Every season, GBH Drama prepares to bring you coverage of the latest and greatest in British dramas. This month, we get the triumphant return 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.
Episode 2 of Season 2 revolves around the social event of the season: The Daffodil Ball. The event promises a night of dancing and drinking designed to raise money for repairing the church. Of course with dancing comes romantic drama! Here’s what happened before and during the ball:
Most Eligible Vets Bachelors
The opening shot of the episode features James jogging through the countryside. The intention was probably to show James appreciating life in the Dales, but let’s be real, Jenny was right in the last episode for saying he’s not bad to look at. Unfortunately for the single women of Darrowby, he has eyes only for Helen.
Diana Brompton knocks on the door of Skeldale House to hawk tickets to the Daffodil Ball. Mrs. Hall politely declines to buy one. Tristan figures he can wing it on finding a date. Diana’s husband left her for the housemaid, so her eyes are set on dancing with the reluctant Siegfried. Mrs. Hall, because she’s the sharpest person in the house nails it with this accurate read: “if she were any more forward, she would be here yesterday,” which is only one of the many great one liners this episode provides. Tristan, without James’s permission, decides to act as a wingman. He stops Helen on the street to ask her to swing by Skeldale to talk to James.
His meddling works out in the end as James gets the nerve to invite Helen. James, always the legitimately nice guy, eases the pressure on her by saying it’s a group outing with Tristan and his date. She accepts his invitation!!! But before they can hang out, there’s sick animals to be taken care of.
The Trifling Colonel
Every so often there’s a difficult case or client that requires extra work to smooth over, and this is one of them. Colonel Merrick’s cow has an intestinal blockage. He felt slighted that Siegfried didn’t drop everything the night before to come for a non-emergency, so when Siegfried takes Tristan along for some on-the-job learning at the colonel’s farm, Dr. Pandhi is already there. Siegfried was not at all prepared to have his expertise and his professional reputation questioned and it’s clear the colonel has pulled a fast one. Tristan is convinced Siegfried has lost his edge, which Siegfried sharply denies. Deep down though, Siegfried knows he has to set the colonel straight.
A Pig With A Misleading Name
After the colonel, the Dinsdales call on Siegfried to lance a hematoma on the head of their pig Buttercup. Unfortunately for Tristan, Buttercup is a half-ton menace to society. To add to Siegfried’s training pressure, Anabel Dinsdale is around Tristan’s age and he wants her to be his plus one for the ball (drama fans may recognize Anabel as Sister Frances from Call the Midwife). Tristan is scared as hell, but this moment makes an excellent motivational poster.
Tristan tries to lance the hematoma the old fashioned way but Buttercup charges at him and throws him over the wooden fence. He bravely faces injury again, but this time Buttercup ends up headbutting the fence instead of Tristan. The hematoma bursts, and despite the mud on his clothes Tristan successfully asks Anabel to the dance.
The Overcrowded Clinic
Meanwhile, back at Skeldale House, James has way too many small animals to see in the clinic. He wishes Tristan was there for the extra assistance. Brock is a white terrier mix who was accidentally caught in a game trap after running away. His owner Gerald Hammond frantically rushes him to get medical attention. James once again wishes for an X-Ray machine to see the extent of the damage to Brock's paw. Amputation is a possibility if the infection spreads.
Gerald is flustered about Brock’s fate, but Mrs. Hall is even more flustered by Gerald’s presence. Thankfully Gerald offers his services as a clock fixer and as a friend. While he’s waiting on Brock to wake up from anesthesia, James and Mrs. Hall set up a system to try to get through the rest of the patients. One of the last patients he sees is Anne Chapman with Suzie. So glad that Cleo Sylvestre, the best guest star that isn’t Mrs. Pumphrey, is back! She reveals the little pup who was stuck during birth last season is now the largest in the litter, and his name is James. How cute!!!
Shut Up & Dance With Me
The ball scene with romantic tension between two main characters is a pivotal trope in period dramas. Sure, The Daffodil Ball is way less formal than previous dramas but the ideas are the same. James admits he’s a terrible dancer because Mama Herriot dragged him to events with her older female friends. Helen takes a chance on dancing with him anyway. There’s some accidental toe stepping along the way, but the most important thing is that Helen is actually having fun and admits to feeling like herself again! Dancing with James gives her enough good vibes to catch up with friends she hasn’t seen since before the failed engagement. Some may believe James should have asked for a second dance later on, but it can be argued the night was about Helen letting go of the guilt.
Tristan has a more casual approach to dating. He’s told Siegfried earlier in the episode he’s not looking to get married at all, just to have a good time. His lack of planning is going very well for once! Anabel even agrees to sneak out for a makeout session. Unfortunately for Siegfried, who needs female company the most, his luck is about to run out…
Serving Up Green Revenge
Siegfried is attempting to have a nice conversation with Diana, but Colonel Merrick just had to crash that. Siegfried has had enough of the drama and demands the colonel call him during regular business hours. Good for you Siegfried! The next morning, Siegfried pretends to cram the colonel into the schedule, and he breaks out the modern uniforms he’s been hiding from James and Tristan.
Back at the colonel’s farm, the cow is still struggling. Siegfried already figured out the cow has a metal wire in 1 of her stomachs. He makes the colonel get close to watch the magic and then everyone gets sprayed in the face with cow bile. Take that!
There’s no doubt that the “old Siegfried” is back, even if it’s just standing up for himself against rude clients.
A New Beginning
Back at Skeldale, Brock has thankfully recovered from his injury. His owner Gerald offers Mrs. Hall a chance to walk Jess and Brock together but she’s clearly conflicted. Breathe a sigh of relief Siegfried/Mrs. Hall shippers! On the other hand, Helen comes around to ask why she didn’t get a chance to see James after their dance. After clearing the air, Helen kisses him on the cheek!!
❤️ Thank you for watching episode 2 of #ACGAS. Join us next Thursday at 9pm for more! pic.twitter.com/9r6c1wNNFf
— All Creatures Great and Small (@AllCreaturesTV) September 23, 2021
Will James finally ask Helen out? Who will Tristan attempt to date next? Will we see any more angry pigs? Find out next week on All Creatures Great and Small episode 3!
