'All Creatures Great and Small' Recap: Season 5 Episode 3

All Creatures Great and Small airs Sundays at 8:00 pm on WTTW is available to stream. Recap the previous and following episodes.
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It’s christening time for baby Jimmy. James’ parents are in town for the occasion, and Jimmy’s godparents are also preparing for the big day. Siegfried has taken it upon himself to write a speech, while Mrs. Hall is baking a cake using some clandestinely acquired sugar, which is in short supply due to the war.

But there’s always something to dampen the mood, like the farmer Biggins and his goat. Siegfried has already been out twice to examine the animal, navigating numerous gates, including a broken one, and is confident in his diagnosis. But the ornery Biggins insists the goat isn’t improving. Siegfried begs James to go in his stead, but James has his parents to visit.

So off Siegfried sets, to be told by Biggins that his diagnosis is wrong and he’s overcharging for medicine. He angrily tells Biggins he doesn’t have to pay for the medicine if it doesn’t work. While Siegfried is out, a telegram arrives for him, unnerving Mrs. Hall: it’s likely news, good or bad, about Tristan.

Siegfried retreats behind the closed door of his office to read the note – and soon emerges with a smile on his face. Tristan is coming home.

But the telegram has no more detail, so Siegfried and Mrs. Hall begin to worry that something has gone wrong: Tristan has been discharged, or hurt. They fret until the next day – Jimmy’s christening day – when Siegfried sets off to pick up Tristan from the train station. Car trouble slows Siegfried down so that he’s late in arriving – but he’s relieved to find Tristan waiting there, happy and healthy.

He’s also surprised to watch Tristan offer to – and succeed at – fixing the car before they return home. Even more shocking is that Tristan has been promoted: he’s back in Yorkshire to train veterinarians for the military three days a week, with the rest of his time free. Siegfried mentions that they’re short on hands, but Tristan reminds him that he no longer works for Siegfried. His older brother clamps his mouth shut – he made a promise that he wouldn’t blow up at Tristan if he came home in one piece.

The volume of work pulls James away from his family even when the surgery is closed. His parents spot a woman outside the surgery with a dog, disappointed that it’s closed for the christening, and his mother insists that James will help her regardless. So off the elder Herriots set with Helen and Jimmy for a walk while James stays behind to examine the dog.

The dog has developed an aggressive attachment to a toy – she even bit her owner when she tried to take it away. James hears Tristan arrive home while he is with the woman and her dog and decides to quickly confiscate the toy at the surgery, sending the woman on her way as quickly as possible.

James then emerges to eagerly greet Tristan and show him to his room, which has two new inhabitants: the dog Hamish, and Richard, who’s off in London for his exams.

Everyone, Tristan included, then heads to church for the christening. Afterwards, James jokes with Helen about having more kids and bringing his parents to Darrowby to live with them and help out. Helen has been struggling around Mrs. Herriot, who continually makes off-handed comments that accidentally denigrate Helen as a mother and wife.

So it’s unfortunate when Tristan suggests a pint celebrating his return after the christening and all the men plus Jenny join, leaving Helen alone with Mrs. Herriot and Mrs. Hall to prepare the luncheon. But Mrs. Herriot and Helen soon bond when they hear the dog James examined earlier scratching at the door. Helen finds the toy the dog is looking for, and then notices her teats are swollen and guesses that she had a phantom pregnancy and thinks the toy is her pup. The two human mothers bond over having children, and Mrs. Herriot tells Helen she’s doing a wonderful job. They chide James for separating the dog from her “child.”

At the pub, Tristan offers to treat everyone – and then realizes he doesn’t have enough money, leading Siegfried to pay – a time-honored Tristan tactic. Tristan lightheartedly discusses his military service, annoying Siegfried enough that he approaches Biggins and asks about his goat. The farmer insists that the goat has declined – Siegfried’s medicine isn’t working, which means Biggins doesn’t have to pay. So Siegfried sets off to examine the goat again, christening luncheon be damned, and Tristan joins him in the battle to protect his good name.

At the farm, Tristan confirms Siegfried’s diagnosis but again annoys his older brother, who sends him off to prepare a hot compress. While he’s wandering the farm, Tristan spots the medicine Siegfried prescribed – unopened. He brings it back to Siegfried and the brothers scheme against Biggins.

Tristan announces that the goat has an unlikely illness that can be treated with an injection. But the injection will kill the goat if it hasn’t been taking its medicine. Biggins stutters, and Siegfried reveals that they know he was trying to scam them.

When the Farnons arrive back at Skeldale, James’ parents have already left. Siegfried missed his chance to give a speech, so Tristan offers to listen to an abridged version. Siegfried talks about fatherhood, obliquely telling his brother he’s proud of how he has turned out and that he missed him.

And then they immediately begin to argue. All is back to normal at Skeldale.