All Creatures Great And Small (2021) - General Discussion

[HoodlumSheep]

2x02:

This episode went by really fast?!?!?

James and Helen are finally making progress! Hurrah!!!

A potential beau for Mrs. Hall??? Also, surprised to see how they've basically dropped the Mrs. hall/son storyline for now. 

It's one of the gals from Call the Midwife! Not used to seeing her without a habit on. Lol. It was throwing me off.

All the recent jibber jabber in this forum reminded me that I'm one of the few on here that haven't read the books nor watched the old series lololol.

Edited January 17, 2022 by HoodlumSheep

[ECM1231]

27 minutes ago, HoodlumSheep said:

All the recent jibber jabber in this forum reminded me that I'm one of the few on here that haven't read the books nor watched the old series lololol.

🤚Raises hand. Count me in as one who has neither read the books or seen the original series. I'm so enchanted by this series and I can only imagine how good the books are.

[possibilities]

I haven't read the books or seen the original series, either. 

I enjoyed S2E2 tonight, despite the human romance focus. 

I really think Siegfried should tell James and Tristan about T flunking his exam. Since he apparently doesn't need the degree in order to practice, and can learn by apprenticeship (which he seems to be much better at than book studying), it seems like it would be good for everyone to just be honest about it and proceed from there. 

I agree that not putting the sow in a stall (or having her restrained in some other way) is ridiculous. It made no sense to me that they were needlessly risking both her and the vet's safety during the procedure. Siegfried not having the scalpel last time also seemed implausible. Is he losing his mind? Or pranking Tristan? Either way, it just seemed reckless.

Why did Audrey decline the offer to walk the dogs with Clock Guy? 

 

 

[LittleIggy]

Sister Frances from “Call the Midwife” got to snog with Tristan! 😆

10 hours ago, Leeds said:

Ah, Tricki Woo and his flop bot.  Patricia Hodge as Mrs Pumphrey has big shoes to fill. 

No, I was referring to the dog that needed a home but was hard to place because he farted a lot. I won’t spoil what happened.

Edited January 17, 2022 by LittleIggy

[Leeds]

 

 

3 hours ago, 4merBachAddict said:

I was a huge fan of the books & really enjoyed the original series. As I watch the new series, I find myself saying:  "That wasn't in the books" or "No - that's not what happened". I will keep watching, but I don't understand why changes were needed.

 

I don't understand either.  There's so much wonderful material in the books.  For example, what was all that with Mrs Hall and the clock fixer?  I found it quite jarring.  I find I'm just about getting used to the new version/actors and then something like that happens, or the actor playing James does a slight head waggle like Christopher Timothy, or "Siegfried" does something very Robert Hardy-esque.

3 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

 

All the recent jibber jabber in this forum reminded me that I'm one of the few on here that haven't read the books nor watched the old series lololol.

I'm jealous as you have those to look forward to, though I have put the originals on hold at the library.

27 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

 

No, I was referring to the dog that needed a home but was hard to place because he farted a lot. I won’t spoil what happened.

Oh yes, of course - Trikki Woo had different problems with his rear end!

 

[Blergh]

9 hours ago, possibilities said:

I haven't read the books or seen the original series, either. 

I enjoyed S2E2 tonight, despite the human romance focus. 

I really think Siegfried should tell James and Tristan about T flunking his exam. Since he apparently doesn't need the degree in order to practice, and can learn by apprenticeship (which he seems to be much better at than book studying), it seems like it would be good for everyone to just be honest about it and proceed from there. 

I agree that not putting the sow in a stall (or having her restrained in some other way) is ridiculous. It made no sense to me that they were needlessly risking both her and the vet's safety during the procedure. Siegfried not having the scalpel last time also seemed implausible. Is he losing his mind? Or pranking Tristan? Either way, it just seemed reckless.

Why did Audrey decline the offer to walk the dogs with Clock Guy? 

 

 

Perhaps Mrs. Hall truly felt more content to just sit home curled up with a good book and a dog. Luckily she had no dishes to wash, laundry to tend to or sewing to catch up on- as so many homemakers have had to contend with from time immemorial. 

Interesting that Siegfried's latest possible flame Diana was perfectly content to let the Darrowby gossips' tongues wag rather than attempt to spell out the mystery of her husband's fate. If nothing else, this seemed to demonstrate that she has a good sense of humor about herself.

Didn't expect Mother Herriot to be have THAT much clout with that Glasgow vet hospital big wig!

How long will Siegfried keep Tristan,etc. in the dark about the latter not actually having passed? Although, one also may question why would Tristan have NOT asked to see the actual notification for himself confirming his alleged achievement instead of solely relying on Siegfried's word? Still, Siegfried can't keep Tristan in the dark forever- and it won't be entirely pleasant when the truth gets out.

Regardless, I like that NS Tristan actually feels bold enough to be direct with Siegfried re Siegfried's professional and personal prospects. It's hard to imagine OS Tristan being that direct with his older brother- at least without having gotten totally soused. 

Edited January 17, 2022 by Blergh

[Llywela]

10 hours ago, possibilities said:

Why did Audrey decline the offer to walk the dogs with Clock Guy? 

Nerves. She likes him and that scares her a bit, takes her out of her comfort zone. So she buried her head in the sand instead because it felt safer.

[DonnaMae]

12 hours ago, Driad said:

Buttercup: why didn't they put her in a small pen, or at least drive he into a corner so she couldn't charge the vet?

They wanted the scene to be amusing watching Tristan running for his life?

[NoReally]

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

Siegfried not having the scalpel last time also seemed implausible. Is he losing his mind? Or pranking Tristan? Either way, it just seemed reckless.

Oh, I'm sure he had his scalpel with him on the previous visit. But he wasn't going to take on that beast of a sow.
Much more fun to let Tristan try.

[DonnaMae]

So James just left Helen at the dance?  He brought her in his car, but he left her there?   That seems rather rude of him.

[libgirl2]

10 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Sister Frances from “Call the Midwife” got to snog with Tristan! 😆

No, I was referring to the dog that needed a home but was hard to place because he farted a lot. I won’t spoil what happened.

Sister Frances indeed! 

[monakane]

One of the many things I love about this show is how realistic the hair and clothing looks for that period.  Does anyone know what was wrong with the border collie that was brought in by the woman from last season's finale?

[peacheslatour]

8 minutes ago, monakane said:

One of the many things I love about this show is how realistic the hair and clothing looks for that period.  Does anyone know what was wrong with the border collie that was brought in by the woman from last season's finale?

IIRC, she had a difficult labor while having her pups.

[DonnaMae]

I like the realistic clothing and hair also, except for Mrs. Hall's hairdo.  I don't like the rolls on the back of her head.

 

[monakane]

18 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

I like the realistic clothing and hair also, except for Mrs. Hall's hairdo.  I don't like the rolls on the back of her head.

 

I was hoping Mrs. Hall went to the Daffodil Ball.  I wanted to see her out of her work clothes.

[sugarbaker design]

4 hours ago, Blergh said:

Perhaps Mrs. Hall truly felt more content to just sit home curled up with a good book and a dog.

And a roaring fire!  Sounds like a perfect night to me.

[Driad]

Near the end of the episode, what was the thing on the mantel?  It looked like a cat.  Maybe it was a sculpture. 

[tennisgurl]

19 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

All the recent jibber jabber in this forum reminded me that I'm one of the few on here that haven't read the books nor watched the old series lololol.

Same here! They sound delightful but I just have not had the time to catch up with them, so I have nothing to compare this show to. I adore it as it is, and while I hope to get around to the books and older show eventually, right now I am just loving this show as is.

James and Helen are finally moving forward! And Mrs. Hall might just have a new love interest of her own, I hope that she ends up taking the nice clock guy up on his offer to take their dogs for a walk. I can imagine its been awhile since she got involved with anyone and is worried about dating (or courting) anyone at this point, even though they seemed to be really hitting it off.

James and Tristan both giving Siegfried some friendly grief about him being old fashioned was really funny, although Siegfried can clearly give as good as he gets considering how much fun he had making Tristan have to fight that giant pig. He really does need to tell Tristan the truth about his test though, he cant keep lying to Tristan and James forever, they're going to ask more and more questions about why he wont let Tristan do surgeries. 

Jess giving a big happy dog smile in the operating room while they worked on the little dog was the cutest thing ever. 

[peacheslatour]

Leg traps should be illegal. Are they still used?

[AZChristian]

2 hours ago, Driad said:

Near the end of the episode, what was the thing on the mantel?  It looked like a cat.  Maybe it was a sculpture. 

If it was the black thing over James' right shoulder,  I think it was a sculpture of a fox.

[LittleIggy]

6 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Leg traps should be illegal. Are they still used?

Unfortunately, yes. 🤬

[Llywela]

9 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Leg traps should be illegal. Are they still used?

The use of such snares is heavily legislated these days (UK), but the show is set in 1938, before any of those laws were enacted.

[Tiggertoo]

Clock guy looked so familiar to me.  Finally found out that he was on Coronation Street as Chris Gray.  A very different character!

[Doublemint]

The REAL Mrs. Hall wouldn't have let those filthy, stinking lab coats hang there.   She would immediately washed them.   Also, the vets wouldn't bring such things into the house at all.   I couldn't believe she sat there reading - like a "lady".   Her job is to cook and clean.   Also, her acting as a vet tech was jarring.   She has plenty to do there to keep her busy, yet she's always larking about with make-up on and not a hair out of place.  

[mjc570]

I totally agree that there is no way those filthy lab coats would be hanging in the hallway.  I think it is clear that Mrs. Hall is more than a housekeeper or servant, more a member of the family responsible for keeping things going smoothly.  Is this a realistic portrayal of how things were then? I have no idea, but I just enjoy the show.

[Daff]

2 hours ago, mjc570 said:

I totally agree that there is no way those filthy lab coats would be hanging in the hallway.  I think it is clear that Mrs. Hall is more than a housekeeper or servant, more a member of the family responsible for keeping things going smoothly.  Is this a realistic portrayal of how things were then? I have no idea, but I just enjoy the show.

It’s not the filth. In real life, as someone said above, they never would have been allowed in the house at all! I nearly gagged when the camera panned over them hanging there. The stench would have permeated the entire house and lingered for months. Have these writers never smelled a pile of rotting grass clippings? Then add to that bovine digestive juices (think manure). 

[peacheslatour]

21 minutes ago, Daff said:

It’s not the filth. In real life, as someone said above, they never would have been allowed in the house at all! I nearly gagged when the camera panned over them hanging there. The stench would have permeated the entire house and lingered for months. Have these writers never smelled a pile of rotting grass clippings? Then add to that bovine digestive juices (think manure). 

I lived on a horse ranch for a while. You get used to it. People used to walk all over the floors in filthy boots and eat with very grubby hands. Meh.

[crankcase]

4 hours ago, Doublemint said:

The REAL Mrs. Hall wouldn't have let those filthy, stinking lab coats hang there.   She would immediately washed them.   Also, the vets wouldn't bring such things into the house at all.   I couldn't believe she sat there reading - like a "lady".   Her job is to cook and clean.   Also, her acting as a vet tech was jarring.   She has plenty to do there to keep her busy, yet she's always larking about with make-up on and not a hair out of place.  

Her “job” is to eventually marry Siegfried. To facilitate this, the audience is being groomed to accept her as a reasonably plausible partner, in physical attractiveness, intellect and (as yet unknown) social background. (As has been noted before, “Audrey” was also the uncommon name of the wife of Wight’s boss/partner.)

Wait until she lets her hair down.

https://images.app.goo.gl/uZmoPoYRk82MC89P9

[peacheslatour]

^^^Are you saying Mrs. Hall marries Siegfreid Farnon?

[Llywela]

34 minutes ago, crankcase said:

As has been noted before, “Audrey” was also the uncommon name of the wife of Wight’s boss/partner.

Uncommon? Audrey was a common enough name for women at that time. It is less common now, sure, but there were plenty of Audreys in the 1930s!

[crankcase]

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

^^^Are you saying Mrs. Hall marries Siegfreid Farnon?

Why do you think they

1. dramatically lowered the age of the housekeeper to about that of Siegfried’s?

2. cast her with an actor capable of suddenly appearing remarkably beautiful, with a body most middle-age women would kill for?

3. have her compete with Siegfried in strength of character, wit, and practical sense and competence?

4. go out of their way to show her reading books, which Siegfried is never seen to?

Marriage will require for the likes of Siegfried intellectual equality and psychological balance outside of his profession. That’s what’s being set up for season 3 or 4. Audrey will wipe the floor all right, but it will be with Dorothy or her stand-ins.

[peacheslatour]

2 minutes ago, crankcase said:

Why do you think they

1. dramatically lowered the age of the housekeeper to about that of Siegfried’s?

2. cast her with an actor capable of suddenly appearing remarkably beautiful, with a body most middle-age women would kill for?

3. have her compete with Siegfried in strength of character, wit, and practical sense and competence?

4. go out of their way to show her reading books, which Siegfried is never seen to?

Marriage will require for the likes of Siegfried intellectual equality and psychological balance outside of his profession. That’s what’s being set up for season 3 or 4. Audrey will wipe the floor all right, but it will be with Dorothy or her stand-ins.

I can see a little deviation from the books, artistic license and all but to go completely off canon like that? I can't wrap my head around something like that.

[crankcase]

27 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I can see a little deviation from the books, artistic license and all but to go completely off canon like that? I can't wrap my head around something like that.

Off canon? What would you call Helen jilting the local (age-appropriate, loving, handsome) laird at the altar? The original “Aldersons” were financially secure with a mother and multiple children. The original Helen didn’t seem like she ever got her hands dirty. The original James didn’t act like a tween with a crush. 

The original books were fiction; in a sense, fan fiction. They don’t deserve to be strictly adhered to. It’s not Anna Karenina.

[peacheslatour]

nm

Edited January 18, 2022 by peacheslatour

[Gizkok]

On 1/17/2022 at 1:48 PM, monakane said:

  On 1/17/2022 at 1:28 PM, DonnaMae said:

I like the realistic clothing and hair also, except for Mrs. Hall's hairdo.  I don't like the rolls on the back of her head.

I remember my great aunt had that same hideous hairdo, probably most of her life. She certainly did the last time I saw her which was in the seventies.

[JudyObscure]

23 hours ago, Doublemint said:

Her job is to cook and clean.

Surely not 24 hours a day!  I would think she's "on duty" from when she gets up and starts their breakfast until after dinner is cleaned up and that's enough work for any one day. 

 

16 hours ago, crankcase said:

The original James didn’t act like a tween with a crush. 

Heh.  During  their  final scene this episode, after Helen had kissed him on the cheek and was holding her beautiful face five inches from his, I said "If he doesn't kiss her I'm going to smack him on the back of the head."  Consider him smacked.

I did enjoy all the match making going on this week, even Tess and that cute fluffy terrier.

[Daff]

16 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I can see a little deviation from the books, artistic license and all but to go completely off canon like that? I can't wrap my head around something like that.

I do think they are a good match, emotionally and intellectually. However, I’m not sure Siegfried is going to jump right in, given her familial baggage. And then there’s the question of her job-does she keep working for James and the brothers (that is, Skeldale house)? In the OS, when Siegfried married, he bought a house and moved right into it with his new wife. She never spent a night at the practice (not the type). Eventually, James and Helen did too. I don’t think this will resolve within the timeline given above. Still have the war to get through. 

[JudyObscure]

28 minutes ago, Daff said:

Still have the war to get through. 

Oh that!  That will be over by Christmas. 😉

[Blergh]

Agree that it would have been unthinkable for Mrs. Hall or any self-respecting housekeeper to have allowed the three vets' feces-soiled lab coats  to remain hanging in the main hallway's coat rack instead of ,at the very least, insisting they would have had to left them in the kennel shed -if not having started washing them herself (as it seemed they had no laundresses taking care of their clothing). 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Blergh

[MamaMax]

Before I read any more posts - DO we have a spoiler policy here? I am watching in the US where only 2 episodes have aired..... 

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, MamaMax said:

Before I read any more posts - DO we have a spoiler policy here? I am watching in the US where only 2 episodes have aired..... 

No my understanding is once episodes aired originally in the UK, they're fair game. I don't mind seeing the spoilers for this show, so I still read here despite that, but if you don't want anything to be spoiled, you'll probably want to hold off on reading the thread until after you've finished this season. 

[Leeds]

8 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Oh that!  That will be over by Christmas. 😉

Wrong war.

6 hours ago, Blergh said:

Agree that it would have been unthinkable for Mrs. Hall or any self-respecting housekeeper to have allowed the three vets' feces-soiled lab coats  to remain hanging in the main hallway's coat rack instead of ,at the very least, insisting they would have had to left them in the kennel shed -if not having started washing them herself (as it seemed they had no laundresses taking care of their clothing). 

Laundresses?  Chance would be a fine thing.

[Doublemint]

On 1/18/2022 at 5:58 PM, crankcase said:

Off canon? What would you call Helen jilting the local (age-appropriate, loving, handsome) laird at the altar? The original “Aldersons” were financially secure with a mother and multiple children. The original Helen didn’t seem like she ever got her hands dirty. The original James didn’t act like a tween with a crush. 

The original books were fiction; in a sense, fan fiction. They don’t deserve to be strictly adhered to. It’s not Anna Karenina.

Now that you mention it, the jilting at the altar was extremely "off canon".   I'm still trying to block it out.  Prefer the original Aldersons and portrayal of Helen.

[MissLucas]

On 1/18/2022 at 8:41 PM, peacheslatour said:

I lived on a horse ranch for a while. You get used to it. People used to walk all over the floors in filthy boots and eat with very grubby hands. Meh.

In a less posh surrounding than the Farnham house that's how things were and still are handled sometimes but not in a place where the local gentry will bring their pets. Those coats should never have entered the house - i.e. should have remained in the wash-house. Clearly the director thought it made for a lovely little still-life at the end of the episode but it made me laugh.

In a similar vein the maintenance of all those lovely tweed garments would have involved a lot of airing since most of them can't be washed. Additionally some DIY forms of dry-cleaning were known and a skilled housekeeper would have known about them. But that stuff is of course boring and I don't mind that we never see all the work involved - just don't bring any manure stained clothes into the house!

Another lovely detail about the scent of cow manure: never ever leave laundry out when it's slurry spreading time even when the farmland is a good distance away. You may think your laundry is fine - the moment your pressing iron hits the fabric you will realize that those molecules fooled you for good!

 

Edited January 20, 2022 by MissLucas

[Daff]

3 hours ago, MissLucas said:

never ever leave laundry out when it's slurry spreading time

I’m surrounded by farmland. Even had to sign a document as part of the purchase acknowledging I would be hearing and smelling the farm activity! These are the days you actually want the wind to pick up. 
 

FWIW-the lab coats were drenched in the cow’s stomach contents. I only suggested “think manure” because the smell is as least that bad, if not worse. 

[MissLucas]

2 minutes ago, Daff said:

I’m surrounded by farmland. Even had to sign a document as part of the purchase acknowledging I would be hearing and smelling the farm activity! These are the days you actually want the wind to pick up. 
 

FWIW-the lab coats were drenched in the cow’s stomach contents. I only suggested “think manure” because the smell is as least that bad, if not worse. 

Not surprised about the need for such documents, I've known cases were folks bought a house on the countryside and then were shocked about the less romantic aspects of country life - it's not all bucolic paradise.

Yeah, it was not exactly manure but close enough in more than one sense of the word 😉

[Zella]

I live in a rural area and really love it, but tons of chicken manure baking in the Arkansas summer wafting for miles on end has broken many an idealist who moved here thinking they wanted to live on a farm. LOL It's not a smell you soon forget. 

Edited January 20, 2022 by Zella

[peacheslatour]

32 minutes ago, Daff said:

I’m surrounded by farmland. Even had to sign a document as part of the purchase acknowledging I would be hearing and smelling the farm activity! These are the days you actually want the wind to pick up. 
 

FWIW-the lab coats were drenched in the cow’s stomach contents. I only suggested “think manure” because the smell is as least that bad, if not worse. 

Did I imagine it or did they not stitch that cow up after they let out the stomach contents?

[DonnaMae]

I used to live in an area where there were a lot of farmers raising pigs.  Now that is the worst smell ever.

[peacheslatour]

21 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

I used to live in an area where there were a lot of farmers raising pigs.  Now that is the worst smell ever.

Yeah, horses don't smell bad to me but cows and pigs? The stench can be unbearable.