Every season, the Drama After Dark team gathers ‘round the (currently virtual) conference room table to watch the latest and greatest in British dramas. This month we’re covering MASTERPIECE’s remake of the classic series All Creatures Great and Small. The series does not disappoint, with eccentric characters, adorable animals, and the vast, rolling hills of Yorkshire. I’m stepping in to recap the season as it happens, while Jackie Bruleigh will be your guide in recapping Miss Scarlet and the Duke (and don't miss us both covering the latter on this season of Drama After Dark!).
We open the show seeing Sweet Baby James get ready in his fanciest vet costume, now including a gold pin and an arm band (ooh, la la). As SBJ dons his duds, downstairs the other denizens of the domicile gaze out onto the Darrowby Fair. Horrible Boss thinks it may be the ~perfect~ opportunity to give tours of their practice to the public; though Leslie/Tristan and Mrs. Ma’am seem to be less than enthused at the proposal. James’ appearance as the fanciest vet this side of the Channel cuts their debate short, however — it seems that he’s to represent the practice at the fair, judging the local animal showings.
Naturally, the moment he’s out the door, the betting on his odds of seeing the day through begin. While Mrs. Ma’am has nothing but faith in him, it seems she’s the only one. And for once, Leslie /Tristan and Horrible Boss may be the ones in the right: a moment after bumping into Helen and her kid sister, Jenny, at the fair, SBJ finds himself the victim of Jenny’s vicious ferret.
Once he fishes his hand from the maw of the vicious beast, the group troops back to the office, where James bandages up his bruised finger (and ego). While there, Helen happens to mention that she’d simply love if he could vouch for Clive the Bull, whom they’re hoping to sell to a breeder watching the competition today. Naturally Sweet Baby James agrees… despite Clive’s reluctance to “perform” with Mr. Dobson’s cows last week. Hm.
Leslie/Tristan drags SBJ to the pub, all the while twitting him about vouching for a potentially non-functioning bull — but James is quick to get his own back. As Sly Girl pulls their beers, the not-so-Sweet Baby James innocently mentions that it’s a good thing L/T is sticking around town, as now he and Sly Girl can get “serious.” Before Leslie/Tristan can object, a man comes in to drag James off to see about an animal, leaving L/T to splutter into his pint.
As James returns to the field, it seems like he just can’t shake Leslie/Tristan’s comment about Clive. In fact, he returns to the practice to ‘casually’ mention his concern about Clive to Horrible Boss, which naturally clears up absolutely nothing. A reluctance to breed could be exhaustion. Or Disease. Or the cows not being to calf. Or the end of a bull's time at field. You know, either it’s nothing, or it’s everything.
Still seeking to ease his conscience, SBJ tracks down Mr. Dobson, the farmer who’s cows failed to attract Clive’s attention, accosting the grumpy man in the pub. But before Sweet Busybody James can drag any answers from him, he’s rushed off to assist with the dog show.
Back at the practice, Horrible Boss and Leslie/Tristan are giving a display of the tools they use for animal surgery — and get a little too into their show, which is a hilarious sight indeed. But while some of us love a little Grand Guignol theatre, it seems like the townsfolk of Darrowby are not fans, and the behind-the-scenes animal care might be best left to the professionals. As the audience flees the lunchtime showing of “The Horror of the Brothers Farnon,” Leslie/Tristan and Horrible Boss ready themselves for lunch at the fair, only to discover that Dorothy (she of the car-sales flirting in episode two) has come to call. Caught off guard — probably because he’s wearing the most hideous hat known to man — it seems that Horrible Boss is, for once, completely tongue tied. But a nod is as good as a wink to a blind bat, and L/T and Miss Ma’am barely bother to hide their amusement.
Back at the fair, Sweet Baby James has to send away one of the leading contenders at the dog show — an adorably wee dachshund — after he discovers the poor mite has a temperature of 104. Right in time, too, as Neville Longbottom would like him to meet his goddaughter, Penelope, and her pet, Binky, who looks like he’ll do excellently, won’t he, SBJ? The subtext is flying fast, but it’s not the only thing that’s in the air; so are the veiled threats. Neville comes right out and says that it sure would be a shame if someone were to find something wrong with Clive the bull. Cue audible gulp from Sweet Baby James.
As someone who’s attended their fair share of animal expos, I can tell you this fast and loose manipulation of a fair official would not be welcome at the Eastern States Exposition, thank you ever so.
At the pub’s luncheon, Leslie/Tristan tries to lure SBJ away from the fair, thereby winning the bet he made earlier with Horrible Boss. Too bad for him, Sweet Baby James instead answers the call of the irate dachshund owner once more, leaving L/T to be haunted by both Sly Girl’s friendly-but-potentially-serious smiles from across the bar… and Horrible Bosses crowing about winning the bet. Our boy is thoroughly rained upon.
Lunch consumed and bragging completed, Horrible Boss returns to the practice, only to find Dorothy minding the shop. Miss Ma’am, it seems, has scarpered for lunch. Naturally, when the Miss Ma’am’s away, the cats will play, and the flirtation here is anything but subtle. Call me paranoid, but I suspect Mister Commitment-phobe might soon be finding himself in a very scary situation indeed.
As Sweet Baby James tries to make his way to Helen to check in on the Clive situation once again, he is waylaid by a very irate (and annoying, tbh) fair master. It seems that SBJ’s distraction is being noticed, and causing a bit of a stir. Uh-oh.
Back at the practice, HB and Dorothy are having a very serious conversation about life, the universe… everything, really. In the hallway, L/T and Miss Ma’am play peeping toms, albeit poorly; they’re noticed almost immediately, breaking the spell. Dorothy drags Miss Ma’am off to the pub for a gin, and before L/T can get more than a smirk in, Horrible Boss mentions how charming Maggie is, setting Leslie/Tristan off on an anxiety rant.
...'Tis a family of commitment-phobes, then.
Freeing himself from Leslie/Tristan’s panic, Horrible Boss ventures into the field to ‘check’ on SBJ (surely code for convincing him to quit so HB can win the bet). And while Sweet Baby James does seem particularly frazzled, he’s back at it with increasing fervor after HB’s “pep talk.”
As Miss Ma’am and Dorothy venture around the fair, it seems like they’re both ready to spill that tea. When Miss Ma’am mentions his widower status, Dorothy suggests that he seems like the type who still thinks of himself as married. And when Miss Ma’am counters that people can’t change how they feel, Dorothy says that Miss Ma’am’s leaving “that brute” was the best decision she’s ever made.
That’s a lot of exposition for less than two minutes, ladies!
After Dorothy leaves for the day, Miss Ma’am wanders the fair a bit with nothing but a giant courgette and her thoughts for company. Alas, she is soon distracted by the roustabout running the sharp shooter tent, whose mouth is as deadly as his trade. Just as we get the sense that Miss Ma’am is about to approach him, someone knocks their massive, prize-winning pumpkin onto the sickly dachshund from earlier. Looks like a veterinarian’s housekeeper’s work is never done.
Meanwhile, Sweet Baby James has caused a small riot with his strict adherence to size classing for the pony show; a kerfuffle Horrible Boss watches with no little amusement. After James is cross with a man (!) Horrible Boss suggests he pack it in for the day, a glance at his watch reminding us that money is on the line. But his suggestion is quickly cut off when Miss Ma’am comes bombing through with the squashed dachshund. Vet, housekeeper, pupper and owner quickly rush into the clinic to get to work.
Heading to the bull pen, James sees that he’s too late — the judging for the bulls has already begun. Naturally, just as his anxiety is up, the fair manager comes to beleaguer him further. Just as James is about to throw his gear down in disgust, Mr. Shipham pulls him into a group of the townsfolk, offering a drop of the homebrew and a hand-pie. But just as it seems SBJ will get a moment to relax, Mr. Dobson appears on the scene, and it’s off to work again. Just when he seems to be getting somewhere with Dobson, though, the fair master's voice booms out once more, giving Dobson the perfect open. Damn and blast!
In the operating room, now that our little Dachshund is out of danger, Horrible Boss has left it to Leslie/Tristan to operate on the poor wee pupper. L/T is doing his best, but clearly is nervous about this spur of the moment test. And even though HB pronounces it “very nice, indeed” in the end, he’s still not impressed with L/T’s post-operation high — a slight that winds Leslie/Tristan up enough that he decides to bring up Dorothy of the lunchtime flirtation. HB responds in kind, mocking him about “avoiding a smile from a barmaid” all day, and as expected, they’re bickering as only two siblings can.
Delightfully, for us at least, half the town is waiting just outside the operating room door; it seems to be time for the small animals competition. You’d think Horrible Boss would have the decency to blush when he discovers his brother shouted at him “to have some blasted fun” in front of half the town, but oh no! He instead chooses to swear at the fair manager for butting in, and James is left to judge the animals in the parlor.
As the (now hissed) bickering continues next door, James is left with the unenviable task of choosing the “best” small animals. Will it be Jenny’s ferret? Pen’s dog Binky? A parrot that hits on James? Or a goldfish in a questionably murky bowl of water? Since SBJ is an honorable man, compliments on his face and threats to his body don’t sway him, and the goldfish takes the day — though that’s likely due to the young owner's encyclopedic knowledge of his small friend.
His main tasks complete, Sweet Baby James finally has a moment to head into the field to examine Clive. It’s in the bull’s pen that Neville finds him, and finally lays out all the cards on the table: Clive is no longer fit as a breeding animal. And while SBJ feels like he must tell the possible new buyer, Neville plays his trump card: does James truly want to upset Helen?
We can guess by the look on James’ face that he does not.
Back at the sharpshooter tent, Miss Ma’am watches as Jenny fights with the roustabout running the game: the rifle was broken, and it’s not fair that Jenny has to pay for her turn. Once again frustrated with the cut of the man’s jib, Miss Ma’am finally approaches, and takes her own turn at the game. Unluckily for the roustabout, it seems Miss Ma’am’s time in the WRENs has paid off. She adjusts the toy rifle, and begins picking off cans until she wins Jenny her prize, much to the chagrin of the man running the game.
Make that 1 for feminism, 0 for the patriarchy.
As the day winds down, Sweet Baby James watches as Clive the bull takes first place in the competition — making him a shoe-in for the potential buyer. Discouraged, SBJ makes his way to the pub, where the rest of the vet crew is waiting for him.
As the team waits for their bitters, Leslie/Tristan uses his amazing sense of timing to decide that this is the moment that he’s going to confront Sly Girl about their relationship. Brilliant. Naturally, as with all things involving the Farnon’s, it goes the exact opposite way he expected.
Sly Girl: It’s not like we were ever a serious thing.
L/T:
Just when we think Sweet Baby James’ integrity is out of danger, Helen drags her potential buyer into the pub, asking James’ to testify to Clive’s value in front of God, country, Horrible Boss and Mr. Dobson. But like George Washington, Sweet Baby James cannot tell a lie, and he and Dobson reluctantly sink the deal. Needless to say, Helen is less than pleased with this outcome. While she first directs her frustration at SBJ and Dobson, it quickly becomes clear from their reactions that Neville was aware of the problem all along. Betrayed, Helen and family storm from the pub.
But Neville’s not ready to leave it at that — he and Helen fight in the street, as L/T and SBJ look on. When Helen accuses him of thinking he can interfere with her life because he is a wealthy man, and she a poor woman, Neville confesses that actually, he’s in love with her and would do anything to make her happy. MOOD.
Alas for SBJ, it seems that this wins Helen over. Although, as Leslie/Tristan notes, her body language still speaks to her anger and frustration, she and Neville walk off into the twilight together.
And that seems to be the nail in the coffin for SBJ’s affability. When one of the men from earlier in the day complains about James’ impartiality, our boy goes off until, shockingly, Horrible Boss steps in to calm him down.
Mollified and with a drink in his hand, James shares a toast with his comrades in arms.
And Miss Ma’am collects her winnings.
Watch Episode 3 of All Creatures Great and Small on GBH passport today!
Read the recap of All Creatures Great and Small Episode 3 here.
Read the recap of All Creatures Great and Small, Episode 2 here.
Read the recap of All Creatures Great and Small, Episode 1 here.
