avoid stressful news and decided to fast-forward. I just need an hour to watch Mrs. Hall worry about a bad lettuce and then easily solve it by talking to Siegfried. It’s a nice break from feeling helpless while watching terrible things happen on the news. Hooray for Darrowby!

Even after Siegfried seemed to confess his feelings for Mrs. Hall last week, he’s still flirting with older women who remind everyone of her. James finds him walking by the road, missing a shoe, and Siegfried explains his car wouldn’t start after a night of bridge at a widow’s house. It’s clear Siegfried hasn’t really learned his lesson, as his awkward attempts at charm later in the episode prove he still has some maturing to do. Back at Skeldale, Mrs. Hall notices Siegfried’s missing shoe, and James simply replies, “Bridge.” It’s a charmingly chaotic situation, and I find myself genuinely fond of all of them.

James rushed over to Sister Rose’s house to check on one of the dogs she was fostering. Siegfried had completely forgotten to tell him about the appointment, and they really need Sister Rose to continue sending them referrals. James is surprisingly afraid of Sister Rose, even though her sharp wit is usually pretty funny—he’s not entirely sure why. (Actually, he knows why; his wife dislikes any kind of sarcastic humor, but he enjoys it.) When he arrived and apologized for the late visit, Sister Rose casually said her dogs were used to being abandoned, so it wasn’t a big deal. She also mentioned she hadn’t received the flea powder she requested and could easily take her business elsewhere. But first, there was Geoffrey the Dog, whom she’d found by the road and who was constantly vomiting. James prescribed some “stomach powders,” and Sister Rose discovered the practice didn’t have an X-ray machine. Luckily, Sister Rose arranged for one—by essentially telling James he’d be the one to buy it, which he did. James vaguely mentioned this expensive purchase to Siegfried, who was preoccupied searching for his other shoe, which his bridge partner had playfully thrown into the house.

You’re right to ask about Tricki Woo’s birthday! Mrs. Pumphrey is worried because Tricki isn’t responding when she calls him, and she fears she’s upset him. After examining Tricki’s ears, Siegfried determines he has an ear infection, which is likely causing his hearing loss – a common issue for older animals. Both Mrs. Pumphrey and I are offended by this implication. Is Siegfried suggesting Tricki won’t be with us forever, won’t be able to enjoy his little pillow and birthday bacon? It’s a difficult thought for Mrs. Pumphrey – and all of us – to accept.

Tristan is feeling restless, so he’s keeping busy at the dispensary by taking stock of supplies, fixing electrical problems, and using skills he picked up during his time in the Army. Mrs. Hall recalls that Edward struggled most with having too much time to think after returning home. Tristan dismisses this idea with a skeptical sound. He then decides to join the practice on its house calls, leaving his long-term plans uncertain.

First, James and Tristan needed to receive a very heavy X-ray machine. Tristan found one from the early 1900s weighing around 310 pounds – no easy feat! It arrived on a horse-drawn cart, packed in a six-foot crate. They attempted to move it themselves, but were watched and subtly criticized by some onlookers. Tristan convinced the men to help, and they managed to get it just inside the doorway, where it promptly got stuck. Siegfried was surprised by the delivery, and while James believed using the machine on animals was the way of the future, Siegfried rightly pointed out they needed to get it into the building first. Sister Rose stopped by to collect flea powder for her dogs and casually suggested they simply remove the machine from the crate, as it had wheels – a brilliant idea! Finally, James and Tristan got the machine set up and turned it on, only to immediately blow all the electricity in the house.

Mrs. Hall is noticing that local shopkeepers are being unfriendly, and she’s confused until Helen points out it’s not her fault—it’s Siegfried’s behavior. When she confronts him, he defends his methods, explaining he’s the only long-term fixture at Skeldale and things work his way. It’s clear he’s still hurt by everyone leaving. Mrs. Hall gently suggests he shouldn’t be rude to everyone. The situation escalates when she learns Siegfried hired and quickly fired the greengrocer’s sister as her replacement. In a clever analogy, Mrs. Hall compares Siegfried to an angry mole rat frantically digging a tunnel that’s quickly caving in. She encourages him to consider that admitting mistakes isn’t a bad thing, hinting at potential character development. It’s too soon to tell if he’ll truly change, especially since the series only has a few episodes each year.

Siegfried is making amends with people he’s upset in the past, keeping track of his apologies. It’s quite a turnaround! He even manages to get the greengrocer – who, by the way, looks remarkably like Putin – to give Mrs. Hall better lettuce. Tristan also improves things by putting the X-ray machine on its own electrical circuit. Things seem to be going great, but then a new challenge arises when Sister Rose brings in Geoffrey, who’s been sick. However, Siegfried and James team up to discover Geoffrey ate a rock, and their streak of success continues!

As James works to free Geoffrey, Sister Rose shares a story about finding him at his worst, emphasizing his good nature and explaining his growls as a reaction to past hurt – it’s clear she’s talking about Siegfried. Mrs. Hall, listening nearby, wonders if he’ll ever be able to trust again, but Sister Rose reassures her that everyone just wants a safe place to belong and someone to love them, and to not have to be responsible. I loved that moment – it felt like a scene from The X-Files, but focused on a dog. And I especially appreciated the decision to position Siegfried and Mrs. Hall closer to each other.

Mrs. Pumphrey wants Tricki to have a partner so she can have puppies in the future. She asks Siegfried to help find Tricki a girlfriend, and he assigns the task to James. It’s a funny job to be searching for a mate for such a fluffy dog! Meanwhile, Geoffrey is recovering and staying warm in a sweater, Siegfried is becoming a better person, and the family is happily reunited for dinner. What a happy ending!

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2026-01-19 07:02