All Creatures Great and Small (2020) s03e03 – Surviving Siegfried

Like they heard my questions, this episode has Rachel Shenton returning to her family farm to check in on things. Sort of. There’s no discussion of whether or not she’s still working at the farm or what’s up with little sister Imogen Clawson (who doesn’t appear in this episode; I keep forgetting this season is a Rona-season). She’s instead going to ask dad Tony Pitts to get on board with Nicholas Ralph’s TB testing program.

Other than the visit with Pitts, Shenton spends her entire time this episode hanging out with Ralph. Mostly at work. Farmer Isaac Crawford wants Ralph to falsify a cow autopsy to collect on the insurance, but Ralph doesn’t think fraud is cricket. It’s a subplot for Ralph and Shenton, giving them something to do, while the main plot belongs to Samuel West.

The episode begins with a World War I flashback, which is never good. Andy Sellers plays the young version of Ralph, who’s in the veterinary corps and protecting the horses. They’ve just found an injured one they think they can help. It’s devastating. The flashbacks are recurring, too, because, in the present, Ralph’s going through a couple things involving his old war buddies.

Michael Maloney, playing the old man version of Ralph’s commanding officer, has a skittish racehorse giving him problems and wants Ralph to evaluate. Depending on Ralph’s report, Maloney might put the animal down. As the present-day story progresses, with West trying to rehabilitate the horse, the flashbacks show how Sellers and Jolyon Coy (as young Maloney) squared off about the horses back in the war. Again, devastating stuff.

The episode—script credit to Ben Vanstone—knows there are only so many times they can dunk the viewer into despair, so Callum Woodhouse gets the lighthearted subplot about trying too hard to restock the dispensary.

Anna Madeley plays support to Ralph’s arc, the only person he’s willing to confide in. There’s a brief mention of the current war at the beginning of the episode, but nothing for Ralph to do with it. Given how much the season premiere foreshadowed Ralph’s interest in enlisting (again, I haven’t googled James Herriot for spoilers), it’s weird quickly he’s forgotten.

It’s a particularly great episode for West, who rarely gets this kind of extensive focus and character development.

Besides Ralph forgetting he wants to join up and Shenton not getting to establish herself post-wedding, living with her husband and his coworkers, “Creatures” is checking all its boxes this season.

All Creatures Great and Small (2020) s03e01 – Second Time Lucky

Last season’s Christmas special ended with World War II getting started (or as close as they could get to the war starting without it starting); this season begins with the recruiters in Darrowby, but the vets are exempt from service. It’s a running subplot throughout the episode, initially very gentle, as Nicholas Ralph discovers you can override your exemption and opt-in. Everyone else starts wondering why he’s so keen.

Because it’s not a “James Herriot goes off to war” episode—one thing about “All Creatures” being based on memoirs is you could just google and spoil the story; I’m going to let myself be surprised, or not. No, it’s a wedding episode. Ralph and Rachel Shenton are heading down the aisle, complete with bachelor’s night at the Drovers, Ralph’s parents coming to town (Gabriel Quigley and Drew Cain have surprisingly little to do), and everyone worrying Shenton’s going to have second thoughts again.

There’s a lot of nice character stuff for Shenton, with the various people in her life asking how she’s feeling about this wedding, including little sister Imogen Clawson, who’s ready for Shenton to move out (even if Shenton isn’t), vets’ housekeeper Anna Madeley, and, of course, dad Tony Pitts, who gets gruffer and more adorable every episode.

But Ralph’s arc is muddled, partially through intentional obscurity (the enlistment subplot), partially because part of the story is Ralph, Samuel West, and Callum Woodhouse getting blackout drunk at the Drovers for the bachelor’s party. Madeley’s got to get them motivated and moving, with a veterinary case making it hard to make the church on time.

The episode feels more like a special than a season premiere, with nothing really being established for what’s next. There’s also this weird moment when Woodhouse comments on Ralph’s Brobdinagian sense of duty, based on something in the veterinary case, but the example was someone class shaming Ralph, not his sense of duty. It’s a disconnect.

The episode’s good; the performances are rock solid; nothing feels off; it just doesn’t feel like we’re really back in Darrowby yet. Even the Tricki Woo (essayed, as ever, by Derek) cameo feels too forced for a regular episode but just right for a summer special.

It also might just be the “missing wedding ring” subplot, running through the entire episode, is the closest the show’s ever gotten to saccharine. “All Creatures” has always been exceptionally well-balanced (save a couple times), and it’s always weird when they go too far.

All Creatures Great and Small (2020) s02e02 – Semper Progrediens

This episode’s a sequel to the Christmas special, with guest star Cleo Sylvestre conveniently returning to remind star Nicholas Ralph he’s actually going to have to tell his love interest, Rachel Shenton, he likes her for anything to happen. But we also get to see the dog from the Christmas special, so it’s all good. And having Shenton sit around the home veterinary office with Sylvestre and Anna Madeley is nice. “All Creatures Great and Small” seems to know its got strength in its homeyness, but it uses that strength sparingly.

Shenton’s hanging out because she’s waiting for Ralph to take her to the Daffodil Ball. In addition to following up on Christmas special story threads—it’s not just Sylvestre’s return—the episode also does some retconning. For example, the Daffodil Ball. If Ralph wasn’t in town for the Daffodil Ball the year before, he just missed it, so his utter unfamiliarity plays a wee contrived. Though the episode opens with him jogging through the countryside like they suddenly remembered they’d established him as a jogger in the first episode then forgot about it.

The other Christmas special followups aren’t guest stars but lack thereof. In this episode, we find out Samuel West’s love interest is off playing grandma on an island, never to return. Then Callum Woodhouse also needs a new one because his regular love interest, the local bartender, has apparently given up on him. Or something. It’s left a lot more unclear than West’s, which is decidedly over, so he can pursue fetching divorcée Dorothy Atkinson. Woodhouse’s love interest for the Ball—Ella Bruccoleri—seems more temporary. She’s a farmer’s daughter; Woodhouse and West were there earlier on a case, one Woodhouse determinedly finishes to ensure there’d be time to go to the Ball.

While Woodhouse’s romance arc is mostly comedic, West’s works to set him up as a more determined business owner. One of his most annoying clients, James Fleet, keeps threatening to take his business to the competition Kriss Dosanjh (who’s been absent from the series since maybe the second or third of last season), and West shows off for Atkinson. The show appears to be setting Atkinson up as a more constant love interest for West, which is fine. They’re charming together, and he’s not constantly unsure like with the last one.

The big romance plot is obviously Ralph and Shenton, who go on their first date together to the Ball (though they don’t call it a date), but the cutest is Anna Madeley’s entirely unexpected one. One of the veterinary cases is an injured dog in need of emergency surgery; as the owner, played by Will Thorp, waits around the house, he and Madeley work up a rapport. It’s the first time Madeley’s ever had the slightest bit of a romantic plot, and it’s very nice to see her get something else to do besides fret over the boys.

The main veterinary case is Fleet’s, which the episode ends up playing for some very good, very gross laughs. Besides Thorp’s injured dog, the cases all have a big humor component.

Also, there’s some unexpected progress on Ralph’s “moving back to Glasgow” subplot. He tells Madeley about it early in the episode and how his romantic interest in Shenton will be a deciding factor, so she’s concerned about it now.

It’s a very nice episode and seems to be setting up the season going forward. But who knows; someone else might move to an island never to return too. Can’t take “All Creatures” guest stars for granted.

All Creatures Great and Small (2020) s02e01 – Where the Heart Is

The season two premiere opens very similarly to the first episode, with Nicholas Ralph back in Glasgow. He’s visiting his parents (for Easter), so four and a half months after the Christmas special, and mom Gabriel Quigley wants him to move back home. There’s a job at the local vet office. The practice has the latest technology, serves household pets (a growing industry), and prospective boss Euan Macnaughton values Ralph’s opinion.

And dad Drew Cain is getting a little old for working on the docks.

So Ralph tentatively agrees to return home permanently for the job, which will be open in approximately six months. Potentially the present action of the season.

When he gets back to Yorkshire, he keeps this job offer a secret from everyone there. This episode’s all about secrets, big and small. The other big one is Callum Woodhouse not passing his veterinary boards and, therefore, not being board-certified. It’s unclear how much this exam result matters—can Woodhouse practice without the results—but brother Samuel West is noticeably uncomfortable when housekeeper Anna Madeley wants to get Woodhouse a gift recognizing the achievement.

So West’s lying to Madeley quite badly, and she suspects something’s going on.

Then Woodhouse—who’s mostly just stocking the dispensary at the practice—has his own secret. Thanks to a busy schedule, he gets to attend guest star June Watson’s parakeet. Except it drops dead, so Woodhouse gets the idea to just replace it with another, as Watson’s blind. It’s the comic subplot in the episode, also involving West and Madeley to fine result.

The other veterinary case involves Philip Hill-Pearson’s sheep and the neighbors’ dog. Unfortunately, the dog’s terrorizing the sheep, leading to some severe consequences. Complicating things is the dog’s owner—it’s Imogen Clawson, little sister to Ralph’s love interest, Rachel Shenton; both Clawson and Shenton are pals to the practice in general, so when Ralph finds out the dog’s in danger of being put down, he and Clawson cook up a scheme to save the pup.

Also, under the surface is whatever’s gone on with Ralph and Shenton since Christmas, when she canceled her wedding (at her wedding), leaving Ralph open to pursue her.

The arc’s got some humor thanks to Woodhouse and Clawson gently teasing Ralph about his crush on Shenton, but it soon gives way to a conflict between city slicker Ralph (who doesn’t think you should kill a dog for barking at sheep) and the country folk. West, Pitts, and even Shenton don’t take kindly to Ralph’s input on the matter.

Amid all the contemporary drama is Madeley wanting to make Ralph feel at home again on his return—he was away visiting a couple of weeks—and seeing how West’s aggressive attitude is affecting Ralph, without knowing Ralph’s contemplating that job offer.

Lots of quiet drama, genial humor, and fine acting. Ralph does particularly well with the personal conflicts, guest star Hill-Pearson’s great, and Clawson and Woodhouse are both excellent.

“All Creatures” is off to a somewhat strange start for the season—not sure there were any secrets in the first season—but it’s a good start.

All Creatures Great and Small (2020) s01e02 – Another Farnon?

This episode’s got a couple concerning elements. Slightly concerning. It’s also got Diana Rigg in a fantastic guest spot as the BBC period piece equivalent of a “Best in Show” dog mom, which could probably let the show get away with anything.

The first concerning bit is the episode using the same dramatic beat as the last episode. New rural veterinary assistant Nicholas Ralph has screwed something up, and he’s worried boss Samuel West is going to fire him. The big difference between the two incidents (besides the animals involved and the setting) is new seeming regular Callum Woodhouse. Woodhouse is West’s younger brother, who arrives at the beginning of the episode like they forgot to introduce him in the pilot. West apparently not telling anyone is even a plot point.

Woodhouse arrives by train—meaning there’s a closer station than wherever Ralph went last episode (because Ralph then had to take what appeared to be a long bus ride to town)—in his evening wear. This episode establishes the landed gentry around town, something the previous episode wholly ignored. Again, Rigg’s one of the landed gentry, so it’s all fine. But still.

Woodhouse quickly becomes Ralph’s rival after a reckless ride back to the village (with some car damage, no less). Woodhouse has just finished his examinations at veterinary school, and older brother West is as prideful as he seems capable of expressing. For instance, he brags to rival vet Kriss Dosanjh about having two assistants now, and Woodhouse keeps trying to one-up Ralph without actually being particularly helpful.

Especially not once Ralph and Woodhouse start going on calls together.

In addition to Rigg’s adorable Pekingese, this episode also has a cow patient. It’s actually a jam-packed human episode: in addition to introducing Woodhouse, Ralph’s got a developing filtration with farmer’s daughter, Rachel Shenton, and then housekeeper and sage Anna Madeley gets her backstory developed. She was in the war (First World War) and ran a nurses unit; one of her friends from there, Maimie McCoy, visits. At first, it seems like McCoy’s going to flirt with West, but they’re just going to talk cars.

Again, toot toot.

West will turn out to be a very eligible bachelor—at least in Rigg’s eyes—while Ralph will discover he’s got competition for Shenton’s attention. And not Woodhouse, apparently, though the episode constantly establishes Woodhouse’s existing relationships in the village give him a leg up on Ralph.

An indeterminate time has passed since the first episode, but apparently, long enough Ralph’s not immediately worried about losing his job just for annoying West… though maybe he ought to be.

The second concerning bit is Madeley as sage. The show gets away with it. It’s able to launder Woodhouse through Madeley’s sympathetic gaze to make him into far less of a twerp by the end of the episode, which is good if he’s sticking around.

All the performances are fine or better, even Woodhouse at his twerpiest, with Ralph managing to stay in focus even as the frame’s more crowded. Madeley doesn’t end up with as much to do as the episode initially suggests she will; her character development’s like a second C-plot here. West’s better this episode than last; his character’s got a little more depth now, especially with the Woodhouse subplot.

The ending’s a little light, too, given the various plot reveals and West’s explosions, but it’s still rather charming.

All Creatures Great and Small (2020) s01e01 – You’ve Got to Dream

“All Creatures Great and Small” is pastoral to the point of pastures. The show—based on a show, based on a movie, based on a series of memoirs—tells the story of young veterinarian Nicholas Ralph. He moves from urban Glasgow to rural Darrowby, Yorkshire, for an assistant job to country vet Samuel West.

Except Ralph thinks he’s just going for an interview. And he doesn’t know West didn’t actually want to interview him or hire him at all. West’s stubborn, mercurial, and big-hearted, trying to manage the expectations of his patients’ owners. The practice is mostly farm animals, though they see house pets.

Anna Madeley plays Ralph’s housekeeper, and since the house is also the practice, she is his de facto office manager. Sending for Ralph was her doing.

After a quick but thorough setup, West takes Ralph out on rounds. At this point, “Creatures” becomes a veterinary procedural and doesn’t look back. The show’s set in 1937, so there’s still a lot of excitement about various technologies, whether automobiles or medical discoveries. There’s quite a bit of driving, actually, because the scenery’s so pretty and Ralph and West both enjoy motoring around it so much, one of them yelling out “toot toot” wouldn’t be inappropriate.

The episode’s got a fairly standard structure. After initially proving himself, Ralph then runs afoul of West through questionable fault of his own. The show’s too genial to dwell on whether or not West’s trying to set Ralph up for failure. Will Ralph be able to prove himself in time or have to go back home to Glasgow, where the show’s already established he’s no veterinary prospects. All he’s got in his future there is working on the docks, like dad Drew Cain had to do (before giving up his dreams, like Ralph will have to abandon his own).

It’s a little different—Ralph’s a trained veterinarian, whereas Cain was a musician. Also, mom Gabriel Quigley being gleeful at Ralph’s imminent failure’s an odd way to start. While it may be based on fact, the episode rushes through it way too quickly. Luckily, Madeley quickly offsets everything; while she’s arguably got the least to do in this episode—fetching farmer’s daughter Rachel Shenton is the one who gives Ralph the necessary insight to breakthrough to West—Madeley makes the whole thing seem reasonable. Only through her capableness can West function at such a high level.

The show is Ralph’s first work as an actor (complete with an “introducing” credit, I think), and he’s got great timing for the fish out of water humor. In addition to being a city boy, he’s never professionally worked with farm animals, which leads to some funny moments.

And also the serious ones. While Ralph’s got the book-learning, he doesn’t have the practical experience with the animals or the professional experience with their owners. Professionalism is a very big deal to West, which the episode contextualizes beautifully. Ralph does a fine job toggling between comedy and drama.

The resolution’s appropriately suspenseful. It balances the inherently sympathetic animals in distress with Ralph’s experiences trying to relieve that distress.

It’s a really good first episode. Toot toot indeed.