All Creatures Great and Small
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Remember when it was cold but also fun?
This makes our Christmas episode all the more welcome.
I appreciate that this Christmas special moves the characters along pretty significantly!
This is, instead, a very nice bridge between seasons.
Its okay, Richard.
Its got a lot of lights and presents and cozy sweaters.
Its easy to get pulled in.
As well they should be!
There are no cell phones!
And while the cars are very charming, theyre not built for all-weather driving.
Look, Siegfried isnt always the best with boundaries, but only because he is sometimes an oblivious idiot.
James is crestfallen not to see Helen, but hes got the bird mascot, Georgie, to fix.
An officer whose name Im not sure how to spell (Widdam?
They think its a bad omen if shes stuck on her perch with a broken wing.
Georgie has to be ready by Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) for unspecified reasons.
Mustache is very insistent on this.
THE MEN NEED HER.
James doesnt care about the omen bird; he wants to go home to see Helen.
James responds bysneaking off the baselike hes in the 1981 filmStripesstarring Harold Ramis.
As someone whose biggest fear is to Be in Trouble, I view this move with total shock.
I dont know how James doesnt immediately think the cat could be Oscar.
Seems pretty obvious it could be Oscar, even though it hilariously ends up not being him.
How many cats are out running around the Dales?
Although I guess if theres one thing cats do, its make lots more cats.
(Also, sleep.)
Fix that bird, he says.
Mustache says he has eight-month-old twins whom hes only seen twice.
Yeah, JAMES (JK, war is terrible and there are no winners here).
James decides to pay attention to the bird, whos been waiting patiently this whole time.
At Skeldale, Helen keeps having cramps and then deciding its fine (it is not).
Richard and Siegfried are not being helpful by talking about how animals are better at having babies.
Its true, though!
A baby who can immediatelywalk.
(Theyre pretty cute, though.)
But Helen hates all this and silences them with a very powerful stare.
Shes got things to do, like carve aCailleach Nollich.
Its when James carved a face into a stick and put it in the fire for Christmas.
Does it make any sense?
But its weird and fun.
Due to a community Christmas lunch, Richard and Siegfried have to go pick up a goose.
On this goose mission, Richard gets bitten on the butt by a dog.
She gets him a bowtie because she noticed he likes them.
Everyone reacts pretty calmly when Helen goes into labor.
Richard offers the fact-check that this baby will have arms.
Ah yes, good point; I hadnt thought of that.
They both get thrown out of the house.
Siegfried tells Richard he can move into Tristans old room at the practice.
Richard is part of the family now!
(And is also obligated to answer night calls.)
Richard gets slightly drunk, thanks Mrs. Hall for his first Christmas present, and then tipsily hugs her.
She tells Siegfried she didnt forget it.
Wow, this is the slowest burn of all time.
Fool that I am, I thought they would get together at the end of season two.
Here we are wrapping up season four, and all the pieces continue to leisurely drift into place.
Mrs. Hall had her first relationship after her husband; shes officially divorced; Siegfried has tried dating again.
THEYRE BOTH READY NOW.
Or at least you’ve got the option to with kestrels?
And definitely dont shove toothpicks into birds.
It works for James, however, and Georgie flies.
Mustache is so moved that he gives James two days leave.
Congrats to James and Helen!
When everyone is sitting in the parlor in front of the fire, James (finally!)
realizes Oscar might be the cat that was missing.
He doesnt even have a real hat on, you two!
We end with the family all together, except for Tristan.
Will he ever return?
I have no idea.
Thanks to this show for another cozy and lovely season.
