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TV Tuesday: All Creatures Great and Small Season 1 Episode 6 "A Cure for All Ills" · Cozy Comfort Club Podcast

0:03
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Cozy Comfort Club,
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SPEAKER_00: the podcast where we talk about comfort movies,
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SPEAKER_00: cozy stories,
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SPEAKER_00: and the little moments that make them memorable.
0:11
SPEAKER_00: I'm Leah,
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SPEAKER_00: and if you enjoy cozy mysteries,
0:14
SPEAKER_00: period dramas,
0:16
SPEAKER_00: and comfort stories with a little emotional depth,
0:19
SPEAKER_00: you are definitely in the right place.
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SPEAKER_00: Here,
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SPEAKER_00: I talk about how stories feel,
0:24
SPEAKER_00: I share what worked,
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SPEAKER_00: what didn't,
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SPEAKER_00: and even the moments that made me side-eye a character,
0:29
SPEAKER_00: all so you know what's worth adding to your watchlist.
0:33
Today we're discussing All Creatures Great and Small Season 1
0:37
Episode 6 and the
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SPEAKER_00: episode title is A Cure for All Ills.
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This episode is about 50 minutes long rated TV 14 and the
0:46
synopsis says James
0:49
celebrates his birthday but personal and professional worries
0:52
put a damper on the
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SPEAKER_00: event.
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James and Tristan ignore Siegfried's advice and operate on a
0:57
prized couch.
1:00
SPEAKER_00: This episode was directed by Andy Hay,
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SPEAKER_00: and to me,
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SPEAKER_00: this is one of the best episodes visually that I've seen so far.
1:14
But before we get into the story itself,
1:16
I noticed something felt different about this episode.
1:19
There were several camera shots that felt a little bit more
1:22
cinematic than what
1:23
SPEAKER_00: we've previously seen.
1:26
And one moment that stood out was this close-up shot on Tristan
1:29
when he's sitting at the table.
1:31
there was another scene early on where James is slowly driving
1:34
past that truck when
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he's going to Helen's farm and they're about to take Clive away
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the pacing was
1:39
slower the mood was a little darker and there was just more
1:44
emotional weight in the
1:45
visuals it wasn't really dark but it just felt different in a
1:51
good way and I loved
1:52
it now if you remember from last week's episode Clive was
1:56
exposed as being unable
1:57
SPEAKER_00: to successfully breed
1:59
which meant that the Alderson's lost a valuable asset and so we
2:04
begin with poor
2:05
Clive being taken away from their farm and of course this is
2:09
how James is right
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back with Helen now I told you all last week that James would
2:14
find another reason
2:15
SPEAKER_00: to visit that farm and sure enough he does
2:18
and this time he brings Jenny that's Helen's 12 year old sister
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a little kitten and
2:24
tells her how she needs to care for it it was very sweet but it
2:27
also gave him a
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chance to check in with his girl I mean Helen what I noticed
2:32
immediately was the
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contrast between James and Hugh James keeps showing up as the
2:37
good guy the
2:38
thoughtful one the one that really cares for people and really
2:41
cares for animals
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SPEAKER_00: Hugh doesn't and it's a reminder of how different these two men are
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and obviously I think most of us are rooting for James Helen
2:53
also thanks James for
2:54
telling the truth about Clive and she knows he did the right
2:57
thing even though it
2:58
was difficult she knows where his heart was right she knows
3:03
that James just really
3:05
has a good heart it means well now Hugh apologizes to James
3:11
again and at this point
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SPEAKER_00: I mean this is just a recurring theme
3:16
something happens in the episode and here comes Hugh
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apologizing to James for
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making the right choice now this time he's apologizing for
3:25
withholding information
3:26
about Clive and then putting James in such a difficult position
3:30
and this happened
3:31
last episode Hugh gets frustrated when James has to make these
3:35
tough decisions but
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SPEAKER_00: when you really look at the situation James has never really been wrong
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SPEAKER_00: Now back at Skeldale House,
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SPEAKER_00: poor Siegfried has the flu,
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SPEAKER_00: and let's just say he doesn't deal with it well.
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SPEAKER_00: Mrs.
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SPEAKER_00: Hall is trying her best to keep him in bed and get him to rest,
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but of course Siegfried refuses to slow down and insists that
3:55
there are too many
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SPEAKER_00: animals and too many responsibilities waiting for him.
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SPEAKER_00: And we can see he can barely function.
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SPEAKER_00: Mrs.
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SPEAKER_00: Hall receives a package from James's mother,
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SPEAKER_00: and when it accidentally opens,
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SPEAKER_00: she realizes that James's birthday is coming up.
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so she starts to think about what she wants to get him make him
4:14
a cake and Tristan
4:16
begins planning a surprise birthday party for him but at the
4:21
same time Tristan is
4:23
only one week away from his veterinary exams but instead of
4:28
studying he's sleeping
4:31
now I don't think this is laziness I think that's how they try
4:35
to portray him
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but we see his fear he even admits this Tristan seems convinced
4:41
that he's going to
4:42
fail and disappoint his brother Siegfried once again so
4:46
avoiding the work feels
4:48
easier than facing that possibility one thing I always enjoy in
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these episodes is
4:53
that Tristan continues teasing James about Helen and at this
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point James barely
5:00
SPEAKER_00: even argues anymore with him he accepts it like he
5:04
knows that everybody knows how much he cares about Helen and
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Tristan invites him
5:09
out with a couple of nurses and I'm surprised but James agrees
5:14
he's open maybe to
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get his mind off of everything also in this episode James is
5:21
called to help the
5:22
Rudd family and their cow Strawberry now Strawberry means a lot
5:27
to this family but
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SPEAKER_00: she has developed an abscess in her respiratory tract
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but the timing couldn't be worse because James recently advised
5:37
the family to
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purchase her so he explains that if the abscess continues
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growing strawberry could
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unfortunately suffocate and it is a devastating possibility
5:50
because this cow
5:51
represents this family's future and that's really what drives
5:55
James throughout the
5:56
entire episode because he feels personally responsible for this
6:00
cow and for this
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SPEAKER_00: family
6:03
and sometimes I do wonder I was thinking about this as I was
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watching how James
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will survive emotionally in this profession because every case
6:14
becomes so personal
6:15
to him and you can see it like take over his life like the
6:18
whole episode he's like
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SPEAKER_00: fixated on whatever problem that he's having with an animal at that time
6:28
but back at Skeldell House Tristan is once again avoiding
6:32
studying this that's like
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literally the whole episode right he's just not studying when
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he's supposed to he's
6:38
doing everything but this time he's sketching and I'm gonna be
6:43
honest I was
6:43
thinking oh he's talented these drawings are really impressive
6:47
and it's just
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another example like Siegfried says you know Tristan is
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naturally gifted at so many
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SPEAKER_00: things but he just can't see in the focus
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SPEAKER_00: Now Mrs.
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Hall is doing everything she can to encourage him to prepare
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for his exams and you
7:03
know she really does spend so much time taking care of these
7:07
men that sometimes I
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SPEAKER_00: wonder are they really going to look out for her?
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One time I think Siegfried did when Siegfried realized that she
7:18
was feeling down
7:19
and it was about her son he was looking out for her and he did
7:22
say you know I'll
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SPEAKER_00: help you however I can so we do know he cares.
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but yeah so at some point in this episode Siegfried discovers
7:34
Tristan's drawings
7:35
and one is of Greta Garbo the other is of Siegfried and yeah
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let's just say
7:42
Siegfried's portrait wasn't as flattering as Greta Garbo's
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portrait anyway he's
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SPEAKER_00: already tired you know sick frustrated and then he kind of snaps and
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and then he pulls back instead of launching into one of his
8:01
usual speeches he
8:02
simply just says I give up it's your life now that moment broke
8:07
my heart it broke
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SPEAKER_00: Mrs.
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Hall's heart but most importantly it broke Tristan's heart but
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what Siegfried
8:14
didn't realize was right before this conversation Tristan had
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been running the
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entire surgery while Siegfried was sick and he never got the
8:21
chance to even tell
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SPEAKER_00: him that but when
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he says I give up it's your life Tristan's response oh my god
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that hurt him to his
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SPEAKER_00: core you can see his lip like trembling afterwards and Mrs.
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Hall is looking like she just knows exactly how hurt he is but
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I really wish Mrs.
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Hall would have stepped up in that moment and just been like no
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he's been doing
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this for you where do you think all your patients went where do
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you think they went
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SPEAKER_00: that was Tristan Mrs.
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SPEAKER_00: Hall could have said that but she didn't anyway
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before that happened you know we did see how overwhelming the
9:00
surgery was when
9:01
Siegfried was knocked out from that whiskey concoction or
9:05
whatever that Mrs.
9:06
Hall gave him the animals are everywhere the owners of the
9:09
animals are everywhere
9:11
and Tristan is really trying his best to keep things running
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despite feeling
9:15
completely unprepared because he was now there was a moment
9:20
that involved that
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SPEAKER_00: chicken that had the bumblefoot and
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Tristan didn't know what he was doing but he did his absolute
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best to appear
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confident he does that just in general I don't think it's just
9:33
when he's doing this
9:35
job I think it's anytime he is pretending to be confident in
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everything and the
9:41
owner of that chicken her facial expressions throughout that
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entire scene oh my
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SPEAKER_00: goodness I was just laughing she was mean mugging him so badly
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Now James is still worrying about Strawberry but Tristan is
9:55
concerned for him
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SPEAKER_00: because both him and Mrs.
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Hall are like on his birthday so terrible he has to be so
10:02
consumed with this and so
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Tristan starts researching the anatomy of a cow and studying
10:07
exactly where the
10:08
abscess may be located and how to burst it and he suggests
10:14
something bold surgery
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SPEAKER_00: the operation is really risky
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but without intervention Strawberry will pretty much die
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Siegfried overhears the
10:25
discussion and shuts it down no surgery no false hope for these
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this Rudd family
10:32
the Rudds no unnecessary suffering the decision is made and to
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Siegfried is final
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SPEAKER_00: now later that evening I think it's the same day
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everyone gathers at the drover's arms for James surprise
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birthday celebration and
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this is one of the most beautiful parts of the episode okay
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because James receives
10:55
gifts from pretty much everyone especially I mean well let's
11:00
just say everyone who
11:01
SPEAKER_00: matters to him give him a sweet gift um
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SPEAKER_00: Now, James did receive the gift from his mother, the package that came.
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SPEAKER_00: It was a knitted hat and scarf.
11:11
And as a crocheter,
11:13
I have to say,
11:13
I felt personally offended that he wasn't more excited.
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SPEAKER_00: Handmade gifts really do take time.
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SPEAKER_00: And that is a lot of love.
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SPEAKER_00: That's a lot of love from his mama.
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SPEAKER_00: I hope we get to see his family again, by the way.
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SPEAKER_00: But what really got me emotional was seeing how many people showed up.
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SPEAKER_00: This was his first birthday in Darabee.
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and look how many people came to celebrate them I've been in
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this city in South
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Carolina for five years if I had a birthday party tomorrow
11:43
nobody would show but my
11:45
kids and my husband that's sad but it's true and you know so
11:54
it's just really sweet
11:55
to see but the entire evening just reminded me that the
12:00
Skeldale house has become
12:02
SPEAKER_00: found family
12:04
SPEAKER_00: Siegfried, Mrs. Hall, Tristan, James.
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SPEAKER_00: I mean, they drive each other crazy, but they love each other.
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SPEAKER_00: And the nurses arrive as well, as promised by Tristan.
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SPEAKER_00: Brenda is the one that Tristan is seeing.
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SPEAKER_00: And Connie catches James' attention.
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SPEAKER_00: And then Helen arrives.
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SPEAKER_00: And of course she does.
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SPEAKER_00: She always comes around.
12:29
and she brings James homemade Highland shortbread as a birthday
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gift how thoughtful
12:33
to make him feel like he's back at home now when she gives it
12:37
to him James jokes as
12:38
long as you didn't bake it and that was a reference to her
12:42
previous baking disaster
12:45
and it's one of their sweetest moments together really every
12:49
moment gets sweeter
12:49
SPEAKER_00: with them at this point and then
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SPEAKER_00: Helen tells James something that becomes pretty important.
12:57
SPEAKER_00: She says to follow your heart when it comes to strawberry.
13:00
SPEAKER_00: And she's encouraging him to make his own choice.
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SPEAKER_00: And those words stay with him.
13:06
SPEAKER_00: And then at the party,
13:09
SPEAKER_00: James and Tristan kind of meet up and just look at each other and say,
13:12
SPEAKER_00: hey,
13:13
SPEAKER_00: we're going to perform surgery against Siegfried's wishes.
13:18
now Siegfried it doesn't take him long to put two and two
13:21
together where are both
13:22
of them and he's like nothing will get in the way of Tristan
13:27
being around women so
13:30
SPEAKER_00: I know where he is um so Mrs.
13:34
Hall and Siegfried head to the Rudd farm together and when
13:38
they're driving in that
13:39
car and she's driving and he's complaining about her driving oh
13:42
my goodness that
13:42
SPEAKER_00: reminded me of me and my husband lord the stuff is the other way around
13:48
and at this point they sound like an old married couple I'm
13:52
like go on and you
13:53
SPEAKER_00: might as well keep it going at this point now once they arrive Mrs.
14:00
Hall helps convince Siegfried to give the operation a chance
14:03
the surgery itself is
14:04
really intense I had to look away more than once and watching
14:08
James cut into that
14:09
cow that's where I draw the line with this show I don't know
14:13
why but those that
14:16
SPEAKER_00: blood I just couldn't
14:18
but I loved seeing everybody work together it was incredible I
14:24
just loved this
14:24
SPEAKER_00: scene Mrs.
14:26
Hall is holding the lamp Siegfried is guiding James Tristan
14:29
assists and encourages
14:31
him and it just becomes a true team effort and the surgery is
14:36
successful now
14:39
SPEAKER_00: afterwards James tells Tristan that
14:42
he couldn't have done it without him and that moment meant a
14:45
lot I feel like
14:45
Tristan really needed to hear that from someone because really
14:50
throughout this
14:50
entire episode if you didn't notice Tristan was holding
14:53
everything together for
14:54
everybody he was helping James not only with the cow but was
14:58
organizing this party
15:00
SPEAKER_00: helping Mrs.
15:00
Hall with organizing something for James running the surgery
15:06
you know covering for
15:07
SPEAKER_00: Siegfried he really is the unsung hero of this episode not just James
15:13
Now,
15:13
back at the drover's arms,
15:15
Mr.
15:15
Rudd proudly tells everyone what James accomplished.
15:18
And Siegfried finally admits he's proud of him and promotes him
15:22
to senior vet.
15:24
SPEAKER_00: Mrs. Hall is so proud of James.
15:28
SPEAKER_00: Oh, she loves James.
15:29
SPEAKER_00: She just loves James.
15:31
SPEAKER_00: That's like her son.
15:33
But I couldn't help noticing Tristan's reaction to him getting
15:37
that promotion.
15:38
SPEAKER_00: I mean, I think he is happy for James.
15:40
SPEAKER_00: It's not like jealousy at all.
15:43
but I also think part of him wishes that Siegfried would look
15:47
at him that way too
15:50
now here's the moment that broke me and by the way I don't even
15:54
I can't even
15:54
remember but at some point within the first 20 or 30 minutes of
15:58
the episode I'm
16:00
crying oh I know what it was it was when Siegfried said those
16:05
words to Tristan
16:06
SPEAKER_00: about he gives up he gives up on him um and I was crying
16:13
so I don't know if I'm perimenopausal or what but man I was
16:19
crying I was crying
16:21
quite a bit while watching this and I don't know anyway James
16:27
is preparing to talk
16:28
to Helen he wants to tell her to me I'm assuming he's he's
16:33
going to tell her how
16:34
much she means to him because he wants to say thank you for
16:40
encouraging him to do
16:41
SPEAKER_00: the operation or to make
16:43
his own choice when it comes to these animals,
16:47
specifically with Strawberry.
16:50
SPEAKER_00: And it seems he's ready to profess his feelings for her again.
16:57
SPEAKER_00: But that's when he discovers the truth.
17:02
SPEAKER_00: There's also a celebration going on,
17:03
SPEAKER_00: not just for his birthday,
17:05
SPEAKER_00: but Hugh is giving out drinks because he's engaged to Helen.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: He asked her to marry him.
17:14
the drinks are being handed out um and when he walks over and
17:21
says to James you
17:23
like your drink bitter or something like that right it was
17:27
intentional because he
17:29
knew exactly how James felt that I do know and I think that's
17:33
why this is all a
17:35
SPEAKER_00: rush remember it was 19 what 30s or 40s and he was rushing it because
17:43
he could feel and if you notice like while they were talking he
17:48
was staring at them
17:50
when he was getting the drinks and I just don't trust you at
17:58
all not even a little
17:59
bit so when James walks outside afterward he was devastated I
18:04
cried and then I
18:06
SPEAKER_00: cried even more when Siegfried Mrs.
18:09
SPEAKER_00: Hall and Tristan quietly joined him outside
18:13
there's no speeches they're not trying to fix it they just want
18:16
to walk home
18:17
together oh my goodness I'm even about to cry thinking about it
18:22
and I don't even
18:22
know why anywho this is what I'm talking about something ain't
18:27
right but that's
18:29
what this show does so well it's not just about these animals
18:34
it's not just about
18:35
the people it's about family it's about having people who show
18:39
up when your heart
18:40
SPEAKER_00: gets broken
18:42
and my cozy rating for this episode is a 4.5 out of 5 cups my
18:48
episode rating is a
18:49
full 5 out of 5 cups this episode was beautiful it was funny it
18:57
was emotional and
18:59
it reminded me why I love this series so much so far I'm only
19:03
on season 1 and I get
19:05
real disappointed if I watch a season 2 and I don't like it the
19:09
way I like season 1
19:11
but I just know this is going to get good I just know and not
19:13
only that but ever
19:14
since I started watching I've been getting so many clips from
19:19
you know season four
19:20
five and six and I get so mad because I'm like please don't
19:23
spoil it but anyway so
19:26
next week we'll be discussing the season one finale episode
19:30
seven voting is open
19:33
SPEAKER_00: over on Instagram and this time you'll be choosing between two shows
19:38
SPEAKER_00: just like we did last time.
19:39
Last time it was The Other Bennett Sister on BritBox and All
19:44
Creatures Great and
19:44
SPEAKER_00: Small and of course All Creatures Great and Small had the most votes.
19:48
Now I wanted to give a quick description of each option in case
19:52
you haven't heard of them.
19:54
SPEAKER_00: So option A is The Other Bennett Sister on BritBox.
19:59
This is a new period drama based on Janice Hadlow's novel and
20:02
it follows Mary
20:03
SPEAKER_00: Bennett from Pride and Prejudice
20:05
as she steps out from behind her sister's shadow and goes on
20:09
her own journey
20:10
SPEAKER_00: towards independence,
20:11
SPEAKER_00: identity,
20:12
SPEAKER_00: and romance.
20:13
SPEAKER_00: It premiered on BritBox in the U.S.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: and I think in Canada on May 6th of this year,
20:21
SPEAKER_00: and it has 10 episodes.
20:23
Now,
20:24
if this one wins,
20:25
I'll most likely cover two episodes per week over five weeks.
20:30
SPEAKER_00: Option B is the Dorales and Corfu on PBS Masterpiece.
20:35
SPEAKER_00: And this one follows Louisa Durrell,
20:37
a widowed mother and her four children as they leave England
20:40
and start over on the
20:41
SPEAKER_00: Greek island of Corfu in 1935.
20:45
SPEAKER_00: Season one premiered on PBS on October 16, 2016, and it has six episodes.
20:51
SPEAKER_00: If this one wins, we could probably cover it one episode per week.
20:55
So again,
20:56
option A is The Other Bennett Sister,
20:59
and option B is The Durrells and Corfus.
21:02
I'll post a poll on Instagram shortly after this episode goes
21:04
live and it will be
21:06
SPEAKER_00: up for 24 hours.
21:08
If you don't have Instagram you can email me your vote at
21:11
cozycomfortclub at
21:12
SPEAKER_00: gmail.com and I'll count that too.
21:15
I'll reveal the winning pick next week during our All Creatures
21:19
Great and Small
21:19
season one finale episode and I plan on covering season two of
21:24
All Creatures Great
21:25
SPEAKER_00: and Small sometime in August.
21:34
and that's it for today's episode of Cozy Comfort Club if you
21:38
enjoyed this don't
21:39
forget to follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts Spotify or
21:42
wherever you listen and
21:44
if you want weekly watch lists cozy recommendations and graphic
21:48
reviews you can
21:49
save to your phone make sure you're subscribed over on Substack
21:53
you can also follow
21:54
SPEAKER_00: along on Instagram at Cozy Comfort Club and feel free to send me your
21:58
recommendations I love adding to our cozy list until next time
22:03
keep it cozy