"Merry Bloody Christmas" is a Bittersweet Finale to 'All Creatures Great & Small' Season 3
It’s snowing in Darrowby in December of 1939, but there’s something different about Skeldale House. Every windowpane is pasted over with tape to protect its occupants from flying glass in case of a bomb attack. War is here, even in this quiet corner of the country, while major cities are being bombed, and young men go to war or wait to receive the letters summoning them to start their military service. It’s going to be a different sort of Christmas.
Tristan: Lesser men would have thrown in the towel, but he wouldn’t. And I want to thank him for it. I love you, Siegfried. So I guess the only thing left to say is "Merry Bloody Christmas."
As All Creatures Great & Small's Season 3 Christmas special (snow, sparkly things, silly paper hats, Christmas dinner), the episode works, but as a season finale, it’s lacking. James and Helen don’t do much except look happy, which is nice but doesn’t have much dramatic impact. The Skeldale House community is imploding, military service beckoning for Tristan and James, a major life decision for Mrs. Hall, raising questions for Season 4.
