All Creatures Great and Small – Season 3 – Review
Director: Brian Percival, Stewart Svaasand, Andy Hay
Writer: James Herriot, Ben Vanstone, Chloe Mi Lin Ewart, Karim Khan, Jamie Crichton (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: 50 Minutes per Episodes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on All Creatures Great and Small – Season 3
Second Time Lucky (D. Brian Percival)
Second Time Lucky starts as James and Helen prepare to get married. Siegfried is struggling to cover James taking the time away and the war in Europe starts getting closer to home. However, when the guys take James out for a drink the night before the wedding, they must put together what happened to make sure he gets back in time for the wedding.
This is a welcome return and using the panic of the wedding to show the teams calm under pressure. There are some comical moments leading up to the wedding. However, this season tackles the serious side to what is happening in the world going forward. It looks like we are going to be following James dealing with another major decision in his life. (4/5)
Honeymoon’s Over (D. Andy Hay)
Honeymoon’s Over follows James and Helen returning from their honeymoon. They have moved into the veteran house together, and Mrs Hall starts remembering they have their own life. James is left surprised by being promoted to partner, however, it has come at a cost. He discovers he will earn less than Tristan and Helen offers to help look over the accounts of the surgery, much to Siegfried’s surprise.
This episode continues to show the growing relationship between the new household. It shows the new challenges they face as James looks to push Siegfried into new ideas. Tristan watches on with a calm approach which adds some laughs. However, it feels like we are setting up a conflict between the two for a future episode. (4/5)
Surviving Siegfried (D. Brian Percival)
Surviving Siegfried sees Seigfried remembering the horrors of the First World War. It sees him showing less patience than ever with Tristan and his ability to keep things tidy. James continues his belief the locals should look at a new long-term treatment. Meanwhile, Siegfried helps a former friend as his love for horses helps one feel more comfortable with human contact.
This episode gets to dive a lot more into Siegfried’s past, something we haven’t seen too often. It shows why he can be so impatient with people and for good reason. Meanwhile, seeing James and Helen work together and understand the problems locals could have with James’s forward-thinking ideas. This ends up being the best episode of the series so far, really showing the traumas Siegfried has been through and the balancing change in medicine. (5/5)
What a Balls Up! (D. Andy Hay)
What a Balls Up! follows James facing the consequences for taking time to get the TB testing started in his area.He is facing the pressure to make sure he is doing everything by the book. Elsewhere, Tristan agrees to help cover James’s round, while Mrs Hall’s romance with Gerald starts to blossom. All the while Siegfried starts getting too close to Tricki.
This episode shows James getting himself in deeper than he would like to face challenging times with the local farmers. Siegfried gets one of the most humorous storylines in the show with Tricki and Tristan’s growing independence gets to him. It is continuing to show the enjoyable series thriving in the third season. (5/5)
Edward (D. Andy Hay)
Edward follows Mrs Hall getting a chance to meet up with her estranged son leaving the boys to look after themselves. Siegfried assigns Tristan the job of covering for Mrs Hall which backfires on Seigfried. He finds himself having to mentor a local schoolboy who has dreams of becoming a vet one day. Elsewhere, Helen gets concerned her younger sister has left school to work on the farm and requests James’s help to get her to change her mind.
This episode brings the most serious side out in the characters. Mrs Hall gets the biggest emotional moment of the group, while James takes a much-needed backseat in this episode. Siegfried sees something in a schoolboy that gives him hope for the future. Overall, this is the best coming-together episode and easily the most emotional episode. (5/5)
For Whom the Bell Tolls (D. Stewart Svaasand)
For Whom the Bell Tolls starts with the tragic news that Britain is going to war with Germany. James’s sense of duty starts to take over, while Helen’s family try to convince him he should stay. Elsewhere, Tristan gets to meet Florence’s family, even if it is Siegfried’s rival vet. Meanwhile, Siegfried and Mrs Hall find a stray and must decide what to do with another mouth to feed.
This episode concludes the season with a reality check for James and Tristan. With the country going to war, they question their place for duty, while both stepping into their first steps of family life. This has importance issues and great stories for each character, a fitting conclusion to the season. (5/5)
Overall
Season 3 is the tour du force for the series, taking everything, we have previously seen to a new level. There is a massive emotional engagement with the characters. The humour balances out the serious side of the story and we are left with a dangerous next chapter for the series. This season has the best episodes, the strongest stories and best performances. Anna Madeley alone in ‘Edward’ will leave you in tears with her powerhouse performance.
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 3 takes the show to a new outstanding level.
