Season 5 Discussion Thread

[Orcinus orca]

31 minutes ago, ofmd said:

Now I feel the need to rewatch the scene; which episode are you at pls?

Episode 2.

[possibilities]

My God, what hellish place do you live in where friends can't hug each other when greeting, without people thinking it notable?

Where I live, if you are not a hugger, you have to explain yourself, which in a way is jut as bad, but it's certainly not so uptight here that I would mistake friend chemistry for lesbian sentiment. And I'm a lesbian, but even the straight people around me are huggers.

[anna0852]

53 minutes ago, possibilities said:

My God, what hellish place do you live in where friends can't hug each other when greeting, without people thinking it notable?

Where I live, if you are not a hugger, you have to explain yourself, which in a way is jut as bad, but it's certainly not so uptight here that I would mistake friend chemistry for lesbian sentiment. And I'm a lesbian, but even the straight people around me are huggers.

Agreed! I’m as straight as they come, but me and my best girlfriends (whom I’ve known since college) still routinely change in front of each other, share beds when traveling and physically lean up against one another without even thinking about it. And we are all straight and married.

[HoodlumSheep]

5x03

TRISTAN!!!! 😭😭😭

The Farnon boys had me tearing up ngl.

glad helen and mrs herriot finally found some common ground.

shadow pregnancy :(. poor dog.

can't wait for tristan to meet carmody!

 

[possibilities]

Ep 3

Where will Tristan sleep when he comes back full time? Or is he planning not to do so? Or is Carmody only there temporarily?

I din't like the mustache. In fact, I found Tristan totally unrecognizable, both in appearance and affect. I can tell they didn't re-cast him, but the transofrmation is quite extreme.

What was with the farmer that he wasn't using the medicine at all? And he expected the goat to just get well anyway? Was he just lonely and looking for company? He didn't seem like he enjoyed it, if so. I feel like the case last week, of the guy who wanted the vets to solve the problem of the calf kicking over the pail was very similar-- totally irrational behavior, no explanantion.

James's parents seem very sad. I felt the same way in the episode where he told them he wasn't coming home to them, and they were struggling financially without him there. It feels a little more than just the usual thing of family that misses each other, and a little callous how James and Helen joke about it but don't seem at all concerned.

Did people get notified by telegram of casualties? That seems very callous. 

Do we think Tristan was refusing to talk about the war in a serious way because he's hiding something? Or was it just the thing of not wanting to revisit the pain? I know many veterans don't like to talk about it. But with Tristan, you can never be sure if he's just evading because he has a secret and/or refuses to be serious no matter the topic.

The Seigfried-Audrey vibe continues to get stronger. Maybe they will marry them so they can share a room and that will open up a space for Carmody to room when Tristan takes his old bedroom back. 

I continue to be awed by how green the fields are. 

 

[Blergh]

[No spoilers please] but was it just me or were they trying to build up Tris as though he'd almost become SuperTristan via his war experiences in Egypt? I mean, apart from being cashless at the Drovers, he somehow managed to make zero missteps and even seemed to pull open Mr. Biggin's gate with ease while poor Siegfried got stuck in it! Nice sentiment expressed by Siegfried (which likely reflected Mrs. Herriott's own feelings) about being relieved that his work of having raised Tristan was done. ..but OTOH feeling sad that his onetime dependent no longer needed him! Well, at least the story ended with Siegfried and Tristan having a spat- somehow I knew that Siegfried wouldn't be able to 'never have a cross word' with his younger bro forever even with Tristan coming back unscathed from war. .and perhaps extra fortified.

Still, I have to agree [again, no spoilers please] that it seems probable that Tristan could be overcompensating re bravado to avoid having to deal with very real PTSD AKA 'shell shock'.

[Jodithgrace]

Telegrams were definitely the way casualties were announced. One of the more memorable scenes in A League of Their Own was when a delivery boy fumbled the delivery of a telegram while all of the women stood there in total dread. Tom Hanks’ character threw the kid out and handled the delivery himself.

Yes, Tristan looks completely different. And not just the mustache. When he first showed up at the train station I thought they had recast him, even though I hadn’t read that they had. 
 

The new sulfa drugs were performing miracles for animals and people, but some of the old Dale farmers were suspicious of anything new, though why that goat farmer pretended to use the stuff I don’t know. Siegfried should have had the farmer demonstrate how he used the powder instead of just taking his word for it.  

 

 

[magdalene]

I am so happy to have Tristan back. I missed the character so much.  I had no problem recognizing him. It's just that Tristan left as a callow and funny young man and has come home still funny but very much a grown man, an adult.

I know no spoilers but I think it's possible that Tristan is shell shocked. He would be the type to hide it. There was a vibe I got for a moment when he hugged Audrey, a moment of vulnerability or such. It is equally possible I am imagining this.

[dancingdreamer]

I loved having  Tristan back. I'm not keen  on the mustache,  but he looked well. I loved all the hugs from the heart, I teared up.

Siegfried  going to see Mr Biggins with all those gates, made me lol. 

Tristan meets Carmody, that will be fun. 

I think  little  Jimmy  is a beautiful  baby, very bonny! 

[PhoneCop]

Yeah, the mustache can go whenever. I think the problem is that Callum has such a boyish face that he either needs to go full beard (at least scruff, anyway) or nothing in order for it to work. Apparently he really did grow it out but they had to dye it for on-camera purposes, so that probably contributes to it looking a bit off.

But regardless, yay, Tris is finally back! Can't wait to see him and Carmody playing off each other. 

[NoReally]

I don't think Tristan has PTSD, but I think he's seen things he doesn't want to talk about. Yet.

[Orcinus orca]

38 minutes ago, NoReally said:

I don't think Tristan has PTSD, but I think he's seen things he doesn't want to talk about. Yet.

Or, maybe, ever.

I used to be involved in Honor Flight Michigan - we raised funds to take vets to see the WWII Memorial in Washington DC for free.  The memorial was not built until 62 years after the end of the war and many were quite elderly.  And so many of them had never shared anything about their experiences.  Several families told us afterward that the first discussion they had ever had with their relative was after that trip.

In fact, the most memorable of my flights was with a set of twins who were both wounded.  They served in separate units and it wasn't until they few together on that trip that the talked about it and discovered they were both wounded on exactly the same day and only two miles from each other!

We gave seen that Siegfried also holds the trauma of WWI close to the vest.

[HoodlumSheep]

11 hours ago, possibilities said:

Do we think Tristan was refusing to talk about the war in a serious way because he's hiding something? Or was it just the thing of not wanting to revisit the pain? I know many veterans don't like to talk about it. But with Tristan, you can never be sure if he's just evading because he has a secret and/or refuses to be serious no matter the topic.

he was dodging those questions like a pro. he's certainly avoiding talking about something.

i think tristan looks like tristan even with the mustache. he doesn't look all that different to me. if anything he looks like he's bulked up under that uniform.

[libgirl2]

2 hours ago, NoReally said:

I don't think Tristan has PTSD, but I think he's seen things he doesn't want to talk about. Yet.

That's what I think as well. Somehow the carefree youth has come back a man who realizes there is more to the world. 

[iMonrey]

That church they held the Christening in was absolutely beautiful. It was like something out of the middle ages. If I had a church like that, I'd go every Sunday. And I'm not even religious. 

Lucy's owner must have been frantic when her dog disappeared, but I'm surprised she didn't make a beeline for the vet's. She knew the dog was obsessed with the toy and wouldn't go anywhere without it.

2 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

i think tristan looks like tristan even with the mustache. he doesn't look all that different to me. if anything he looks like he's bulked up under that uniform.

That was my impression too but it's hard to tell, he was wearing so many layers.

[sugarbaker design]

52 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

That's what I think as well. Somehow the carefree youth has come back a man who realizes there is more to the world. 

Right, the boy left his comfortable home, went to war, came home a man.

I did notice that Siegfried has one feeling for Tris now that he never had before Tris went off to war:  Respect.

[tennisgurl]

Awww I'm so glad that Tris is back! I don't think he's changed all that much, he's bulked up and has that worm living on top of his lips now, but he's still the same guy we know and love, just more worldly. I do think that he's downplaying the rougher stuff that happened, just focusing on the hijinks and not on what was actually happening in the war, and that its all going to come to the surface eventually. 

Poor doggie just wanted to be a mom. At least it led to Helen and James's mom bonding, it was nice to see the Harriet's again and that there wasn't much in-law drama. 

Siegfried and Tristan's reunion was really moving, although Siegfried's whole "I wont say a thing against the boy if he comes back in one piece" thing lasted about fifteen minutes or so. 

I guess the old farmer's idea was that he could get Siegfried to give him his money back and then he would use the powder to treat his goat? He clearly underestimated Siegfried's own goat like stubbornness!

Edited Monday at 09:51 PM by tennisgurl

[Sarah 103]

15 hours ago, possibilities said:

Do we think Tristan was refusing to talk about the war in a serious way because he's hiding something? Or was it just the thing of not wanting to revisit the pain?

I think he doesn't want to deal with the pain. It also seems in keeping with the culture/era. The whole stiff upper lip, put it behind you, and move on with your life. 

Tristan's stories of hijinks, adventure, and romance are his way of not having to deal with or mentally revisit what he saw and did during combat.  

14 hours ago, Blergh said:

Still, I have to agree [again, no spoilers please] that it seems probable that Tristan could be overcompensating re bravado to avoid having to deal with very real PTSD AKA 'shell shock'.

PTSD and shell shock are actually two different things. Shell shock (WWI term) or battle fatigue (WWII term) present/happen close to the immediate aftermath of the trauma/combat. PTSD develops months and months after trauma/combat, in the case of a veteran, usually well after someone had returned home. 

There was a brief moment when I thought Tristan may be home because he had a less than honorable discharge. Either because a scheme blew up in his face or he refused to follow an order because he believed it was wrong. 

 

 

[Shanna Marie]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I guess the old farmer's idea was that he could get Siegfried to pay him his money back and then he would use the powder to treat his goat? He clearly underestimated Siegfried's own goat like stubbornness!

That was my read on it, that he would claim that Siegfried and his treatments didn't do any good, so Siegfried would have to give him his money back. Once he had his money, then he'd actually follow the directions and treat the goat, thus getting the treatment for free.

[iMonrey]

I'm not sure how much we should read into Tristan's behavior WRT what he experienced in Cairo. From what I gather, he mostly was in charge of tending to the animals so I'm not sure how much actual combat he would have seen. It's entirely possible he lost some good friends he made, but it doesn't sound like he was on the front lines or anything. I guess time will tell. 

I remember how horrified I was when they showed Siegfried's flashback to WWI when he was told they were putting down the horses. That that was terrible.

[Orcinus orca]

I guess I am in the minority but I do not mind Tristan's mustache.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Actually , having that style of mustache or even a thinner mustache was quite popular among the men serving in WW2.  A number of movie actors also grew them back then.

[howiveaddict]

I like how they showed how grown up Tristan  had become, yet he was the same old Tristan by offering to pay at the Drovers and not having any money.  

Someone mentioned where Tristan will sleep now that Carmody was there.  He will use James old room since James, Helen and Jimmy live in the attic apartment.

[Sarah 103]

5 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I'm not sure how much we should read into Tristan's behavior WRT what he experienced in Cairo. From what I gather, he mostly was in charge of tending to the animals so I'm not sure how much actual combat he would have seen. It's entirely possible he lost some good friends he made, but it doesn't sound like he was on the front lines or anything. I guess time will tell. 

So then maybe he's dealing with some form of survivor's guilt. He's lost friends, he knows that men are fighting, getting wounded, enduring horrible conditions and dying, but he's somewhat removed from all of that and feels guilty. 

Or, it could be Tristan is Tristan and somehow in the midst of war, lands himself in a comparably cushy situation, makes the best of it, and ends up with no stories of bravery or heroism in combat but a collection of off-color anecdotes involving women and military life. 

10 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Siegfried and Tristan's reunion was really moving, although Siegfried's whole "I wont say a thing against the boy if he comes back in one piece" thing lasted about fifteen minutes or so. 

I think part of that was Tristan purposefully winding him up and getting him upset. He could sense Siegfried missed the way things used to be and what the relationship was like before Tristan left. 

I think it's sweet that Jenny has a bit of a crush on Tristan. Nothing is going to happen between them, but it's fun to watch. 

 

Edited Tuesday at 04:04 AM by Sarah 103

[anna0852]

4 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

So then maybe he's dealing with some form of survivor's guilt. He's lost friends, he knows that men are fighting, getting wounded, enduring horrible conditions and dying, but he's somewhat removed from all of that and feels guilty. 

Or, it could be Tristan is Tristan and somehow in the midst of war, lands himself in a comparably cushy situation, makes the best of it, and ends up with no stories of bravery or heroism in combat but a collection of off-color anecdotes involving women and military life. 

I think it’s the first option. He seemed to be really forcing it at the pub. Maybe it was just the way the actor was playing the scene, but it absolutely read to me that he was trying to avoid a painful topic. And quite frankly, I’m a bit surprised that Siegfried, who served in World War I and carries his own trauma from it, didn’t pick up on the fact that Tristan was trying to dodge something painful with his anecdotes.

[Haleth]

Yeah, I have a feeling Tristan will have a breakdown soon. He’s always been glib but he’s even more so now, as if to cover up something painful.

I don’t recall if his name has always been in the opening credits this season but I squeed when I noticed his name this epi. 

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

I don’t recall if his name has always been in the opening credits this season but I squeed when I noticed his name this epi. 

Woodhouse's name hasn't been featured this season, until now!  This is one of my favorite opening credit sequences, I always watch it.

[jah1986]

So great having Tristan back!   He was holding on to Mrs. H like she was an anchor for him. Something is definitely off. He was behaving like the Tristan they expected rather than the Tristan he is now. He almost appeared to be injured when opening the gate. I wonder if he is dealing with survivor's guilt.

Glad to see Helen and James' mom being more comfortable with each other by the end of the visit.

I wonder if that farmer, besides lying about using the treatment on the goat was going to get his money back, use the prescription and claim he just used iodine and that worked. He was awful.

That Jenny actress just seems to be one of those people that has chemistry with everyone she shares a scene with. Loved her teasing Tristan.

[Lovecat]

The dog with the phantom pregnancy made me miss my dearly-departed Lovey cat.  When she was rescued, she was sent for spaying and it was discovered that she was already pregnant.  The litter was aborted (don't @ me, this was before I adopted her!) and when she came to live with me I learned very quickly to always put my clean socks on the bottom of the laundry basket, otherwise I'd find them at the food dish, at the water dish, in the litter box, or "sleeping" happily on my pillow.  She'd take one gently by the "neck" and carry it around with her, purring up a storm.  She's been gone for, oh, 15 years or so, and I still put my paired socks in the laundry basket first, with all of the other folded laundry on top.  I miss her <3

[iMonrey]

15 hours ago, howiveaddict said:

Someone mentioned where Tristan will sleep now that Carmody was there.  He will use James old room since James, Helen and Jimmy live in the attic apartment.

James' old room is Tristan's room. If you recall, James was hired while Tristan was away. Tristan returned in Episode 2 and discovered that James had been given his room. They ended up having to share, with Tristan basically in a cot in the closet. 

Spoiler

The preview for the next episode shows that's where he winds up again.

 

[AZChristian]

I rewatched the "Tristan's back" part the episode this morning.

During a couple of the "how are you scenes," the background music was nothing but a single deep tone . . . not the least bit upbeat.  He also seemed to avoid eye contact in a couple of scenes.

The kicker for me, though, was hearing him say that he was going to lecture 3 days a week at an army place nearby, but other than that, "I'm a man of leisure."  Sorry.  No physically or mentally healthy person in the army during a war gets four days off every week.

I suspect he has been less-than-honorably or medically discharged, and is hiding that fact.  JMO.

[sugarbaker design]

7 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Tristan returned in Episode 2 and discovered that James had been given his room. They ended up having to share, with Tristan basically in a cot in the closet. 

That was a hilarious scene!

[Ancaster]

Yorkshiremen don't hug.

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, Ancaster said:

Yorkshiremen don't hug.

I thought the scenes of Tris hugging Siegfried and then James was more 2025 than 1941.

[Dowel Jones]

Something else caught my eye at the railroad station.  After Tristan fixes the carburetor on Siegfried's roadster, he has him start it up, yet Siegried is standing outside the car when he does.  You can't do that with a manual transmission, unless the car is in neutral (bad idea), and I don't think automatics were readily available back then.  I could be wrong, but I think it was just a sound effect being used. 

In the RAF, at least, during WWII, aircrew that finally broke down after the constant losses and lack of support from command were labeled LMF, or Lack of Moral Fiber.  They were demoted and given menial tasks around the airbases.  Perhaps something similar has happened to Tristan.  I really hope he hasn't spent his time in Cairo bar and woman-hopping.

[magdalene]

On 1/27/2025 at 2:56 PM, Orcinus orca said:

I guess I am in the minority but I do not mind Tristan's mustache.

Me neither. It's period authentic and probably helps in making Callum look older.

Edited Yest. at 02:27 AM by magdalene

[Sarah 103]

9 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I suspect he has been less-than-honorably or medically discharged, and is hiding that fact.  JMO.

If it's something medical, why would he feel the need to hide it? That does not make sense to me. I can absolutely imagine multiple ways in which Tristan would have received a less than honorable discharge and would also try to hide that fact. 

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

I really hope he hasn't spent his time in Cairo bar and woman-hopping.

It's Tristan. When he wasn't working, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he did. I'm picturing the WWII veterinary version of Hawkeye, Trapper, or BJ from M*A*S*H. Tristan also seems the type who would have been a first class scrounger somehow getting the impossible (think James Garner in The Great Escape or The Americanization of Emily). 

[AZChristian]

53 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

If it's something medical, why would he feel the need to hide it? That does not make sense to me. I can absolutely imagine multiple ways in which Tristan would have received a less than honorable discharge and would also try to hide that fact. 

It's Tristan. When he wasn't working, I'm pretty sure that's exactly what he did. I'm picturing the WWII veterinary version of Hawkeye, Trapper, or BJ from M*A*S*H. Tristan also seems the type who would have been a first class scrounger somehow getting the impossible (think James Garner in The Great Escape or The Americanization of Emily). 

If he was discharged because he was deemed not to be mentally fit ("shell shock"), he might not want to tell his family. 

But I agree that he might well have been the Hawkeye of Cairo and gotten into a spot of trouble because of it.

[Calvada]

The ground floor has the living room, dining room, eat-in kitchen, pantry, two examination rooms, supply room, and Siegfried's office, and there are only 3 bedrooms on the second floor?  Siegfried's, Mrs. Hall's, and Tristan/James/Carmody's rooms are the only ones?  And then the attic level is just the smallish area that James, Helen & Jimmy have?  TV houses never make sense.  

I felt for that kid delivering telegrams.  Anyone with an active service member would have been devastated to open their door and see him standing there since it was unlikely to be good news.  That's how people found out someone was missing in action, wounded, taken prisoner, or killed.  

[surfgirl]

I'm glad Tristan's back, I really like the actor, but I also didn't miss him as much as I thought I would since I've warmed up to Carmody. 

It didn't even cross my mind thst he was dishonorably discharged because he said he'd be training others in a nearby town 3 days a week. 

[Orcinus orca]

5 hours ago, surfgirl said:

It didn't even cross my mind thst he was dishonorably discharged because he said he'd be training others in a nearby town 3 days a week. 

Was he actually discharged?  Or is still in the military but just changed duty stations.  That is how I took it.

[AZChristian]

8 hours ago, surfgirl said:

It didn't even cross my mind thst he was dishonorably discharged because he said he'd be training others in a nearby town 3 days a week. 

IMO, the key phrase here is "he said."  Being in the armed forces is a 7-days-per-week, 24-hours-per-day job, especially during wartime.  He specifically said he would be at his leisure the other four days per week.  Seems illogical.  If he were a lecturer for three days per week, why wouldn't they have him - a certified veterinarian - spending part of his four days of "leisure" time treating military animals or training others in the field up to the number of hours one would expect from a full-time employee?

People sometimes do stupid things, and then do (or say) stupider things to cover those stupid things up.

[Sarah 103]

5 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

Was he actually discharged?  Or is still in the military but just changed duty stations.  That is how I took it.

If we take Tristan at his word and believe what he said is the truth, he has been transferred to a duty station in a nearby town and will be lecturing 3 days a week. 

2 hours ago, AZChristian said:

People sometimes do stupid things, and then do (or say) stupider things to cover those stupid things up.

This is a real possibility. I want to believe that Tristan has grown, matured, and changed. However, if he did something colossally stupid, the last thing he would want is for Siegfried to find out, so instead he lies and tries to cover it up not realizing that it will inevitably blow up in his face. 

[iMonrey]

4 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

If we take Tristan at his word and believe what he said is the truth, he has been transferred to a duty station in a nearby town and will be lecturing 3 days a week. 

I'm taking Tristan at his word, for now at least. I myself did not find anything particularly suspicious or nefarious about his explanation, and this really isn't the kind of show to do something really dark like give him shell shock or have him lie about being dishonorably discharged because he did some unforgivable thing. 

I appreciated that each of the main characters got to have their own moments with Tristan. They could have all been at Skeldale and greeted him as a group, but instead we got a lovely reunion between brothers, followed by Tristan surprising Mrs. Hall, and then having his one-on-one with James. And Helen seemed pretty annoyed with James until she saw Tristan standing in the doorway, so that was sweet too.

[Sarah 103]

50 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I'm taking Tristan at his word, for now at least. I myself did not find anything particularly suspicious or nefarious about his explanation, and this really isn't the kind of show to do something really dark like give him shell shock or have him lie about being dishonorably discharged because he did some unforgivable thing. 

That makes sense. This is not a super serious dark dramatic show.

If he was dishonorably discharged, I don't think he did something unforgivable. I think it was mostly likely because he refused to follow an order that would have been harmful to an animal or animals. I also wouldn't rule out a scheme/something was supposed to be a bit of harmless fun that went horribly wrong. 

Edited 6 hours ago by Sarah 103

[Dowel Jones]

It should be noted that if he were discharged for any reason he would not be in uniform.  If the discharge was anything less than honorable, or whatever the term is in the British Army, they would make sure of that before he is sent home.  Now, getting relieved of his duty and/or demoted would be another matter.

[Orcinus orca]

16 minutes ago, Dowel Jones said:

It should be noted that if he were discharged for any reason he would not be in uniform.  If the discharge was anything less than honorable, or whatever the term is in the British Army, they would make sure of that before he is sent home.  Now, getting relieved of his duty and/or demoted would be another matter.

That's what I was thinking as well.  I guess we will see next week - uniform or no?

[Sarah 103]

1 hour ago, Dowel Jones said:

It should be noted that if he were discharged for any reason he would not be in uniform.  If the discharge was anything less than honorable, or whatever the term is in the British Army, they would make sure of that before he is sent home.  Now, getting relieved of his duty and/or demoted would be another matter.

I knew the uniform thing was the case in the U.S, but I was not sure if the British army worked the same way. To me, that was some of the strongest proof/evidence Tristan was telling the truth about his new assignment.

I realize this is pure fan theory, but I'm sure Tristan's rank constantly yo-yoed during his time abroad. 

For those of us without a strong background of military knowledge, can you explain the difference between dishonorable discharge and being relieved of his duty? 

 

[magdalene]

 

Why would anybody automatically assume Tristan was dishonorable?

Edited 4 hours ago by magdalene

[iMonrey]

54 minutes ago, magdalene said:

Why would anybody automatically assume Tristan was dishonorable?

I don't know. I think it's really just as simple as the fact that the actor was not available last season so they sent him off to the army. Now that he's available they had to come up with some reason for why Tristan would be back, and this is what they came up with. It only seems a bit suspect because it might not have been terribly realistic in real life. I don't necessarily think that means they have some big dramatic arc in store for the character or even that he's hiding anything. That's not the kind of thing this show usually does. Anything "dramatic" that comes up is usually dealt with in a single episode.