All Creatures Great and Small – Season 2 – Review
Director: Brian Percival, Sasha Ransome, Andy Hay
Writer: James Herriot, Ben Vanstone, Chloe Mi Lin Ewart, Debbie O’Malley (Screenplay)
Cast
- Nicholas Ralph (Prey for the Devil)
- Anna Madeley (In Bruges)
- Samuel West (Van Helsing)
- Rachel Shenton (White Gold)
Plot: The numerous adventures of a countryside veterinarian practice in 1930s to 1940s Yorkshire, England.
Runtime: 45 Minutes per Episodes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on All Creatures Great and Small – Season 2
Where the Heart Is (D. Brian Percival)
Where the Heart Is sees James (Ralph) return home for a holiday and offered a chance for a job near home. However, when he returns to Darrowby, he gets straight back to work with Seigfried (West) with an unusual dog attack. Meanwhile, Tristan must deal with his own problem with a local’s pet budgie.
A welcome return for the series with an issue between two farms that has a calmer conclusion. While a comical tale involving the budgie lightens the mood. There is the impending decision required to be made about James’ future. We also get to see James showing his own opinions and belief in doing the right thing, in a welcome return for the series. (4/5)
Semper Progrediens (D. Brian Percival)
Semper Progrediens sees Siegfried needing to accept more help from Tristan as his work starts to pile up. James is left in the surgery dealing with a serious case that is going to take up his time. Meanwhile, the local Spring Dance is coming up and the four start searching for dates, with James being pushed toward Helen.
This episode picks up with the personal dilemmas the characters are facing. James is still questioning his future while wondering if Helen could be his future. Siegfried must learn to open up more, while Tristan continues to learn more about responsibility. It shows the continued struggles and success the team has as a unit and hope when moving forward. (3/5)
We Can But Hope (D. Sasha Ransome)
We Can But Hope sees the village coming together for a death. James is hoping to continue his blossoming romance with Helen. Meanwhile, Seigfried wants to get even more Tristan who is looking for a chance to relax and listen to the cricket. However, the pressure on the grieving farm starts to take a toll on the village and the return of Tricki causes problems for Siegfried.
This episode continues to show the balance between serious life issues and a gentle comedic side story. While James must deal with the series of struggles a family is facing, the brothers continue to need to learn to trust each other. A nice solid mid-season episode that gets to move things along. (3/5)
Many Happy Returns (D. Sasha Ransome)
Many Happy Returns sees Tristan celebrating his birthday, where Siegfried grants him extra responsibility. He gets to prove himself in the field, while James is around to watch over him. Meanwhile, James’s relationship with Helen could be put in danger when she learns the secret about his potential future. All leading to Tristan’s dinner party being hosted by Mrs Hall.
The 4th episode sees Tristan continuing to build his reputation in the village, while Siegfried gets frustrated by someone else being different. While the brothers bicker away, James has his own challenging future. It doesn’t seem to move things along that much leaving things up in the air for the closing pair of the series. (3/5)
The Last Man In (D. Andy Hay)
The Last Man In sees James finding his place challenged with the return of Hugh. Meanwhile, Mrs Hall continues to get closer with a man in the village. Seigfried is preparing for the local cricket match and Tricki needs another visit from a vet. As the big cricket match starts getting closer, James offers his services. However, he is unaware of how important the game is to the locals.
In what is the most fun episodes of the series to date. The competitive small village feeling between cricket teams adds plenty of laughs to the episode. Tricki’s little subplot is the funniest incident involving an animal to date. (4/5)
Home Truths (D. Andy Hay)
Home Truths sees the impending war in Europe getting closer to home. James is preparing for a visit from his parents, as he looks to reveal the truth about his future. Meanwhile, Tristan proves that vets can help domestic animals to a campaign against them. This creates the first difficult decisions and reaction from Tristan who continues to learn how important animals are to everyone.
In what is a nice conclusion to the series, we get to see how James has completely settled into his life. However, an impending danger to Europe could ruin it in the next season. The over-arcing storylines connect well with James facing a difficult decision and the Farnon brothers dealing with their own problems. (5/5)
Overall
Season 2 has put a big focus on James needing to decide his own future. He has an offer to return to Glasgow to support his family. Meanwhile, James’s relationship with Helen starts to grow, showing why he would want to stay. Elsewhere, Tristan needing to prove himself to Siegfried who believes he needs to focus more. Their bickering brings additional comedy to the series. All while the villagers continue to grow on James. It keeps the comfy feeling created in a series that doesn’t need to create a villainous figure to everything involved.
Where to Watch
All Creatures Great & Small Complete Series One – Four Box set on 11 December 2023
Final Thoughts – All Creatures Great and Small – Season 2 continues the extra comfy evening viewing.
