All Creatures Great And Small – Uninvited Guests – Review: Brotherly Bonds And Shadows of War

Fear not, it wasn’t a fleeting dream or a hallucination – Tristan is back indeed, and he and his mustache are here to stay. At least until he’s redeployed (which we all desperatly hope won’t happen). In the meantime, he is busy training new veterinary recruits in Doncaster and making the most of his days off in Darrowby. But it’s somewhat hard to enjoy being home when an intruder has taken over your bed: Richard Carmody is back from London and, much to Tristan’s dismay, has claimed his room, banishing the younger Farnon brother once again into the cupboard. To make matters even worse, Carmody is getting along splendidly with Siegfried, leaving Tristan feeling like he’s been replaced, not just as a vet, but also as a brother.

The delightfully comical dynamic between Siegfried and Tristan has always been one of the show’s greatest strengths. Adding Richard Carmody to the mix could have easily thrown off their bickering balance, but instead, he fits in seamlessly, making himself a natural and welcome addition to the Skeldale family.

When the surgery receives a call from Pumphrey Manor – now a convalescent home for soldiers – it’s none other than our favorite fairy godmother, Mrs. Hall, who sends the two feuding boys off together to handle the situation. The issue at hand? One of the soldiers has allegedly smuggeled a snake into the manor, and now it’s on the loose and needs to be apprehended. While Carmody is determined to search every square inch to find the reptile, Tristan doubts its existence altogether and instead schemes to find an empty room for a nap. But his plan for a peaceful escape is swiftly derailed by Mrs. Pumphrey herself, who fears the snake has sinister intentions – namely, making Tricki its next meal.

While searching for Mrs. Pumphrey’s beloved dog, Tristan and Carmody somehow manage to lock themselves in an empty room – because clearly, they needed even more forced bonding time. But Tristan soon finds himself unexpectedly grateful for the ever-exasperating Carmody’s presence when the snake he was so sure didn’t exist turns out to be not only real, but right there with them. While Carmody is utterly fascinated by the reptile, Tristan is far less enthused and tries to put as much distance as possible between himself and the animal.

With the snake safely contained in a box, the two young men decide that it’s time to call a truce, at least temporarily. Tristan admits he was too territorial about his room and Carmody acknowledges he never stopped to consider what it must have felt like for Tristan to return home after so long, only to find his space taken over. In a rare moment of vulnerability, Carmody shares that growing up in boarding schools meant he never truly felt at home anywhere. But now, he’s grown attached to Skeldale – something Tristan understands all too well. Though not entirely thrilled, Tris insists that Carmody stay, recognizing that Skeldale has room for both of them.

Eventually, Mrs. Pumphrey comes to the rescue after the two boys abandon all dignity and resort to shouting for help to escape their mostly self-imposed prison.

Back at home, Tristan discovers that the remarkable Mrs. Hall has once again worked her magic and made the impossible happen: Despite wartime rationing, she managed to procure a proper mattress for him, ensuring that – even in the storage closet – he’ll have a comfortable place to sleep.

In the PBS version of the episode, viewers were treated to a delightfully charming bonus scene – one that British audiences missed out on: With little Jimmy perched on her hip, Mrs. Hall effortlessly instructs a grumpy Siegfried through the ordeal of hauling Tristan’s new mattress upstairs, watching him struggle to get it into the tiny space. It’s a warm, funny, and wonderfully domestic moment, one that could have been lifted straight from fanfiction.

One person having a particularly rough time in this episode is James. An outdated treatment for a cow appears to have cured the animal, while his own approach seemed ineffective – or at least, that’s how it must look to the farmer. Adding to his frustration, people keep reminding him how “lucky” he is to have brucellosis, since it exempts him from service and allows him to stay in Darrowby. While James is grateful to be home with Helen and their son, the fact that he can’t serve his country as he had intended weighs heavily on him, leaving him torn between relief and frustration.

“Uninvited Guests” – ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, Pictured: Nicholas Ralph. © Playground Entertainment & PBS Masterpiece. All Rights Reserved.

He is tense, quick to anger, and unusually on edge. Sensing something weighing on him, Helen gently encourages him to open up to her. That’s when, for the first time, he tells her about losing his crew. He may never have seen battle, but war has left its mark on him all the same. The same could be said for Tristan. Up until now, we have mostly heard lighthearted tales from his time in Cairo, stories of drinking, mischief, and celebration. But beneath the humor, it’s clear that being away took a toll on him, too. When he overhears a wounded soldier admitting that, in the end, every man serving is just waiting to return home to their loved ones, Tristan’s eyes glisten with unshed tears. He had missed his family far more than he ever let on.

When the two Farnon brothers reunite at Skeldale, we are in for a surprise – they apologize to each other: Tristan acknowledges he made a fuss over sharing his room, while Siegfried admits he was not a good referee between him and Carmody. He reveals to his younger brother that he kept his room empty for an entire year, indirectly telling him that he missed him and had been hoping for his return. It’s a heartwarming scene, a moment of real growth, showing just how far the two siblings have come in their efforts to get along.

Toward the end of the episode, we’re treated to yet another gem of a scene between Siegfried and Mrs. Hall. Seated together on the sofa in the drawing room, Siegfried thanks her for restoring order to the chaos yet again. He admits he did not handle the Tristan-and-Carmody situation with finesse and expresses his deep appreciation for her subtle yet masterful way of steering the two boys in the right direction. As always, Mrs. Hall humbly downplays her role, but Siegfried – and every viewer watching – knows the truth: without her they would all be utterly lost.

“Uninvited Guests” – ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL, Pictured: Samuel West and Anna Madeley. © Playground Entertainment & PBS Masterpiece. All Rights Reserved.

While Tristan and Carmody’s endless bickering was highly entertaining, I have to admit that I found myself missing the usual dose of Siegfried. And, of course, I’d never say no to a few more scenes with Mrs. Hall either.

What did you think of this episode? Any favorite moments that stood out? Share your thoughts in the comments below!