All Creatures Great And Small (2021) - General Discussion

[magdalene]

15 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I just assume that, based on classic English literature, the majority of marriages back in the day started off by the wife originally being the sweet but spunky governess with a tragic past who is brought in after the tragic death or "death" of the first wife who will win over the frozen heart of the wealthy but mysterious man of the house. 

Well, Mrs. Hall isn't the governess, or exactly sweet but spunky - but she is competent, empathetic and seems to have a tragic past.  There you go.

[Doublemint]

18 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I think it was pretty standard, even in some very simple houses, for servants to eat separately and I don't think it was intended to make anyone feel disrespected or "less than," it was just part of the division of labor.  It was a matter of comfort on both sides, families could talk about personal issues at the dinner table and the servants could relax in the kitchen. Come to think of it, none of my (bank) bosses ever ate meals with me.  Just from a practical point of view, the cook probably wouldn't want to both sit down with the family and serve the meal,  she would be working and eating at the same time.  Certain meals that I cook for my family, pancakes and eggs for instance, I prefer to get them all fed and then feed myself last.  As it is, there is a lot of jumping up and down for Mrs. Hall, "Do we have any more gravy?"     

  I find Mrs. Hall much more refined than Dorothy who seems more like Tristan's barmaid to me.

Yes, this is perfect - Mrs. Hall, more refined, Dorothy like Tristan's barmaid.  Unlikely friends, even though they were both in the wrens.   IRL they would have gone their separate ways after the war.

[howiveaddict]

11 hours ago, magdalene said:

I may be crazy but I am starting to wonder whether this means anything.  They cast a very attractive and younger actress to play Mrs. Hall  and give her character  the same first name as real life Siegfried's second wife?

I guess somebody will educate me and tell me that widowed professional men never married their housekeepers/cooks.

I’m shipping them!

[Ilovepie]

I guess I'm in the minority, but I am finding this version delightful. I own the original series on dvd (my husband bought it for me a million years ago), but I could never wrap my head around Robert Hardy as Siegfried. He was just too old and stodgy. Siegfried in the books is a suave womanizer. This version doesn't quite fit the bill either, but he's closer.

I don't care if they take some liberties from the books since the books are not really an autobiography, and I don't care if it's different from the OG series - how boring if it wasn't! I love revisiting these stories and it's a nice relaxing watch. So much tv is dark stories about nasty people being nasty. I like having something sweet and light like this show. There is so little out there like this that I treasure it.

My favorite parts of this episode was Siegfried and Tristan obliviously grossing out their audience on the surgery tour and the way James' face lit up when the kid with the fish went on about the care of it. He deserved first place! I like the camaraderie between James and Tristan.

[Beezella]

1 hour ago, Ilovepie said:

My favorite parts of this episode was Siegfried and Tristan obliviously grossing out their audience on the surgery tour

I loved the sawing noises that Siegfried made and how nicely he and Tristan worked together, clearly enjoying themselves.

[Scout Finch]

I watched a couple of episodes but the rest are still sitting on my TiVo and I'm just not looking forward to them like I thought I would be. I like the original so much better. Don't care for the casting this time around at all, and one in particular is the woman who plays Helen. 

[JudyObscure]

6 hours ago, Ilovepie said:

I love revisiting these stories and it's a nice relaxing watch. So much tv is dark stories about nasty people being nasty. I like having something sweet and light like this show. There is so little out there like this that I treasure it.

So well put.  That's how I feel about this and how I felt about ,"The Durrells in Corfu."  I like the art that both shows lead with.  Particularly since more animals than people are animated.

[Ilovepie]

10 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

So well put.  That's how I feel about this and how I felt about ,"The Durrells in Corfu."  I like the art that both shows lead with.  Particularly since more animals than people are animated.

The Durrells is one of my favorites - honestly the reason I was excited for this one because of "Leslie" being in it! 😜

[HoodlumSheep]

That poor dog had a high fever *and* nearly crushed by a pumpkin. 😞

proud of James for going off on the townsfolk. I cheered when the goldfish won first prize. The way James' face lit up when the boy started talking about his goldfish was wonderful. I also loved the expressions from james and tristan when they were watching helen and hugh thru the window. Some great stuff. 

hugh dropped the "L" bomb and it seems like helen isn't gonna entirely push him away for it (and the dumb stuff he keeps doing)...hmmmm...still so many mixed signals.

1 hour ago, Ilovepie said:

The Durrells is one of my favorites - honestly the reason I was excited for this one because of "Leslie" being in it! 😜

Same!

I feel like i'm in the minority here. Haven't read the books or watched the previous version of the show so i'm pretty out of the loop on things, so 'Leslie' starring in it was the biggest draw for me.

[peacheslatour]

Quote

hugh dropped the "L" bomb and it seems like helen isn't gonna entirely push him away for it (and the dumb stuff he keeps doing)...hmmmm...still so many mixed signals.

Well, the pickins seem  mighty slim in Darrowby. And James is an unknown entity at this point.

[Ilovepie]

18 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

'Leslie' starring in it was the biggest draw for me.

"He is best son!" 😜

[Driad]

The Sunday evening PBS shows are handled differently on Primetimer:
"Miss Scarlet and the Duke" has a full forum with a thread for each episode.
"All Creatures Great and Small" has a single thread covering the new series, the old series, and the books.
"The Long Song" has nothing at all.
Can anyone explain this? Thanks!

[peacheslatour]

4 minutes ago, Driad said:

The Sunday evening PBS shows are handled differently on Primetimer:
"Miss Scarlet and the Duke" has a full forum with a thread for each episode.
"All Creatures Great and Small" has a single thread covering the new series, the old series, and the books.
"The Long Song" has nothing at all.
Can anyone explain this? Thanks!

I cannot. They also don't have a forum for Maigret.

[chitowngirl]

1 hour ago, Driad said:

The Sunday evening PBS shows are handled differently on Primetimer:
"Miss Scarlet and the Duke" has a full forum with a thread for each episode.
"All Creatures Great and Small" has a single thread covering the new series, the old series, and the books.
"The Long Song" has nothing at all.
Can anyone explain this? Thanks!

 

1 hour ago, peacheslatour said:

I cannot. They also don't have a forum for Maigret.

You can just go to the Drama section and start one. That’s what I did with this one.

Edited February 12, 2021 by chitowngirl

[magdalene]

1 hour ago, Driad said:

The Sunday evening PBS shows are handled differently on Primetimer:
"Miss Scarlet and the Duke" has a full forum with a thread for each episode.
"All Creatures Great and Small" has a single thread covering the new series, the old series, and the books.
"The Long Song" has nothing at all.
Can anyone explain this? Thanks!

You should ask a mod?  It seems odd indeed.

[possibilities]

This thread is supposed to be about the current iteration of the show. That's why the year is in the title. The only reason the original version is under discussion here is that people who are watching the new version are wanting to compare the two.

Usually there would be a separate section for each version-- I don't know if there is or not, because I have not watched the original version so I didn't go looking for a thread about it.

If you want a full forum with different threads for each episode, you go to the section of the forums where such things are requested, and ask for it. There is a FAQ section and a forum business section of the site, where these kinds of questions are answered, and all the "how do I get this to happen?" stuff is explained.

I don't think the moderators are trying to be mysterious, I just think that with a site this big, many people don't notice that there are lots of different sections and things to discover.

[dargosmydaddy]

Anyone can start a thread for a show, at any time.

A request for a full forum has to be made here: https://forums.primetimer.com/forum/4393-new-show-forum-requests/

The powers-that-be did go through a stretch where they condensed show forums that were slow into single threads awhile back, but I'm not sure if they do that regularly, and even then the criteria seemed kind of vague. (To keep with the PBS-theme of this conversation, Grantchester kept its full forum, while Endeavour did not, even though they seem to get similar traffic.) Some shows go on to get a full forum down the road, but I'm not sure if someone has to request it, or if it's a mod decision based on popularity.

Back on topic, we have one more regular episode coming up, and then the Christmas special on Feb. 21, which is listed as 90 minutes.

 

Edited February 12, 2021 by dargosmydaddy

[statsgirl]

Anyone can start a show topic. And as @dargosmydaddy said, you can also request a forum.

There is a team of mods who look at the information about the show and decide if it should have a topic or a forum. If it's on a major broadcaster like ABC or Netflix, there will probably be enough people watching that a forum is justified. If it's on a smaller cable network, an anthology show like Masterpiece, or a limited number of episodes, it gets a topic.  But it's a guessing game whether there will be enough interest for a forum or only for a topic.

Sometimes things get missed, like Maigret or The Long Song. In that case, start something yourself.

[Driad]

34 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

Anyone can start a show topic

How, please?  The Forums Info tells how to request a forum, but I don't see a way to start a topic for a show that does not need a full forum.

[statsgirl]

12 minutes ago, Driad said:

The Forums Info tells how to request a forum, but I don't see a way to start a topic for a show that does not need a full forum.

Go to the type of show that it is (e.g. Dramas, Comedy, Genre etc.) and then go to "Other X". For example, for Maigret, click on Other Drama and when you're there, "Start Topic". Under "Title" put in the name of the show you want to start a topic for. I usually put in a brief description of the show and then hit "submit".

[AZChristian]

10 hours ago, statsgirl said:

Go to the type of show that it is (e.g. Dramas, Comedy, Genre etc.) and then go to "Other X". For example, for Maigret, click on Other Drama and when you're there, "Start Topic". Under "Title" put in the name of the show you want to start a topic for. I usually put in a brief description of the show and then hit "submit".

A visible example.

[Wonkabar5]

Ok, hubs and I viewed Ep. 1 last night.  On the plus side, it was nice viewing in the sense that it was something positive to watch which was soothing compared to many other offerings.  

On the down side, hubs was not interested in a double header, and turned off after the initial eppy concluded.  Said if he hadn’t seen the original than this would do fine. He really misses R. Hardy as Siegfried.

I am vindicated *simply because after poo-poo-ing me when I complain about old vs. new adaptations,  he now has some understanding of my POV.*   Because it happened to *His* favorite childhood show.   Lolol

We will push on tonight, hopefully.    

 

[HoodlumSheep]

Dang. Poor James is having it rough. I just want to give him a big ol' hug. Especially after helen broke the news about her and hugh. Watching him just stand outside, trying to keep it together...oof. 

It's seemd like it's always the cows that give him the trouble. They're like his achilles heel or something. At least he was able to save dear sweet Strawberry. That family deserves all that is good in the world.

tristan continues to prove himself. I love his friendship with james. They make a great team.

Already forgetting her name, but that girl tristan had been seeing...maybe she shouldn't have told him what they had was nothing serious if she's gonna act all huffy about him moving on??

I can't believe next week's already the finale. I'm not ready for this season to end 😞

 

Edited February 15, 2021 by HoodlumSheep

[Driad]

This was before penicillin etc.  What did they have to prevent infection?  Hoping Strawberry will recover.

[possibilities]

Did they not even have syringes? I was wanting them to suction that pus out of there. It's so jarring to see these kinds of procedures without even so much as gloves. And Seigfried sneezing all over the place!

I was surprised to see there's a farm anywhere which isn't already overrun with cats, but I decided to just go with it when the family thanked James for the kitten.

How would it work for Hugh to marry someone with a family farm? Do they sell the farm and go live at his manor? Does he move into the farmhouse with Helen's family? I guess it depends on how they each feel about their pre-marriage lifestyles, but it's something I should think would be hard to resolve. Maybe I'm just sentimental about land, but Helen's farm is gorgeous, even if it's not lucrative. And I don't see Hugh being happy in such modest digs.

I've decided Tristan has dyslexia and ADD. He's not a book person and he doesn't plan ahead much, but he's motivated by concrete situations and he's the kind who'll rise to the moment in a crisis, think creatively, and be useful as long as he's excited. There is a need for people like that.

 

[Driad]

1 minute ago, possibilities said:

I was wanting them to suction that pus out of there.

So was I.  Once I had a tonsil cyst, and that is what they did.

[Shanna Marie]

16 minutes ago, possibilities said:

How would it work for Hugh to marry someone with a family farm? Do they sell the farm and go live at his manor? Does he move into the farmhouse with Helen's family?

Didn't they say something about Hugh being their landlord? A lot of those farmers would have been tenants of a landowner, so although the farm had been in their family for generations, they never actually owned the land, just had a long-term tenancy. I imagine Helen's father would stay at the farm and keep things running while Helen would live at the manor and maybe commute to help on the farm.

19 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I've decided Tristan has dyslexia and ADD. He's not a book person and he doesn't plan ahead much, but he's motivated by concrete situations and he's the kind who'll rise to the moment in a crisis, think creatively, and be useful as long as he's excited.

Making him take over in the surgery so that he had concrete situations to look up in the books was possibly the best way for him to study and really retain the information. Him just reading it would never have sunk in, but I bet he remembers the things he had to look up after seeing them in an actual animal.

I'm curious how they manage to work with all those animals. I noticed that there was a man standing at Strawberry's head, holding the rope that was tied to her, and he didn't speak. I wondered if he was some kind of animal trainer or handler they put in costume and had there in the scene, since you'd want someone with expertise on hand for dealing with large animals instead of just turning actors loose around a cow.

[magdalene]

Such a lovely, lovely show. and it feels so good to spend time with these people.  I agree that Tristan is just not a book learner but when it comes down to the practical side of the practice he is talented like his older brother and James.

I love Mrs. Hall, she is beautiful and makes everybody always feel better about themselves or gives them a shove in the right direction. I am glad they saved Strawberry. Next week the season finale - too soon for my taste!

[Blergh]

Glad that James AND Tristan managed to redeem themselves by proving their metal re saving Strawberry the cow but talk about a most bittersweet birthday ending- to find out that Helen's engaged to Hugh. Poor James looked as though he wanted to cry right then and there but was doing all he could to prevent it.   

@possibilities : You raise a good question about how Helen's family farm will fare if she is to live in Hugh's manor however, it seems as though he and Mr. Alderson would have more means for them to somehow maintain it with the help of Hugh's own staff AND that Helen would be able to go back and forth from his manor to the farm than were Helen to marry James and have to live in a room in Skeldale House a distance away from her family farm with only the most sporadic help to be given to the farm. (In retrospect, it was troubling that in the Books and Original Series, she married James but then barely had much to do with her family or family farm thereafter- but at least she DID have brothers in those depictions). 

Maybe things will work out for James by in time for the Christmas Season (and possibly Mrs. Hall will get answers about the wayward Edmund). Still, I find it sad that this is to be the only season with Miss Rigg having played Mrs. Pumphrey.

[MrAtoz]

10 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

It's seemd like it's always the cows that give him the trouble. They're like his achilles heel or something.

That's an interesting observation.  As I (vaguely) recall the books, James was actually more the "cattle vet" while Siegfried was the "horse vet."  Both of them could work on either animal, of course, but Siegfried was more comfortable with horses while James was more comfortable with cows and bulls.  Maybe this episode is kind of emblematic of that, in that James was able to save a cow that Siegfried didn't think could be saved.  James clearly deserved that promotion, even if it didn't include a pay raise. 😀

Nice to see Tristan step up in this episode, and also discover that he's quite a good artist.  Which turns out to be useful not just for drawing pretty ladies, but also for sketching a cow's circulatory system in preparation for surgery.  I agree with the idea that he probably has ADHD, which would have likely been interpreted as laziness in those days.  The way that he couldn't focus on writing an essay, but was able to succeed when he had a concrete problem to deal with, seems very true to the experience of ADHD.  Likewise how helpful he found it to have Mrs. Hall believe in him, rather than expecting the worst from him as Siegfried so often does.  This episode in particular shows us that Tristan is going to go on to be an excellent vet once he gets past his exams.

[possibilities]

I had assumed that if Helen married James, he would move to the farm (not that they'd both live with Seigfried).

But it's true High's money probably solves many a problem.

[tennisgurl]

That was so good, I am so sad to see that next week is the Christmas special/season finale. I will miss my weekly visit to Darrowby, I am hoping that season two arrives quickly! I guess its time to read the books? 

Poor James, he was just having such a rough time of it, I am so glad that he and Tristan got a win and managed to save Strawberry, I become very emotionally invested in that cow by the end of the episode. After everyone was so needlessly rude to James last week, its nice to see the townsfolk being more accepting of him, especially Strawberry's sweet family, who just seem like the nicest people in the world. Then, just when things are looking up on his sad birthday after saving Strawberry and getting a promotion (but no raise, sorry) he finds out that Helen is marrying Hugh, the poor guy just looked like he just got punched in the gut. Very cute outfit that Helen had on in the pub though. It did lead to a nice moment where the whole household all went home together at least. 

I agree with others that it seems like Tristan has ADHD and/or some kind of learning disability, especially when he was saying how it was easy for other people to read information and keep it but its hard for him to study and retain the information. He is actually a very skilled vet when he is in the field and can do things practically and its clear that he wants to do a good job and has a real passion for helping animals, but sadly people didn't really know much about things like ADHD so its taken as laziness instead of a disability. I also really love Tristan and James's friendship, it was really cute seeing how excited Tristan was to throw James a party, even trying to play wingman for James. 

Edited February 15, 2021 by tennisgurl

[Leeds]

I can't believe that just as I'm starting to get used to new Siegfried and new Tristan, and have started to accept and even enjoy too-young Mrs Hall, there's only one more episode.  (I prefer new James and like Helen #3 more than Helen #1.)

Edited February 15, 2021 by Leeds

[Blergh]

32 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

That was so good, I am so sad to see that next week is the Christmas special/season finale. I will miss my weekly visit to Darrowby, I am hoping that season two arrives quickly! I guess its time to read the books? 

Poor James, he was just having such a rough time of it, I am so glad that he and Tristan got a win and managed to save Strawberry, I become very emotionally invested in that cow by the end of the episode. After everyone was so needlessly rude to James last week, its nice to see the townsfolk being more accepting of him, especially Strawberry's sweet family, who just seem like the nicest people in the world. Then, just when things are looking up on his sad birthday after saving Strawberry and getting a promotion (but no raise, sorry) he finds out that Helen is marrying Hugh, the poor guy just looked like he just got punched in the gut. Very cute outfit that Helen had on in the pub though. It did lead to a nice moment where the whole household all went home together at least. 

I agree with others that it seems like Tristan has ADHD and/or some kind of learning disability, especially when he was saying how it was easy for other people to read information and keep it but its hard for him to study and retain the information. He is actually a very skilled vet when he is in the field and can do things practically and its clear that he wants to do a good job and has a real passion for helping animals, but sadly people didn't really know much about things like ADHD so its taken as laziness instead of a disability. I also really love Tristan and James's friendship, it was really cute seeing how excited Tristan was to throw James a party, even trying to play wingman for James. 

Yes, I have to agree that it's refreshing to see that THIS Tristan actually has good veterinary skills even if he is a bit of a flake- unlike the Original Tristan who seemed to barely squeak through his job and was always trying to pass on his duties to others whenever possible. 

No surprise that Siegfried proved to be a poor patient but no doubt Mrs. Hall's concoction knocking him out saved him from wrecking himself and the practice altogether.

Mrs. Hall wasn't the best driver but she DID prove to be a good assistant via holding that vital lamp as close as possible to the incision. 

[peacheslatour]

12 hours ago, Driad said:

This was before penicillin etc.  What did they have to prevent infection?  Hoping Strawberry will recover.

I remember from the books that they would pack a wound with sulfa drugs. Also they had iodine and mercury.

[humbleopinion]

Update on the food porn:

The hearty beautifully made meat pie Edith gave to James after the checkup with Strawberry.

The lovely layered birthday cake Mrs. Hall made and decorated with orange writing and silver dragees.

The hastily assembled sausage bap, that looked so delicious.

Bonus: Jess made an appearance.

 

[captain1]

I guess I'm in the minority here - I read and loved all the books when they came out.  I watched and loved the original series when it came out.  And now I'm absolutely loving this new version.  Maybe it's that the others were so long ago that I don't remember the details.  Or maybe I'm getting senile LOL - but whatever the reason, everything old is new again and I'm thoroughly enjoying!

[DonnaMae]

13 hours ago, Driad said:

I was wanting them to suction that pus out of there.

They probably did that, but didn't feel the need to show that process to the viewers. 🤮

[monakane]

13 hours ago, Driad said:

This was before penicillin etc.  What did they have to prevent infection?  Hoping Strawberry will recover.

Penicillin was discovered in 1928 by a Scottish doctor.  I was wondering why they didn't use penicillin.  Maybe it wasn't in full use in the 1930s.

[Rose Quartz]

10 minutes ago, monakane said:

Penicillin was discovered in 1928 by a Scottish doctor.  I was wondering why they didn't use penicillin.  Maybe it wasn't in full use in the 1930s.

According to the books it was not, probably because it wasn't yet mass produced.  In one of the later books James talks about the amazing results he saw the first times he used penicillin because there weren't any resistant bacteria yet.

[monakane]

2 minutes ago, Rose Quartz said:

According to the books it was not, probably because it wasn't yet mass produced.  In one of the later books James talks about the amazing results he saw the first times he used penicillin because there weren't any resistant bacteria yet.

Thanks Rose.  It's been many years since I read the books and I don't recall that.

[peacheslatour]

Poor James. The happiest day of his life and the worst day of his life, all in the span of a few minutes.

[howiveaddict]

Maybe it's because of the time we live in, but I kept worrying that Siegried was going to give everyone else the flu.  Especially being sick, and then going to a party later that day.Loved this episode, though.

[humbleopinion]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Poor James. The happiest day of his life and the worst day of his life, all in the span of a few minutes.

Nicolas Ralph’s acting as a crushed heart broken Herriot has won me over...I really need to dust more often.... 

[peacheslatour]

57 minutes ago, howiveaddict said:

Maybe it's because of the time we live in, but I kept worrying that Siegried was going to give everyone else the flu.  Especially being sick, and then going to a party later that day.Loved this episode, though.

I kept thinking about that too. Siegried was coughing on everybody and then when James blew out his candles all I could  think was "Wow, there's something you'll probably never see in real life again."

[jaimesommers]

I’m not ready for this season to end!!

[Ilovepie]

2 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

I kept thinking about that too. Siegried was coughing on everybody and then when James blew out his candles all I could  think was "Wow, there's something you'll probably never see in real life again."

I said the same thing to my husband re: blowing out candles! Sadly, probably one of the things that will not make a comeback post-COVID....

What really struck me this episode, and last episode too in thinking about Clive the bull, is how horrible this job must be in these circumstances. Having to tell people, some of whom are friends, you can’t save their animal knowing how financially devastating this is to their families. And the fact that not only are they their livelihood, but in these small farms, a kind of pet they are emotionally attached to! I mean, my brother in law’s family runs a huge dairy and I’m pretty sure all the cows just have numbers, not names. I was horrified after the horse shooting, but this is just another reason I would never want to do this job! Plus the grossness too - had to look away when he started cutting that cows neck......

I liked the shot of all four walking back to Skeldale in solidarity with James after finding out about Helen and Hugh. What a sweet show this has been. I wish there were more episodes - I’m going to miss it after next week!

[Doublemint]

Well, I'm in the minority for sure.   Although I'm watching the series, I'm not thrilled.    It is a pleasant escape in these horrible times.   Did anyone catch that the children and the wife at the farm were saying "James" and not "Mr. Herriot"?   That was a no-no for the times.   Even when I was a child in the 50's you addressed grown-ups as Mr. and Mrs.    

  I was surprised to see women in the Drover's Arms.   Mrs. Hall & Helen?   That would never happen.   Only men went to pubs. 

I thought it was unbelievable that TRISTAN came up with the operation idea at all - and at the end suggested foreceps.   Also, very strange that Siegfried and Mrs. Hall were there as well. 

I don't like that Helen is engaged to Hugh.   In the books and the first series she was true blue to James, and this somehow lessens her.  I wonder what her family thinks of this. 

Regarding the birthday party, it would not have been so big.   The household members only.   In the books there was a funny story of Tristan fixing James up with a nurse and on a double date to a dance.   This would have been far superior to the way the two nurses were used here.

The last scene of the four walking back to Skeldale House from the pub was like watching actors having a "movie" moment, not anything real.

 

[magdalene]

Has there been any date announced when the second season will begin filming?  This show is one of those where I really regret that British TV series are so short in comparison to American ones.

[dargosmydaddy]

5 hours ago, Doublemint said:

Also, very strange that Siegfried and Mrs. Hall were there as well. 

Siegfried went specifically to try to stop James and Tristan, which seemed very Siegfried-ish to me. Mrs. Hall went because she didn't want Siegfried driving after he'd been drinking (which may also be a bit too modern for some, but I didn't have an issue with it).

5 hours ago, Doublemint said:

I don't like that Helen is engaged to Hugh.   In the books and the first series she was true blue to James

I'm OK with the rival love interest, but I was surprised that (based on the previews) they're on the verge of marriage so quickly. An eventual broken engagement is one thing; a she-leaves-him-at-the-altar (or close to it) storyline is super-cliché. Unless she does end up marrying Hugh and they're really straying from the books...

5 hours ago, magdalene said:

Has there been any date announced when the second season will begin filming?

The only thing I could find said "springtime."