All Creatures Great and Small Season-Premiere Recap: A Horse in Every Room

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Hello to all the All Creatures Great and Small fans! It’s time for another season, and I can’t believe I’ve been recapping the show for six seasons already – here’s hoping for many more! If you felt a little lost at the beginning of this first episode, you’re not alone. There’s been a time jump! Jimmy, who we last saw as a baby celebrating his first birthday, is now a lively five-year-old, following James around. James and Helen have moved into the farmhouse, Tristan is serving in the army in Italy, and sadly, Mrs. Hall is no longer with us.

Let’s quickly talk about the episode’s opening. After the theme song, it tells us it’s May 1945 and “the war in Europe is coming to a close.” Seriously? Is that necessary to state? If it’s 1945, of course the war is ending! It feels a bit obvious to point that out to an audience who are already choosing to watch a show about people in old-fashioned clothes fixing sheep and singing. Maybe it’s for any children who might be watching with their parents, but I doubt anyone is showing their toddlers a documentary about World War II – and I certainly won’t be making that mistake with my own kids. They’ll learn about it eventually.

Things are a complete mess since Mrs. Hall left. Bills are piling up, the house is a disaster, and there’s even a miniature horse in the study! Siegfried is currently asleep on the sofa with a woman – who, while seemingly nice, I refuse to acknowledge as anyone other than not Mrs. Hall. When Tristan came home, he said hello to James while Siegfried awkwardly ushered the woman out the window. This situation can’t continue. James and Tristan both realize this is as bad as it was after Siegfried’s wife passed away, and the only thing that fixed it then was Mrs. Hall arriving. She’s the one who keeps everything running smoothly – take her away, and everything falls apart, with things just rolling around and getting lost. It’s a metaphor, of course, but Siegfried probably does have random things scattered everywhere too.

We really need Mrs. Hall to return, but we also have a new case: a border collie named Archie’s sheepdog who has arthritis. She’s currently training her replacement, but after an accident where she fell into barbed wire, James determined she has arthritis in her legs. Farmer Archie is considering euthanasia, but Siegfried secretly gave him some painkillers from his bag. And it’s not even in a bottle – they’re loose pills, and he actually tasted one to check it was the right medication! Seriously, Siegfried, what is going on in your bag? I’ve been told countless times that loose pills are a terrible idea!

The medication helped, but then the collie was injured in a fight with a stray dog while defending her sheep – thankfully, she won! This incident leads Archie to realize how much his working animals have done for him over the past ten years, and he decides it’s time for the collie to retire and live as a beloved pet.

Let’s talk about Mrs. Hall. She’s currently in Sunderland, which is a coastal city about an hour and forty-five minutes northeast of the Dales – I’ve actually mapped it out. The local historical society gets great reviews, and the hotels are surprisingly affordable, likely because it’s January. She’s there because her husband, Edward, and their daughter are living there. She unexpectedly left Skeldale to care for Edward following an injury he sustained in the war. While I can’t fault her for doing what’s right, I do wonder why she and Siegfried haven’t gotten married yet!

James and Tristan journey to Sunderland hoping to persuade Mrs. Hall to return home, but Tristan quickly loses control and desperately pleads with her to come back and resolve everything. Eventually, she agrees to visit for a few days after Tristan reveals that Siegfried’s condition has worsened since she left. They haven’t informed Siegfried about this plan at all, meaning he’s completely unaware that the woman he loves is about to return to his life and home. (If you’re not a fan of Siegfried and Mrs. Hall’s relationship, feel free to skip these details or enjoy someone else’s amusing summaries.)

When Mrs. Hall arrives at Skeldale, she rings the doorbell – but this is our home, and she doesn’t need to! It just feels like my family is constantly being separated. She quickly polishes the brass sign, and I feel utterly heartbroken. James is the only one home, and he gives her a tour. The kitchen is a disaster, the cupboards are a mess, and honestly, the whole place is terrible. There are mountains of sardine tins in the cupboard – seriously, Siegfried, why so many? I understand why, but still… why?

Siegfried came back to a surprisingly tidy kitchen and was immediately confused. Then he saw Mrs. Hall, who explained she’d been in the pantry the whole time. He questioned how that was possible, and the scene was filled with an awkwardness that was almost endearing. It was the kind of awkward where Siegfried casually mentioned he’d named one of his rats Gerald because it had a tiny mustache – a running joke! He jokingly told Gerald to not return, unless it was his pet rat, of course.

Mrs. Hall quickly gets everything sorted out around the house, keeping all the rooms neat and tidy. She even resolves a disagreement between Siegfried and James about their ailing dog by suggesting they both go check on it – two opinions are better than one. Siegfried, predictably, launches into a strange story about a two-headed snake that bit itself. He’s easily distracted! Later, he and Mrs. Hall play Scrabble, and it’s revealed he skipped Edward’s wedding. He explains they’d tried other housekeepers, but none measured up. However, Siegfried then manages to upset things by claiming Mrs. Hall’s efficiency has actually made them lose their independence, implying they’ve become reliant on her. The irony isn’t lost on anyone, especially considering he had a miniature pony in his study just the day before! Mrs. Hall notes James has a different perspective, and when Siegfried asks if she considers James a problem to be fixed, she diplomatically replies, “I wouldn’t put it quite like that.”

Okay, let me tell you, if someone said that to me – basically asking if I thought they were a fundamentally bad person – and then responded with that dismissive “Nope, that’s not what I meant” line, I’d be done! Seriously, you immediately clarify what you meant! Maybe you’re saying their actions are the issue, or that you’re worried about them. It’s a really awkward way to handle things. This whole situation reminds me of Siegfried, actually. His anger is getting worse and worse – he’ll dramatically leave a room, but thankfully, he goes dancing instead of, you know, doing anything drastic!

The following day, Siegfried finds Susan, the woman from the previous evening, chatting with Mrs. Hall in the kitchen. He discovers they are acquainted through church. He abruptly dismisses Mrs. Hall when she offers assistance and asks Susan to leave. Mrs. Hall is left feeling hurt and confused, as the arrival of Tristan with an injured dog interrupts the situation. All the vets then have to search the hills for a second injured dog, one that was protecting the sheep. During the search, James points out to Siegfried that he’s been acting strangely – irritable, forgetful, and generally out of sorts. Siegfried avoids discussing his emotions but finally bursts out, revealing his pain over someone leaving and his inability to pretend everything was alright. James warns him that isolating himself will only lead to people drifting away. Siegfried sarcastically responds, and this raw, honest exchange is a key part of what makes the situation so compelling.

While the men were searching for dogs and sheep, Mrs. Hall quietly left for the train station. Siegfried suddenly realized how much he cared for her and raced to stop her, even running in front of two stopped trains! He finally caught her attention by calling her “Audrey.” Seriously, my heart skipped a beat! He confessed he’d tried to find someone else, but no one could compare to her. It’s so incredibly sweet! I was starting to think happy endings were impossible, but here we are! Siegfried tells her she doesn’t need to rush a decision about returning, then immediately asks if she’ll come back. Mrs. Hall, noticing everyone embracing each other at the station, asks what all the excitement is about. Siegfried tells her the wonderful news: the war is over.

He dismissed the conclusion of a world war, prioritizing the fact that Mrs. Hall had returned. It makes you wonder if anyone truly understands love. She embraces him, and with everyone reunited, the war is finally behind them. Now, let’s focus on helping animals in need.

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2026-01-12 05:57