All Creatures Great and Small Season 5, Episode 2, “Holding the Baby” Spoilers Ahead
All Creatures Great and Small’s “Holding the Baby” offers something for everyone to love. While the main storylines appear to run on parallel tracks, what holds the episode together is the humor, human intelligence, and heart that are hallmarks of the show. And, of course, Skeldale House. “Holding the Baby” spans one chaotic day in the life of our favorite found family. They breakfast and dine together, but, between these communal meals, the characters scatter to find adventure, conflict, danger, a chance at romance, and sadly, death in the Dales.
“Holding the Baby” is an entertaining episode that mixes in weighty topics without spoiling the fun.
Moonlighting
All Creatures Great and Small Season 5, Episode 2 begins with silhouettes against the dark of night. Two characters eventually emerge into the moonlight, but the setting is hardly romantic: Mrs. Hall’s first rounds as a blackout warden end with Mr. Bosworth drumming information into her head for what is apparently the umpteenth time. At the same moment, in the warm glow of Skeldale House, Siegfried Farnon waits up for Audrey. As he enjoys a letter from Tristan, a gap in the curtains earns Bosworth’s rebuke and sparks a showdown that runs through the episode. Fatigued from her volunteer shift and anticipating the duties of her day job, Mrs. Hall turns down a sorely needed nightcap. In “Holding the Baby,” Audrey is not the only person pulling double duty.
Determined to “get stuck in” as quickly as possible, James Herriot volunteers to take care of little Jimmy for the day. After receiving thorough instructions from Helen Herriot and enduring a solo nappy change, James perhaps feels overconfident. He decides to respond to a special request for his veterinary services. Mrs. Hall is not free to mind the baby. So, James and Richard Carmody, who’s also busy preparing for his exams, pack Jimmy into the car. Despite Hamish’s barked warnings, James forgets crucial equipment when going to Dowson’s farm and crucial personnel — where’s the baby!?! — when leaving.
Helen spends much of the episode at Heston Grange trying to find a balance between her demanding role as a new mother and her evolving role as a big sister. Richard Alderson’s warm hug of celebration at learning about James’ return contrasts with Jenny’s almost cold shoulder at Helen’s offer to help out more at the farm. Helen eyes with suspicion the influence Darrowby’s first land girl, Doris, appears to exercise over Jenny. Helen repeatedly faces the limits of her own authority over her not-so-little sister. An ill-timed airplane flyover and an aging mare finally reunite the Alderson sisters in reminiscence. In this tender conversation, Helen learns that it is her advice to Jenny that may be coming back to haunt her.
Related Content: Scene Breakdown: Audrey and Siegfried Try to Save Bingo in All Creatures Great and Small’s ‘Holding the Baby’
Like Helen, Siegfried may wish that he could eat his words. Bosworth’s rigid enforcement of rules and his demands on Audrey’s time lead Siegfried to blurt out his frustration. His phrasing is gasp-inducing — in other words, super awkward! In moonlighting as a defender of community values and a territorial (or perhaps jealous) employer, Siegfried crosses a line. The former Wren, Mrs. Hall, reminds him that she can fight her own battles. Siegfried’s cowed expression and his attentiveness during the rest of All Creatures Great and Small Season 5, Episode 2, “Holding the Baby,” suggest an end to his stint as possessive boss. Serving as Darrowby’s voice of common sense against Bosworth’s petty tyranny is sure to be enough for a full-time second job.
All Creatures Great and Small Season 5, Episode 2 Is a Visual and Verbal Treat
All Creatures Great and Small’s “Holding the Baby” is packed with beautiful images and clever wordplay. Even long-time viewers will find the scenery breathtaking in this episode. And language geeks may want to rewatch to catch all the turns of phrases brilliantly incorporated throughout the episode.
Director Brian Percival and Director of Photography Erik Molberg Hansen spoil viewers with many amazing frames. The snow-dusted field at the Sudderby farm with the Rover and a stone wall in the foreground is stunning. Views of the winding road through rolling hills on the way to and from Dowson’s farm capture the splendor of the Dales and remind viewers what an adventure the two vets have embarked on with a tiny baby. The horses galloping through the fields toward the wider Dales suggest Jenny’s readiness to venture into the world. An overhead look at Mrs. Hall in her smart uniform with a brook in the background is worthy of a fashion magazine. The shots of Heston Grange with sheep in the fields are postcard perfection, simply beautiful.
In addition to open vistas, Percival uses tighter shots and angles to wonderful effect. Close framing allows viewers to see the amused looks Mrs. Hall and Siegfried or James and Carmody exchange in reaction to Bosworth or Dowson, respectively. A lingering camera captures Doris’s conspiratorial wink to Jenny, leaving viewers to wonder whether she truly is a bad influence. We see Siegfried discovering photos of Bingo in Bosworth’s home (again humanizing him as a dog owner). The compact visual of Siegfried and Audrey in the close quarters of the Rover creates tension and amplifies their jokey intimacy. A quick look at Hamish shows the dog saying, “I told you so,” with a glance. The shot of Bingo draped in Siegfried’s jacket melts hearts. And close-ups on the “bonny little pudding” Jimmy are shots of pure joy.
At one point, Dowson says to Carmody: “You do come out with some corkers, Richard.” I cannot help but think writer Maxine Alderton has heard that a time or two. Alderton is probably the punny friend, except the quality of her wordplay in “Holding the Baby” suggests she is actually funny. Various phrases subtly or more obviously give cues as to place, plot, or character development. The generous use of Yorkshire dialect anchors the show in the Dales. These charming reminders of place also make newcomers, like Bosworth and Doris with their questionable behaviors, stand out even more.
Alderton amazingly incorporates everyday phrases to connect the Dowson farm and Heston Grange plots even before Carmody almost crashes into Doris. Carmody asks James how it feels to be “back in the saddle” as Dorris is somewhere trying to keep to her saddle. Later, James says, “Don’t spare the horses,” as a frightened Candy is rampaging through the Dales. There’s even a link between the Siegfried-Audrey and Heston Grange storylines when Carmody fails to “seize the day” with Doris.
Words and metaphors also give us insights into character mindsets. It seemed like James had turned the page on being a pilot when he declared, “I’m a vet” in “To All Our Boys.” In “Holding the Baby,” we learn that his head may still be in the clouds when he says, “I’ll never get my wings unless I sit in the cockpit.” It’s only been two days. We’ll have to wait and see. What’s more certain is that Siegfried can be insensitive. Alderton drives this home with Siegfried’s careless use of language after Bosworth loses his sole companion. It takes a special person to exclaim metaphorically, “There’s life in the old dog yet,” only moments after he’s declared a man’s real dog literally dead. The quips are funny, but they also remind us that words matter.
Of course, wordplay is not the only device Alderton uses to advance the stories and character growth in “Holding the Baby.” All Creatures Great and Small viewers will find the well-paced storytelling, tender dialogue, and seamlessly crafted plots that make the show so unique. I always love the vet showman motif. Animal-people parallels include ungovernable babies (Jimmy and the calf), willful adolescents (Jenny and Joan), and nervous “old” gals (Candy and Helen — sorry!). And there’s ample foreshadowing of events within the episode and beyond.
An acting honorable mention goes to Adrian Hood, who portrays Farmer Dowson’s affable, reverential worship of his vet saviors brilliantly. His fleeting look of incomplete relief on learning that the flyover was a RAF plane is all the more jarring when contrasted with the farmer’s usual jolly demeanor. Danger is never far away these days.
Despite (or perhaps because of) the flyover scare and poor Bingo’s demise, “Holding the Baby” leaves viewers confident that the residents of Skeldale House can adapt as war reshapes their lives. It reminds us that change can be good but that some things never change.
Now streaming on PBS: What are your thoughts on All Creatures Great and Small Season 5, Episode 2, “Holding the Baby?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Helen Williams; Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE.