All Creatures Great And Small (2021) - General Discussion

[Daff]

On 2/13/2022 at 7:40 AM, dleighg said:

I just started watching Deadwater Fell (only filmed 2 years ago as I recall) and "Mrs Hall" is playing a mother of young kids/classroom teacher. I was surprised at how believable she is at either somewhat different age! (She's 45)

If you want a glimpse of her youth, view an episode of The Royal (it’s a private hospital). She’s a gum-snapping, mini-skirt clad, spoiled, pre-20s, smarta$$ in this medical soap. The actress is talented. She was, and is model gorgeous. 

[Daff]

11 hours ago, Blergh said:

Interesting that, she seems to be the only character who picked up on the then-Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's self-congratulatory speeches playing on the radio in the background AND somehow was prescient enough to realize that his talks with Hitler wouldn't prevent war from happening. 

I think she’s fearful that if war comes, she may NEVER get to connect with her son again. 

[Daff]

10 hours ago, Llywela said:

Probably he was a good and kind man when she married him, or at least she thought he was, but there was another side of him that only came out later.

I’m thinking he came back with PTSD (referred to at the time as “shell-shocked, even though shells might not have been involved), especially when clock-fixer said that he’d been injured and sent home early in the war, so he wasn’t so wounded psychologically. 

[labresq]

16 hours ago, Sharpie66 said:

BTW, I loved that stray dog! He had the coat of a wolfhound with the body structure of a smallish greyhound.

I had just finished watching some episodes of "The Durrells in Corfu" and thought it might have been Roger!

 

[MrAtoz]

5 hours ago, CoE123 said:

They show both Mrs. Donovan and the stray dog getting on to a canal boat or "narrowboat" at the end.  The "boat people" and boat culture still exist, but in dwindling numbers.  They originated in the industrial revolution, transporting goods on a vast network of canals in the UK.  The transient canal folk were looked down upon by local settled communities in much the same way as the Romani or Irish travelers, but are not necessarily connected with either culture.  The have their own culture.  More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrowboat

There are several YouTube channels by and about people who live aboard narrowboats full-time.  It's a bit like the "nomadic" culture of folks who live in RVs, but more watery. 😀

I enjoy David Johns's channel, Cruising The Cut, but there are lots more as well.

[sas616]

10 hours ago, Llywela said:

I think you may be a bit confused. Anna Madeley plays Mrs Hall; the mother in Bridgerton is played by Ruth Gemmell. There is a similarity between the two, but they are different people.

Well my goodness, I thought they were the same actress.  I'm in a constant state of confusion these days, so that explains it.   Though now I'm not quite as impressed with either actress since they aren't doing double duty.     ( Though I did just learn that Ruth Gemmell was married to Ray Stevenson when I looked her up, so she has that going for her!  LOL!!!!)    

[Dehumidifier]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:53 PM, seacliffsal said:

I so wanted to love this show.  I watched the 1st season and then this season in quick succession.  Overall, I find it to be quite underwhelming.  Far too much human interaction that doesn't ring true to the era.  I am not a fan of Mrs. Hall interjecting herself into every action and conversation.  I am also not a fan of Mrs. Hall not doing her job-the three coats with cow digestive yuck all over them and then telling Siegfried to darn his own clothes.  I'm not confining her to "women's work," but I am expecting her to do the work associated with being the housekeeper.  I couldn't believe that she was being semi-rude to Siegfried's date for Tristan's birthday dinner or to Tristan's date who mistakenly thought she was Siegfried's wife (hey, not everyone knows all the business of one of the local veterarians in town).  "

That really irked me. Anytime she knew James was going to be anywhere near Helen she had to wish him luck. Ridiculous. And he didn't get annoyed!

[Daff]

This thought just popped into my head overnight. Tristan on the couch seriously reading a book entitled “(character name) Goes to War” with a little picture of a smoking plane plummeting downward. Then, at the end of the episode, he announces that he’s re-enrolling in school. I’d say he sees the inevitable coming. 
Also liked that we see his one real strength at work for good here. He quite masterfully converted the vet-eschewing Mrs. Donovan. 

[Llywela]

26 minutes ago, Daff said:

This thought just popped into my head overnight. Tristan on the couch seriously reading a book entitled “(character name) Goes to War” with a little picture of a smoking plane plummeting downward. Then, at the end of the episode, he announces that he’s re-enrolling in school. I’d say he sees the inevitable coming. 

I don't remember seeing the book on-screen, but from your description it sounds like Biggles Goes to War, which was part of a popular ongoing series that was largely based on the author's own experiences during WWI. It was probably chosen by the props people as foreshadowing, but doesn't necessarily indicate much in the way of foresight on Tristan's part - the book was first published in 1938, so Tristan would most likely have read it as the newest addition to an ongoing series he was already invested in, rather than because he suspected a new war was approaching.

[Daff]

56 minutes ago, Llywela said:

I don't remember seeing the book on-screen, but from your description it sounds like Biggles Goes to War, which was part of a popular ongoing series that was largely based on the author's own experiences during WWI. It was probably chosen by the props people as foreshadowing, but doesn't necessarily indicate much in the way of foresight on Tristan's part - the book was first published in 1938, so Tristan would most likely have read it as the newest addition to an ongoing series he was already invested in, rather than because he suspected a new war was approaching.

Thanks, I couldn’t remember the Biggles name. I take your point, but in the process of 1) wanting to see the title, and 2) wondering why he wasn’t getting up to go with Siegfried to attend to Candy, I rewatched the scene a couple times. The look on his face seemed to indicate a growing wariness. I was happy he ran off to help with the horse and I’ll have to watch again. There might be a clue whether he was thinking about the horse or impending conflict. Not hard to watch again because it’s the best episode of the season. 

[Dehumidifier]

Doesn't he have only one course to pass -- parasitology? Taking that again won't keep him out of the war. Seems like that knowledge would actually be useful in the trenches -- if they had trenches in WW2.

[Blergh]

20 hours ago, Daff said:

I think she’s fearful that if war comes, she may NEVER get to connect with her son again. 

To say nothing of the real probability that he and so many other young men (including James and Tristan) would risk getting killed!

[Sharpie66]

The interesting thing about Tristan’s book is that, after Siegfried leaves and Tris is back on the couch holding the book, Mrs. Hall looks over, smiles, and asks him if it’s a good book. She’s noticed that he’s holding it upside down and is obviously not reading it but occupied with thinking about the horse.

[Llywela]

36 minutes ago, Sharpie66 said:

The interesting thing about Tristan’s book is that, after Siegfried leaves and Tris is back on the couch holding the book, Mrs. Hall looks over, smiles, and asks him if it’s a good book. She’s noticed that he’s holding it upside down and is obviously not reading it but occupied with thinking about the horse.

Yeah - it's been a little while since I saw this ep now, but as I recall Tristan's hesitation while holding the book wasn't musing on its content but struggling with himself over whether he should volunteer to go with Siegfried or not.

[chitowngirl]

And when Tristan runs outside and calls out to Siegfried, Siegfried just wordlessly slows down and opens the door. He knows why Tristan came out!

[Kenzie]

5 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

Seems like that knowledge would actually be useful in the trenches -- if they had trenches in WW2.

In the third book of the trilogy, All Things Wise and Wonderful, Tristan is in fact a vet by the new war and is sent to north Africa to care for the Army's donkeys and camels.

Edited February 15, 2022 by Kenzie

[izabella]

3 hours ago, chitowngirl said:

And when Tristan runs outside and calls out to Siegfried, Siegfried just wordlessly slows down and opens the door. He knows why Tristan came out!

And then Mrs. Hall goes for a doggy walk with the clock guy, leaving the vet's office - and phone - completely unattended.

I also noticed Mrs. Hall snarking at Tristan during breakfast or whatever it was to go get something from the kitchen himself instead of asking her.  Isn't that her job as housekeeper?  I don't think housekeepers get to sit with the family eating and snarking on her employer to go to the kitchen himself.

[peacheslatour]

8 minutes ago, izabella said:

And then Mrs. Hall goes for a doggy walk with the clock guy, leaving the vet's office - and phone - completely unattended.

I also noticed Mrs. Hall snarking at Tristan during breakfast or whatever it was to go get something from the kitchen himself instead of asking her.  Isn't that her job as housekeeper?  I don't think housekeepers get to sit with the family eating and snarking on her employer to go to the kitchen himself.

A housekeeper is not the same as a maid. Or a slave for that matter.

[dleighg]

29 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

A housekeeper is not the same as a maid.

exactly. A housekeeper is a "professional" who has ultimate responsibility for the smooth running of the household. That's not the same as a low-level "servant." At least as far as I understand.

[izabella]

If she's washing shit stained vet clothes in an itty bitty country town, she's not some "professional" managing a houseful of servants.  She IS the servant, the one and only. 

[peacheslatour]

9 minutes ago, dleighg said:

exactly. A housekeeper is a "professional" who has ultimate responsibility for the smooth running of the household. That's not the same as a low-level "servant." At least as far as I understand.

That plus she was with the family since the Farnons were boys. She was more or less their surrogate mom.

[AZChristian]

I think of her as a respected employee - not quite a member of the family, but definitely not thought of as a servant.

[DonnaMae]

54 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

That plus she was with the family since the Farnons were boys. She was more or less their surrogate mom.

This Mrs. Hall hasn't been with them that long.  She and Siegried are probably about the same age. 

[crankcase]

On 1/21/2022 at 5:03 PM, crankcase said:

 

A test of my endgame hypothesis, following the British trope of flagrante hymnal-holding, may occur rather soon, in the way Siegfried looks at Audrey if she dolls up for a date with the dog-walking, clock-fixing, Great War veteran.

Episode 7 Trailer: quod erat demonstrandum

No shit, Siegfried.

Maestro, cue the music, please.

Edited February 17, 2022 by crankcase
x

[peacheslatour]

15 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

This Mrs. Hall hasn't been with them that long.  She and Siegried are probably about the same age. 

I've given up trying to make the show square with the books. I'm just gonna go with it.

[tennisgurl]

The feels were strong with this one. The dog dying, James asking Helen to marry him, Helen's dad giving him her mothers ring, James finally telling his parents he wants to stay, Mrs. Hall talking about how her husband was once a kind man but that the war changed him, they were just begging me to bring the tissues out. The information we got about Mrs. Hall's husband was interesting, they always talked about him like he was just a brute, but now it sounds like he was once a good person when they got married, and he came back from the war with PTSD (or shellshock back then) and it really messed him up, which makes the whole thing even more sad, no wonder Mrs. Hall is so worried about the prospect of sending more young men off to war.

Its tough to watch everyone celebrating how things with Germany were "sorted out" knowing what is going to actually happen. Mrs. Hall seemed to see the writing on the wall, but even she seemed happy at the end that it was seemingly over. Its really let a dark shadow over what has otherwise been a mostly light hearted and sweet season, just waiting for the war to come and change everything.

James and Helen have finally moved past the angst phase and into the cute phase, thank goodness. They don't know it, but they only have so much time before the war starts and presumably James will be called up. But for now, lets just enjoy the pastoral goodness and everything being (actually) sorted out.

Edited February 16, 2022 by tennisgurl

[Sharpie66]

Speaking of James and Helen being cute, I loved the little moment when James drives out to check on Candy, Helen greets him with a kiss, obviously smells Mrs. Hall’s bath salts on him, then puts a few feet between them on their walk to the horse.

Jenny’s comment about not needing geometry to milk the cows hit home for me, because I think my grandfather probably had similar thoughts. He, too, was a dairy farmer, and he left school in 1912 when he was only 11 years old, even though he loved reading. Mom told me that, when she would see me lost in a book, she knew her dad was still around in some fashion (he died when I was a baby).

[Rickster]

On 2/16/2022 at 11:20 AM, tennisgurl said:

James and Helen have finally moved past the angst phase and into the cute phase, thank goodness. They don't know it, but they only have so much time before the war starts and presumably James will be called up. But for now, lets just enjoy the pastoral goodness and everything being (actually) sorted out.

I have no knowledge of the books or prior series, but, I could see a large animal farm vet being exempt from being called up because his work might be deemed “essential to the war effort”. Of course, it would depend too on how many other vets are in the area.

[Zella]

10 minutes ago, Rickster said:

I have no knowledge of the books or prior series, but, I could see a large animal farm vet being exempt from being called up because his work might be deemed “essential to the war effort”. Of course, it would depend too on how many other vets are in the area.

My assumption would be an older vet like Siegfried would be more likely to fall under this exemption than a younger man like Tristan or James. There was a need for large animal vets in the military at this time that would make them very useful to the army. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Zella

[peacheslatour]

Spoiler

James goes with the RAF.

 

[Rickster]

Interesting spoiler. My comment was based on the experience of a British relative of my mother, who was a dentist serving a rural area who was never called up. Not sure about his age at the time, might have been early thirties.

[Zella]

2 minutes ago, Rickster said:

Interesting spoiler. My comment was based on the experience of a British relative of my mother, who was a dentist serving a rural area who was never called up. Not sure about his age at the time, might have been early thirties.

If he was the only dentist in the area, I could definitely see that being a factor. I think as long as there are other vets there, though, that James and Tristan would be highly subject to being called up. 

[peacheslatour]

6 minutes ago, Rickster said:

Interesting spoiler. My comment was based on the experience of a British relative of my mother, who was a dentist serving a rural area who was never called up. Not sure about his age at the time, might have been early thirties.

My maternal grandfather was a dentist and he didn't get called up for WWII because he was married with three children.

[Zella]

5 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

My maternal grandfather was a dentist and he didn't get called up for WWII because he was married with three children.

Yeah I think that had a huge factor too. Incidentally, my great-grandfather was not called up for that reason (married with 3 children) but still volunteered to go and got killed in combat. My great-grandmother remained bitter about his decision until she died in 2013. 

[peacheslatour]

3 minutes ago, Zella said:

Yeah I think that had a huge factor too. Incidentally, my great-grandfather was not called up for that reason (married with 3 children) but still volunteered to go and got killed in combat. My great-grandmother remained bitter about his decision until she died in 2013. 

I'm so sorry.

[Leeds]

 

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

My maternal grandfather was a dentist and he didn't get called up for WWII because he was married with three children.

I've never heard of having a certain number of children being grounds for exemption.  Do you have any sources?  (My great grandfather was too old to serve in WW1, but he had four sons who all did.  They all survived and were henceforth known as The Lucky "Smiths".)

2 hours ago, Zella said:

If he was the only dentist in the area, I could definitely see that being a factor. I think as long as there are other vets there, though, that James and Tristan would be highly subject to being called up. 

Plus they might volunteer.

[Llywela]

Were all your families US based or UK? My great-grandfather - a UK-based dock labourer much like James's father as portrayed here - was married with children, but he got called up and spent most of the war in Africa. My dad's father, though, was exempt from service because he was in a reserved occupation, as a lorry driver delivering vital supplies across the country (all my other great/grandfathers were either too old, too young, or too disabled).

[Zella]

24 minutes ago, Llywela said:

Were all your families US based or UK?

I'm American and suspect you're right that there's a geographic difference here. I'd thought the UK had a dependency exemption as well but am apparently mistaken. It makes sense, though. The war was way more on the UK's doorstep throughout the war than it was here.  

[HoodlumSheep]

2x07 Christmas ep:

Kind of a stressful Christmas episode imo????

Trickie Woo drama (I knew they wouldn't kill him off but still...I kept suggesting to my mom that they needed to bring in his lil friend he was romancing in the cricket ep. That would have cheered him up)

A small fake out with Tristan's exam results and overall kind of a downer in terms of everything for him (Maggie getting married, him being told once again that he needs to take things more seriously even though he's already trying really hard, etc.)

Mrs. Hall being high-key stressed the entire episode made me feel stressed.

Mean farmer man.>:(

A looming war with the plane. Like, we all know it's coming but there's something about how they've just slowly dragged out this nagging sense of dread this season.

Congrats to Tristan for passing!!!!

And them spending Christmas with Mrs. P was really nice and warmed my heart.

Season 2 thoughts:

There was definitely more focus on the people than the animals this season. Could have used 15-20% more animals.

James' and Helen's relationship is progressing very nicely. 

Episode 6 was the best episode of the lot by far.

Edited February 21, 2022 by HoodlumSheep

[Cetacean]

I can't decide if Trickie Woo is a really porcupine or a giant sized Swiffer.

Is Mrs. Hall still married?

[possibilities]

I was surprised to hear Mrs Hall say she's married. I wonder if her husband abandoned her and she chalks it up to his PTSD, but feels an obligation to "be loyal"? Or maybe she just said that because her relationship with Clock Guy seems to totally panic her. It's also possible that she couldn't legally get a divorce, so she's married technically, even though she left him because he was abusive.

 

[magdalene]

Wasn't it really difficult to get divorced back then? For a woman I mean.

Edited February 21, 2022 by magdalene

[Blergh]

While it wasn't easy for anyone (male or female) to get divorced in the UK before WWII, some decrees would let the husbands immediately remarry other women while the wives would have to wait extra months or years to marry other men. Mrs. Hall doesn't appear to believe that there's any chance her onetime (if not actual ex) husband will show up to disrupt things but she definitely considers the union over. I'm wondering if he could either be too transient for her to have even served any decree or could he be institutionalized which itself could be a figurative and legal limbo state.

'Good heavens, Miss Yakamoto!You're BEAUTIFUL!' as Mrs. Hall's first evening gown  stunned Siegfried but then she returned to change into a more conservative one- but kept her hair down! Well, seeing her fuss at the Clock Man when he attempted to help her clean up sure seemed more like the Original Mrs. Hall than before but she did leave the door open for him and invited him to Christmas!  Whatever her actual legal marital status is, I think she should  level with the Clock Man before they proceed any further.

 I wasn't expecting a Pumphrey Manor Christmas Day but between Mrs. P. being all alone while still on pins and needles over Tricki's very close brush with death AND it being the only place large enough where ALL the parties could have celebrated together, it made sense. But why the 'Merry' instead of 'Happy' Christmas?

Edited February 21, 2022 by Blergh

[Llywela]

5 minutes ago, Blergh said:

While it wasn't easy for anyone (male or female) to get divorced in the UK before WWII, some decrees would let the husbands immediately remarry other women while the wives would have to wait extra months or years to marry other men. Mrs. Hall doesn't appear to believe that there's any chance her onetime (if not actual ex) husband will show up to disrupt things but she definitely considers the union over. I'm wondering if he could either be too transient for her to have even served any decree or could he be institutionalized which itself could be a figurative and legal limbo state.

'Good heavens, Miss Yakamoto!You're BEAUTIFUL!' as Mrs. Hall's first evening gown  stunned Siegfried but then she returned to change into a more conservative one- but kept her hair down! Well, seeing her fuss at the Clock Man when he attempted to help her clean up sure seemed more like the Original Mrs. Hall than before but she did leave the door open for him and invited him to Christmas!  Whatever her actual legal marital status is, I think she should  level with the Clock Man before they proceed any further.

 I wasn't expecting a Pumphrey Manor Christmas Day but between Mrs. P. being all lone while still on pins and needles over Tricki's very close brush with death AND it being the only place large enough where ALL the parties could have celebrated together, it made sense. But why the 'Merry' instead of 'Happy' Christmas?

Merry Christmas and Happy Christmas are often used interchangeably. My mum has an old scrapbook with cards and postcards dating back to my great-granddads collection, started in 1905 - I don't have it in front of me to check, but I'm 98% sure that both happy and merry are used, much earlier than you might think. 

[Blergh]

4 minutes ago, Llywela said:

Merry Christmas and Happy Christmas are often used interchangeably. My mum has an old scrapbook with cards and postcards dating back to my great-granddads collection, started in 1905 - I don't have it in front of me to check, but I'm 98% sure that both happy and merry are used, much earlier than you might think. 

But before WWII, wasn't 'Happy' the preferred salutation in the UK?

[Llywela]

46 minutes ago, Blergh said:

But before WWII, wasn't 'Happy' the preferred salutation in the UK?

Preferred, yes, but not used exclusively.

[crankcase]

It was not merely the predictable stunning of Siegfried that mattered, but the hasty, nervous way they both withdrew in recognition of the mutual crossing of an emotional line. That it was set up by Diana, she of the booty call and looking old enough to be the mother, advising Audrey to catch the eye of a man, added a note of delicious irony. 

The telltale moment, however, occurred at the very end. Audrey puts her hand on Siegfried’s shoulder when he’s looking at Tristan’s test results, and he covers hers with his own. That is the same gesture as engaged in simultaneously between Anne and Bert Chapman, and Helen and James, during the birthing of Susie in the Christmas special of Season 1. (@ 19:16)

The echo resonates, and the endgame is now signed, sealed and to be delivered.

Rachel Shenton: call your agent. They must demand you never again be photographed from a high perspective when standing in a scene facing Anna Madeley.

Edited February 21, 2022 by crankcase
z

[Pallas]

7 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Is Mrs. Hall still married?

Yes. She's what was known then as a "grass widow" -- someone whose husband abandoned her years ago. 

[Dehumidifier]

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

[Llywela]

8 minutes ago, Dehumidifier said:

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

It was more affordable then than now! Would definitely have been a struggle but doable, especially with only one child. My very working class great-grandparents sent two out of seven children to university (those that didn't get to go did help, though, but then again James's parents weren't also raising other children).  Those sort of very respectable parents would have sacrificed a lot to give their child a better chance in life than they had. 

Edited February 21, 2022 by Llywela