Season 4 Discussion Thread

[magdalene]

24 minutes ago, Orcinus orca said:

Obviously everyone wanted Mrs. Hall to stay as she is a key figure.  But if this were real life I would root for her to go.  She's everything to everyone and puts everyone ahead of her own happiness.  And no one seems to acknowledge what she is giving up for them.

Maybe they will take her less for granted now? I hope so.

How long is this war story line going to last? The thought of going the entire next season without Tristan again! and mostly without James fills me with trepidation.  Could they draft Siegfried too when things get even more dire in the war?

[Orcinus orca]

1 hour ago, magdalene said:

Could they draft Siegfried too when things get even more dire in the war?

I think he would be too old.  He was already a practicing vet in WWI and WWII was 20+ years later.

[HoodlumSheep]

My heart goes out to Gerald. Sadly it was never meant to be.

When he fixed the sink...🥲

[iMonrey]

Quote

Obviously everyone wanted Mrs. Hall to stay as she is a key figure.  But if this were real life I would root for her to go.  She's everything to everyone and puts everyone ahead of her own happiness.  And no one seems to acknowledge what she is giving up for them.

I'm not sure she would have been much better off with Gerald helping take care of his sick sister, and not knowing anyone else in town. And certainly Helen appreciates her, she looks upon her as a friend. Siegfried can be a real pill but she's known that for years and seems more amused by it than anything else. I don't think she's unhappy where she is. I just think she got caught up in the idea of starting a new life now that she's got her divorce and didn't fully consider what she'd be leaving behind.

[Dowel Jones]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

"Nowt?" 

That's why I use closed captioning on all British productions.  "Wait, what did he say?"

I forgot for a moment that this was 1940 when Siegfried brought Gerald's dog in.  What, no cone of shame?

It might be possible that Siegfried would be taken into the Home Guard in some responsibility.  Although Yorkshire might not be a prime bombing target nor an invasion site, national defense would be everyone's responsibility at some level.  Still, a vet would be an absolute necessity for an isolated nation that has to depend on its own agriculture and livestock to support its military.

Edited February 13 by Dowel Jones

[libgirl2]

8 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I'm not sure she would have been much better off with Gerald helping take care of his sick sister, and not knowing anyone else in town. And certainly Helen appreciates her, she looks upon her as a friend. Siegfried can be a real pill but she's known that for years and seems more amused by it than anything else. I don't think she's unhappy where she is. I just think she got caught up in the idea of starting a new life now that she's got her divorce and didn't fully consider what she'd be leaving behind.

Good point. She had been there for 10 years, she was there when Siegfried lost his wife, Helen looks upon her as not just a friend but a mother figure. She is needed by the people she loves. 

[YorkshireLass]

13 hours ago, magdalene said:

Maybe they will take her less for granted now? I hope so.

How long is this war story line going to last? The thought of going the entire next season without Tristan again! and mostly without James fills me with trepidation.  Could they draft Siegfried too when things get even more dire in the war?

As far as I can tell the show hasn't been officially renewed for next season.  I've been checking and checking and hoping and hoping......

Callum Woodhouse was filming a movie around the same time that All Creatures filmed season 4 so that could have contributed to him not being on the show this year.

[dargosmydaddy]

43 minutes ago, YorkshireLass said:

As far as I can tell the show hasn't been officially renewed for next season.  I've been checking and checking and hoping and hoping......

On the Miss Scarlet and the Duke board, someone posted a tweet that quoted a PBS exec saying that there would be news about All Creatures and Miss Scarlet soon. From the way it was phrased, it sounded like they were both renewed.

[Shanna Marie]

22 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

I can't imagine leaving the people who have become my family, who appreciate me, who's table I sit at to go with someone, no matter how fond I am of them, and again, tun a household but on top of everything take care of an ill woman. Did she suspect that is one of the reasons he asked? 

I never got the impression that he was wanting her to come as nursemaid and housekeeper or that she thought that was his motivation, but that probably would just be an accepted assumption in that era. When a woman married, she took on the household and whatever that entailed. Gerald had lived alone and seemed to be capable of fending for himself, but it would be highly unlikely that a man of his generation in that era would insist on doing an equal share of the housework once he got married.

15 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

Obviously everyone wanted Mrs. Hall to stay as she is a key figure.  But if this were real life I would root for her to go.  She's everything to everyone and puts everyone ahead of her own happiness.  And no one seems to acknowledge what she is giving up for them.

I'd think she'd be giving up more by going. At least with what she's doing now, she's doing it as a job and is being paid for it. This is her career. She's somewhat independent. If she gets mad at Siegfried or if he treats her badly, she can quit and leave. The odds are very good that she'd be doing exactly the same work she does at Skeldale House for Gerald and his sister, only she wouldn't be earning a salary for her work, and she'd be stuck. At that time, she wouldn't have been able to get another divorce just because she was unhappy. I doubt Gerald would be abusive, but it doesn't seem that Audrey has met his sister, and she'd have zero support network in the community. She'd probably have married him in a heartbeat if he'd been staying in town, but he was asking her to give up her entire life -- her job, her friends, her community, her "family" -- to follow him. She may be doing housework professionally, but it's still her career, so no different from if he wanted her to quit an office job she loved.

[YorkshireLass]

1 hour ago, dargosmydaddy said:

On the Miss Scarlet and the Duke board, someone posted a tweet that quoted a PBS exec saying that there would be news about All Creatures and Miss Scarlet soon. From the way it was phrased, it sounded like they were both renewed.

Oh, I hope so!!!!  I couldn't imagine that they wouldn't renew it given its success, but I did read something somewhere a couple of years ago where one of the creators said that the show had been conceptualized with a four season story arc so that combined with the lack of news about a renewal had me concerned.  Thank you for letting me know 😊.

[libgirl2]

8 minutes ago, Shanna Marie said:

She'd probably have married him in a heartbeat if he'd been staying in town, but he was asking her to give up her entire life -- her job, her friends, her community, her "family" -- to follow him. She may be doing housework professionally, but it's still her career, so no different from if he wanted her to quit an office job she loved.

I agree. He wasn't the problem, it was leaving that was the problem. 

10 minutes ago, Shanna Marie said:

I never got the impression that he was wanting her to come as nursemaid and housekeeper or that she thought that was his motivation, but that probably would just be an accepted assumption in that era. When a woman married, she took on the household and whatever that entailed. Gerald had lived alone and seemed to be capable of fending for himself, but it would be highly unlikely that a man of his generation in that era would insist on doing an equal share of the housework once he got married.

 

No, thinking it over, he wasn't looking for that. I'm sure he would be an attentive and kind husband, but yes, she would be doing the work. 

[tennisgurl]

I knew that Mrs. Hall would never leave, especially now that James and Tristan are gone, but it was still sad to see Gerald leave and that they had to call it quits. If Gerald wasn't leaving I think she would have been thrilled to marry him now that she's officially divorced, but leaving all of her people right now when they need her the most was too much for her. If things weren't the way they are now, the war on, Helen being pregnant, James and Tristan being away, she might have gone, but not now. Gerald is such a sweet man though, I hope that things go well for him. I also always got the feeling that she wasn't as in love him like he loves her. She is fond of him, cares for him, appreciates his interest in her, and is probably thinking "at this age this better than I would hope" but I don't think she would leave her family for him. Neither of them would have probably been happy in the long run.

A good episode, especially considering its our first without James, but overall rather sad. I hope we have a time skip next season to when the war is over and James and Tristan are back. At least we got lots of cute animals being cute! Good kitty!

Is this really the finale? I know that British shows have short seasons (as do a lot of US shows now) but it always feels like we end just as things are getting started, and there are such long breaks between seasons! I don't want to wait a million years to see Tristan again!

[Megan]

On 2/6/2024 at 12:19 PM, Daff said:

Civilian fishing boats, pleasure craft, even dinghies all braved the treacherous (as the open sea) channel to evacuate the tired troops at Dunkirk.

Nothing makes me cry harder than reading/thinking about all the men in the Little Boats, especially considering most of those men were in WWI (and one the Titanic, Charles Lightoller,) and had been to hell once before already. I started crying just typing this. 

And then I think about today's people having to make the sacrifices like they did in WWII and realize we are absolutely f'd if it comes down to it in the US. Hopefully I am dead by then. 

 

I do not like Gerald. Don't marry him Audrey! And not because I want her with Siegfried, I don't like his personality. He so off-putting about everything. Probably for the same reason, I'm judging by 2024 standards. 

Edited February 13 by Megan
wording

[Daff]

10 minutes ago, Megan said:

Nothing makes me cry harder than reading/thinking about all the men in the Little Boats, especially considering most of those men were in WWI (and one the Titanic, Charles Lightoller.) I started crying just typing this. 

And then I think about today's people having to make the sacrifices like they did in WWII and realize we are a f'd if it comes down to it in the US. Hopefully I am dead by then. 

 

I do not like Gerald. Don't marry him Audrey! And not because I want her with Siegfried, I don't like his personality. He so off-putting about everything. Probably for the same reason, I'm judging by 2024 standards. 

Great post. I share your sentiments. However, I predict excessive whining (with no rallying or helpful contributions) when the grid collapses. About Gerald, nice enough, but Audrey didn’t need to have another mate with scars from the war (WWI). I think he made a lot of progress (with Audrey’s help), but I’m also very glad he’s not headed for London because the blitz might just do him in mentally.

[Annie J.]

Why hasn't this series been renewed yet? I am so upset that season 5 has not been announced. Why the delay?

[JudyObscure]

I've been thinking about Audrey.  I wanted her to stay of course.  We can't separate Dash and Tess and they would both miss her terribly. I'm sure in their minds she's the alpha.  But what happens to women like Audrey when they get too old to run up and down stairs or lift heavy loads of laundry and iron skillets?  What if Siegfried marries one of those bossy women he favors?

[Orcinus orca]

19 hours ago, Annie J. said:

Why hasn't this series been renewed yet? I am so upset that season 5 has not been announced. Why the delay?

It's not the only one awaiting renewal. I think they announce all of the decisions at the same time.'

20 minutes ago, JudyObscure said:

But what happens to women like Audrey when they get too old to run up and down stairs or lift heavy loads of laundry and iron skillets?  What if Siegfried marries one of those bossy women he favors?

I agree.  At least with Gerald she'd be a married woman and would be secure.  She does love her friends but, let's face it, they are not legally her family.  

[Calvada]

Another thing to consider is the way divorce was viewed then.  At that time, many people thought a woman should disregard abuse, infidelity, drunkenness, and that marriage was for life and to be divorced was sinful.  Gerald's sister may have been one of those people.  And there may have been others who would have been appalled at Audrey dating someone and becoming engaged while still technically married, or appalled at Gerald for marrying a divorced woman.  I cannot blame Audrey for opting to stay in the safe world of Skeldale House.

[lark37]

On 2/12/2024 at 11:04 AM, Shanna Marie said:

I've never had the impression she was that deeply in love with him, though I don't know if that's because they're reserved Yorkshire people in 1940. She was fond of him, enjoyed hanging out with him, and was flattered by his attention, but there's a huge gap between that and the kind of love that leads to marriage, particularly a marriage that involved leaving her entire life behind. She'd have been living in another woman's home, and since that other woman is apparently an invalid, she'd have been doing there what she was doing at Skeldale House, serving as the housekeeper, doing the cooking, laundry, and cleaning, but without a salary. It would take a lot of love to do that. She realized she wanted to stay with her found family more than she wanted to go with Gerald. I'm not even shipping her with Siegfried, but she wanted to be there for Helen, she wanted to be there for the baby's birth, she wanted her household. I've heard it said that, particularly for middle-aged women, a man isn't so much competing with other men for a woman's affections as he is competing with her present life. If he's in direct competition, as in she has to give up everything in her present life, odds are he's going to lose.

I've never heard that said before and as a middle aged woman who's husband wants to retire in a few years to a place 2000 miles away that really speaks to my dismay and unwillingness to uproot my life and leave my family, friends, and career behind. Thanks for sharing that. 

As to this episode, I never got the impression that Mrs Hall was that into Gerald. She seemed to be very hesitant about him in previous seasons. He seemed like someone she wanted to keep firmly in the "friend zone." I miss Tristan! Callum Woodhouse is such a delight. He absolutely made the Durrells of Corfu worth watching. If there is another season of this, I hope he is back!

Edited February 15 by lark37
Grammar

[YorkshireLass]

11 hours ago, lark37 said:

As to this episode, I never got the impression that Mrs Hall was that into Gerald. She seemed to be very hesitant about him in previous seasons. He seemed like someone she wanted to keep firmly in the "friend zone."

I've often wondered if Mrs. Hall was hesitant about showing how she truly felt about Gerald because she was concerned as to how others would view him given that he was consorting with a "married" woman.  And, unfortunately, that same judgement would probably have been there even if she was divorced.  British society tended to not be kind to divorced women irrespective of the cause of the divorce.

Another consideration is that Yorkshire folk of that time tended to be very reserved about their feelings; both emotionally & physically.  My parents very rarely showed physical affection and I never saw either set of my grandparents ever showing any kiind of physical affection.      

Edited February 15 by YorkshireLass

[iMonrey]

16 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

But what happens to women like Audrey when they get too old to run up and down stairs or lift heavy loads of laundry and iron skillets?  What if Siegfried marries one of those bossy women he favors?

I can't imagine Siegfried, James, Helen et. al. just throwing her to the curb once she's no longer useful. There are people in her life that would take care of her. She also has a son out there who she will hopefully continue to mend fences with.

[libgirl2]

22 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I can't imagine Siegfried, James, Helen et. al. just throwing her to the curb once she's no longer useful. There are people in her life that would take care of her. She also has a son out there who she will hopefully continue to mend fences with.

Exactly, I could see her staying on with them into old age. She is a member of the family, most people don't just boot out someone if they are too old, especially in that time and place. Her son is the wildcard. 

[Dowel Jones]

Of course, Carmody, with all his book learning and not a speck of common sense, would likely advise that she be put down.  "It's the merciful thing to do."

[Badger]

good news

Quote

PBS and Channel 5 have renewed the period drama ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ for a fifth season. The highly anticipated British show will be shot in the Yorkshire Dales early next year.

 

[libgirl2]

6 minutes ago, Badger said:

good news

 

YAY! 

[Shanna Marie]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I can't imagine Siegfried, James, Helen et. al. just throwing her to the curb once she's no longer useful. There are people in her life that would take care of her. She also has a son out there who she will hopefully continue to mend fences with.

Plus, she's earning a salary while having almost no living expenses, since she gets room and board as part of her job, so she probably has a bit of a savings nest egg for retirement that she can continue to add to. Once married, she likely wouldn't continue working for a salary (while probably doing the same work for her household), so she wouldn't have money of her own. She'd be dependent on whatever her husband had and whatever he left her if he died first.

[YorkshireLass]

2 hours ago, Badger said:

good news

 

Yippee!!!  Thanks so much 💖

[Ancaster]

On 2/13/2024 at 1:03 PM, Megan said:

 

I do not like Gerald. Don't marry him Audrey! And not because I want her with Siegfried, I don't like his personality. He so off-putting about everything. Probably for the same reason, I'm judging by 2024 standards. 

I wouldn't be able to enjoy most of the books, films, and other art forms I love if I judged by 2024 standards (or lack of, for that matter).  My life would be much poorer.  Sometimes there is something to be said for a decent liberal arts education.

[JudyObscure]

23 hours ago, Shanna Marie said:

Once married, she likely wouldn't continue working for a salary (while probably doing the same work for her household), so she wouldn't have money of her own. She'd be dependent on whatever her husband had and whatever he left her if he died first.

True, but whatever her husband had would be considered hers also, and she would inherit it if he died.  As kind as Siegfired would be (and I'm sure he would) Audrey would always know she was there out of charity, because "like family," is never quite the same as, "family."  I think I would choose marriage to Gerald.    

[Blergh]

Yes, I felt sorry for Gerald even when understanding Audrey's belief that she needed to be stay longer in Darrowby to support Helen during her pregnancy AND to take care of her de facto family [who seemed to have treated her FAR better than her actual family had done]. However, it would have been a frustrating if not entirely futile exercise for Gerald to have dealt with the angst of tending to his ailing sister while attempting to pin all (or any )of his hopes on Audrey running to his arms the minute after Helen safely bore a heartily healthy baby!

While Audrey is no longer legally wed to Robert Hall, in 1940 an unmarried woman accompanying her swain to a new community even for the ostensible purpose of caring for the swain's ailing sister would likely have set all the tongues in said community clucking a mile a minute [to say nothing of possibly the sister herself who may have turned out to have been a small-minded ingrate not above holding over Audrey's head that Audrey was being boarded on HER charity]. I'm NOT saying that Audrey would have (or should have) obsessed about the above mindsets but I'm surprised that she didn't at least consider them when making her decision.

Sad but not surprising that Helen's father Richard Alderson and her late mother had had a stillborn son whom they never told their daughters about- which, of course, greatly contributed to her father's initial tight lips over how his late wife was when carrying Helen herself. Also, not entirely surprising that Helen would have actually believed it a probability that her own unborn child may have died before seeing the light after hearing Mr. Alderson's fessing. She's always been an empath- if not a bit of an insecure hypochondriac. Thankfully, Siegfried [despite the awkwardness of having to exam a human he was well acquainted with] DID find out to Helen's and everyone's relief that the baby's heartbeat is still going strong. In those days before ultrasound (and with X-rays being somewhat expensive -and rather risky to unborn children) , it was the best way to tell prenatal health (and no doubt Helen will wear out that stethescope before and during the delivery).

Nice of Gerald to fix the sink on the way out to show that he had no resentment towards Siegfried and the others even though he couldn't pretend to happily accept Audrey's final decision. Also, great that Siegfried and Mr. Carmody saved both Gerald's dog and Mr. Alderson's calf.

The only unresolved matter at the end seems to be Helen's father's bad knee. I can't help but wonder if he's worried that he'll be told that he has to stay off it for a lengthy time, have an operation and/or that there is nothing that can be done to prevent him becoming permanently lame [and as healthy and efficient as Jenny is, she can't do all the backbreaking farmwork that her father has had to do for decades].

OK, finale next week with James re-appearing AND likely the baby's first appearance. There's a 50 percent chance of me being wrong but since James and Helen's firstborn in the books, previous series and RL was a boy, I'm willing to wager that so will this one be!

Edited February 18 by Blergh

[bigmag]

James' recitation of the poem (A Red, Red Rose) as he was riding the bus away is one of the most beautiful things I've heard lately.  With his oh-so-lovely accent and the feeling he put into the words it gave me chills. I've replayed that scene a number of times.

Edited February 17 by bigmag

[iMonrey]

Quote

PBS and Channel 5 have renewed the period drama ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ for a fifth season. The highly anticipated British show will be shot in the Yorkshire Dales early next year.

I hope we find out soon if Tristan will be back.

[baileythedog]

On 1/21/2024 at 10:00 PM, possibilities said:

 

And I'm having a bad feeling about Gerald and Mrs Hall. I just don't think she's that into him, and I think he's going to get hurt, which I do not want to see.

 

Same, same. I hate "shipping" characters and tend not to watch TV that way, but Gerald and Mrs. Hall is the dryest, most uncomfortable thing to watch ever.  Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes on "Downton Abbey" were a house on fire, comparatively. 

I'm glad Mrs. Hall is open to thinking that her romantic life can pick up and continue but i think she is better off with, dare I say, Siegfried.  

[libgirl2]

Loved the toasts to Mrs. Hall and Jesus! 

[HoodlumSheep]

4x07 Christmas:

Bye bye Oscar. U will be missed.

This episode was actually pretty mellow and not a whole lot happened but it was so much better than last year's holiday ep involving the Wizard of Oz girl. that ep was so painful to get thru.

baby James Jr.!!! a cutie. Cool to see Helen keeping the whittled old man winter tradition alive. Really lovely.

I liked james' training officer. Tough but fair.

 

Edited February 19 by HoodlumSheep

[libgirl2]

7 minutes ago, HoodlumSheep said:

4x07 Christmas:

Bye bye Oscar. U will be missed.

This episode was actually pretty mellow and not a whole lot happened but it was so much better than last year's holiday ep involving the Wizard of Oz girl. that ep was so painful to get thru.

baby James Jr.!!! a cutie. Cool to see Helen keeping the whittled old man winter tradition alive. Really lovely.

I liked james' training officer. Tough but fair.

 

I would have kept the cat!! 😔

[ECM1231]

This last episode gave me all the feels. There were so many funny moments, as well as heartwarming ones. Was kind of surprised that James actually snuck away after being refused leave as he seems pretty straight laced, and not the rebellious type. Poor Carmody keeps putting his foot in his mouth -- he really doesn't have very good people skills. The looks Helen gave him, first after insulting her, and then as he was moaning over his sore tush, were so funny. 

 

[Jodithgrace]

I’m hoping that a British person can answer this for me. I was an English major long ago and an Anglophile so I have read many British novels and watched lots of British tv and movies. Up until a few years ago, people in England said, “Happy Christmas.” Suddenly, they are saying “Merry Christmas,” even in period pieces like this.  It’s driving me nuts. I can understand the Americanization in contemporary fiction,but have the writers forgotten how people used to talk? Can somebody explain this to me?
 

Other than that, it was a lovely episode. I was so glad the midwife showed up so we didn’t have the cliche of Siegfried or, heaven forbid, Carmody delivering the baby. And I’m extra glad that James didn’t succeed in going AWOL. 
 

So Oscar the cat wasn’t the missing stout drinker. But they gave him up anyway, which was very nice of them. I suppose that Helen won’t need his companionship now that she has wee James to care for.

Poor Carmody. No wonder he’s so lacking in social skills. It sounds like he was raised as a science experiment. The dialogue was quite funny. 
 

edited to add: doing some research reminded me that Dicken’s Ebeneezer Scrooge says “merry Christmas,” so it’s not new and different. Further reading suggests a class distinction between the lower classes saying “merry,” and the upper classes saying “happy.” Which I guess shows what sort of Brit lit I read. So perhaps the people in the Yorkshire Dales might well have said “merry.” It’s just one of those things I notice, like when a British person says “sweater,” or “cookie,” and I think, oh no, America has struck again! 

Edited February 19 by Jodithgrace

[magdalene]

Lovely season finale. More funny than I would have expected.  James surprised me this episode, I thought he would have been too much of a square to go AWOL. Luckily for him he has a very decent commanding officer, who was also dishy straight out of a romance.

I admit I snorted rather loudly when Siegfried told Carmody he must develop some tact. What's that about pots and kettles?

I would not have given Oscar up. No way.

Must we really wait 2 years for the next season? I hope I misread the part about them only filming again next year.

[possibilities]

That cat is as magnetic as the dog on the Will Trent show. I will miss seeing him every week. 

If James had been jailed for going AWOL, would that have kept him safe (i.e. in prison and not going on bombing runs)? I'm not saying that's what we should wish for (And WW2 was a just war if there ever was one), but I'm just curious how that works.

 

Edited February 19 by possibilities
typo

[magdalene]

On 2/15/2024 at 10:54 AM, Badger said:

good news

 

Hmm. I googled and I can't actually find an official season 5 renewal by Channel 5?

[Llywela]

2 hours ago, Jodithgrace said:

I’m hoping that a British person can answer this for me. I was an English major long ago and an Anglophile so I have read many British novels and watched lots of British tv and movies. Up until a few years ago, people in England said, “Happy Christmas.” Suddenly, they are saying “Merry Christmas,” even in period pieces like this.  It’s driving me nuts. I can understand the Americanization in contemporary fiction,but have the writers forgotten how people used to talk? Can somebody explain this to me?

 

edited to add: doing some research reminded me that Dicken’s Ebeneezer Scrooge says “merry Christmas,” so it’s not new and different. Further reading suggests a class distinction between the lower classes saying “merry,” and the upper classes saying “happy.” Which I guess shows what sort of Brit lit I read. So perhaps the people in the Yorkshire Dales might well have said “merry.” It’s just one of those things I notice, like when a British person says “sweater,” or “cookie,” and I think, oh no, America has struck again! 

Speaking as someone who has lived in the UK all her life, I've always heard both, interchangeably. The main distinction I was aware of as a child in the 80s was that strict churchy people preferred to say 'happy Christmas' because they associated the word 'merry' with strong drink! But a lot of people prefer to say 'merry Christmas' because they can then add 'and a happy New Year' without having to repeat the word 'happy'.

I do not, however, know what the popular preference would have been in the 1940s.

[Dowel Jones]

Carmody:  "I'm afraid I might have stuck my foot in my mouth with Mrs. Hall again."

Siegried:  "Only one?  That's progress."   Sharp as a tack. 

I agree about Carmody.  I wonder how he managed to navigate through adult life and school.  Interrupting the toast?  Sit down and shut up!  I liked how they focused on Siegfried when WWI was mentioned.

I imagine James, being in a critical position, would have received some leniency for AWOL that early in the war.  Maybe a short stay in the stockade, but eventually he might be returned to bomber training.  A second offense, however, would receive much harsher treatment.  Desertion would merit an entirely different level of punishment, if you got caught.

Just as a notice, my local PBS station, having started the pledge drive begathon, is showing another episode of "All Things" next Sunday, entitled "Touring the Dales".  It may be a rerun from past seasons, but it's worth checking your TV schedule to see if your PBS station is running it.

[PhoneCop]

2 hours ago, Llywela said:

Speaking as someone who has lived in the UK all her life, I've always heard both, interchangeably. The main distinction I was aware of as a child in the 80s was that strict churchy people preferred to say 'happy Christmas' because they associated the word 'merry' with strong drink! But a lot of people prefer to say 'merry Christmas' because they can then add 'and a happy New Year' without having to repeat the word 'happy'.

I do not, however, know what the popular preference would have been in the 1940s.

Interesting—I also had the impression (as an American) that it was only in recent decades that people started using the two more interchangeably. Same with Father Christmas/Santa Claus, but maybe I'm wrong there as well.

[YorkshireLass]

 

7 hours ago, magdalene said:

Hmm. I googled and I can't actually find an official season 5 renewal by Channel 5?

I can't find an official announcement either 😞.  The original article linked in this thread announcing the renewal is from Nov. 2023.

I did see an article in the Yorkshire Post about a renewal that seems a little more credible  https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/hopes-raised-for-all-creatures-great-and-small-series-5-as-tv-presenter-jules-hudson-posts-awards-photo-with-nicholas-ralph-4518628 that said “Always love catching up with this lovely guy, @nicholasralph_ AKA James Herriot. And thrilled to hear there’s even more All Creatures Great and Small to come. Can’t wait!”, but the original Instagram post has disappeared.  Fortunately, with Jules hearing that the show had been renewed from the horse's mouth (so-to-speak), I think we all can be pretty confident that it has been.

8 hours ago, magdalene said:

Must we really wait 2 years for the next season? I hope I misread the part about them only filming again next year.

Because that article was from 2023, they probably meant filming was to start in 2024.

[Daff]

That episode went by too fast. Gathering at Drovers was nice, and the look on Helen’s dad’s face when Mrs. P put Tricky in the cradle was choice. I loved that Helen carved the log face in James’s absence. She needed to sing at least the first line of Auld Lang Syne. 

[iMonrey]

10 hours ago, Llywela said:

The main distinction I was aware of as a child in the 80s was that strict churchy people preferred to say 'happy Christmas' because they associated the word 'merry' with strong drink!

I read somewhere it was Queen Elizabeth II who instituted a rule about saying "Happy Christmas" because of the aforementioned association of the word "merry" with drunkenness. Apparently the term "Merry Old England" dates back to medieval times and was meant as a slur by those on the continent to suggest the English were a bunch of drunkards. 

I thought this episode was quite lovely, although I was disappointed we once again had to do without Tristan. I mean, even James got a phone call, surely Tristan would have been allowed the same.

Assuming the show has been renewed, I hope the next season skips to the end of the war. It just isn't the same without James and Tristan, I don't want another season like this one. I suspect the series is winding down to maybe one or two more seasons, if that. British series don't tend to overstay their welcomes like a lot of American dramas do. (Call the Midwife being the rare exception.)

[DonnaMae]

On 2/12/2024 at 9:50 AM, libgirl2 said:

Did she suspect that is one of the reasons he asked?

Gerald didn't ask her to go with him.  She told him she was going with him, and he asked her if this meant we were engaged.  

[Sarah 103]

14 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

I liked james' training officer. Tough but fair.

Agreed. He's trying to do his job. I like that he was able to talk to James and help him understand his position. 

12 hours ago, magdalene said:

Luckily for him he has a very decent commanding officer, who was also dishy straight out of a romance.

I don't find the commanding officer attractive, but I could absolutely picture him in an old black and white WWII movie from the 1940s. 

12 hours ago, possibilities said:

If James had been jailed for going AWOL, would that have kept him safe (i.e. in prison and not going on bombing runs)? I'm not saying that's what we should wish for (And WW@ was a just war if there ever was one), but I'm just curious how that works.

Potentially yes. If his crew is a man down because James is in prison (not sure if the proper term is stockade, brig, or something else), then another crew would be sent up for the mission.  

[The Wild Sow]

Aw, this season's over TOO soon!  But James got his leave after all (I was half-expecting him to get the bright idea of bringing "Georgie" (named for the King?) home to Darrowby to be treated by Siegfried!

I don't think Georgie is actually a kestrel, though - she(?) looked like maybe a merlin?  I'm used to American kestrels, but the common (European) kestrel looks very similar.

Merlin

Kestrel

Eh, could be that Georgie is female and not as vividly colored as the male kestrel.

Personal note:  My Dad and his brother (Uncle Jimmy) would be going through similar training soon on the US side -- US Army Air Corps, predecessor to the US Air Force.  My siblings and I are going through their letters, and the training was very intense and took many months -- just as shown on the show.  Dad was the radioman on a troop transport (he was "one of the boys" who took part in D-Day.)  Jimmy was a navigator on a B24 bomber.  He didn't make it home.

Edited February 19 by The Wild Sow