Every season, GBH Drama prepares to bring you coverage of the latest and greatest in British dramas. This month, we get the long awaited third season of MASTERPIECE’s remake of the classic series All Creatures Great and Small. Featuring eccentric characters, adorable animals, and the vast, rolling hills of Yorkshire, this series does not disappoint. GBH Drama contributor Amanda-Rae Prescott is here to recap the magic as it happens.
This week on All Creatures Great And Small, we follow Mrs. Hall on her attempt to reconcile with her son Edward. Fans may recall that she was expecting Edward to write or visit her in the previous Christmas specials, but he never showed up. Along the way, we find out more details about why they became estranged. This episode is an emotional rollercoaster, so let’s strap in and discuss!
“Edward” was written by first-time screenwriter Karim Khan and he knocked the emotional impact out of the park! We also need more POC screenwriters on period dramas! Here’s a BTS photo of Khan and the script executive for the episode Alice Northey:
Keighley Station
Edward sends a letter to Mrs. Hall telling her to wait for him at the Keighley train station. Edward signed up for the Navy and is going through basic training. He has a short window of time before he has to travel to his next assignment. At first Mrs. Hall is optimistic that Edward is coming but as time passes by and the crowd dwindles, she starts to wonder if he’s indeed showing up. She’s not entirely without company; there are two women serving free tea and pastries to the personnel of the armed services. One of the women, Penny, is hard of hearing and speaks British Sign Language. At first, Penny believes Mrs. Hall is waiting for her sweetheart but she learns the BSL for her son. The tea is nice, but the anxiety is still there.
Mrs. Hall walks through the underpass to the other side of the station and Edward finally appears in his uniform! There’s some disjointed small talk but eventually, Penny shows them the left luggage office (what we would call lost and found) is a quiet place to talk. Edward politely declines the tin of cookies Mrs. Hall brought him despite those being his favorite. It’s obvious that there’s tension overriding the nostalgia potential.
In the left luggage office, Edward says that basic training is going well and he finally reveals the cause of the estrangement from his mom. We knew from the Season 1 Christmas episode that Mrs. Hall refused to lie to cover up his theft from her previous employer. After that, Edward was sentenced to borstal (the UK version of juvenile detention). Edward is angry that his mother left him to be attacked by bullies that stole all the good he had in him. His experience of physical and mental abuse at borstal was far from unique in this era or in the following decades. There was a Northern Irish government-led investigation in 2019 into institutional abuse at borstals, orphanages, and care homes between 1922 and 1995, and there have been other academic and public policy studies on this topic as well in England and Scotland.
Edward has unaddressed trauma from these events. We find out that Mr. Hall is still alive, but he has a severe alcohol addiction, and Edward cut him off for being a horrible person. Mrs. Hall is shocked Edward would insult his father but he’s clearly angry about what she went through as well.
Mrs. Hall tells Edward that no matter what happened at the borstal or after, she still loves him and sees him as a good person. He’s struggling with these conflicting emotions and also his fear that he may turn into his dad, who also suffered from PTSD. Mrs. Hall is convinced that even if the war does happen, Edward won’t be affected by it. I appreciate her optimism from a maternal standpoint, but knowledge of history makes me far more skeptical.
This reunion is very short-lived because Edward’s train arrives at the station. They manage a quick hug before Edward boards the train. He gets on the train but he drops the cookie tin. Mrs. Hall tries to get his attention but all he can do is sign as the train pulls off. Penny tells a tearful Mrs. Hall that Edward was signing “I love you”. Will they get another chance to patch things up?
A Big Decision
In between Mrs. Hall’s scenes, James and Helen stop by the Aldersons. Helen expects Jenny will be late for school but she tells Helen she stopped attending. Compulsory schooling in the UK in the 1930s ended at 14, not 16 as it is today. Helen is concerned Jenny didn’t talk to her sister first about making the biggest decision in her life so far. James senses that Jenny isn’t looking for permission from Helen, but emotional support.
Helen notices Nellie the sheep has a funny mark on her leg. Jenny didn’t notice it but James comes by later to make an official diagnosis. Unfortunately, the sheep has middle-stage “foot rot” — necrosis — and is also running a fever. Jenny has to make the decision as a farmer of what to do, and this is where she needs Helen’s reassurance. Jenny tells James to surgically remove the infection for the best chance of recovery. While James is administering treatment, Helen tells Jenny she always had it in her to be a farmer, but she can still choose to pursue higher education or a career outside farming if she wants. James is able to save Nellie’s foot. Jenny is learning that caring for the animals means tough choices, and that she has the natural instinct for it.
The Intern
Mrs. Hall may be away but the food won’t cook itself. Siegfried tosses Tristan a flower print apron so he can cook and clean while Mrs. Hall is away. Tristan would rather take care of the surgery but he tries his best. There’s a knock at the side door and it turns out the vets agreed to take on Andrew Simmonds, a preteen boy interested in a day of work experience (what we would call an internship).
Siegfried takes Andrew on a tour around the office as he sings random Gilbert & Sullivan songs. Andrew’s a little confused but he perks right up when Siegfried takes little Volonel out of his cage. Rats are also one of Andrews's favorite animals. He’s also a huge fan of giraffes which Siegfried gets a kick out of.
Andrew’s interest in being a veterinarian is tested when Mr. Sunningwell hurriedly brings Benjamin the collie into the Skeldale surgery. Poor Benjamin was kicked by a cow while herding and can’t stop whimpering. Siegfried examines Benjamin for internal and external injuries. Siegfried points out to Andrew that Benjamin has a dislocated hip. Andrew is nervous but he agrees to veterinary tug of war to reset the joint.
While Siegfried and Andrew treat Benjamin, Tristan is relegated to kitchen duty which makes him slightly resentful of Siegfried’s special attention to Andrew. He’s also overwhelmed by cooking and cleaning. Tristan does take time to reassure Mr. Sunningwell that his dog is in good hands. Benjamin belonged to Sunningwell’s now-deceased mother so he’s the only thing left representing her. This is another example of the Skeldale vets treating the people as well as the animals in their care. Thankfully Benjamin’s hip joint moves back into alignment. Andrew is really happy that he successfully treated his first-ever patient. Siegfried tells Andrew’s dad at the end of the day that in the future he’ll be a credit to the profession.
Tristan goes back to the kitchen to finish the shepherd's pie he made as a welcome-back gesture for Mrs. Hall. He accidentally burns his hand and Siegfried is there to treat the burn. In the process, Siegfried admits to Tristan that years ago he believed he wouldn’t be a good parent but taking Tristan in shifted their relationship. By the time Siegfried felt ready for fatherhood, his wife Evelyn was too sick to conceive. Tristan said he used to act just like Andrew did but he wanted a fun older brother more than a parent. Siegfried tells Tristan he wishes he had a second chance to do things differently. Tristan’s shepherd's pie is a success which is rewarded with permission to go see Florence. The episode ends with Mrs. Hall and Siegfried sitting in the living room chairs talking about their mutual regrets. Both of them admit they’re grateful for each other’s presence in their lives. This scene is a very cozy end to an episode filled with emotions.
Will Edward send another letter to Mrs. Hall? Will Skeldale House take on more interns? Find out next week on All Creatures Great And Small!
