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Season 5 Discussion Thread


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1 hour ago, Sarah 103 said:

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? 

I'm not of military background either, but it would seem that 'relieved of duty' is removing someone from a command position as an officer.  General Fredenhall was relieved of command in WWII by Patton, and he went back to the US as a training unit commander.  MacArthur, on the other hand, probably had nowhere to go when he was relieved of duty in Korea and so retired from the Army.  A less-than-honorable discharge (there's probably a few categories) means that you were basically kicked out of the Army with a black mark on your service record.  Depending on the era, that could have serious negative consequences in post-Army life.

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Because Tristan was a real-life person I don't think even a fictionalized version of his life would include any story line that could possibly impune his character and embarrass his living descendants.

I chose to think that even though Tristan primarily worked with animals he just wasn't ready to talk about the other bad parts of war and death that he certainly must have seen.

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On 1/29/2025 at 8:26 PM, magdalene said:

Why would anybody automatically assume Tristan was dishonorable?

On 1/29/2025 at 10:46 AM, AZChristian 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?

@magdalene Based on the above post, which many people thought made a valid point, people started to speculate, because this is the internet. 

13 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

For what it is worth, there was no fighting in Cairo in WWII.  That's not to say Tristan could not have been sent to some front, but if he was in Cairo the whole time he would not have seen actual fighting.

So probably not dealing with shell shock, battle fatigue, or PTSD, but instead dealing with survivor's guilt. 

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23 hours ago, iMonrey said:

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.

Well, EXACTLY!  This reboot has ret-conned things from the beginning.  Lighten up, people.

Edited by Quilt Fairy
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(edited)

ETA: Apparently we are in 1941, so my thoughts are incorrect.

I figured Tristan is back because the North Africa Campaign is over, or really close to over (Looked it up, it ended May of 1943). From the causal reading I've done on WWII over the years, the North Africa Campaign used camels as pack animals, probably along with horses and mules. Therefore, a large need for vets. While some pack animals were used in the European Theatre, I think most of the movement of men and goods was via mechanical means.

  So, with the reduced use of animals, the service had a reduced need for vets. Tristan can come home. Having severed honorably, Tristan can come back to England, help his brother out, spend some time training and perhaps find other ways to contribute to the war effort.

Edited by curbcrusher
Include more info from other commetns.
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I don't think that we're up to 1943 yet. Real history spoiler alert....

Spoiler

Mrs. Hall's son is on the HMS Repulse (we learned that last season when she met him at a train station). That ship is going to sink in December of 1941, just a few days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. I don't think that any of those events have happened yet in the All Creatures universe.

 

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I rewatched this episode and there might be something there with Tristan. When James took him upstairs to his room and told him Siegfried missed him, James turned around and left while Tristan stood there for a minute looking pensive. Just kind of made me go "Hmmm." Then at the pub, either James or Helen's father asked him something specific about his time in Cairo and Tristan completely dodged the question.

I still don't think it's anything really serious, because this isn't that kind of show. But there might be something he's hesitant to talk about that could come up later. They'll have to get to it pretty quickly though - the season is already half over!

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What a lovely  episode. I felt I got to know everyone,  just a little bit better. Tristan  was terrified  of the snake, and Carmody managed  to get the better of Tristan,  because  of it.

James  yelling  at that dog, was so out of character, I think  he still feels  a lot of guilt. 

Tristan  has a lovely  twinkle  in his eye, I'm so happy  to have him back. 

Mrs Hall getting  a better mattress,  is such a Mrs Hall thing to do.

Jimmy looks lovelier,  with each passing week. 

My favorite  Sunday  show! 

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(edited)

5x04:

james yelled at a dog. dang. :(. hopefully he'll eventually feel comfortable enough to talk more about what happened with his crew to someone. same with tristan and whatever he experienced.

is this the dog (or one of the dogs) from the books i've seen mentioned here and there in previous threads? the one that would always scare him or something?

an actual snake!!!

no much else to say about this episode tbh.

 

Edited by HoodlumSheep
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5 minutes ago, HoodlumSheep said:

5x04:

james yelled at a dog. dang. :(. hopefully he'll eventually feel comfortable enough to talk more about what happened with his crew to someone. same with tristan and whatever he experienced.

I wonder if they will end up talking to each other. It would make sense. James would make the first move.  

Something traumatic happened to Tristan, but I'm not sure what. 

I like that Siegfried decided he was sick of being the fatherly adult and wanted the boys to figure it out for themselves. Mrs. Hall believed the men were useless when it came to what was happening and realized some of the emotional issues at play. 

It will be fun to see where/how Tristan vs. Carmody plays out. 

 

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The private's story about the rattlesnake in his tank set me back a bit, so I had to look it up.  Rattlesnakes are common only in the Americas.  You wouldn't find any in North Africa.  I wonder if he made up a story too.  Tristan is right, though.  Carmody shouldn't ask about the nature of the injury, because everyone in there was injured seriously enough that they had to be sent back to England.  That's a lot of trauma to work through.

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Another enjoyable episode. I had no doubt Tristan and Carmody would work it out, and I am glad Siegfried tried to stay out of it. They are not children, they are adults who need to work it out for themselves. I thought James being scared by the do was out of character, but then he yelled at the dog and that was really out of character. I hope he's able to make peace with his situation soon. I really hated to see Mrs. Pumphrey treated shabbily in her own home. Proud of Carmody taking care of the snake situation, he's showing real growth as a character.

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9 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

The private's story about the rattlesnake in his tank set me back a bit, so I had to look it up.  Rattlesnakes are common only in the Americas.  You wouldn't find any in North Africa.  I wonder if he made up a story too. 

Did he say he was stationed in North Africa, though? Tristan was stationed there but I don't remember if Harry said he was.

Room Gate: It's Tristan's room, full stop. He shouldn't be relegated to the closet. If there was a room available at a nearby B&B, they both should have been told if they didn't want to share one of them could take that room.

I would have started yelling and stomping on the floor as soon as I was locked in the room. I don't know why they waited so long.

I was shocked when James got so angry at the dog. We have never, ever seen him angry like that before. I don't know of anything that happened to him that would have given him PTSD but that's what it looked like. I guess survivor's guilt could manifest itself in much the same way. I forgot about his crew being shot down after he was sidelined.

There was a close-up shot of the fireplace in the sitting room and I never noticed before how pretty it is with the blue tile surrounding it. Apparently the cameraman noticed it too.

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57 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I was shocked when James got so angry at the dog. We have never, ever seen him angry like that before. I don't know of anything that happened to him that would have given him PTSD but that's what it looked like. I guess survivor's guilt could manifest itself in much the same way. I forgot about his crew being shot down after he was sidelined.

I think survivor's guilt is far more likely than PTSD for James. I also really like the idea (based on pure speculation/fan-theory) that both James and Tristan are dealing with survivor's guilt in different ways. I just hope they can talk to each other and help each other. 

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That was a lovely episode.  The only thing that was off for me was Carmody telling Mrs Pumphrey that the python was harmless.  Considering its size, I think it could have easily killed Tricki, although I'm not sure it would have been interested in eating something with that much hair. 

I thought the bedroom dispute was silly, as I suppose it was meant to be. IMO, of course Carmody should have the room, he's there full-time, while Tristan is there only 3-4 nights a week.  But more than that, there's an actual war going on and people are supposed to be pulling together, not fussing over little things.  

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11 minutes ago, Haleth said:

Every Tristan/Carmody interaction had me laughing.

Was anyone else waiting for the cow to have projectile diarrhea?  Don’t stand behind the cow, James!

I love how Siegfried and Mrs Hall sit down for a nightcap in front of the fireplace after they put the kids to bed. 

OMG! I wasn't the only one! 

Yes, she has whatever sewing or knitting project she is working on (or petting the dog) and he has his pipe. 

Edited by libgirl2
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I really enjoyed Carmody and Tristan getting to know each other, the bed room shenanigans were hilariously petty, I could understand both of sides and see how the two of them would clash. It was probably extra hard for Tris as it seems like Carmody and Siegfried are such pees in a pod and have so much in common, it had to feel like he was being replaced, while Carmody likes his rules and order so much, having this new person in the house obviously threw him out of wack. They seem to be doing better now at least. 

James must be really struggling if he yelled at a dog, I don't think we have ever heard him raise his voice like that. I am glad that they are talking more about his flight crew, it seems like he is suffering from a whole lot of survivors guilt that is not not really ready to talk about yet. 

That fireplace looks so charming and cozy, perfect place for a night cap as you catch up after "the kids" have gone off to bed. 

Tristan's mustache is growing on me a little bit, or more likely I am just getting used to it, but he can shave it off any day now. 

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I was shocked when James got so angry at the dog. We have never, ever seen him angry like that before. I don't know of anything that happened to him that would have given him PTSD but that's what it looked like. I guess survivor's guilt could manifest itself in much the same way. I forgot about his crew being shot down after he was sidelined.

In the books, that dog was strictly played for laughs. They went another way with the show. I have no idea why.

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3 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I am glad that they are talking more about his flight crew, it seems like he is suffering from a whole lot of survivors guilt that is not not really ready to talk about yet.

I know we're not talking about Bletchley Park and cracking Enigma here, but I have to wonder if James and perhaps even Tristan are legally restricted regarding what they can talk about.  The war is still going on, after all, and not going well for England. 

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5 hours ago, Haleth said:

I love how Siegfried and Mrs Hall sit down for a nightcap in front of the fireplace after they put the kids to bed. 

I simultaneously love and hate this. On one hand, they are all grown adults with professional lives and on the other hand, they are absolutely a found family with all of sibling rivalry and parental responsibilities and issues that entails. 

5 hours ago, Driad said:

Speaking of dogs, I would have liked to see Jess greet Tristan enthusiastically, while Dash wonders "Who is this human?"  (I think Dash arrived during Tristan's absence.)

This makes me wonder, what if the person Tristan opens up to about what happened isn't a person, but Jess or another dog. 

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10 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

This makes me wonder, what if the person Tristan opens up to about what happened isn't a person, but Jess or another dog. 

I can absolutely see that happening. If for no other the reason that it’s 1941 with a war raging and very much the era of “man up”. There is no way Tristan would’ve been encouraged to discuss his feelings with any other human unless they were all significantly drunk, and no women were in sight. I don’t agree with this, but that’s how it was.

I did like that nod to rationing at the beginning as Mrs. Hall commented that the shopping she’s just done has to be stretched to feed all of them. Sorry Audrey, it’s going to get far worse before it gets better.

The good news is that since it is now 1941, America will join the war in December and the next series might see Darrowby significantly livelier with American servicemen stationed nearby. At the very least, the Yanks were quite generous in sharing their superior food rations with the locals.

Edited by anna0852
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(edited)

I knew that Tricki would be the one to find the snake! Dogs (and cats) have incredibly powerful senses of smell and other means to detect hidden critters! No, I wasn't surprised that Tristan and Carmody would have initially clashed like chalk-and-cheese - especially having to share a room with a single bed ( before Mrs. Hall was able to pull incredible strings to get a fairly decent new mattress- and it should be noted that during the War furnishings of any kind were very hard to find- even very used junk  ). However, with the two of them getting locked in that hidden room in Pumphrey Manor, it was either learn civility or destroy each other! I knew that Carmody meant no harm but I agree with Tristan that he shouldn't have asked that wounded solder about how he'd gotten injured (or at the very least should have prefaced it with a 'may I ask you how. ..?').

I can't say I imagined that James would have had the PTSD - nor so hostilely responded to the  relatively small dog barking. However, I think Helen letting him know that he COULD tell her about his wartime angst was a big help even if he's not quite ready to fully spill his guts (and it may be he's afraid that if he gets started doing so, he won't so easily be able to put said guts back inside).

Yes, I felt sorry for Mrs. Pumphrey somewhat being made to feel less than welcome in her OWN home but OTOH during the War, she and others HAD opened their homes,etc. to help out soldiers and others in need and she did have her unseen cottage to chill in. IOW, it was considered the right thing to do to endure a few inconveniences to be able to help out others (especially soldiers) back them.  And it was good to see that she and the Nurse Matron were working out a more mutually palatable understanding. It also needs to be said that the Matron was trying her best to keep her patients as comfortable as possible in a building that hadn't been intended as a hospital ward.  Mrs. Pumphrey definitely seems far less flighty these days than when she started but her affection for Tricki remains strong as ever!

Look forward to more!

Edited by Blergh
more about Mrs. Pomphrey
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3 hours ago, Blergh said:

(or at the very least should have prefaced it with a 'may I ask you how. ..?').

I thought he did say something like "If you don't mind me asking," but I don't have the episode right here to check.

The 1970s series pretty much jumped right over the war, but there was an episode (one of the Christmas specials, I think) that dealt with James's PTSD.

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Poor James, I didn't think his yelling at the dog was that bad, he was startled as much as he was angry. If yelling at a dog breaks it's spirit my dachshund wouldn't still be barking out the window five hours a day.  I did love it when Shep made the postman throw his letters in the air!

We haven't seen Tricky run like that since the time he was on his way to his amour!

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It's not just being in the armed forces that causes PTSD.  It can also be a residual impact from childhood trauma.  So I speak from experience. 

There are certain things that cause what some might think is "overreaction" . . . but being startled is at the top of the list of things that can really change my disposition instantly.  I completely understood James' strong reaction to being startled by the dog.  He has  just come from an environment where sudden loud noises can be the precursor of danger.  Sometimes your mind doesn't make the transition from harmless unexpected noises to dangerous ones. 

Noises aren't my trigger, but having someone approach me from behind without making their presence known can still set off an anxiety reaction if I am startled when I turn around.

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2 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Poor James, I didn't think his yelling at the dog was that bad, he was startled as much as he was angry.

It was bad in the sense that we've never seen him like that before. I was really stunned because I never would have expected it. I could easily see Siegfried blowing up, he does it all the time. Or Carmody or even maybe Tristan. But cool, level headed James? Never.

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8 hours ago, Blergh said:

I can't say I imagined that James would have had the PSTD - nor so hostilely responded to the  relatively small dog barking. However, I think Helen letting him know that he COULD tell her about his wartime angst was a big help even if he's not quite ready to fully spill his guts (and it may be he's afraid that if he gets started doing so, he won't so easily be able to put said guts back inside).

I don't think he has PTSD. I think he has survivor's guilt, which is a different although somewhat/slightly related thing. 

4 hours ago, AZChristian said:

It's not just being in the armed forces that causes PTSD.  It can also be a residual impact from childhood trauma.  So I speak from experience. 

Absolutely (and sorry you had to go through whatever you went through). Also, I think it's worth pointing out that not everyone in the armed forces develops PTSD. 

4 hours ago, AZChristian said:

I completely understood James' strong reaction to being startled by the dog.  He has  just come from an environment where sudden loud noises can be the precursor of danger.  Sometimes your mind doesn't make the transition from harmless unexpected noises to dangerous ones. 

I think that's a huge part of what happened. James is having trouble dealing with what happened and realizing he is now much further from combat and danger than he was. 

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Going back to the previous episode, where Tristan gets the telegram, and leaves his uneaten breakfast dish of eggs, toast & sausage on the table.  Adults were only allowed one egg per week and meat for the week about the size of a pork chop during rationing.  I recently saw this in a photo on facebook.  I realize they may have chickens, but still it seems they are eating very well for WWII era.

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4 hours ago, Doublemint said:

Going back to the previous episode, where Tristan gets the telegram, and leaves his uneaten breakfast dish of eggs, toast & sausage on the table.  Adults were only allowed one egg per week and meat for the week about the size of a pork chop during rationing.  I recently saw this in a photo on facebook.  I realize they may have chickens, but still it seems they are eating very well for WWII era.

Good point! Food rationing started a few months BEFORE the official declaration of WWII yet by this point was going into full force with many regular food items discontinued.  Ironically, because the British government wanted to guarantee ALL citizens a steady if not palatable diet, many struggling folks wound up eating BETTER than they had before at any other time of the lives!

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11 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Poor James, I didn't think his yelling at the dog was that bad, he was startled as much as he was angry. If yelling at a dog breaks it's spirit my dachshund wouldn't still be barking out the window five hours a day.  I did love it when Shep made the postman throw his letters in the air!

We haven't seen Tricky run like that since the time he was on his way to his amour!

Teehee! Funniest part of the mailman's reaction was when the letters flew up in the air, it looked like one of the letters landing over the stone wall and nobody picked it up. Did anybody else noticed that? 

Edited by One4Sorrow2TooBad
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(edited)
On 2/7/2025 at 10:29 AM, surfgirl said:

In the city perhaps, but they were in the countryside, so that had access to food more directly I should think.

Yes, in the countryside they could grow produce in victory gardens and have beef, pork, lamb,chicken,etc. 'hit by a car' more readily than in the city.

However, such things as sugar,coffee, tea and flour were hard to come by- and often homemakers would have had to have gotten together with their friends and family to pool their rations for such treats as cakes. Many times even wedding cakes were tiny fruitcake deals but they'd camouflage them under painted boxes in traditional wedding cake shapes for the photo shoot- often times they'd take pictures with the gigantic fake cake- then take other pictures of them  lifting it to reveal the tiny real cake beneath! Then, too, even wealthy and connected folks like Mrs. Pumphrey would have at least tried to make the appearance of sticking to their fellow citizens' tiny official rations even if they COULD still eat high on the hog (literally and figuratively) since ostentation in times of sacrifice and frugality for the common good was somewhat frowned upon [e.g. even the Royals at Buckingham Palace scrupulously stuck to having baths no more than 5 inches deep with a taped line to show the maximum depth and the bathtub ring belong BELOW it as proof].

I just wish this show would attempt to depict how the characters would have had to have dealt with the realities of rationing and fave foods in short supply if not altogether unavailable.

Still, even though rations got rather lean and unpalatable towards the end of the War (and so many commodities were dependent on being imported across hostile seas), British subjects DID fare better than so many other citizens on the Continent as well as in many parts of Africa and Asia during the War where  rations were sparse if nonexistent and there was widespread starvation.

Edited by Blergh
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On 2/4/2025 at 2:12 PM, Sarah 103 said:

I think that's a huge part of what happened. James is having trouble dealing with what happened and realizing he is now much further from combat and danger than he was. 

From what he told Helen, it's more that people keep telling James he was lucky. The farmer had just told him that as he was walking away when the dog startled him, and he had a strange look on his face. So I think it's more about how it kind of pisses him off when people keep saying he was lucky. It makes him angry because . . . survivor's guilt.

9 hours ago, Blergh said:

I just wish this show would attempt to depict how the characters would have had to have dealt with the realities of rationing and fave foods in short supply if not altogether unavailable.

Eh, that's not what the show is about though. If I want a war story I'll go watch Masters of the Air again.

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36 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

 

Eh, that's not what the show is about though. If I want a war story I'll go watch Masters of the Air again.

Well, the War IS what the vets, their human families, friends, clients- and even their animal patients had to deal with during that time (and none of the above didn't have to contend with things beyond their control that had only transpired due to said War).

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15 hours ago, Blergh said:

Still, even though rations got rather lean and unpalatable towards the end of the War (and so many commodities were dependent on being imported across hostile seas), British subjects DID fare better than so many other citizens on the Continent as well as in many parts of Africa and Asia during the War where  rations were sparse if nonexistent and there was widespread starvation.

Well, it’s only the summer of 1941. Rationing is going to get a lot tighter as time progresses. Plus, the veterinarians do have access to gasoline because it will be considered necessary for the war effort. Farm animals are vital for food production and must be kept healthy. And with Jimmy being so little Helen will be receiving extra milk and food rations while she’s breast-feeding. Along with extra clothing coupons. Children got a better clothing ration due to outgrowing their old ones. Not that things will be easy, but there’s a couple of elements which means rationing won’t be quite as tough for them.

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44! My goodness! 
 

I guess that all the speculation about a Siegfried/Mrs. Hall romance is to be denied now that Siegfried seems to be so taken by Persia lady. I must say, her dogs were fabulous…that Great Dane! She didn’t do that much for me, though.

I guess Carmody wanted to remain in the first real home he’s ever had. But the character he’s based on was destined for research so…

Tristan does procrastinate, but he did eventually get the job done. Little Jimmy enjoyed his speech at any rate. 

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