Season 5 Discussion Thread

[Jodithgrace]

Oh yes, Singapore is not the place Edward wants to remain.

Is it me, or are British shows suddenly saying “Merry Christmas,” instead of “Happy Christmas” regardless of the time period? Because of the prevalence of American movies and tv, I can see “Merry Christmas” becoming popular, but it wouldn’t have been in 1941. Or were the terms always interchangeable? 
 

Is it a big tradition in England to sit around on Christmas Day watching the Christmas episodes of their favorite tv series? The British series I watch always seem to have x number of episodes followed by A special Christmas episode. Of course they are usually shown here whenever. But there must be several Christmas episodes shown on Christmas Day. Between those and the King’s speech, it must be a full day of telly. Hardly any time to play charades. 

I didn’t expect a Christmas episode to end tragically, so I expected Edward to be okay. It’s actually good that he was wounded, instead of having not been on the ship for some reason, because now maybe he can come home. (If he gets out of Singapore in time). Poor Mrs Hall, though. What an awful wait. No wonder she got so attached to that poor fox. 
 

I was afraid that Tristan was going to up and volunteer for active duty. Thank goodness he appreciates his good fortune. 

[cardigirl]

Such a beautifully acted episode. I hope Anna Madeley wins awards for her performance.

Edited Monday at 03:54 AM by cardigirl

[dargosmydaddy]

6 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

Is it a big tradition in England to sit around on Christmas Day watching the Christmas episodes of their favorite tv series? The British series I watch always seem to have x number of episodes followed by A special Christmas episode. Of course they are usually shown here whenever. But there must be several Christmas episodes shown on Christmas Day. Between those and the King’s speech, it must be a full day of telly. Hardly any time to play charades. 

It does seem to be a thing for British series, but some of the Christmas specials air near Christmas rather than on the actual day. This episode aired Dec. 17 in the UK. 

7 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

I didn’t expect a Christmas episode to end tragically, so I expected Edward to be okay. 

Downton Abbey once killed off a major character in a Christmas special, so it's not a guarantee...

[Calvada]

34 minutes ago, Blergh said:

Thankful for that phone call!

I believe that radio phone calls (e.g. phone calls bounced via radio from tower to tower over thousands of miles) were feasible even as far away from Singapore. However, it's likely that it was only due to Edward having been wounded that he would have been allowed to have had  access to that communication (with the help of dozens of radio and telephone operators making the connections).

Now, let's just hope that Edward can be evacuated from there before February, 1942 when the Japanese would conquer it via overland from the Malay Peninsula.

It's doubtful that anyone could have made a phone call from Singapore to England during wartime, especially a random sailor calling home.  If such calls were possible, they would have been reserved for war usage.  I don't think the fact that any particular person was wounded would have made any difference.  There would have been many, many wounded sailors, soldiers, and airmen.

HMS Repulse was sunk very soon after the onset of the Japanese attacks; the sinking was announced by Churchill in the Commons a full two weeks before Christmas. (History was one of my majors in college; I've done a LOT of reading on WWII.  Hello, my name is Calvada and I'm a history geek.)  Anyway, Audrey would have known then, not a day or two before Christmas.  She would have had to rely on checking the casualty reports printed in the newspapers until she heard from Edward via mail.  However, mail service from the Pacific front was probably sporadic at best, especially in those chaotic early days of the war.  Priority would have been given to transporting forces, ammunition, food, etc. And as others have noted, given that Edward is in Singapore, which would soon be under siege, he's not out of danger yet, especially if he is seriously wounded and will be hospitalized for some time.  The Japanese massacred many of the wounded as well as a lot of the medical staff at the British military hospital in Singapore.  

[dancingdreamer]

1 hour ago, BuckeyeLou said:

I had my Kleenex out for this episode, I cried when Mrs. Hall was talking to the wounded young man who served with her son, and then I cried when the Telephone call came through & they all gathered around Mrs. Hall:  They are a Family!  And then the end was lovely with Jimmy's Birthday celebration(should he be a Farmer or a Vet?!) 

Me too. I was pretty weepy throughout  this episode.  I love Audrey, so when she's  upset, I get upset. Siegfried  doing  surgery on the little  fox, he knew Audrey would like that. Jimmy is a lucky boy, to be surrounded  with so much love. 

 

[anna0852]

2 hours ago, Calvada said:

It's doubtful that anyone could have made a phone call from Singapore to England during wartime, especially a random sailor calling home.  If such calls were possible, they would have been reserved for war usage.  I don't think the fact that any particular person was wounded would have made any difference.  There would have been many, many wounded sailors, soldiers, and airmen.

HMS Repulse was sunk very soon after the onset of the Japanese attacks; the sinking was announced by Churchill in the Commons a full two weeks before Christmas. (History was one of my majors in college; I've done a LOT of reading on WWII.  Hello, my name is Calvada and I'm a history geek.)  Anyway, Audrey would have known then, not a day or two before Christmas.  She would have had to rely on checking the casualty reports printed in the newspapers until she heard from Edward via mail.  However, mail service from the Pacific front was probably sporadic at best, especially in those chaotic early days of the war.  Priority would have been given to transporting forces, ammunition, food, etc. And as others have noted, given that Edward is in Singapore, which would soon be under siege, he's not out of danger yet, especially if he is seriously wounded and will be hospitalized for some time.  The Japanese massacred many of the wounded as well as a lot of the medical staff at the British military hospital in Singapore.  

Oh yes, Edward is not out of danger in any sense of the word. In fact, he’s probably in more danger now with the Japanese assault on Singapore eminent. The city fell a week after being attacked and it was utter chaos.Unless he’s evacuated to Australia right away, he’s facing a grim fate.  

And Audrey most likely won’t have any idea what happened to her son. Mail from the Far East to England would have taken 2 to 3 months, provided he was even able to get a letter out before the city falls. The Japanese were not signatories to the Geneva convention at the time and were not inclined to share information such as prisoner lists or participate in prisoner exchanges the way the Germans would have (at least with the western allies). There were some civilians repatriated in 1942 and 1943, but most of those were in the Philippines. There’s a high likelihood that Edward is captured, and if he survives that, might be in interned for years. With Audrey having no way of knowing whether he’s alive or dead.

Edited Monday at 06:05 AM by anna0852

[Dowel Jones]

Unfortunately, Edward has gone from the frying pan to the fire, I think.  The battle for Singapore lasted only 7 days, and involved the massacre of over 200 patients, doctors and staff at the hospital.  We don't know how badly he was injured so maybe he could get out but even if he survived he would be in the hellhole of captivity on the Burma railway.

It was good, somewhat, to see Tristan get a consciousness-raising of sorts when he realized the war is not just pints and cricket.

What are they going to do with the fox?  It was cute, but in real life it would be scarfing up everybody's chickens and cats and whatever.

[ofmd]

5 hours ago, Calvada said:

IAnd as others have noted, given that Edward is in Singapore, which would soon be under siege, he's not out of danger yet, especially if he is seriously wounded and will be hospitalized for some time.  The Japanese massacred many of the wounded as well as a lot of the medical staff at the British military hospital in Singapore.  

Ugh! Show, don't do this to us (and Audrey) next season!

[Haleth]

Of course Edward was going to survive the Christmas episode so there wasn’t much drama, but the acting was terrific and I was a blubbering mess anyway when the phone call came.

(Good point about Downton Abbey.)

Oh no.  I don’t know WWII history so seeing that Edward is in even more danger in Singapore has me anxious for next season. 

[cardigirl]

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

What are they going to do with the fox?  It was cute, but in real life it would be scarfing up everybody's chickens and cats and whatever.

Foxes would go after chickens but leave the cats alone. Cats are great defenders of themselves, so unless a fox is cornered, it will go around a full-grown cat rather than engage.

[laredhead]

6 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

What are they going to do with the fox?  It was cute, but in real life it would be scarfing up everybody's chickens and cats and whatever.

I thought that the fox was going to find and eat the goose that Mrs. Hall had arranged to cook for Christmas, so I'm glad that was not the case.  Foxes are beautiful animals.  The father of a friend of mine used to feed a male and female fox on a regular basis, and each year he was rewarded by watching them rear their kits at the back of his large property. 

As for communication during the war years, my uncle was stationed in Italy,and North Africa.  I remember my grandmother talking about how worried she was for years, and that they rarely received a letter from him.  When they did, it was several weeks or months old. 

 

[Orcinus orca]

Do we even know if the fox made it?

Anna Madeley deserves an Emmy for her acting in this episode.  Every emotion under the sun in her face and body language.  She didn't need to say a word to see what she was feeling.

[cardigirl]

1 hour ago, Orcinus orca said:

Do we even know if the fox made it?

Mr. Farnon said he wasn't worse, made it through the night, and maybe turned a corner. So, it was hopeful.

[magdalene]

Lovely season finale. I figured they wouldn't be killing off Edward in the Christmas episode but then again hello Downton Abbey! (Though that was always about petty Fellowes giving that particular actor the finger I think). I had no idea that historically Edward may still be in big danger.

This was such a wonderful showcase for the luminous Anna Madeley. Is there such a thing as a mature woman crush? I have one on her Audrey.

Well, I guess all the folks that thought Tristan had somehow dishonorably exited the military have to accept now that Tris is still in the military and even appreciated.

I am glad the adorable fox was still alive at the end. Most likely he is one of the one episode animals and he will be released into the woods.

This show never has enough episodes for me. Another year of waiting for more.

Edited Tuesday at 01:10 AM by magdalene

[tennisgurl]

Anna Madeley is always wonderful, but she absolutely broke my heart in this one, you could see in just her body language how much she was hurting and how afraid she was while trying to keep it together. I am so glad that Edward is alright for now, but, as many here have already said, things do not look great for him in the future. Even if he survives, he is going to be in for a very rough time, poor Audrey. 

That fox was adorable, I cant imagine thinking of them as vermin, even if they can be a nuisance to farm animals. We had a family of foxes living in the field across from us growing up and we always loved seeing them, especially in the winter where they looked like little red spots romping around in the snow. 

Those messenger pigeons really were little heroes! 

I cant believe that the season is already over, it feels like we just got here. 

[iMonrey]

13 hours ago, Calvada said:

Anyway, Audrey would have known then, not a day or two before Christmas. 

When they first read the news about the Repulse, Christmas was a week or two away - not a day or two. Audrey tried to busy herself by saying Christmas was only a couple weeks away.

This was a hard episode to watch, as was the last one. We all knew this was coming - there had to be a reason the show put a fictional character on a non-fiction boat which historically was shot down. But watching Audrey agonize over the undetermined fate of her son for a whole hour was not fun. Yes, I felt reasonably certain Edward would turn up alive at the end because I didn't feel like the Christmas episode would end on a sad note. (And I haven't forgotten about Cousin Matthew, but this is more of a feel good show than Downton.)

The whole thing was very sad, with the inclusion of the injured fox and Audrey projecting all over it. And her visit to the injured soldier, that was hard too. I can't remember where Edward's letter said the guy lived, but that street she was walking up was SO STEEP! Great location shots, anyway. 

10 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

I cant believe that the season is already over, it feels like we just got here. 

Yeah. I guess my takeaway is that I hope next season jumps to the end of the war and the show can get back to farm and animal stories. The fits and grief and injuries and rationing and such were just a bit too heavy IMO.

[MrAtoz]

I should be used to it by now, since it happens every year, but somehow I'm always pleasantly surprised when the opening sequence of the Christmas episode has snow on the ground and sleigh bells mixed into the music.

All of Anna Madeley's scenes were exceptionally well done. Imagine the horror of those two weeks of not knowing, searching the casualty lists every day, wanting to hear something and yet dreading what you will finally hear. Yes, a random injured sailor being able to call home was quite unrealistic, but I'll allow it as dramatic license. Unfortunately for those who know World War II history, the mention of Singapore is as big a red flag as the word "Repulse" on Edward's cap was a couple of seasons ago. The fact is, for about six months or so, there was very little good news for the Allies from the Pacific Theater. There weren't a lot of places they could have taken Edward that would have been safe. Those first few months of the Pacific War were a bad time.

Tristan's storyline wasn't nearly as emotionally wringing, but I liked it. Turns out that he's a good instructor. Even if he is the jokey kind of teacher, his students are learning, and his superiors clearly respect his ability. He quickly figured out what had caused the pigeons to die, and he showed a nice sense of maturity when he heard that his trainees had been deployed, feeling the weight of knowing that they were being sent into danger while he was in relative safety. Since the real-life "Tristan" eventually ended up in a fairly responsible government position, it's nice to see the fictional Tristan maturing into a man who would be able to do that kind of work.

I spot the occasional fox around here, but they never get close enough to even try to make friends with them.

[cardigirl]

Whenever I see a fox I think about this quote from Loren Eiseley in The Star-Thrower.

 

“The creature was very young. He was alone in a dread universe. I crept on my knees and crouched beside him. It was a small fox pup from a den under the timbers who looked up at me. God knows what had become of his brothers and sisters. His parents must not have been home from hunting. He innocently selected what I think was a chicken bone from an untidy pile of splintered rubbish and shook it at me invitingly... the universe was swinging in some fantastic fashion around to present its face and the face was so small that the universe itself was laughing.
It was not a time for human dignity. It was a time only for the careful observance of amenities written behind the stars. Gravely I arranged my forepaws while the puppy whimpered with ill-concealed excitement. I drew the breath of a fox's den into my nostrils. On impulse, I picked up clumsily a whiter bone and shook it in teeth that had not entirely forgotten their original purpose. Round and round we tumbled and for just one ecstatic moment I held the universe at bay by the simple expedient of sitting on my haunches before a fox den and tumbling about with a chicken bone. It is the gravest, most meaningful act I shall ever accomplish, but, as Thoreau once remarked of some peculiar errand of his own, there is no use reporting it to the Royal Society.”

Foxes are magical, well, all of nature is really.

[Sarah 103]

11 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

It was good, somewhat, to see Tristan get a consciousness-raising of sorts when he realized the war is not just pints and cricket.

I think he already knew that. That was part of the conversation with Siegfried in a previous episode when the car ran out of gas. I was worried seeing the men he trained go off was going to aggravate his survivor's guilt, but he seemed to be making peace with it and sort of hinted to Siegfried what he was feeling. Tristan knows (not from experience) that war for most is suffering but also is aware that he has been lucky and will most likely not have that kind of wartime experience. 

8 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

I should be used to it by now, since it happens every year, but somehow I'm always pleasantly surprised when the opening sequence of the Christmas episode has snow on the ground and sleigh bells mixed into the music.

I will never understand why PBS doesn't do a version of the mug with the Christmas episode visuals. Maybe not the Christmas tree, but certainly more of a generic winter scene. 

8 minutes ago, MrAtoz said:

Tristan's storyline wasn't nearly as emotionally wringing, but I liked it. Turns out that he's a good instructor. Even if he is the jokey kind of teacher, his students are learning, and his superiors clearly respect his ability. He quickly figured out what had caused the pigeons to die, and he showed a nice sense of maturity when he heard that his trainees had been deployed, feeling the weight of knowing that they were being sent into danger while he was in relative safety.

Tristan is basically the cool teacher, which makes sense and is very in keeping with who he is. His superiors may feel his methods are a tad unorthodox or something similar, but since his students are learning the material and he is getting the desired results, they can't complain too much. 

I really hope at some point Tristan and James can talk to each other (I'm not sure how drunk they would need to get for the conversation to happen), about  the fact that while each one is absolutely doing their part for the war effort and no strings were pulled to keep them out of harm's way, they are aware of their luck and how to deal with some form of survivor's guilt. 

[The Wild Sow]

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

When they first read the news about the Repulse, Christmas was a week or two away - not a day or two. Audrey tried to busy herself by saying Christmas was only a couple weeks away.

Yes, the morning of December 10, 1941.  Only 2 days after Pearl Harbor (which is on the other side of the International Date Line!)  Most sources I can find put the deaths (from both ships, the Repulse and the Prince of Wales) at around 840, with 796 survivors.

News really did not travel instantaneously in the 1940's though.  My Uncle Jimmy, a navigator on a B-24, was KIA on June 11, 1944.  They were returning from a bombing run on a Romanian oil refinery (Italian Theatre of the war) when the plane crashed.  My grandparents weren't notified -- yes, by telegram, I believe -- until around June 24.  One of the most horrifying parts of that situation is that my grandpa was in the hospital having heart surgery, a very big deal in 1944, when my grandma got the news!  So they weren't able to tell him until he was stronger!  My poor grandma had to bear that burden alone, I'm not sure for how long.  I'm getting tears in my eyes just thinking about it.  Grandpa never did regain good health after losing Jimmy, and he did not live long after that.

As for my dad Mike, a D-Day vet who was "somewhere in France" at the time -- he didn't learn about Jimmy's death until mid-July.  When the chaplain called him into his tent to break the news, Dad fully expected to hear that his father had died, and was shocked and saddened to learn that it was his brother. We know all this from the letters Dad and Jimmy sent home to their family.  Dad had asked his mother to "put these letters aside in a box for me -- maybe someday when I'm old and gray I'll want to read about my Army days!"  Thank God she did.  What a treasure!  Because Dad never got to be old and gray -- he also died fairly young, but now his children have the letters and are getting to know our Dad all over again.

About those telegrams now.  Yes, that was the usual method of notifying a family of a death.  Starting with "we regret to inform you...."  In the case of the UK, the family would later receive a condolence letter signed by the king and queen, and personal letters from their loved one's commanding officer(s) and maybe crewmates.  Occasionally a notification might be done in person, but that wasn't common.  We've probably all seen Saving Private Ryan, and the War Department did a personal notification in that because the family had lost 4 sons!  And the "sole surviving son" chance to go home was a real thing too.  They offered it to my dad Mike after Jimmy's death, and just like Private Ryan, SSgt. Mike McG refused it.  He explained to his parents in one of the letters, "We have a job to do."

The radio broadcast on the show stated that the casualty lists would be published in the newspaper after the next of kin were informed.  So Mrs. Hall technically should not have found Edward's name on the lists without being notified first.  But telegrams can certainly go missing! I was spoilered and knew Edward would survive, but I was still tearing up watching Audrey trying to keep that stiff upper lip!  

[tennisgurl]

I liked the symmetry of the season beginning and ending with Skeldale House getting a call from the front asking and the person getting the call having to wait a terrifyingly long time to hear news about a loved one.

[Blergh]

20 hours ago, cardigirl said:

Such a beautifully acted episode. I hope Anna Madeley wins awards for her performance.

I fully agree! She went from doing her usual stoic 'stiff upper lip' doing-her-duty deal to slowly (but very believably) finding herself less-and-less able to keep her angst over her son's uncertain fate from overwhelming her. ..until it finally DID (via the injured  fox who, I can't help but think on some level  she considered her own troubled son personified despite her intellectually knowing it wasn't the case).

Yes, Miss Madeley showed the five [thousand] stages of . ..grief . then utter elation quite amazingly without for a moment Audrey losing her. ..Hallness!

I also liked the touch of them being SO happy not just for Mrs. Hall's son having been spared but also that they were all TOGETHER that they truly couldn't have cared less about chasing down any cooked goose but instead had. ..something else.

Yes, I think the BEST Christmases are those in which everyone values their loved ones rather than pinning on things being 'perfect'!

 

 

[Orcinus orca]

6 hours ago, MrAtoz said:

...and he showed a nice sense of maturity when he heard that his trainees had been deployed, feeling the weight of knowing that they were being sent into danger while he was in relative safety.

Men who served either behind the lines or at home in the US often felt guilt that they were spared.  My dad tried enlisting multiple times but had terrible eyesight (plus he was in his mid 30s) so wasn't taken until just before the end of the war and ended up working at a naval air station in Kansas, of all places.  He never felt he deserved any recognition for his service.  In reality, it took seven men behind the scenes to support one man on the front lines.  They all had a place and a purpose.

[Shanna Marie]

One thing I enjoy watching in this series is how tender and loving all the actors are with the animals. They must do some work to make the animals familiar with them, since the animals may do tricks and obey commands, but they don't know they're acting in a TV series, and yet they react to the actors the way the animal characters should. In the scene when they're all sitting around in the evening with the dogs, it really looked like those were their pets (also in a scene a few weeks ago when one of the dogs jumped up on the sofa and licked the baby's face). And then they were so gentle dealing with that fox. There are so many times they'll carry on a scene while gently petting or stroking the animal near them.

[Dowel Jones]

44 minutes ago, Orcinus orca said:

Men who served either behind the lines or at home in the US often felt guilt that they were spared. 

Paul Newman was one, although slightly different circumstances.  He was hospitalized when his ship was deployed to the Pacific, where it was sunk by Japanese forces.  He said later that he was overwhelmed by survivor's guilt, and it was only by Joanne Woodward's support that he avoided suicide.

[Red Bridey]

What was underneath the Christmas cloche instead of the goose? It looked like toast slices to me, but I often don't see what's obvious to everyone else. 

[dargosmydaddy]

41 minutes ago, Red Bridey said:

What was underneath the Christmas cloche instead of the goose? It looked like toast slices to me, but I often don't see what's obvious to everyone else. 

I thought sandwiches? We only got a brief glimpse; I couldn't tell what kind.

I thought it was contrived that the family wouldn't just bring them the goose (which they had already paid for, with the trade off of the clothes ration coupons) if they failed to pick it up. It seems like the kind of community where word spreads and they'd know that Mrs. Hall was going through a tough time. And considering the son seemed to get the fox there easily enough, they presumably didn't live that far away...

[anna0852]

I was going to say, James or Tristan couldn’t have darted over and knocked on the door to get the goose even if it was Christmas morning? Sure they’ll eat later but they will still eat what is an increasingly rare nice meal. And they may not realize it now But rationing is going to go on into the 50s. They need to get the good stuff while they can because it is not going to last. 

[ML89]

The fox was absolutely adorable.

Anyone else hear someone saying that the new toy set was lead?

Tristan used to annoy me but he's beginning to find his way and I'm liking the new version.

Several posters had mentioned the ship way back so I was waiting for that anvil, now you've got me with the Singapore anvil.

I also agree on the phone call - not only that they had it at all but they held on while Tristan ran to get Mrs Hall. Too much watching MASH where it's always hard to get a phone call at all, and that's ten years later without the whole world at war.

Edited Tuesday at 08:05 PM by ML89
word choice

[HoodlumSheep]

i thought the mrs. hall/fox stroyline was very reminiscent of her storyline with the dog (Jess? i can't remember rn lol) from a season or two ago.

glad edward is safe for now.

12 hours ago, ML89 said:

Anyone else hear someone saying that the new toy set was lead

 

ngl i visibly cringed when i heard that line. same thing happens when characters mention talcum powder. like, noooooo! i wan tto reach into the tv and slap that stuff out of the characters' hands.

also, definitely a choking hazard for Jimmy, though it was mentioned as somethinng to play with when he's older.

12 hours ago, ML89 said:

 

*ignore the empty quote box. These forums and my tablet are not a good mix. it won't let me delete it :(.

oof. Tristan's colleagues got sent to burma? did i hear that right?  isn't that the same place geordie was in grantchester? :/

[Dowel Jones]

The Burma, or CBI (China-Burma-India) theater was almost completely infantry-bound.  Supplies were moved around by mules and horses as roads were few and far between.  That would be the place for a veterinary corps.

[JudyObscure]

7 hours ago, HoodlumSheep said:

i thought the mrs. hall/fox stroyline was very reminiscent of her storyline with the dog (Jess? i can't remember rn lol) from a season or two ago.

 

Yes, I thought of that, too.  It was one of my favorite episodes when Dash was left tied out back and Mrs. Hall found him and bonded with the poor abandoned dog.  I fell in love with the beautiful Spaniel myself and whenever I see it lying across her lap  I get all misty.

At that time Siegfried had found a home for Dash, but when he saw how torn up she was while saying goodbye to him,  he changed his mind and said they would keep the dog.  Just like this episode when he saw how upset she was over the fox he tried to keep it alive for her.  He can be very sensitive and kind.

[MrAtoz]

15 hours ago, Dowel Jones said:

The Burma, or CBI (China-Burma-India) theater was almost completely infantry-bound.  Supplies were moved around by mules and horses as roads were few and far between.  That would be the place for a veterinary corps.

According to wikipedia, Burma is where Brian Sinclair (the real-life Tristan) actually served.

[Calvada]

My father and his brother both saw combat in WWII, serving in the Navy in the Pacific.  They both survived.  My dad believed that he didn't do anything more than thousands of other men and women and that he did much less than some in that he didn't give his life or end up with missing limbs or blinded, and it was those who should be recognized.

Richard is going to lose that battle about his grandson's future.  Perhaps Jenny will produce some future farmers.  

 

[PhoneCop]

And now another interminable wait. They seem to be advancing roughly one year per series, but I wonder if they’ll skip a little further this time, rather than waiting a full four years to tell some postwar stories. 

For those of us who developed a soft spot for Carmody, here's a fun little video tribute (that I can't seem to embed).

[Blergh]

On 2/26/2025 at 1:19 PM, Calvada said:

My father and his brother both saw combat in WWII, serving in the Navy in the Pacific.  They both survived.  My dad believed that he didn't do anything more than thousands of other men and women and that he did much less than some in that he didn't give his life or end up with missing limbs or blinded, and it was those who should be recognized.

Richard is going to lose that battle about his grandson's future.  Perhaps Jenny will produce some future farmers.  

 

We know that RL Jimmy became a vet to follow his dad's footsteps instead of becoming a farmer but  the fictional  character might shock both sides by growing up to be a scuba diver, jet pilot,etc.!

Edited Yest. at 04:09 AM by Blergh

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

8 hours ago, PhoneCop said:

And now another interminable wait. They seem to be advancing roughly one year per series, but I wonder if they’ll skip a little further this time, rather than waiting a full four years to tell some postwar stories. 

For those of us who developed a soft spot for Carmody, here's a fun little video tribute (that I can't seem to embed).

Cute video tribute! Loved the Dinah Shore tune!

[Ancaster]

On 2/23/2025 at 8:03 PM, dargosmydaddy said:

 

Downton Abbey once killed off a major character in a Christmas special, so it's not a guarantee...

I have to say I was a little disappointed Edward survived, though at least no-one said "It's a Christmas miracle".   I just felt it was unrealistic.  I still cried a lot though, and I'd forgotten about the hell of Singapore (and Burma).

On 2/23/2025 at 6:59 PM, Driad said:

In British cuisine, what are sprouts?  I expected something like Brussels sprouts, but the food didn't look like that.

 

Those definitely weren't sprouts - maybe bread pudding?  (Brussels sprouts are the same in both countries.) The sprouts reference was just Tristan asking for them, or maybe lifting the lid on the serving dish with the sprouts.

My Grandpa and his three brothers all served in WWI, including in the trenches.  When all four brothers came home at the end of the War, they were referred to as The Lucky Ancasters since they'd all unbelievably survived.  My Grandpa lost the end of one finger, which freaked me out, and I'm sure they would all have suffered some kind of shell shock.  I was only 7 when he died, and anyway it wasn't really talked about, especially in stoic Yorkshire families.

Anybody looking for books about WWI, Pat Barker's The Regeneration Trilogy is very good.  It combines real people (incl. Siegfried Sassoon, who was a poet, and a distinguished Freudian doctor) and fiction.  For those who want "feel good", these are not the books for you.  Another TV show about WWII that I enjoyed was Home Fires, mainly about women left behind and coping in rural Cheshire, another beautiful county.  Also Land Girls.

Edited 3 hours ago by Ancaster

[Quilt Fairy]

On 2/25/2025 at 9:11 PM, HoodlumSheep said:

isn't that the same place geordie was in grantchester? :/

Yes, pretty sure it is.  The scene where he pulls out the rolled up slip of paper from his hat and unrolls it to show the list of his dead comrades broke my heart. 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

Thank you Ancaster for your family's sacrifice in WW1 to protect England. So many young men either lost their lives or were forever scarred physically or mentally in The Great War. Many of those men ended up answering the call again to serve some 20 years later in WW2.