All Creatures Great and Small Season 6, Episode 7, “Comfort and Joy” Spoilers Ahead
“Puzzling.” Maybe I’ve been reading too much George Eliot, but that’s the first word I think of when trying to describe the All Creatures Great and Small Season 6 Christmas special. The episode itself is a heavenly (or “Hebdenly”) creation. It’s a sensitive portrayal of hidden misery at the most wonderful time of the year. Compact storytelling and riveting performances lacerate even the hardest hearts. Yet, true to the show’s ethos, viewers will find forms of “Comfort and Joy.”
Still, a ghost of Christmas past disrupts dynamics and apparent arcs with the same disorienting effect as the time jump in the Season 6 premiere. Whether this revenante is welcome remains to be seen, what’s more certain is that “Comfort and Joy” gives us a Christmas we’ll long remember.
Muddling through Christmas in All Creatures Season 6, Episode 7
The All Creatures Season 6 Christmas special opens in the cozy Skeldale kitchen. James Herriot and Jimmy are hard at work preparing the Darrowby Christmas show since Helen is laid up sick. Mrs. Hall, as always, is simply hard at work. Tristan Farnon enters and brings a measure of good cheer with a joke at his brother’s expense. No sooner summoned than Siegfried Farnon appears with austere tidings of mock turkey and Biblical correctness. When Jimmy questions his grinchiness, Siegfried doubles down with Krampus threats. He soon drives out of sight, leaving behind gifts of doubt (about the nativity play) and disgust (about the “murkey”).
The first outdoor scene in the episode is a glorious panoramic view of the Dales and Siegfried driving along in his open Rover despite the blustery weather. He encounters Mrs. Stokes walking and promptly chastises her for exposing herself to the elements. She informs him that she had no choice. Hilda, the irascible goat last seen in “Jenny Wren,” has gotten loose and feasted on a wreath containing laurel. To flush the toxins from Hilda’s system, Siegfried brews a giant cuppa under Mrs. Stokes’ watchful eye. Siegfried turns the conversation to Christmas and confesses he’s looking forward to it with everyone finally back at Skeldale. Mrs. Stokes reopens his wound by raising the specter of a future empty house. While Siegfried cares for Hilda, the widow farmer keeps after him not to tarry too long in finding a mate. His mind is muddled as the holiday approaches.
In “Comfort and Joy,” Tristan’s most vocal holiday thoughts turn around eating a real roast bird. Luckily, Maggie has one on offer for the darts competition at the Drovers. This news has a strange effect on Tris. The allure of Christmas turkey isn’t enough to overcome an aversion to Christmas Eve at the pub. Tristan first pretends that, as a Beauvoir, Charlotte is too good for the place. He then makes a feeble attempt to find the tree he promised Maggie, using failure to explain his reluctance. Clever Charlotte rejects snobbery and suggests a visit to the Christmas tree farm. The couple easily hops a locked gate to enter the magical setting, but they soon confront the difficulties of Christmas. Dearly departed relatives, fallen soldiers, and indelible images haunt them both. Charlotte shares her method for muddling through, and, equipped with the right tools, Tristan does honor to Arthur’s memory.
Despite being in charge of the town pageant, James struggles to maintain the Christmas spirit in All Creatures Season 6, Episode 7, “Comfort and Joy.” He has his usual dose of cheer, but he’s overloaded with responsibilities. In addition to writing and directing a gaggle of adorable kids, James takes over the hidden tasks that make Christmas morning special. Jimmy’s birthday preparations, a random rabbit, and a drop-in visit from Mrs. Pumphrey add to his load. Tricki’s friskiness in “Captain Farnon” (mercifully) did not bear fruit. Mrs. P is disappointed but undeterred and asks James to give tricky steroid injections. His soft heart muddies his judgment, provoking Siegfried to tell him to give up on the old dog. James advises a dejected Mrs. Pumphrey not to go through with the treatment. To raise her spirits, he involves her in the final nativity preparations as a full member of the Skeldale family.
The heart of Skeldale House, Audrey Hall, is focused on providing everyone a proper Christmas in “Comfort and Joy.” On learning about the turkey prize, she eagerly brings out the dart board viewers discovered in “Fixes.” A surprise visit interrupts her planning. Viewers don’t discover the mystery caller’s identity until Siegfried returns from the Stokes farm to find Dorothy (Season 1) standing in the kitchen. Mrs. Hall pushes the two back together. Her reasoning seems to be that it’s better than having shoes thrown at her. Dorothy is very keen; Siegfried is not. He changes his mind after a muddled discussion of Aristophanes with Audrey and a soulful final exchange with Mrs. Stokes. As Siegfried makes the most of a second chance under the mistletoe, Audrey celebrates her darts triumph by hugging air. (Daggers!!)
The All Creatures Team Is Slightly Naughty and Incredibly Nice in “Comfort and Joy”
All Creatures Great and Small Season 6 has been amazing for how seamlessly it weaves past themes and events into a war-transformed Darrowby. Each episode has some element that provides comforting familiarity or joyful nostalgia. In “Comfort and Joy,” the intrusion of the past feels more like a rip in the continuum. All the more so after Siegfried’s straightforward declarations in “Our Hearts Are Full.” Dorothy, who?
Despite this uninvited guest, All Creatures Season 6, Episode 7 is a rare gift. This episode captures the specialness of the Christmas season, particularly when it is less than jolly. The powerfully inclusive storytelling speaks to anyone for whom the holidays can be hard. Without sentimentality, “Comfort and Joy” fills every scene with strong emotion. Be sure to turn up the volume if you want to hear the beautiful dialogue over your own sobbing.
The writing pair, Neil Jones and Damian Wayling, pull off a remarkable feat. They insert a controversial plot twist while crafting an episode that almost uniformly deserves praise. The meta mentions of James Herriot having potential as a writer are clever winks. The dialogue includes many wonderfully entertaining exchanges. The dress rehearsal with a sword-wielding shepherd and headless baby Jesus captures all the chaos of a children’s production. Mrs. Stokes and Hilda give Siegfried fits with unsolicited advice and uncontrolled flatulence, respectively(!). Tristan serenades Charlotte about burglary and inadvertently slips in a reference to his “true love.”
In the midst of all this natural feeling, the double-entendre of the darts lesson flirtation feels out of place (much like the sensuality in “Pair Bond“).
“Comfort and Joy” truly excels when it plays to All Creatures’ habitual register of heartwarming or heart-wrenching humanity. The briefest glimpse of Helen in her sick room lifts our hearts, especially when we learn Richard Alderson has overcome his northern pride and gone to London. Jones and Wayling’s script wonderfully highlights Mrs. Pumphrey’s loneliness and dignified resignation. The tree lot conversation between Charlotte and Tristan and their mutual “I love you’s” is a magnificent model for uncomplicated romance.
Then, there’s complicated (with the romance part tbd). In the episode, Jones and Wayling — along with Samuel West, Anna Madeley, and director Andy Hay — breathe new life into the split-soul myth. When Siegfried tells the story to Audrey, it feels like hearing it for the first time. Hay blocks the scene with the two initially facing in opposite directions, not looking at each other. Siegfried finally turns and frowns when Audrey implies he doesn’t know how to woo a lady. He tells the myth to explain why he’s not excited by Dorothy’s return. The words matter less than what Siegfried is not saying. His meaningful pause and earnest look, his soft voice and ragged inhale are all tell-tale signs for romance fans. “I suppose I want that” is basically a confession when combined with his VJ Day sentiments.
Unfortunately, Audrey is practical or forgetful (or perhaps not yet willing to see herself as the object of such longing and not from this man). Her response echoes Mrs. Stokes’ advice to “gather ye rosebuds.” An ill-timed phone call from that same wise farmer sets Siegfried on another course.
Enter Susan Hilton with an absolutely mind-blowing performance! Hay uses a series of tight, fragmented shots to reveal the full horror of how much Laurel Hilda likely consumed. When Siegfried enters the Stokes cottage with this fatal diagnosis, all the blustery bits of the farmer’s personality fall away. Gone are the brandy swilling irritation, the easy opinions, and the sparkle of the former showgirl. Hilton poignantly portrays Stokes’ scornful disbelief and expectant pleading before the despairing realization. At the last moments, her tender comforting of her “very best girl” is almost overwhelming. Director Hay uses close-ups to show the devotion and agony that Hilton pours into Stokes’ funereal serenade. You’ll want to wipe your eyes to witness all the delicate beauty of the final close-up on Lavinia Stokes’ upturned face and trembling chin.
Of course, the All Creatures Season 6 Christmas episode is not all unbearable heartache. Hay creates a lovely winter wonderland feel, especially with the tree lot scenes. A view through the branches as Tris puts his arm around Charlotte allows a peek at their playful private moment. Her red knit cap among the evergreens is as cheerful as a cardinal. Whatever becomes of them, Siegfried and Dorothy make a dashing pair on their ride through the absolutely gorgeous Yorkshire countryside. And don’t miss the snow-covered backdrop for the closing credits.
The set design and art departments shine brightly in the episode. The mock turkey “recipe” graphic shows all the inventiveness and horror of the concoction for a meat lover. The gorgeous turkey prize poster presents a stark contrast. The Stokes cottage and barn reveal her aloneness and ancientness, giving more weight to her warnings not to tarry. Her memorabilia amplify the message that life passes by quickly and love is precious.
The Drovers tree provides the perfect backdrop for the final message of “Comfort and Joy.” Tris steps up to remind us that seasons of light come at a price. (Aside to readers: The hope that the “world doesn’t go down this dark road again” was another tight chest, hot tears moment.)
All Creatures Season 6, Episode 7, “Comfort and Joy,” closes with a happy birthday boy and a live turkey enjoying the snow. Mrs. Hall has won her prize but sacrificed it for the harmony of her Skeldale family. She truly carries the spirit of Christmas year-round. But I dearly hope she gets her goose very soon.
Now streaming on PBS: What are your thoughts on All Creatures Great and Small Season 6, Episode 7, “Comfort and Joy?” Let us know in the comments below.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Playground Entertainment and MASTERPIECE / Photographer: Helen Williams