All Creatures Great and Small Season 6, Episode 5, “Fixes” Spoilers Ahead
In “Fixes,” the All Creatures Great and Small team delivers a deceptively buoyant episode that elegantly advances the heavier plots of Season 6. Deliciously agonizing moments mix in among the lighter fare of poo samples, potty mouths, and fishy practices. The episode delicately reveals the brokenness affecting Skeldale residents and their relationships. In its final joyful images, “Fixes” also promises that healing is possible.
Cursing the Day in All Creatures Season 6, Episode 5
The first moments of the episode feel like a throwback. The opening flyover of the Dales provides reassuring continuity after the Alderson ladies’ goodbyes in “Jenny Wren.” We, then, discover James Herriot alone in the bedsit at Skeldale House, which adds to the feeling of coming home. Despite these hits of nostalgia, there’s been no reverse time jump. The camera scans over papers piled on the bed—account books showing the vet practice deep in the red. James lets out an exasperated sigh at the glaring number, but he sees a glimmer of hope in a letter from a dog racing track.
Down in the kitchen, little Jimmy is enjoying breakfast duty and pranks with Mrs. Hall. As James and Tristan enjoy the morning meal, Siegfried Farnon arrives with an unappetizing dish to test his pupil, Jimmy. In “Fixes,” the elder Farnon is absorbed with teaching the boy to distinguish different animal droppings. James is more concerned with their declining revenues. After a clash with his senior partner, James rashly accepts an interview at Hensfield dog track.
At Hensfield, red flags are everywhere, but good-natured James chooses not to see them. Track owner Coker “can tell by looking at” James that he’s the perfect vet/patsy for the racket he’s running. James soon falls for a sob story from a medically discharged soldier. Despite his doubts, the vet clears the man’s unfit dog to run, helping the bookmakers earn a nice payday. James quickly regrets going after easy money.
Uncle Siegfried also faces disappointment in All Creatures Season 6, Episode 5. Everything seems to be going his way. He has an eager audience for what he loves best, educating young people. He has a captive partner for his wild card game ideas. Siegfried also directs the practice according to his preferences, leaving James and Tristan to fend for themselves. After a pleasant morning teaching Jimmy, Siegfried learns an unpleasant truth from the mouth of the babe. As Siegfried grapples with knowing that Helen thinks him “shellfish,” he dulls the pain with scotch. Since he’s too impaired to drive to James’ rescue, Mrs. Hall takes the wheel as getaway driver.
If Audrey Hall regrets returning to Darrowby, she doesn’t show it. In “Fixes,” Audrey shares her talent for darts with Maggie, and viewers learn she uses the game to exorcise her frustrations. The source of Audrey’s annoyance is apparent as Mr. Farnon hijacks her picnic plans for Jimmy. We see her barely disguised giant eye roll at Siegfried’s suggestion of backwards cribbage for a jolly evening. Audrey grits her teeth when Siegfried demands fresh tea while she is ironing and his hands are free to boil water. Still, the thrill of being part of a team allows Mrs. Hall to laugh it all off, even the unpaid salary.
In “Fixes,” the usual All Creatures joker is not laughing much. Instead, Tristan Farnon is stymied by a cursing bird. The parrot’s constant refrain amuses the Ainsley children, but other symptoms lead Tris to worry about a contagious condition. As he observes the quarantined bird, Tristan recalls one of the fundamental lessons of veterinary practice: “Look to the owner.” He realizes that, before the Ainsleys adopted him, the parrot lost his flock and then his human. With only parrot George to hear him, Tristan finally opens up about losing members of his flock on the front. When he returns the bird, Tris informs the Ainsleys that it will “take him some time to learn to love…again.” We understand, of course, that Tristan is also describing himself.
“Fixes” Is a Showcase for All Creatures Great and Small’s Best Qualities
All Creatures Season 6, Episode 5, “Fixes,” is a charming collection of the elements that fans love most about the series. “Fixes” mixes cuteness and quirky capers with pain and serious conversations. The episode offers viewers still more character insights and hopes for personal and relationship growth. And for close watchers, the All Creatures team sprinkles “Fixes” with lots of allusions to episodes and seasons past. These callbacks enhance the series continuity, and they also provide satisfying rewards for longtime fans.
Writing solo for the first time for All Creatures Great and Small, Neil Jones updates many of the dynamics from “Old Dog, New Tricks.” This fresh look at lingering problems reveals how people have (or haven’t) evolved in the months since VE Day. As with 6×02, in “Fixes,” James and Siegfried are foils. James rashly tackles the practice’s challenges, creating more problems; Siegfried focuses on his own enjoyment, creating more problems. Jones echoes James’ opportunistic timing when requesting permission. In “Fixes,” the junior partner takes advantage of Siegfried’s softer demeanor with Jimmy to borrow the Rover. We again see gullible James being manipulated, and an uncertain and potentially fatal diagnosis for a dog. This time around, James toughens up more quickly, and Siegfried steps in more forcefully to help him out.
The reconciliation between James and Siegfried in the episode is a beautiful scene with moving dialogue. The shift from kidding about boxing prowess to implied, then outright apologies, flows naturally. So much so that the emotional impact feels more powerful. When Siegfried winces and says, “I still think of this as her home,” a pang of realization made me gasp. He is still really hurting.
Jones packs a lot of gut punches into the final minutes of “Fixes.” Tristan’s confessional with George gives way to emergency roadside surgery on Blackpool Rock. The race to save an endangered dog recalls the incident with poor Bingo in “Holding the Baby.” Perhaps to gratify this nostalgia, the next scene is a moment of physical tenderness between Audrey and Siegfried. After the celebratory hug in “Gathering the Flock,” shippers must feel a new shiver of excitement seeing Audrey’s lingering hand. Oh, poo, Jimmy, not now!
The biggest emotional shock has been foreshadowed throughout the season. Still, it’s heartbreaking to discover Maggie sobbing alone over a letter. Mrs. Hall hesitates and decides to leave Maggie to her mourning. The pause and pained expression bring flooding back the heartbreaking scenes of Audrey in the street in “All God’s Creatures.” Jones leans into Mrs. Hall’s trait of “unselfishly” putting her Skeldale family first to provide a joyous closing scene.
The brilliant permanent cast makes the quips funnier and the solemn moments more earnest. Callum Woodhouse delivers a standout performance as Tristan’s deadened heart becomes more obvious. Not to be outdone by the adults, Thomas Riches, as little Jimmy, is a wonderful talent. His adorable gasp when Siegfried mocks Jimmy’s rabbit is laugh-out-loud comedy. Riches’ beautifully naïve delivery augments Siegfried’s horror in learning what Helen thinks of him. The child actors who bring to life the Ainsley children also bring a wonderful mix of humor and sincerity.
All Creatures veteran director Andy Hay creates fantastic visual variety and energy in “Fixes.” Gorgeous aerial views of the Dales provide calming transitions. The wide angles at Hensfield capture the wonderful natural light and hopeful energy of race attendees. The views of the speeding Vauxhall and chaotic crowd shots capture the quirky heist vibes. Hay’s choreography of the “fight,” chase, and escape scenes creates wonderful tension and joyful thrills. The schoolyard circle around James as he protects the whippet shows his courage and determination to do the right thing.
Hay’s direction of various pairs reinforces our understanding of the dynamics of their relationships. As James and Siegfried argue about bills, a tracking shot follows Siegfried. In contrast to this frenetic motion, Hay uses a stationary shot for James. Similarly, when Tristan visits Charlotte, the camera follows her running down the spiral staircase out of his view. Once she enters the foyer, a wide fixed shot shows her strolling coolly towards her paramour. The side-by-side framing of Siegfried and Tristan as they consult about George suggests the potential seriousness of the bird’s condition. Later, a profile view of Tristan and George on their respective perches shows they are equals in suffering.
The alternating slow-motion and regular-motion visuals for the dog race help to convey James’ gradual realization that he’s been had. Slow motion reappears in the final scene for Audrey and Siegfried’s joyful synchronized paper plane throws. From start to finish, “Fixes” uses powerful visuals to enhance the storytelling.
All Creatures Great and Small Season 6, Episode 5, “Fixes,” is a lively episode that gradually dials up the emotion. The fun, tense, and more poignant exchanges show a broad range of the human experience. Its beautiful combination of nostalgia and newness (and that flirty moment) may quickly make “Fixes” a favorite with All Creatures fans.
Now streaming on PBS: What are your thoughts on All Creatures Great and Small Season 6, Episode 5, “Fixes?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE / Photographer: Helen Williams