All Creatures Great And Small (2021) - General Discussion

[Nancy Woodward]

I think if you had read James Harriet’s books that comprise the basis of this series, you would know he is war experience. And would not assume this belief that his work experience must be graphic and bloody.  I find the series is following the books very well. And no problem with the way that day are very concerned about the war.

[ofmd]

On a lighter note, Vulture has a nice interview with Samuel West (Siegfried) about his character arc in season 3, River, chances of a certain potential relationship, fanfiction and more:

https://www.vulture.com/2023/02/all-creatures-great-and-small-samuel-west-on-s3-siegfried.html

I had to check out the fanfic thing. On AO3, judging from the first few pages, at least 90 percent of stories seem to be

Spoiler

Siegfried/ Mrs Hall.

Didn't quite expect that many.

Edited February 24, 2023 by ofmd

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, ofmd said:

On a lighter note, Vulture has a nice interview with Samuel West (Siegfried) about his character arc in season 3, River, chances of a certain potential relationship, fanfiction and more:

https://www.vulture.com/2023/02/all-creatures-great-and-small-samuel-west-on-s3-siegfried.html

I had to check out the fanfic thing. On AO3, judging from the first few pages, at least 90 percent of stories seem to be

  Hide contents

Siegfried/ Mrs Hall.

Didn't quite expect that many.

I love Alice Burton's re-caps on Vulture. She's a big Siegfried/Mrs. Hall shipper though.

[DonnaMae]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

She's a big Siegfried/Mrs. Hall shipper though.

That's not a bad thing.  So am I. 👍

[ofmd]

What @DonnaMae said!

[statsgirl]

On 2/23/2023 at 1:24 PM, Ilovepie said:

I do think she was a tad too old to think magic shoes would transport her back home though, and I don't think she would be calling the adults by their first names.

I think that they missed the opportunity either there or when Eva was feeding the kitten for someone, most likely Mrs. Hall, to talk to her about how she felt being separated from her family and any fears that she might have about the war. The show danced around it too much but didn't take a short scene to come right out and deal with it.

[Calvada]

I agree with what others have said.  I cannot believe Siegfried would put a horse at risk like that, even for the sake of his dearly loved brother.  At least this story line showed Tristan has the maturity to handle being in the military if he can stand up to his brother like that. With the Eva story, the writers couldn't make up their minds whether she was wiser beyond her years or a credulous child.  And suddenly Mrs. Hall and Gerald are in a Hallmark Christmas movie, with her running to him and then the embrace and kiss in the front hallway under the mistletoe?  Finally poor James, reduced in almost every scene to perhaps one line and smiling at Helen, smiling at Eva, smiling at Tristan, not at all thinking about when/if he will get a letter about his military service, not being torn between his work & his wife and doing his part for King and country.  Who are these people?  It's like the invasion of the body snatchers.  

[Sarah 103]

On 2/23/2023 at 3:35 AM, possibilities said:

I was more offended by the idea that the kid would be fed a bunch of Christmas propaganda, and would be super-starved to receive it... but the show played that as though it was the most delightful thing ever. 

The episode is set in 1939 and I think Eva is from London, so she's probably been getting Christmas propaganda her whole life. It's not like this is all brand new stuff to her. 

On 2/23/2023 at 4:04 PM, Moxie Cat said:

Given what was going on in Europe at the time, Eva's unabashed eagerness to celebrate Christmas, and the household's enthusiasm in giving that to her, didn't set right with me.

On 2/23/2023 at 6:53 PM, HappyHanna said:

I was not loving the "sure she's Jewish, but let's have her learn Noel, meet Santa,  get Christmas presents, while we play two seconds of lipservice to her actual religious background" that ran through the show.   

It's what Eva wanted. No one was forcing her to learn Noel (unless I missed something). She wanted to experience traditions she had heard about and never celebrated before. There's no way the residents would have skipped Christmas because she was there. It's too important to them for religious and cultural reasons. She seemed pretty excited about celebrating, and if they're just finding out she's Jewish, she isn't from a terribly religiously observant family to begin with. 

 

[Blergh]

OK, this may be an UO, but I actually liked Eva. Yes, I know that it would have been somewhat unusual for adults in that era to have let them call her by their given names instead of their titles and surnames but I imagine that since they'd opened their home to her and she was separated from her parents that they wouldn't have wanted to press the issue  too much. I also kind of liked getting a 'kids' view' of how she viewed our main characters. Yes, I also get that it was stretching credulity that a precocious child would have actually believed that the Wizard of Oz's heel clicking with fancy red shoes would have meant an instant return home but more than one adult has been willing to set aside their own logic to pin their hopes on getting their wish come true. Of course, I wondered why her parents didn't either send her a holiday care package (even one to cover Hannukah ) much less telephone her on Christmas Day( which was long distance and somewhat steep back then but something most families who had access to phones would have saved up for and done).

I also  thought it puzzling that James's function here was a bit of a mystery. We'd seen him sign up at the official start of the War in September but not only was he never shown in uniform (and virtually EVERY military man would have worn his uniform in public even on furlough) but there wasn't any dialogue stating what his position or duties were- much less whether he was visiting Darrowby on furlough and he didn't appear to be participating in the practice at this time. Even during the Tristan/ Siegfried blowup re Tristan's military enlistment, neither side brought up how James had been faring the first three months of the War. Oddly, his father-in-law and sister-in-law (Mr. Alderson and Jenny)  seemed to have more of a role in  Skeldale House than either James or Helen who at least were residing there during this time period.

I liked how Mrs. Pumphrey seemed to embrace becoming a de facto aunt to Eva AND liked that she revealed her given name as Marjorie (cool name- IMO). I would have liked to have learned whether mother cat and kitten were to be reunited once the kitten was fully weaned- and oddly Tricki had little to do with the plot except that he wasn't hostile to the feline duo.

Yes, I agree that for Siegfried to have been willing to risk ANY animal seriously injuring themselves was a bit OOC (especially one he'd already had bonded with and battled for). However, it DID show the depth of love  his love for and desperation to keep Tristan safe! And, it was interesting to hear about how Siegfried had initially felt displaced as the heir apparent via their parent's late-in-life 'miracle baby' yet how he'd grown to love Tristan after their parents' early deaths and DID wind up considering himself having embraced being Tristan's de facto father. Yes, he was being deadly serious telling Tristan not to do anything stupid as a soldier (having seen for himself how the tiniest missteps could make the literal difference between life and death in combat). However, this time I think Tristan took his concerns to heart rather than puckishly blew them off- but he DID allow himself one last lark via being a mail carriage stowaway on the train ( which bookended his arrival in Season One )taking him to basic training.

I didn't have an issue with Mrs. Hall's slo-mo chase to Gerald but I think she needs to see if she currently DOES have the  grounds and resources to legally get divorced from her long-absent mate before she invests in anything beyond a flirtation with Gerald.

I'll be interested if they depict them after the so-called Phony War abruptly heats up via the NAZI Continental invasions and the Blitz or if the next season/series has them just reuniting everyone post-War (in which case, Eva and even Jenny would have to be recast since a five-year leap would be too noticeable in these preteen and teen characters).

[Daff]

53 minutes ago, Blergh said:

I also  thought it puzzling that James's function here was a bit of a mystery. We'd seen him sign up at the official start of the War in September but not only was he never shown in uniform (and virtually EVERY military man would have worn his uniform in public even on furlough) but there wasn't any dialogue stating what his position or duties were- much less whether he was visiting Darrowby on furlough and he didn't appear to be participating in the practice at this time. Even during the Tristan/ Siegfried blowup re Tristan's military enlistment, neither side brought up how James had been faring the first three months of the War.

James, Helen, and Siegfried are all holding their breath, waiting. As of the end of the Christmas episode, James hasn’t been called up yet, hasn’t received his letter. Hence, no uniform, rank, assignment, or duties.

[AZChristian]

42 minutes ago, Daff said:

James, Helen, and Siegfried are all holding their breath, waiting. As of the end of the Christmas episode, James hasn’t been called up yet, hasn’t received his letter. Hence, no uniform, rank, assignment, or duties.

Similar to the US process of registering for the draft.  Fill out the paperwork and wait to be called up.  

[ofmd]

Whatever we may think of this episode, I already miss the show. Anyone up for a season 1 rewatch?

[OlderThanDirt]

I agree  with much that has already been said,  especially Sigfried and River. But the Christmas toast "shocked" me.  My father, raised Canadian and near Tristan's age going into the US. Marines, very much considered 'bloody' as an obscenity and would never have used it in mixed company,  especially with young girls at the table. Clutching the pearls here.

[Doublemint]

11 hours ago, OlderThanDirt said:

I agree  with much that has already been said,  especially Sigfried and River. But the Christmas toast "shocked" me.  My father, raised Canadian and near Tristan's age going into the US. Marines, very much considered 'bloody' as an obscenity and would never have used it in mixed company,  especially with young girls at the table. Clutching the pearls here.

I'm American, but I had the same reaction.  I was surprised this wasn't mentioned before.

[AZChristian]

Especially when used with "Christmas" as the next word following.

[Tiggertoo]

15 hours ago, ofmd said:

Whatever we may think of this episode, I already miss the show. Anyone up for a season 1 rewatch?

I was just thinking this.  No show tonight sadness.  I don’t have access to the other seasons so can’t do a rewatch. 
 

oh, and good point about use of “bloody”.  Language has really evolved but that would have been a no-no for most proper families, I believe.

Edited February 26, 2023 by Tiggertoo

[RobMichael]

Please everyone, relax!

It's a story. Poetic license allows for the occasional misstep; though I don't include "bloody" in that category! Colloquialism aside, the first Christmas was a bloody mess; no Hallmark card captures Mary's unwed, homeless refugee mother delivery into a cold, dank, stable's hay! You can count on it: She bled!
 

On 12/26/2020 at 4:28 PM, chitowngirl said:

James Herriot’s adventures as a veterinarian in 1930’s Yorkshire get a glorious new adaptation in a seven-part series based on his beloved books. Exciting newcomer Nicholas Ralph will make his television debut as the iconic vet who became renowned for his inspiring humor, compassion and love of life.
 

Begins Sunday January 10 on PBS

 I'm a retired pastor known to take "keeping up appearances" off Christmas in sermons preached at disheartening times! God becoming human flesh was a bloody mess from the beginning, so take comfort in knowing that the birth of Jesus  wasn't all sweetness & light! He was born into our daily messes, and acts amidst the worst of humankind's dastardly deeds!  So wish one another a very merry, messy (even bloody) Christmas next time around.  You're sure to raise eyebrows and win people over.

[Cetacean]

17 minutes ago, Tiggertoo said:

oh, and good point about use of “bloody”.  Language has really evolved but that would have been a no-no for most proper families, I believe.

From what I have read, "bloody" has been around since the 1600's and was not always considered vulgar.  Between the late 1700's and about 1920 it was taboo but after that became more mainstream although it was avoided in print until the mid-1930's.  So it might not have been quite as horrible by the time period of All Creatures.

[Llywela]

These are Yorkshire folk. There's nowt amiss about wishing one another a 'merry bloody Christmas', in the circumstances.

[Doublemint]

9 hours ago, RobMichael said:

Please everyone, relax!

It's a story. Poetic license allows for the occasional misstep; though I don't include "bloody" in that category! Colloquialism aside, the first Christmas was a bloody mess; no Hallmark card captures Mary's unwed, homeless refugee mother delivery into a cold, dank, stable's hay! You can count on it: She bled!
 

 I'm a retired pastor known to take "keeping up appearances" off Christmas in sermons preached at disheartening times! God becoming human flesh was a bloody mess from the beginning, so take comfort in knowing that the birth of Jesus  wasn't all sweetness & light! He was born into our daily messes, and acts amidst the worst of humankind's dastardly deeds!  So wish one another a very merry, messy (even bloody) Christmas next time around.  You're sure to raise eyebrows and win people over.

Mary was wed to Joseph, they were there for a census.

[Tiggertoo]

Oh I’m relaxed!  I just like chatting about the show and I find the evolution of what can be said in polite company interesting.  My parents were born in Liverpool during WW2.  So I base my comments on what I experienced with them growing up.  We wouldn’t be allowed to say bloody in a casual way like that, but of course, all families are different.  My folks were from a working class background and raised us very strictly regarding swearing and language.  When my mum swore a time or two in her later years, I was appalled.  😂 

[JudyObscure]

Catherine Cookson, born 1906 and raised in Yorkshire, set almost all her books there and if "bloody" was ever said by any of her characters  you can be sure it was considered swearing and shocking. I once said it, while quoting an old man, in front of an Australian friend and you would have thought I had said the "f" word.

Quote

Rob Michael: You're sure to raise eyebrows and win people over.

Or offend them.  I'm sure the Virgin Mary bled during the birth of Jesus, just like all births, even the ones in nice clean hospitals, but the birth announcements we send out  don't picture that and I don't think Christmas cards need to either. Men have messy bodily functions, too, but pastors don't seem to feel the need to point that out. 

I'm sorry, but this latest fad by pastors, to refer to Mary as an unwed mother like she and Joseph had been getting it on in the back seat of a charriot offends me.

A miracle pregnancy from God is just not the same. Mary was betrothed at the time of conception which meant something between engaged and married so I don't think the neighbors were all that scandalized, they probably all assumed it was Joseph's at that time and then they were married as Doublemint said.

The bible says Joseph and Mary were married right after Joseph was told the baby was from the Holy Spirit.  So Mary was married by the time Jesus was born.

They were not homeless refugees, either, but people traveling for a purpose, intending to return to their home after they reported for the census. 

Why do we want to bring these Holy people down to where we can "relate" to them as just like us?  If they were just like us we would have no reason to worship them.

 

Edited February 27, 2023 by JudyObscure

[DonnaMae]

Well said, JudyObscure!  I agree with you 100%. 

[Doublemint]

6 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Catherine Cookson, born 1906 and raised in Yorkshire, set almost all her books there and if "bloody" was ever said by any of her characters  you can be sure it was considered swearing and shocking. I once said it, while quoting an old man, in front of an Australian friend and you would have thought I had said the "f" word.

Or offend them.  I'm sure the Virgin Mary bled during the birth of Jesus, just like all births, even the ones in nice clean hospitals, but the birth announcements we send out  don't picture that and I don't think Christmas cards need to either. Men have messy bodily functions, too, but pastors don't seem to feel the need to point that out. 

I'm sorry, but this latest fad by pastors, to refer to Mary as an unwed mother like she and Joseph had been getting it on in the back seat of a charriot offends me.

A miracle pregnancy from God is just not the same. Mary was betrothed at the time of conception which meant something between engaged and married so I don't think the neighbors were all that scandalized, they probably all assumed it was Joseph's at that time and then they were married as Doublemint said.

The bible says Joseph and Mary were married right after Joseph was told the baby was from the Holy Spirit.  So Mary was married by the time Jesus was born.

They were not homeless refugees, either, but people traveling for a purpose, intending to return to their home after they reported for the census. 

Why do we want to bring these Holy people down to where we can "relate" to them as just like us?  If they were just like us we would have no reason to worship them.

 

THIS!

[Llywela]

There is a world of difference between what was publishable in the 1930s and how ordinary folk talked. People curse, that's just a fact of life. The Scarsdale House folk don't make a habit of it, since they are respectable folk, but it's absurd to assume that someone like Siegfried would never swear, ever, or that either Audrey and Helen would be fainting violets shocked by such a thing. They are not that refined. If the show had them all effing and blinding all over the place, that would be anachronistic, yes, but one curse word under heightened circumstances does not seem out of place to me at all.

Little Eva being there to hear it was the only thing that seemed out of place in that moment to me, but I think they can all be excused, in the circumstances.

[Daff]

On 2/27/2023 at 1:19 PM, Llywela said:

Scarsdale

I always get a red line, fighting with the spell check when I write Skeldale!
Curiously, it REMEMBERS the word and offers it up as a choice, then red-lines it.

[Llywela]

19 minutes ago, Daff said:

I always get a red line, fighting with the spell check when I write Skeldale!
Curiously, it REMEMBERS the word and offers it up as a choice, then red-lines it.

I always get the name of the wretched house wrong! I always think I'm remembering it right, and then it never is. Apparently I know too many Yorkshire-ish place names and they muddle themselves up in my brain!

[Daff]

1 hour ago, Llywela said:

I always get the name of the wretched house wrong! I always think I'm remembering it right, and then it never is. Apparently I know too many Yorkshire-ish place names and they muddle themselves up in my brain!

That’s quite alright, as I appreciate your POV here. Only way I remember that name- in America, ‘skel’ is detective show slang for life long criminal. 

[possibilities]

I am now running an alternate universe show in my head, that transports Siegfried, Mrs Hall, and all the others to Scarsdale. It's hilarious. 

[peacheslatour]

4 hours ago, Daff said:

That’s quite alright, as I appreciate your POV here. Only way I remember that name- in America, ‘skel’ is detective show slang for life long criminal. 

I read this in Sipowicz's voice.

[iMonrey]

On 2/24/2023 at 8:57 PM, Sarah 103 said:

I was not loving the "sure she's Jewish, but let's have her learn Noel, meet Santa,  get Christmas presents, while we play two seconds of lipservice to her actual religious background" that ran through the show.   

It's been my (admittedly anecdotal) experience that my Jewish friends sometimes envied those who celebrated Christmas. I mean, what little kid doesn't want presents? Hanukah is not a major holiday in the Jewish religion compared to Christmas. 

Quote

OK, this may be an UO, but I actually liked Eva. Yes, I know that it would have been somewhat unusual for adults in that era to have let them call her by their given names instead of their titles and surnames but I imagine that since they'd opened their home to her and she was separated from her parents that they wouldn't have wanted to press the issue  too much. I also kind of liked getting a 'kids' view' of how she viewed our main characters.

I liked it too. 

I know it's not like the books and I know it's not like the first two seasons, but a.) I've never read the books and b.) I don't think you can really do a story that takes place during the onset of WWII by ignoring the impact it has on the characters, so it certainly has to be a little darker and more serious than the first two seasons. You can't just keep doing fun little stories about animals and pretend the war isn't going on or affecting anyone. 

[kassa]

On 1/21/2022 at 1:53 AM, Blergh said:

I thought it was a bit ludicrous for James to have been literally running around the Yorkshire Dales in the late 1930's attired in track shorts, a sleeveless shirt and track shoes! I mean, NO ONE would have done that in the UK back then unless they were student track athletes running around their own campus tracks (or maybe running with their teammates around the campuses).

My great uncle was born in 1903 and a lifelong runner who was definitely considered eccentric for running around suburban Boston in shorts in the 30s... and 40s and 50s and 60s. Then in the 70s "jogging" became a thing but he couldn't run so much any more!

On 2/21/2022 at 7:37 AM, Dehumidifier said:

So James' barely-getting-by parents paid for him to go to vet school? Anyone know if that is realistic?

Same great uncle was raised next to the pit at the tannery where his father worked. Became a dentist. Combination of being very smart and getting scholarships, working to save every nickel, and tuition really not being that high, all things considered.  And parents who valued education and wanted their kids to get ahead (not universal, sadly).

A different great uncle was a fireman, at a time when they used horses to pull the firetrucks. So in WWI he was assigned to a cannon company (horses pulled the cannon). He was gassed and came back "different" per my grandmother. I always assumed it was PTSD from the war itself, but learning about his work with the horses makes me wonder how much equine suffering he witnessed in addition to human suffering.  He too might have been assigned to kill them at the end. 

On 3/8/2022 at 4:34 PM, peacheslatour said:

Veterinary work will break you if you don't have the right temperament. I had to quit  because I couldn't cut it.  

 

A friend of mine was present when Ruffian came out of anesthesia and injured herself and had to be put down. She couldn't get over it and went full time into rehabilitating (much less injured) horses.

On 2/2/2023 at 2:06 PM, DonnaMae said:

I don't consider having a daily walk with a person as dating.  

I'm nosy. If I saw two neighbors walking daily I'd at least WONDER. Might dismiss it, but I'd wonder.

On 2/13/2023 at 1:38 PM, possibilities said:

Where were all the refugee children going to stay? Did they send them to a central facility? I don't see where that would be in Skeldale. So did they seek volunteers to each take one child? How did that work?

My boss and his family escaped Vienna and got to London. Only months later, he and his brother were evacuated to the countryside. The people who were supposed to take them didn't show up at the train station. They were "given" to another family who had a farm and were very good to them. But barely speaking English, you can imagine the trauma. 

They were Jewish. I have no idea if their host family tried to introduce them to the Magic of Christmas, but I certainly didn't like that storyline here. Sure, the kid would be curious, but this episode was a weird combination of everybody being wonderfully open minded and interested in learning about Hannukah without any seeming appreciation that singing Christian hymns at a church might not be something her parents would be thrilled about or that she might feel uneasy about.    

On 2/13/2023 at 2:20 PM, Daff said:

I am sure you are quite correct on the procedure, but the script was written in a way that could cause viewer confusion. Helen’s father sat at the table as the official told him what would happen and for how long. He did actually say the words, “then your cows will be returned to you.” That made no sense to me, as with how contagious Bovine TB is, why would you move them at all. After thinking about it, the frequent inspections, signs at the gate, and probably not being able to even let them graze the fields, I figured they meant: “Return your cows to your CARE.” (and leave you alone)

I think he said the paper was literally signing over legal authority to the herd (which would remain physically in place), and "returned to you" meant the process would be reversed. So he literally no longer owned them (though I assume was compelled to continue feeding/watering them!) during the process.

I definitely see Siegfried/Mrs. Hall endgame and I'm fine with it. 

[Kimboweena]

Kassa, thank you for sharing your family and friend's stories!  They were all very interesting.

 

[ofmd]

I've been rewatching and it's fun! I just watched the cricket episode of season 2.

My favourite quote: "Tristan, I know you're still unhappy with me, but this - this is cricket!"

Tricky-Woo gets to "express himself" freely! And unlike the slo-mo of the latest Christmas special, the one for Tricky and his love interest is cute and funny.

I like the multi-dimensional portrayal of Hugh. even though he punishes poor James for Helen's leaving him (and tried to rig a children's pet contest). We've also seen very good sides of him. Still, James is very kind to save his pathet bruised ego.

It's a good thing the Aldersons refused the gift of the new bull, nobody can replace Clive!

I wonder if most viewers had initially found Tristan as annoying as I did, and that's why they made Siegfried so awful regarding the lying, the public outing,  and refusal to apologize? I mean, the initial lie was well-intended, if ill-advised. But his behaviour afterwards sunk to new lows and certainly made Tris look more sympathetic. Although, his taunting James in  this episode, playing to his insecurities, is still annoying. Poor James!

Mrs Hall deserves a chance to play cricket herself. Maybe during wartime? Or probably I just watched too much of A League Of Their Own!

I'm sure Gerald is meant to be a nice, decent, if slightly boring man, but I'm not a huge fan. I mean, I'm a no-sports person myself, but his conversation during the match practically sedated me. In previous episodes, they made a point to show her being all lonely in the evenings. But c'mon, Siegfried got sexy, charming and fun Dorothy, and Mrs Hall gets stuck, I mean falls passionately in love with Mr Moustache? Not fair.

Anyway, these seasons are far too short!

Also, some scenes I've seen described seem to be missing from the episodes. We need a deleted scenes reel.

ETA: Forgot to mention, my favourite scene up to this episode was Mrs Hall confronting Siegfried with his lie. The verbal exchange, the sleuthing! ("The dean called...")

Edited March 3, 2023 by ofmd

[smartymarty]

I love the Gerald-Mrs. Hall relationship and will be very annoyed if they put her with Siegfried instead. Gerald is actually NICE. Siegfried is arrogant and controlling. Also, it's a weird, pat way to end things.

I saw the original ACGS when I was a kid. My mother and I were great Masterpiece Theater fans. I remember loving it, and comments here about it being more animal-centric make sense to me. I don't remember enough to picture the characters though. Maybe when this series is enough of a memory I'll see if I can find the original.

[DonnaMae]

An Audrey/Siegfried lover here.   I'm hoping Gerald goes to Hull for that job, and we never see him again.  

Edited March 7, 2023 by DonnaMae

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, smartymarty said:

I love the Gerald-Mrs. Hall relationship and will be very annoyed if they put her with Siegfried instead. Gerald is actually NICE. Siegfried is arrogant and controlling.

Thank you.  I would pray for the poor woman that winds up with Siegfried.

[Cetacean]

51 minutes ago, sugarbaker design said:

Thank you.  I would pray for the poor woman that winds up with Siegfried.

Yeah, it would be a full time job to keep him on an even keel.  He's a lot of work!

[ofmd]

2 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

An Audrey/Siegfried lover here.   I'm hoping Gerald goes to Hull for that job, and we never see him again.  

Well, I think her sudden infatuation with him has to get resolved somehow, so I doubt we've seen and heard the last of him. (Good for the Audrey/ Gerald shippers, different strokes and all that.) My hunch is that they'll get her and Siegfried together in the final season, possibly even the final episode of the show.

Which is just one of the reasons I hope they'll get more time beyond season 4 to tell and end their stories as they wish. Aside from the above mentioned storyline, I would hate to either leave our heroes in the middle of a war or to get rushed story arcs.

According to an interview with ‘Masterpiece’ Head Susanne Simpson, they "have young cast members who are very talented and are beginning
to do other projects. So we’re just hoping we can keep the cast together
to keep it going."

Filming for s4 started yesterday.

As to Siegfried being controlling... He usually doesn't try that with Mrs. Hall, and when he does, she won't have it. And imo, the reason why he's a lot of "work" is that she feels responsible for the relationships in this family/ system, most notably the one between the brothers. I hope she'll be able to let go of that, no matter what will happen with Siegfried.

Again, no shade to anyone who prefers Audrey with Gerald. Maybe all the little A/S hints are just teases/ little easter eggs that won't lead anywhere. As long as she ends up happy, I'm fine with it.

Edited March 7, 2023 by ofmd

[Odddave]

I'm afraid Mrs. Hall may be in for some horrible news.  In the episode when she met her son at the train station, her son's hat had H.M.S. Repulse on his hatband.  The Repulse along with H.M.S. Prince of Wales were sunk by Japanese air attacks on 10 December 1941.  513 crewmembers of the Repulse perished.  The good news is that over 1000 survived. 

It will be interesting to see where the writers take this.  The timing of the storyline would put this just before Christmas in season 5.  Can we hope for a happy ending for Mrs. Hall and her son?

 

 

[ofmd]

Yes, we're sadly aware. I really hope they won't kill him off, and he's among the many rescued men. Mrs Hall has seen enough tragedy!

But you just made me realize that this - the drama, and hopefully the news of his survival - is perfect season 5 Christmas Special material!

(By this time, I personally hope Gerald has long vanished from their lives, and her whole surrogate family will be there for her, as she has always been there for them.)

And a sad Christmas it would be... Or, could it even be a cliffhanger, in that maybe they wouldn't know his fate yet?

Edited March 7, 2023 by ofmd

[DonnaMae]

14 minutes ago, ofmd said:

By this time, I personally hope Gerald has long vanished from their lives,

Me too.  Now what are they going to do about Mrs. Hall's husband?

I too hope that Edward is one of the survivors.

[ofmd]

1 hour ago, DonnaMae said:

Me too.  Now what are they going to do about Mrs. Hall's husband?

 

I'd like her to get a divorce, but that's probably not very realistic... At least Mrs Hall has never shown any desire to get divorced.

So I vote for killing him off! Any ideas?

I think my preference would be he gets offed in a bar brawl.

Edited March 8, 2023 by ofmd

[DonnaMae]

51 minutes ago, ofmd said:

I think my preference would be he gets offed in a bar brawl.

Eww, brutal!  Maybe he'll just stumble while drunk and fall into the river. 😬

[anna0852]

1 hour ago, ofmd said:

I'd like her to get a divorce, but that's probably not very realistic... At least Mrs Hall has never shown any desire to get divorced.

So I vote for killing him off! Any ideas?

I think my preference would be he gets offed in a bar brawl.

The Blitz is looming and wasn’t limit to London. Easy enough to off him.

[kassygreene]

6 hours ago, Odddave said:

I'm afraid Mrs. Hall may be in for some horrible news.  In the episode when she met her son at the train station, her son's hat had H.M.S. Repulse on his hatband.  The Repulse along with H.M.S. Prince of Wales were sunk by Japanese air attacks on 10 December 1941.  513 crewmembers of the Repulse perished.  The good news is that over 1000 survived. 

It will be interesting to see where the writers take this.  The timing of the storyline would put this just before Christmas in season 5.  Can we hope for a happy ending for Mrs. Hall and her son?

 

At least it wasn't the Hood.  May 24, 1941, Hood was sunk in three minutes with 3 survivors out of a crew of 1418.  One of those three was Ted Briggs, whom I remember from many stories about the Hood, and also the Bismarck... Anyway, thank you Show for not putting him on the Hood.

[ofmd]

9 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

Eww, brutal!  Maybe he'll just stumble while drunk and fall into the river. 😬

I mean, we wouldn't see it, of course! We'd just hear it from Mrs. Hall reading the letter...

[Llywela]

Filming on season four is underway!

 

[Sarah 103]

This is me totally overthinking the Eva storyline (and possibly bordering on fan-fiction), but here it goes. I think of Eva as a German name. While her family may have lived in London for generations, culturally, German Jews tended to be more assimilated than Jews from other countries (like Russia or Poland). I've read about German Jews having Christmas trees in thier house as far back as the 1800s. Also If she's going to a regular school in London, then she probably sang or heard Christmas Carols at school assemblies/concerts.  

[Doublemint]

To those who think Season 5 will deal with the sinking of Mrs. Hall's son's ship, I don't think the show will go through WWII in 7 years.   There will be a speed up and condensation.   The first series did the same.  I don't think the series will last more than, maybe, season 5 or 6 max.