All Creatures Great & Small, Season 5 (2024)
The Second World War is in full swing, but other than a shortage of local men, it hasn't affected the tiny town of Darrowby much where Siegfried Farnon (Samuel West) struggles with the workload of his veterinary practice in the absence of both his brother, and James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph). He tries to pick up the slack along with his assistant, Richard Carmody (James Anthony Rose), while the women try to make themselves useful with the local Victory Gardens. The intrepid Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley) volunteers as a Blackout Warden, but must contend with the sexism of the local man in charge, who doesn't think a woman ought to be cycling around town after dark alone and who takes his responsibilities rather seriously. And Helen (Rachel Shenton) is coping with the first few months of raising her son with James alone. Little Jimmy is a blessing in their lives, but also a challenge -- but one that keeps everyone on their toes.
James is a few days away from flying his first training mission with his crew when he keels over with a mysterious illness that may be a blessing in disguise and soon enough, he is back home with his loved ones and their growing menagerie of pups. In various episodes, Carmody gets his first crush on one of the Land Girls, a farmer tries to get one over on Siegfried, James copes with a minor case of PTSD after losing some of his friends in a crash, Helen's little sister proves she isn't so little anymore, James' parents visit for the Christening of their grandson, a fox comes sniffing around the place, and Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) comes home for an extended visit, in high spirits that his brother suspects may be covering up deeper wounds from his service in Cairo.
As usual, the show is a delight from start to finish and the true tragedy is we only get seven episodes a year. The scripts skillfully weave human stories in and around animal shenanigans, from a horse that keels over for no real reason to Carmody's new little pup, Hamish. Some of the stories pull from the original novels, such as a cat that keeps appearing to die only to revive itself later, while others are pure invention. And there's a particularly heart-wrenching Christmas finale this year in which the life of someone beloved to the members of Skelldale House is in peril. Happily, in this world, there are usually pleasant endings and after wringing our hearts for a good while, it gives us a satisfactory wrap-up. The costumes and period set design continue to be splendid, and I particularly appreciate all the old farm trucks from the 1940s. I do wish Siegfried and Mrs. Hall would realize their feelings for one another, since it's rather frustrating to watch him try to date other people. I also love how much this season allows Mrs. Pumphrey (Patricia Hodge) additional screen time, as she copes with the war office taking over her house as a military recovery hospital, and she even spends a few hours at the veterinary office answering the phone!
My only complaint is that they didn't utilize one obvious plot point (to have James' injured friend transferred to Pumphrey Manor so that we could see him again; but maybe that will come next season?). It's a beautiful way to spend a winter weekend, curled up on the couch and marathoning all 7 episodes in one-go, or you can spread them out and rewatch them time and again.
Language:
One abuse of Christ's name. Numerous uses of bloody, buggar, and bloody hell, a few damns.
Other:
The characters drink enormous amounts and are often soused for laughs. A dog dies of poisoning, which will be distressing to sensitive audiences.
