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!).
Our story opens this week with Sweet Baby James driving through what must be the most scenic vista in all of Yorkshire; all rolling hills dotted with quaint little paddocks. Utterly charming, but the beauty of the day belies his mission: as he pulls up to Helen’s farm, we see Clive getting loaded onto the truck for the abattoir.
A morbid way to start the day, but SBJ isn’t the type to let the blue meanies get him down. And it seems he extends that courtesy to anyone and everyone within his sphere of influence, including Helen and Jenny. He delivers to them what I think might be the most adorable kitten that I’ve ever seen in my entire life — and I've seen a lot of kittens. Jenny is immediately enamored with the wee thing, and Helen appreciates the sentiment… maybe even more than the basket of vegetables Neville has dragged over as his own apology for the loss of Clive.
That said, it’s Neville who gets the kiss on the cheek, and invited in. Hrmph.
Back on the home front, Horrible Boss seems to have come down with a severe case of the man-cold. If you thought he was a terror before, wait 'til you get a gander at him now. In between bouts of scolding him, Miss Ma’am accepts a package at the door. Detective that she is, she quickly deduces that a package for James from Glasgow can only mean one thing — it's his birthday! A quick check of his resume confirms it: his birthday is but one day away. What more of an excuse could we need for Miss Ma’am to bake an elaborate cake, and for Leslie/Tristan to plan a shindig for our Sweet Baby James?!
But what's the point of a birthday party if it's not a surprise?! When the man in question charges through the house looking for a pair of hoof clippers, all plans are quickly silenced. And birthday boy or no, Leslie/Tristan can’t help but get his own in, inquiring just how the fair Helen is faring this morning. Naturally this gets no more than a grump from SBJ, but it gives Leslie/Tristan the opening he needs to put forth an idea that is positively shocking:
A double date.
SBJ. L/T. And a couple of nurses named Connie and Brenda. Two women who I’m sure will be positively delighted to go out with Captain Smarm and The Rebounding Wonder (otherwise known as Leslie/Tristan and Sweet Baby James). And if that proposition shocks you, as well as the fact that Leslie/Tristan could actually find two women to agree to this hairbrained scheme, then James’ answer is really going to throw you for a loop.
He says YES! Like... Helen, Who?!
While all this scheming and propositioning is going down, however, it seems that Horrible Boss has somehow managed to drag his festering self upstairs to put on a proper suit and get ready for the day. His bold declaration of a robust constitution and opening for business seems all well and good, but we have to side with Miss Ma’am on this one. He gets a very suspicious side eye.
Heading out into the field, James’ arrives at — surprise, surprise — yet another adorable little farm, this one owned by the Rudds. Wading through a plethora of children, Sweet Baby James examines the cutest damn cow I’ve ever seen (and that’s saying something for me) who is apparently named Strawberry. I've died, I'm dead.
Sadly, both for the farmers and for Strawberry, it seems our little cow has an abscess in her throat. And it gets worse: James thinks that it could kill her if it goes on unchecked, and apparently there’s not much to be done for treating abscesses in cows. James gives our girl a shot and instructs Mr. Rudd to rub an ointment into her throat as often as possible, promising that he’ll be back the next day to see if the abcess has gone down. Oof!
Back at the clinic, Leslie/Tristan is working on a practice test that Horrible Boss has set for him. Well, working is a loose approximation of what he’s doing — when Miss Ma’am checks on his progress, she finds him instead sketching a portrait of Greta Garbo. Perhaps a change of field is in order for L/T. Pet portraits, anyone?
Meanwhile, the waiting room is filled to the brim. When Miss Ma’am goes to investigate the hold up with Horrible Boss, she discovers that he has decamped to the secondary exam room, and is having a lie down on the exam table.
Robust constitution, indeed.
After being dosed with a measure of Miss Ma’am’s medicine, Horrible Boss is off to bed for "5 minutes" — and Leslie/Tristan is up to bat in the clinic. Despite a healthy dose of trepidation, L/T manages to pull it off… but not without a lot of help from his school books. Impressive? No. Practical? Kinda!
Alas, his accomplishment is short-lived. When Horrible Boss finally emerges from his cave (after significantly more than "5 minutes"), he’s rather wrong-footed to find the day, and his patients, gone. Who better to take it out on than his younger brother?
But it seems that this is no ordinary HB bluster storm; halfway through the shouting, the tears start. And once that happens, Horrible Boss is out the door, leaving a very put-out L/T and Miss Ma’am in his wake. What's going on HB?
Despite Horrible Boss' shocking breakdown, a new day dawns. SBJ is back off to check on Strawberry the cow, where, he finds Mr. Rudd has been attending to little Strawberry through the night. After investing all his money in a heritage cow, he’s not going to give up on her easily. The whole family, in fact, dedicates themselves, saying they’re not afraid of work, and not ready to give up on her. Ladies, get you a family that is as dedicated to you as the Rudd's are to Strawberry the cow.
Back at the clinic, Miss Ma’am innocently remarks that it's a shame that SBJ has to attend to an ailing patient on his birthday — and Leslie/Tristan gets a brilliant idea. Dragging down dozens of textbooks, he examines the anatomy of cows before drawing a detailed series of overlays. And when Sweet Baby James arrives back at the practice he reveals his plan: James will perform a surgery to remove Strawberry’s abscess. While Sweet Baby James is hesitant to play havoc with Strawberry’s arterial system, Leslie/Tristan, in true Farnon fashion, shames and cajoles him into the process. Just as SBJ starts to come around to the idea, Horrible Boss rouses himself from his death bed and shouts them both down. What a drag.
Later that night that Leslie/Tristan finds Sweet Baby James moping about the town square, having just told the Rudd’s about Strawberry’s almost certain death. With classic L/T timing, he lures Sweet Baby James back into the practice, for a surprise party. The whole town, or at least nearly — Maggie, Neville and Helen are conspicuously missing — are waiting with cake, drink and gifts for the birthday boy. While Sweet Baby James gets an amazingly detailed knit scarf and hat from his mother, a Veterinary Bible from HB, and a miniature Saint Nick from Miss Ma’am, Leslie/Tristan's gift is somewhat less endearing.
Dragging over two young women, L/T announces that this is the double date he promised at the start of the episode. Still in his mother’s hand-knit, SBJ finds himself completely tongue tied; and, when L/T tries to talk him up — our Sweet Baby James is a "devil" with women, apparently 🤣 — our boy manages to interrupt him with a well-timed sneeze. But Connie seems to be the forgiving sort, because when she and her friend Brenda step away to use the powder room, she plants a kiss on James’ cheek.
Just in time for Maggie, Helen and a suspiciously giddy Neville roll up on the party. Naturally, Maggie is less than pleased with the girl hanging off Leslie’s arm, despite her declarations to the opposite last episode. And while Helen tries to play it cool from across the room, she can’t help but come over to joke about the "beautiful woman hanging off" Sweet Baby James' arm. Fascinating.
While Maggie and L/T begin to bicker, Helen and James fall easily into their usual banter about farming and animals. And, as usual, Helen pulls Sweet Baby James' concerns out of him. Hearing the story about the poor Strawberry, and Horrible Boss' oh-so-reasonable reaction to a surgery, she goes on to give her usual sage advice: SBJ needs to do what he thinks is right, not what Horrible Boss thinks is right. With that, she, Jenny and Neville head out, leaving Sweet Baby James to mull over just what, exactly, he believes is right.
Naturally, he chooses violence surgery. Like two tiny thieves in the night, Leslie/Tristan and Sweet Baby James gather all the tools and meds one needs for a clandestine midnight surgery, leaving the party in full swing. It takes about two minutes for Horrible Boss and Miss Ma’am to deduce whats going on, and take off hot on the boys' heels. While they do arrive in time for Horrible Boss to stop the proceedings, it seems that he’s completely outvoted — even Miss Ma'am says James should go ahead with the surgery. Game. On.
Though the procedure is difficult and delicate, many hands make light work, so everyone pitches in. While Horrible Boss and Leslie/Tristan make key, procedural recommendations, Miss Ma’am holds the light, despite clear squeamishness. Being that it’s Sweet Baby James’ birthday, and nothing can ever go wrong on your birthday, SBJ successfully bursts the abscess, saving Strawberry from the abattoir and the Rudds from financial ruin. Huzzah!
With even more to celebrate, the gang retires to the pub to toast James’ genius and daring. While Rudd and the townsfolk ply Sweet Baby James wth drinks, Horrible Boss makes the biggest gesture of them all: he officially promotes SBJ to Senior Veterinarian at the clinic. Of course, that might just be all the whiskey in Miss Ma’am’s homeopathic cold cure talking, but we're sure that L/T and Miss Ma'am will hold him to it in the morning.
But it seems like in this week's episode, all that’s well won’t end well. Bumping into Helen in the crush of the pub, SBJ is surprised… didn’t she leave to go home even before he announced his intent to save the day?
Well kids, I have some bad news. Remember when I said earlier that nothing ever goes wrong on your birthday? That was a lie. Because even as James tries to confess to Helen how he feels about her, she begins receiving congratulations... for her upcoming nuptials.
Being the good sport that he is, James plays along as well as he can, shaking Hugh’s hand, congratulating Helen, and cheersing along with the rest of the pub. But as the night comes to an end, and he goes outside to manfully hold back his tears, James is reminded that no man is a failure if he has friends. It's not long before Horrible Boss, Miss Ma’am, and Leslie/Tristan are by his side to walk our heartbroken boy home.
Here’s hoping he doesn’t stay that way for long!
Watch Episode 6 of All Creatures Great and Small on GBH passport today!
Read the recap of All Creatures Great and Small, Episode 5 here.
Read the recap of All Creatures Great and Small, Episode 4 here.
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.
