As the finale of All Creatures Great and Small begins, James (Nicholas Ralph) takes Helen (Rachel Shenton) to the movies. As they stand in line, Isaac Cranford (Mike Harding) keeps eyeballing them although James can’t understand that since he saved a cow of his last week. Once the attendant arrives, they’re allowed inside and begin taking their seats. The theater shows a clip about the meeting between Chamberlain and Hitler while Helen suggests it’ll get sorted. When asked about his parents, James confirms they’re coming but can only stay one night. Isaac turns to James and complains that his cow is dead and he never got the salve he was promised. Helen enjoys a good laugh at James’s expense. The next day, Mrs. Hall (Anna Madeley) shows James and Tristan (Callum Woodhouse) what she is going to cook for James’s parents before James says he didn’t tell his mom on the phone that he is staying and will do it in person.

Tristan doesn’t hear it and confirms he is still considering going back to school. James tells them about Isaac and his bloody salve. Siegfried (Samuel West) interrupts and encourages James to get married although he doesn’t have money or a house. He tells James they can live at Skeldale House for the time being. Siegfried encourages James to throw caution to the wind before Herriot finally manages to shut him up. Mrs. Hall likes the idea and also tells James that Phyllis Dalby (Amy Nuttall) called and wants James to look at her stirks. Once he arrives, Phyllis scolds young Billy (Aiden Cook) for not going to school already and sends him on his way. Then, she admits she brought the stirks back out because she can’t afford to keep feeding them cake. James quickly notices they’ve been suffering from diarrhea and worries it could be salmonella. He looks at the animals closely and notices something odd around their eyes.

He agrees to take some samples to the lab so they can find out by tomorrow. Phyllis admits she wonders if she should’ve sold the farm like James previously recommended, but Herriot reminds her she kept the farm for Billy so he can have a future. He says her life is here and this is where she belongs. Mrs. Donovan (Frances Tomelty) tries to sell her dog shampoo as Tristan watches from a distance. She argues that they don’t need vets because they know nothing about dogs and cats. Her dog, Rex, notices a stray and chases it into the alleyway. As the chase continues, Rex is tragically hit by a car. Tristan argues the animal needs a vet so he takes it over to Skeldale House as Mrs. Donovan follows all the way. When Audrey recommends waiting in the living room, Mrs. Donovan refuses to leave Rex. Unfortunately, Siegfried finds that the dog has suffered from massive internal hemorrhaging and has died. She begins breaking down as Siegfried leaves the room.

James goes to the Alderson place to check on Candy and Helen notices James’s awkward smell due to Audrey’s bath salts. He learns that Helen told Jenny (Imogen Clawson) she could stay home from school so she could be there for the birth. When Jenny is sent away, Helen is surprised to learn James used to skip school at her age. Then, he checks Candy and the foal. Everything seems okay so he asks Helen to go with him to the lab to drop off the samples for Phyllis Dalby. He also invites her to dinner so he can introduce her to his parents since they’re dating. Back at Skeldale House, Tristan tells Donovan that Rex didn’t suffer before offering to keep him there, but Donovan wants to give him a proper burial. Tristan agrees to carry Rex over there for her as Siegfried watches from the other room. As they walk along, Tristan tells Mrs. Donovan that Rex must’ve had a good life with her because he always looked happy.

She replies that you always know where you are with a dog since they don’t judge you. We see a stray in the distance before Mrs. Donovan tries to find out what he is after, but he says he isn’t after anything. He says he saw what happened and wanted to help. Now, he realizes it isn’t only about the animals. Once they arrive, Mrs. Donovan tells everyone that Rex died but didn’t feel anything. Meanwhile, Helen and James talk about their parents getting married before she admits she never thought James was the romantic type. She rephrases herself by saying he isn’t the type for grand gestures. James reveals that his mom thinks he’ll never get married with this job, but Siegfried wants him to marry Helen now.

Helen agrees with Siegfried that James overthinks things too much and sees catastrophe around every corner. James says it isn’t something he wants to do so she tells him not to do it. He believes the worst thing that could happen is Helen saying no. She tells him to stop the car before getting out and walking away from the vehicle. James approaches and says he is not afraid to say he wants to spend the rest of his life with her there in the Dales. She says she isn’t afraid either. They kiss. Helen interrupts and asks why James smells like that. He confesses he ran out of bath salts and might’ve overused Audrey’s. James realizes something is wrong before he suspects the ring, but Helen reminds him he hasn’t spoken to her father yet. Once they return to the Alderson place, Helen gives him tips for talking to her father. Richard comes running toward the vehicle to tell them something is wrong with Candy.

After checking Candy, James reveals the uterus is twisted and it is too late for a C-section. He gives Jenny a demonstration before Richard says both will die if they can’t untwist it. Jenny is sent to call the Skeldale House and Siegfried learns about it. Tristan watches as his brother grabs the horse killer and eventually decides to go with him. Audrey listens to the radio as they talk about the meeting between Chamberlain and Hitler. Tristan and Siegfried arrived and learn about the uterus being twisted. They decide to try to turn her over to unwind it while James holds onto the hooves. After a few tense moments, it works. Gerald Hammond (Will Thorp) stops by Skeldale with Rock and invites Audrey to take Jess on a walk with them. She hesitates but agrees. The pony stands up before Jenny tells her father she wants to call her Joan after their mother. Helen takes Jenny inside so James can talk to Richard alone. They go inside for a few drinks although James turns them down.

Richard tells him about his wife and how he was lucky to get her. He admits she was stubborn just like Helen. Although he can barely picture her face, he can see his wife’s face in his daughters. James tells him how much he loves Helen and how he’ll take care of her, but Richard believes it’ll be the other way around. He also suspects James has already asked her. He isn’t sure that James needs his approval since Helen is stubborn and will do whatever she wants anyway. He gives James his wife’s ring and asks him to use it. We see that Jenny has been watching everything from the stairway. In the morning, Tristan and Siegfried learn that James left the stool samples since he was out late. Audrey gets a call from Isaac who is rude on the phone. Tristan agrees to drop off the salve later and grabs the stool sample. James comes down the stairs and tells everyone about Helen and Richard saying yes.

Before he goes, Audrey tells him that the lab from Harrogate didn’t find anything. Tristan returns to the spot where he saw the stray dog and lures him over with a treat before putting a leash on its neck. Seconds later, James meets with his parents Hannah (Gabriel Quigley) and James Senior (Drew Cain). He says they’re going to take their things to the inn before going for a drive. She mentions he won’t be staying much longer, but James says it isn’t bad. Tristan tells the stray to look miserable before walking past Mrs. Donovan and tells her they’re going to have to put the stray down. When she agrees to take him, Tristan admits he might benefit from her shampoos. James takes his parents to the Dalby place so they can see what he does. He tells Phyllis it isn’t salmonella. His parents follow them through the gate so he can show Phyllis the rings around their eyes.

He says it is a copper deficiency and it can easily be fixed with a few injections. They’ll have long, happy lives and the treatment is as cheap as chips. Once Phyllis takes young Billy away, James and his parents talk about how pretty it is up there. He tells them he wants them to see someone while Audrey listens to the radio again. She is relieved that they’re going to have peace. James meets Helen and tells her everything is going to be okay. He surprises her with the ring and insists he is romantic after all. Richard watches from a distance. Meanwhile, Siegfried and the others find out that James’s parents aren’t big drinkers. James Senior tells Siegfried that he has a nice place before Hannah says he must be sad he is losing James, but Siegfried knows nothing about it. James walks in with Helen who is immediately asks about leaving. He introduces Helen as his fiancé first. Tristan, Audrey, and Siegfried go into the other room and listen to their conversation.

James finally breaks the news that he isn’t going anywhere. He confesses he was tempted to leave, but he loves Helen and everything around here. He explains every day there is different, so he never knows what to expect. Helen says James is too modesty to say it, but he has made such a difference for so many people. He says what he does here really matters. James says it is the people that make the practice and he loves this place. Helen says they should be so proud of him because she is, and she loves him with all her heart. James Senior is happy with it as long as they’re happy. Hannah agrees. They get on the bus moments later. Before they go, James talks about visiting although his mom says it is his real home and you don’t visit your real home. Once the bus is gone, James and Helen express their love for one another. Isaac interrupts to complain about the salve which was actually the stool sample.

At the pub, Siegfried tells his brother why he pushes him so much. Mrs. Donovan shows off Roy after he has been bathed with her shampoo. She pulls Tristan aside to tell him she knows what he is up to. Once she steps away, Tristan tells his brother and Audrey what he did with the stray. Then, he says he is going to need some money so he can go back and complete the last exam. James arrives and asks Tristan if he got the stool sample messed up with the salve, but he says it was retaliation for being rude to Mrs. Hall. James apologizes for not telling Siegfried sooner before everyone shares a drink to their engagement. Tristan jokes about whether Helen will be able to go through it this time. The episode ends moments later.

 

All Creatures Great And Small Review

The best was saved for last. It has been easy to fall in love with the dynamic characters making the finale even more emotional. James, Tristan, Siegfried, Audrey, and others are all fallible ensuring they’re realistic and likable. James corrected one of his flaws by being a little more spontaneous and it paid off with an engagement. Tristan showed initiative when helping Mrs. Donovan deal with the loss of her dog and found his true calling in the process.

Audrey finally agreed to take Jess on a walk with Gerald and Rock. As for Siegfried, he allowed his brother to spread his wings and it ultimately helped him see his brother’s worth. All Creatures Great and Small is a charming show with likable characters, powerful scenes, and gorgeous scenery. The second season was equally good as the first making it a must-watch for people who already call themselves fans.

It is once again one of the best shows on television. The finale was outstanding, and be warned that many will likely need a tissue nearby. It scores an 8.5 out of 10. Catch up with All Creatures Great and Small recaps on Reel Mockery here.