All Creatures Great and Small

Siegfried receives some difficult news and becomes even more irascible than usual. The perfect distraction comes along in the form of Major Sebright Saunders, who asks Siegfried to look at a difficult young racehorse called River.

James is finally succeeding with the farmers' uptake of the Ministry of Agriculture's TB testing scheme. However, he is struggling with the complicated paperwork and he is keen to keep this from Siegfried, after being told that it was to be his responsibility alone. The MAG summons James and tells him that he has one more chance to get it right or Skeldale will lose the scheme entirely. After revealing this to Helen, she helps James to do everything by the book, but suspects that there is more going on with James than he is willing to say. Tristan decides that he is outgrowing running the small animal surgery and buys a car to help with errands at the practice. It also provides him with transport for taking Florence, the daughter of Siegfried's rival, George Pandhi, out on a date. Siegfried feels sidelined and focuses on micromanaging Tricki while he is on another health visit at Skeldale. A shock departure from Darrowby brings James's feelings about his place in Darrowby to the surface for Helen. Siegfried steps in and realises that he still has the power to bring everyone back together again. Mrs Hall agrees to go on a date with Gerald without realising his intentions and has to decide whether she is ready for them to be more than friends.

Siegfried and Tristan are left in charge of Skeldale House, when Mrs Hall takes time off to meet up with an important person from her past. Siegfried immediately puts Tristan in charge of housekeeping duties and focuses on running the practice and educating a visiting work experience boy named Andrew Simmonds. Tristan expects this to be a disaster due to his own experiences of Siegfried's parenting, but Siegfried makes a connection with young Andrew, causing old resentments between the two brothers to bubble up to the surface. While Richard Alderson is away from Heston Grange, Jenny reveals to Helen that she has made a big decision about her future, leaving Helen feeling out of the loop. Jenny worries that Helen blames her for an oversight with a sheep that could have potentially serious consequences. James works to save the animal and enables the two sisters to see things from each other's points of view. Mrs Hall travels out of Darrowby for a longawaited meeting with an important person from her past. Mrs Hall hopes to be forgiven for her actions, but the person she may need to forgive the most is herself.

The radio reports that Britain is standing on the brink of war.