All Creatures Great and Small (2020) s03e06 Episode Script

Confirm cow number 85.
Number 85.
Nine ten.
We make a good team.
What he means is he
couldn't do it without me.
It's true. Right now it doesn't feel
like there's enough hours in the day.
Glad to hear it, son. Good to be busy.
I'm only doing this so I don't
forget what he looks like.
Dad! Helen!
Tonight Britain stands
on the brink of
hostilities with Germany.
At dawn this morning German
aircraft bombed Polish towns
and German tanks invaded her frontiers.
The evacuation of children and
families from British cities
has today been put into operation.
Mr Chamberlain has asked Herr Hitler
to withdraw his German
troops from Poland
or Britain and France will
be forced to declare war.
The opposition leader Mr Attlee
has warned of the dangers of delay.
Bloody hell. It's not actually
going to happen, is it?
We have been here before.
You'd hope they couldn't
be that brainless again
but these are politicians
we're talking
Sorry, Mrs Hall, that
was insensitive of me.
It's getting serious between you two.
I wonder what she'll be cooking.
Oh, she's not cooking. Mr
and Mrs Pandhi are hosting us.
I was thinking we should return
the invitation as soon as possible.
There's no need to look so panicked.
Panicked? I'm not panicked.
I'm the opposite of panicked.
I'll be in my office, Mrs Hall.
Try not to disgrace the family
name, and don't roll in drunk.
He's just protective of you, that's all.
Hmm. If you say so.
I'm sure they'll love you.
Why didn't you say so, you daft beggar?
They said we could be at war by
next week. What'll that mean for us?
Hey, come here. Listen,
there's no point worrying
about summat that hasn't happened yet.
And if it does happen,
we'll just have to muck in,
all of us. We'll get through it.
Let's get back up to the house.
I'll see you back at Skeldale.
I just wanted to say, there's
no need for you to feel guilty.
Why would I feel guilty?
Farms couldn't function without
vets and the country needs farms.
There's a lot of men
would give their eye teeth
to be in your position. I know that.
Look, whatever you feel
about a sense of duty,
just remember, family
comes first, always.
What? What's up?
I said, what's up?
Oh, bloody hell, no. No.
Oh
No, I left India when I was young.
My parents sent me to
England to be educated.
That's when I met your
brother, at veterinary college.
Both top of the class
and both as pig-headed and
competitive as the other.
That sounds like Siegfried all right.
So, how did you two meet?
I treated her cat.
Imagine his parents' reaction
when they heard that he'd fallen
for a vicar's daughter from Giggleswick.
You still working for your brother?
Strictly speaking, yes. Haven't
figured out how to escape him yet.
I think it's important for
families to stay together.
Yeah.
Oh! Hello, Daisy, old girl. Hello.
There's no better test
of a man's character
than how he gets along with a dog.
Particularly this dog.
That's why you invited
me, is it? To test me?
Course it is, lad. Florence
is our only daughter.
We need to know your intentions.
Right Well, er
My intentions are absolutely honourable.
I-I would never treat Florence with
anything other than the utmost
If you could see your face!
You could have told me
your mother was a joker.
- Who'd like some wine?
- Oh, but I I thought
Depends on the sect. We take the
view that Shakti is OK with it.
Oh, well, Shakti sounds
like my kinda man.
Shakti is the Great Divine Mother.
Oh.
Where've you come from, little one? Eh?
What's this?
Hello. Hello.
"Dash." So that's your name, is it?
Who in their right mind would
abandon such a beautiful animal?
- Perhaps he's unwell.
- He doesn't seem it.
- Oh. Have you seen him before?
- Uh-uh.
- What will you do?
- Well, we shall have to call round,
try and track down the owner.
Poor thing. You must be
feeling very scared and alone.
You're safe here with us, poppet.
That's very kind of you, Dash, eh?
You keep it, if Jess doesn't mind.
It'll keep you company.
Five millimetres? Is that all?
It's marginal but the rules
are very clear, I'm afraid.
I should never have agreed to this.
I knew it were trouble. They'll
shut us down, won't they?
Only temporarily.
They'll run further tests
and if the herd stays
clear for a month or so,
- you'll be free to re-open the farm.
- A month?
What am I supposed to do
with no income for a month?
- I don't know.
- What do you mean you don't know?
- What the hell are we going to do?
- I don't see that we have a choice.
I have to the inform the
Ministry of Agriculture
and hope the process is as short
as possible. I'm very sorry.
Wait a minute, listen,
there's no need to be so hasty.
What if What if
I were to fetch my gun
and go and shoot the
infected beast myself?
There'd be no reason
for the MAG to know.
The thing is, it's about public safety.
The rules are there
for the greater good
Yeah, well, sod the bloody rules!
People who make rules about farming
don't understand farming
and they never have.
Look, I'm on your side here
but I can't make
exceptions. You know I can't.
Do you know happened
in the last war, eh?
The government let anyone go and fight.
Farmers, miners, doctors, vets, anyone.
And do you know what happened?
The whole bloody
country ground to a halt.
And then halfway through the
war, things start to come undone.
And I were working all hours.
I couldn't get the help.
And there weren't a day went by
that I weren't scared out of my wits
that we'd have enough
food to feed our Helen.
I didn't know that.
Took bloody ages to recover.
Just because some pompous
pen pusher at Whitehall
thought they knew best.
Well, I can't have that again.
Look, I can hold off informing the MAG
until I've run a sputum
test in the lab to be sure.
- Might we get a different result?
- It's unlikely.
But if you want me to do it I will.
Aye.
James.
Thank you.
How'd it go?
Fine. Go back to sleep.
How did it go?
You look like you've been dragged
through several hedges backwards.
It's impossible not to love
someone who makes toast for you.
It was great. Better than great.
You're not hungover?
Oh, I feel like a herd of
elephants are stomping on my head
and it's not out of the question
that a rodent has died in my mouth.
It's all Mr and Mrs Pandhi's fault.
My God, those two can knock it back.
It was all I could do to stop them
from cracking open the
absinthe and seeing in the dawn.
- Is it possible you're still drunk?
- Yes!
I'd like to invite Flo over here
provided you've no objections?
- That sounds wonderful.
- Excellent.
Could I ask her for
Sunday lunch tomorrow?
Sunday lunch is a family occasion. Fine.
Morning. I thought I'd
let you have a lie-in.
Morning. Whose dog is this?
- Somebody left him on the doorstep.
- Have you seen him before?
That was Mrs Pumphrey. She's
worried about a stray cat.
Would you mind? I've got far too
much to get through this morning.
Mr Chamberlain has sent an
ultimatum to Herr Hitler.
Withdraw from Poland by no
later than 11am tomorrow,
or Britain and France will be forced
to declare a state of war with Germany.
The Prime Minister will
broadcast to the nation
on the morning of the 3rd,
and should the conditions
set out to Germany not be met,
then Mr Chamberlain will have
no hesitation in announcing
that a state of war exists
between Great Britain and Germany.
Sit yourself down. You must be starving.
I thought you had the day off.
After you left yesterday,
it looks like one of the
cows might be positive.
Why didn't you wake me up?
I didn't want you up all night worrying.
James, of course wake me up.
This will confirm it
one way or the other.
And the rest of the
herd were all negative.
Well, get on with it then.
Poor Dad. Is he all right?
He doesn't want it reported. He
knows they'll shut the farm down.
We can't keep this from the
MAG. It's TB we're talking about.
We have to report it.
Let's go and break the news to Dad
and then I'll redo the paperwork.
That's Mallock's van.
Oh, heck.
I had no choice but to kill it.
If the MAG shut this place down
- we'll struggle to survive the year.
- This is a deadly disease, Dad.
Have you forgotten about
poor Mr Henry's boy?
The rest of the herd's
tested negative, all of them.
I'm just saying, with
a bit of common sense
we can keep running the farm safely.
Killing it is against the law.
They could hit you with
a whopping fine, or worse.
More than that, James could
get struck off for this.
It won't come to that.
Hang on, if James is struck off,
does that mean he has to go and fight?
Ah, well, if If they find out,
I'll tell 'em it were my decision.
I'll tell 'em it were
nowt to do with James.
They're going to find out, Dad,
'cos you're going to
tell them the truth.
The farm being shut down
for a few weeks is one thing.
James's career being destroyed
and everything that goes
with that is another.
Go and phone the MAG.
The sooner this is
straightened out, the better.
Aye.
To be fair to your dad, he was
just trying to protect you both.
As was I.
We can look after ourselves, James.
Understood.
Just don't be too hard on him.
When it comes to the people you love,
sometimes judgement goes out the window.
You do whatever you can to
protect them, no matter the cost.
Here we are.
She'll come for a saucer of milk,
recline in the sun like Cleopatra,
and then she'll be off again.
Well, she's in pretty
good health for a stray.
I'll give her a vitamin shot.
Friends of yours?
I'm growing a War Garden
with the Women's Institute.
It's really going rather well.
We've got runner beans,
beetroot, potatoes, turnips.
I'm thinking of having a crack at
celery but it's notoriously difficult.
I can't stand celery. Give
it a wide berth, I say.
It's as much about building
morale as anything else.
All of us mucking in together, you know?
We must all do our bit, Mr Farnon.
If it comes to it, I shall pelt those
Nazi buggers with root vegetables.
Come here then, you.
- There we go.
- Oh, well done, you.
Isn't she a darling?
She doesn't quite trust me yet but
I'd love to take her in one day.
Wouldn't Tricki be jealous?
He doesn't perceive her as a threat.
Do you, Tricki?
- You're taking this really seriously, aren't you?
- One can't afford not to.
If it makes you feel any better,
I don't imagine Pumphrey Manor
is high on Hitler's
list of targets, Mrs P.
You'll forgive me if I don't take
military advice from a veterinarian.
If there is a war, I want
this place to be a sanctuary.
Not just for my staff but
for anyone who might need it.
When you find someone
you really care about,
you must cling on to them
like a life ring in a storm
'cos you never know
what might happen next.
What will your dad and Jenny
do while the farm's shut down?
Back there, what did you mean about
protecting the people you love?
Can we just put the whole thing
behind us and enjoy the weekend?
James, you promised you'd be honest
with me. No secrets, remember?
If Jess isn't allowed
on Mr Farnon's chair
then neither are you. Go on, down.
All right then.
But not a word to Mr Farnon.
Everywhere I look, it feels
like we're heading for war.
I can't say it's easy watching
all these other men signing up.
It made me realise how
lucky I am to have you,
and our life here in Darrowby.
I feel the same.
And on the one hand I want to
hold you close and never let you go
and on the other I want to fight
for you with every fibre of my being.
I understand that.
But the war's hundreds of miles away
and there's no certainty it'll happen.
I hope you know that what you're
doing here is incredible, James.
I'm so proud of you.
- What's going on?
- They're evacuees.
Oh, James, look at their little faces.
Hello. Where have you come from?
Come now, children.
That's it.
You really don't have
to follow me, Dash.
I'm sure Jess would love a playmate.
Mr Farnon has many qualities
but tidiness isn't one of them.
"If you are suffering hardship
and you cannot place your
animals in the care of neighbours
it really is kindest
to have them destroyed."
It's from the government.
You can't put him down. It's barbaric.
And what do we do when
the next one's brought in?
And the one after that? We
can't keep him, Mrs Hall.
- Then what do we do?
- I don't know. But he can't stay here.
Everything all right, Tris?
Right. Yes. Absolutely.
Are you sure about that?
Would you Could I interest
you in a pint in the Drovers?
I'm gasping for an ale.
Why don't I get us all one?
Gents, can I leave these with you?
Do you think there will be a war?
I don't know.
What will you do if there is?
Why do you ask?
I suppose because you
always do the right thing.
But what is the right thing?
Sorry it took so long.
What have I missed?
Oh, I was just telling James
how he's my all-time hero.
Did you hear that, James?
See, not everyone wants to throttle you.
Ah.
Right, you do that
side, I'll do this one.
That'll be lovely, thank you.
One of the good things
about the TB testing
is that I've been able
to save some money.
I was putting it aside
for a place of our own
but if your dad needs it
You really are the most
selfless person I know.
Has someone tidied up in here?
Why?
Audrey?
- What's the matter?
- Mm?
The letter on here. Have you seen it?
The MAG one? I posted it for
you. It didn't have a stamp on it.
Well, I thought I were being helpful.
Oh, God.
Tell me we haven't
just sent the MAG a form
stating there's no TB at Heston Grange.
Harcourt's going to
strike me off for this.
I should have called the
minute the cow tested positive.
You've done nothing wrong.
It looks to them like I have.
It looks to them like
I've falsified a form
to prevent my wife's
farm being shut down.
What if I were to take responsibility?
If they strike me off, I'm
too old to be conscripted.
You can't do that, Mr Farnon.
Mrs H is right. It's
out of the question.
I'm going to see Harcourt myself.
If I just tell him the
truth, maybe he'll believe me.
Believe you? He'll
eat you for breakfast.
I need to explain what happened.
Then I'm coming with you.
It's lucky you're a good vet
'cos I'm not sure you'd
cut it as a florist.
- Fancy a cuppa? I've just put the kettle on.
- Great, yes.
What, no, erm
Sorry, is Is anyone else home?
Joan's here. Doris too, maybe. Why?
Erm Could we talk
out here instead, maybe?
- I'll bring the tea out then.
- Great.
Can we not just go inside?
I know they may be a bit
strange but they don't bite.
Wouldn't you rather be
out here in the fresh air?
- By the smelly drain?
- It does smell a bit, yeah.
Why are you being so weird, Tris?
Right. Yes. Erm
The thing is, I've been
doing a lot of thinking.
You know I think you're
great. Not just to look at.
You know exactly who you
are. And that to me is just
I've only ever done
what Siegfried wanted.
He expected me to go to
veterinary college, so I did.
He told me to retake my exams, so I did.
He asked me to join him in his
practice and Well, you get the idea.
Anyway To the point.
I know we haven't been seeing
each other for very long,
and I'm sorry this isn't more romantic
but for the first time in my life
I want to be my own person.
Plough my own furrow, so to speak.
Oh, my God.
And I want to plough it with you.
What the hell are you doing?
That didn't come out quite as I'd hoped.
No, I mean, why would you propose?
I I don't know.
I suppose I thought you're
a life ring in a storm.
A what?
Oh, God, you're going to turn me
down, aren't you? This is horrendous.
You know how fond I am of you, Tris.
You're kind and funny.
I just Maybe now's
not the time, you know?
Don't you think there are more
important things going on in the world?
So you're not saying no?
You're just saying not now?
Here's what I think.
I think maybe you're
right about your brother.
You won't be happy until
you step out of his shadow.
I think if we got married
now, you'd never know.
You need to find out who you are
and you're not going to
do that by being with me.
It's a bit like waiting outside
the headmistress's office.
You never got in trouble, did you?
Someone had to be the teacher's pet.
Mr Harcourt will see you now.
- Wish me luck then.
- Don't be daft, I'm coming with you.
Would I be right to assume
this has something to do with
the phone call I received from
Richard Alderson earlier today?
Yes, Mr Harcourt. Unfortunately
we found a case of TB at his farm.
Well, perhaps you'd care to tell me why
he put the animal down himself
rather than letting us deal with it?
The reason I'm here, Mr Harcourt,
is to tell you that, unfortunately,
a mistake was made with the forms.
- I see.
- In the next day or two
you're going to receive
a form in the post
declaring the herd to be negative.
Are you telling me that not only
was an animal improperly culled
on your wife's farm but
you tried to cover it up?
No, sir. You see, it wasn't
me who filled out the form.
It was an honest mistake.
Oh, bloody hell. It
gets worse by the second.
I hope you're not going to
tell me it was your wife here
because unless she's
passed her exams on the sly,
she's not a registered veterinarian.
Mr Harcourt, let me start by
offering you a full and unreserved
Bugger your apology, man! We're
in the middle of a national crisis
and you're trying to
pull a fast one on me?
That's not how it is, I promise you.
Do you actually want to be struck off?
Because I can't for the life
of me think of another reason
you'd do something so bloody stupid.
- If I can say something
- No, you may not!
Never, never have I seen
such reckless disregard
for the safety of farming
and the population at large!
If you'd just let me explain, please.
That's all I'm asking.
I'm going to give you one chance
but you'd better make it good
'cos you're not getting a second.
Nothing good comes from worrying.
That's what I keep
telling myself at any rate.
I don't like how long he's been.
- Did somebody die?
- We thought you were James.
He's gone to see the MAG.
We're worried about him.
- So I can see.
- It were all my fault.
It was not your fault.
How's Florence? Is she
coming for lunch tomorrow?
She may never come for lunch.
Turns out she doesn't want to marry me.
- You proposed to her?
- Oh.
I'm so sorry. Love, are you all right?
For God's sake, Tristan,
what were you thinking?
Well, I was thinking
she'd say yes, obviously.
Only you. Only you could
rush into a marriage proposal
and then be surprised
when it didn't work out.
- Why is belittling me all you care about?
- I wasn't trying to belittle you.
You put everyone else on a pedestal
and me you treat like an
animal that needs training.
- Oh, what absolute nonsense!
- You think so?
It's blindingly obvious to everyone
that James is the apple of your eye.
You're so terrified of losing him.
Well, why aren't you
terrified of losing me?
- Tristan, I realise you're angry.
- Angry? I'm not angry.
I'm awake, Siegfried.
I feel like I've opened my eyes
for the first time in my life.
Maybe you should open yours too
because the world is changing
and you need to change with it.
You know one of things
I most admire about Flo,
not that you've ever
bothered to ask, by the way,
is that she has the courage
to live her own life.
I'm sorry if I've made
you feel like that.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
The truth is that nothing I ever
do will be good enough for you.
I only wish I'd realised it sooner.
I will always look after you.
I hope you know that.
That's just the thing. I know you will.
Mr Harcourt, I understand
where you're coming from, I do.
But I want to be very clear about this.
This is the antithesis of clear.
I didn't knowingly try to conceal
the truth. I would never do that.
Just as I would never put
my name to a false document.
I didn't put my name
to a false document.
- I never signed it.
- It's true.
The form's null and void.
It counts for nothing.
Signed or not, you still tried
to pull the wool over my eyes
and that's a sackable offence.
My husband's not a liar.
In fact, he's one of the best
people you're ever likely to meet.
Kindly control your wife,
Herriot, or I shall have to.
You can talk to me. I'm right here.
And I'll have my say, if you don't mind.
Even when he makes mistakes,
James is never anything but honest.
And every single thing he does
is about helping other people,
and if you knew him like I
do, you'd know he'd never lie.
Look, Dales farmers are a tough bunch.
They know their mind and
they're not easily swayed.
I should know, I'm one of 'em.
Now here's the truth of it.
James worked hard to win their trust.
He's the one that got 'em signed
up to your TB testing scheme.
Without him, none of them would
have agreed to it. Not one.
You strike him off now
and you'll lose all of 'em,
I can promise you that.
And with them, any hope of
controlling TB in this county.
My husband's a good man and right
now we need good men more than ever.
Much as I'd like to see you
dragged across the coals,
the truth is, your wife's right.
- You are a lucky man, Herriot.
- Thank you, Mr Harcourt.
Now get out of here
before I change my mind.
Bloody hell.
By signing here, you agree
to the Ministry of Agriculture
taking temporary custody
of your entire herd
until such time as the necessary
conditions have been met.
At which point the animals
will be returned to your charge.
Thank you, Mr Alderson.
We'll be in touch.
We'll get through this,
Dad. I'll make sure of it.
I'm sure Heston Grange
won't be closed for long.
Still, you must be worried.
I am. But I can't lie, I'm
more worried about James.
I think we all were.
Has there been any news this morning?
Not since the cabinet
meeting last night.
There was talk of an announcement but
Hello! Hello. You're still here then?
Your brother wants to put him down.
You know perfectly well that's
the last thing I want to do.
Oh, what are we to do with you?
Why don't you ask if Mrs
Pumphrey will take him?
You think she would?
I do, actually. Why
don't you give her a call?
Be quiet, this is it now.
I am speaking to you
from the Cabinet Room
at 10 Downing Street.
This morning the British
Ambassador in Berlin
handed the German
Government a final note
stating that unless we
heard from them by 11 o'clock
that they were prepared at once to
withdraw their troops from Poland,
a state of war would exist between us.
I have to tell you now that no
such undertaking has been received,
and that consequently this
country is at war with Germany.
Why don't you say hello?
I don't know.
He's a good man who cares for you.
It doesn't need to be complicated.
I'm sorry about Flo.
It's funny, it's like
It's like she knows me
better than I know myself.
You and Helen seem so happy.
I suppose I thought
why can't that be me?
You know, when I first arrived,
I didn't know what to make of you.
- To be honest, I thought you were a bit of a cad.
- A cad?
A chancer. I thought you
only cared about yourself.
Oh, thanks very much.
But then I got to know the real you,
and I realised that couldn't
be further from the truth.
You're a good man, Tris.
For what it's worth, I don't think
marriage tells you who you are.
I think you need to find
that out for yourself.
You've been like a brother to me, Jim.
You say that like
No one's going anywhere.
It's hard to fathom, isn't it?
Perhaps it were inevitable.
I'm glad they can't call you up.
First time I've ever felt glad
not to be a young 'un any more.
You must be worried about your lad.
We're writing to each other now.
He told me in his last letter, he
said, he said he weren't afraid.
I were so scared he'd end up
like his father, but he's not.
Not like him at all.
One day you can tell me about it.
But you've no need to now.
It's just good to see you again.
- Ah, Mrs Hall. Good morning.
- Good morning.
I won't keep you. But
I've thought about it
and I'd be very happy to take him.
I'm sorry, Mrs Pumphrey, I
I feel it's the right thing
to do under the circumstances.
And Tricki and I could do with some
extra company, couldn't we, Tricki?
Mr Farnon called me about the
Springer Spaniel. Dash, is it?
Oh, I see.
- Delighted to hear it. Good morning Mrs Pumphrey.
- Morning, Mr Farnon.
The thought of putting him down
was rather too much to bear.
- Dash?
- Oh, look at him, he's beautiful!
Come here, come and say hello to Tricki.
You're going to be the very
best of friends, I can tell.
No, no. You must go with Mrs
Pumphrey, there's a good boy.
Come on, Dash, come on, you have to go.
She'll look after you.
- I'm sorry, Mrs Pumphrey.
- No, no, not at all.
We shall pop back again
tomorrow, won't we, Tricki?
No, I mean, I'm sorry to
have put you to this trouble.
Dash belongs here with us.
Isn't that right, Mrs Hall?
As you wish, Mr Farnon.
James?
Talk to me.
About what?
I'm not stupid.
Most people given an 11th hour
reprieve like Harcourt gave you
would be doing cartwheels.
When I saw the faces of those children,
I couldn't help but think they
might never see their homes again,
or their parents.
The only rational human
response is to try and stop it.
To help.
I do know that.
The thing is, if I don't put
myself forward, then who am I?
I just know I could never
forgive myself if I did nothing.
I'll always be grateful to
you, Siegfried, you know that.
They might turn me down
but I have to at least try.
Wait a second, Jim. I'll walk with
you. Can't let you go on your own.
I never thought we'd be here again.
All wars end eventually.
Normal life will return.
In the meantime, we must
appreciate what we have.
I intend to be kinder to my
brother. You should hold me to that.
Do you think they'll stop
ringing, like in the Great War?
Do you remember?
Every bell in the country from
Land's End to John O'Groats.
Completely silent till the armistice.
I wonder if this will be
the last time we hear them.
You'd best leave me here
or you'll end up getting
recruited yourself.