March 12, 2009
James Dowland is confined to his hospital bed when his son, Sidney, arrives in Candleford, as BBC One’s adaptation of Flora Thompson’s childhood memoirs concludes.
Dorcas welcomes the child into the Post Office, encouraging Laura and Ruby to do everything they can to make him feel at home there. As Sidney is introduced to the colourful characters of Candleford and the charming folk in Lark Rise, he becomes quite an object of local fascination. When James is at last released from hospital, however, he clashes with Dorcas over what’s in the best interests of the son he never knew he had.
Elsewhere, as the wedding of Thomas Brown and Miss Ellison fast approaches, anticipation and excitement grows among the people of Lark Rise and Candleford. Thomas is thrown into a torrent of uncertainty and anxiety by a few words from the common book of prayer, and Miss Ellison develops a strange disease of the skin which could be the result of her own anxieties. Will the betrothed couple ever make it down the aisle?
Jason Merrells plays James Dowland, Julia Sawalha plays Dorcas Lane, Olivia Hallinan plays Laura, Victoria Hamilton plays Ruby Pratt, Mark Heap plays Thomas Brown and Sandy McDade plays Miss Ellison.

46 responses to "Lark Rise To Candleford Episode 12, Series 2"
yay!!!
1) James isn’t dead!!!
2) Dorcas and James are fighting!! (i love that about them!)
3) A strange disease!!!
4) James isn’t dead!!!
5) sydney’s mum is dead!!! (well we were all thinking it! – i mean if she was alive what would happen with Dorcas and James?!?)
for all these reasons and that there is definatly a 3rd series!!!!! WOOOOO!!! i give thanks to god!!
Ha! I love how you’ve put “James isn’t dead” twice!!! You crack me up!
Hurry up Sunday and all the happy endings!
Agree – hurry up sunday evening. All I need is a sign that DL & JD romance is back on, to keep me going until 2010
It’s going to be one hell of a busy episode what with Sydney arriving, fainting, hospitals, arguments, Miss Margaret’s affliction, the wedding and a Nan and Alf storyline too. I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a TV programme quite as much as this one. Hope it lives up to expectations….I’m sure it will, it usually does
OMG i can’t wait for this episode!!!!!!
i just went out and bought total tv guide (even though i have 2 other tv guides already lol!!:P but this one has stuff on LRTC sso i HAD to buy it!) and it says this:
Thomas Brown and Miss Magaret may not be love’s young dream, but fans will still be hoping for a happy-ending on their wedding day. We’re sworn to secrecy about what happens, but we can reveal she’s got a face like a beetroot and he’s got a bad attack of religious fever, the omens aren’t good. And there’s also a shock when a new favourite leaves. Thank goodness that a third series is in the pipeline….
new favourite leaves??!??!?!??!?! it betta not be JD – but hu else is a new favourite!!?!??!?
please give me some ideas on hu else it mite be because i am hyperventilating!! i was so sure James was gunna stay but now nt so sure
:(:(:(
HELP!?!?!?!?!?!?!
New? New? Thats news to me…It’s never said new favorite. Just a favorite leaves!
OMG!!! I bet it’s Nan! On no, please, no!!! Poor Alf will be heart broken.
The new episode preview suggests Nan is getting fed up with Alf, and she is more of a NEW favourite than JD, so perhaps it is her. If the Olivia Hallinan interview said a happy ending ‘but can’t say who’ and we all probably assume Thomas and Margaret will be a happy ending, then maybe the happy ending is JD and Dorcas…….Listen to me, a week ago I had JD dead and gone.
lol i would feel sorry for Alf if Nan left but i would prefer her to leave more then James! anyway i always thought Alf would end up with Laura (though i don’t really like laura – she’s too whiny!!)
But if JD left i would die!!! literally!!
james HAS to stay! and marry Dorcas
i don’t think james and dorcas will get back together but……. sydney may help them realise they love each other!
omg i think that they should have a big arguement over sydney and then have a go at each other and then passionalty kiss and realise they love the other for winding them up
:D!!!
i love larkrise its a great program love dorcas however i must admit i do not want her to get married to james i think it would change her 2 much as a person shes always gossip and helpful and yet tragic by her lost loves shes a strong woman and i fear makeing the wonderful dorcas lane just sumones wife would be a shame
she is one of my small weaknesses lol
its great there makeing series 3 long may larkrise to candleford continue
OMG! I can’t believe they have done that! It is the right thing, but OMG!
OMG! James is gone i can’t believe he’s gone, i just wanna cry! but the new series should be good if thats how this one ended.
Can’t believe tonight’s episode…. Have looked forward to a big DL / JD reunion all week. Am gutted, will now have to wait until next year for series 3, but hope they bring JD back, don’t bring Sir Timothy back minus wife so he can set up home with Dorcas and Sydney.
I’m gutted that James has gone! hopefully he’ll come back in the next series and marry Dorcas haha
I’m gutted!
absolutely cannot believe it. JD left?!?! I just hope that some of the main characters find happiness next series! =)
Oh no – I am distraught, utter disbelief -James has left. I cried!
Do hope James is back in next series and he gets together with DL.
j.d rides off into the sunset never to be seen again ?
OMG! Lovely ending wiv Miss E nd Mr B finally getting married! Is it me or was it a bit like an ending to a Jane Austin film if u know what I mean!
Gotta say it was sad that JD left, but I bet he will be back coz of Sidney nd all!
I wonder if Sir T will come back? With baby and wife or just baby? or none!
I did feel the ending happened quite quickly but that’s prob coz they have ye old time limit so they couldn’t slow it down as much.
Anyhoo when’s the DVD coming out?
Looking forward to 2010 when it returns! Will Mr nd Mrs Brown have a baby? Will Miss Lane find love? Will Nan and Alf still be together? Will Twister fall down a ditch? Pearl and Ruby get a shop in Paris? Laura find a nice young fella? Annie (the Timmins baby) no longer be the youngest? What’s going to happen to the hotel?
Suppose the only hope now is absence makes the heart grow fonder. Hope you’re reading these messages Mr Gallagher.
im fuming!! i couldn’t believe it! stupid JD going into the stupid sunset on his stupid horse!! i was literally on the edge of throwing things at the tv!!! and now we have to wait until 2010!!! OMG i am sooo angry that i have decided to write a letter or complaint to the producer guy/girl/person here it is:
Dear Producer dude(tte)
ihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyouihateyou
from, a very upset lark rise fan
p.s ihateyou
so what do you think? too formal? i wasn’t quite sure bout the letter but didn’t want to change it as i felt it really showed my emotions!!
btw who else is totally buying both series!! ive hinted to my friends (okay literally threatend them! but…) and they are getting me it!!! YAY!!!
second series released on 20th of April 2009!!! yay – its a pity we have to wait until 2010 for series 3 though
:(
He left
He actually left.
This shocked me a little (although probably only because i had my hopes up) as he seemed so excited last week and was really trying his hardest to get to know the little man even though he was ill. And then he just decides to leave him? Didn’t quite make sense to me.
Plus he left Dorcas which left me devastated for both of them. Then again, I think she really really hurt him (when he said – ‘you torture me with possibility’……… the whole storyline has been torturing us with possibility!!!)
I though Dorcas was doing a good job of looking after him whilst JD was in hospital, but she turned very selfish when she turned Sidney back round in the middle of the street!
I did not take to Sidney at all and think he should stop being so silly! He should just do as he’s told!
I never mentioned anything else!!
Lovely wedding and surrounding stories, especially with Robert and Miss Ellison (now Mrs Brown!!!). The Pratt sisters were fab, as were Minnie and Laura, although bringing Laura’s hankering for Alf back into the story after all this time seemed a little odd to me. As if she only wants him when she can’t have him? It wasn’t explored much, but perhaps it’s something for S3?
I too am very sad and angry that the writers have written James out, I dont think he’ll be back – ‘off to find a life worth living’ seems pretty final to me’. That scene with Queenie made me tear up, their relationship worked so welll on screen – why didn’t Sidney go and stay with her than interfering Dorcas.
Lexy, I so agree with you re the ‘you toture me with possibility line’…we were well and truley tortured with this story line and the writers certainly hurled the kitchen sink at James in terms of the twists and turns in his time in Candleford….all for nowt!
I have to say, I really went off Dorcas in the last few weeks, and the turning about heel outside the hotel because she didn’t want Sidney to feel ‘abandoned’….abandoned ?!! with his own father…well I thought that was an unfeeling and self righteous act by her, satisfying her needs.
We all knew that Thomas and Margaret would make it down the isle and they had a fair chunk of that episode, but i wish there had been a little more of a heart to heart beteeen Dorcas and James, because since ep 9 we never really got a proper ending to their relationship.
I dont know what they’ll do with Dorcas in series 3, please save us from another romance please.
Completely agree with most of the above, I’ve just watched last nights episode and having waited for Dorcas to forgive him and realise that they should be together I find out he’s off into the sunset!
My only hope that S3 is set a year or two ahead and the boy is a bit older (didn’t quite work out how old he was supposed to be!) and settled with Dorcas. James will then return with some nice/horrible fiance and during the series will fall back in love with Dorcas et voila a happy family and wedding number 3!
Surely Dorcas can’t go 3 series without finding happiness!
All you fans out there (and Mr Gallagher),
It was so moving to see James trying so desperately hard and losing yet again (this time his son). I’m sure most us felt his pain and ached for him. Everything he wants is back in Candleford – his business, his social standing as a councillor, the woman he loves and his son. Surely he is not going to find anything elsewhere. He has always been at a disadvantage – trying to be accepted, shady past, no family and starting off poor. But Dorcas has had it all – well off, respected, successful, self-sufficient and now she even has his son! Unbelievable and so unfair. The only person who loves him unconditionally is dear Queenie.
What are we to do with the smug Miss Know-it-all? One can only hope that in young Sidney she will see his father and begin to fall for him – just when everyone has given up hope. Her eyes have to be opened to see what she is in danger of losing. Gradually at first and then hopelessly and desperately and I mean DESPERATELY. She really has to chase him. He’s got to play hard to get. Its about time she experienced some of the turmoil, pain and uncertainty he has been through. How about a bit of competition? – Bring Celestia back to lure him? I would love to see her trying to keep her feelings to herself and not let anyone know. I can’t see how else her character will develop. The ‘one weakness’ act and meddling with neighbours and giving advice to all and sundry is losing its appeal. She was at her best when crossing swords with James and being chased by him – positively glowing. So was he – oozing with charm. They are so reduced without each other.
Please Mr Gallagher – use as much licence as you like even if the book doesn’t end like we want it to (I havn’t read it) – and in the end, in the words of Thomas Brown – BING!! I don’t think she will be ‘just a wife’ if she marries him. She can still have her post office – its only just across the road from him – and do all her good deeds and boss and annoy a few people; but overriding it all will be her passion and love for James. She can fight for him and with him.
Who is going to be in charge of the Golden Lion and what about James’ role as a councillor? What were the Pratts doing visiting James in hospital when they are so condescending? I think Laura and Alf are more like brother and sister. She is young and will have several opportunities, I’m sure – but not Dorcas – time is running out. A friendship between Robert and James is a good idea. Neither has another man to really chat to. And Dorcas being Emma’s cousin – ideal. Didn’t Miss Ellison look lovely? I had to laugh – was Thomas limping after the service after the logs fell on his foot? It noticed how the ‘impediment’ in the Book of Common Prayer was picked up in Shakespeare’s Sonnet – a jewel – and many others I don’t have time to write about. Thank you Mr Gallagher. We look forward with great anticipation to Series 3. No disappointments please – we have suffered enough in this Series.
I’m wondering if this whole JD storyline has just been a ploy to get a child for Dorcas, now she has Sidney to love she doesn’t need a man and JD will never be seen or heard of again……once again I hope I am as wrong about this as I was about him being killed off.
MsGee I would definitely recommend the book now you have watched the series. It’s not a story as such, more a diary of late 19th century country life, but with your knowledge of programme you will be able to pick out names and characters that you know and love, some names that you know and love attached to totally different characters, some snippets of information that formed the basis of the story lines, and you will thank the lord that Mr Gallagher didn’t stick to the letter of the book or most things would have happened when Laura was a child before she went to Candleford and Twister would have been killed off at the end of series 1.
Lark Rise without Twister UNTHINKABLE
LOL – I’d have loved to know the story arc described to Jason Merrells when he accepted the part. Right Jason, you are going to ride into Candleford on a horse – you cut a dashing figure and immediately turn heads as the go ahead London business man. You of course have a sentimental side for your Lark Rise family – you adore Queenie and want to do as much as you can to make her life comfortable – your a sweeties really. But your head is very quickly turned by an image of the past – Dorcas Lane, you admired her from afar as a boy, but now you feel equipped to chase her and win her over with your charm and passion – she at first resists, finds you a tad over confident and crass, but in the end she wilts and realises she is in danger of being a coward when it comes to her feelings. OK, so you are happy and love up for 5 minutes – that should be enough (after all Dorcas may be on the rebound) We’ll introduce a visiting wealthy widow, who has been your bebefactor and lover – shock horror!, this destroys your chance of happiness – Dorcas rejects your proposal, only to give you a reprive, not wishing to judge you to hastily. Hang on, no that’s not right, we cann’t have you back too quickly, Dorcas isn’t that kind of woman..no we are going to make you suffer, show you fall apart, run your buiness into near oblivion. Dorcas comes to help you, but instead of re-ignighting the love, she just wants to be a friend and neighbour – you are destraught and saddened but accepting. Now hang on, that’s 2/3 way through, what are we going to do with you until the end..ah, an illegitimate child of yours is uncovered (oh the scandal, you scoundrel) Dorcas pokes her oar in and uncovers the son you never knew about is in a school for the unwanted – you immediately set about going to get him (you’re a great man) but hang on, we think you can fall off your horse and hurt your head and end up in hospital concussed for a while and miss Sidneys arrival in Candleford and the valuable bonding period. We think Sidney should be scared of you (yes, we know you’re not scarey, but it will be a good dimension to the JD/Dorcas/Sidney dymanic. )your son clearly doesn’t want to be with you and even the friendly mob in the PO conspire to keep him from you – even Minnie. In the end Robert tells you you’ll make the right decision – you decide to leave and let Dorcas have your son..yes, yes, we know that this is not what James is really about – he yearns a family, but we have to give Dorcas something to satisfy her clucky character in series 3.
We’ll let you leave, with the door slighlty open for a possible return, don’t count on it, as we haven’t written series 3 yet, but maybe keep a few months free next autumn just in case we weant to set up a love triangkle with Sir Tim, JD and Dorcas – well we always need drama and heart ache in LRtC………….how does that sound?
I just hope JD comes back for the next series, I think he will because his son is there! Fingers crossed he does, and him and Dorcas get back together.
It is gonna be a long 10 months, I really hope JD comes back and Dorcas see’s she can have it all, if she just looks at the bigger picture. I don’t think I can stand the possibilty of another souter coming on the scene, we have been down that route twice now. Surely Dorcas deserves to let herself be happy..! Basically both Dorcas and JD crave a happy family and with all those characters living at the Post Office they would certainly have that..!
Hmmm, difficult. Not sure about him coming back – to start a new life does sound rather final. Equally he had pretty much lost all standing and respect in Candleford (not of Dorcus’ doing in actual fact).
Don’t think she was judging James or that she thinks she would be abandoning Sydney to his father. I think she had developed a mother’s kind of love for syndey and she knew he was scared and a)didn;t want to upset him and b)didn’t want to give him up as she loves him.
In many ways I wished JD and Dorcus could get together but it wasn’t destined to be at the moment. Maybe sometime later when he sees sydney she will realise that she loves him but they definately needed space apart if anything is ever going to happen.
Incidentally – watching LRTC rekindled my love for James Merrells – so I’ve been working my way through the ‘cutting it’ series – there’s some seriously good acting and passion! – forgot just how good (if a little far-fetched) it was
Agree, that James wont be back in a hurry ( well I’d like top see him in the latter end of series 3) ‘find a life worth living’ was a bit of an exit statement, but I do hope the writers wont forget that he does have a son in Castleford and there is reason to bring him back, maybe a re-newed man as he was certainly very broken by the end of series 2.
I just feel they never properly allowed us as viewers to see/hear closure on JDs/Dorcas relationship, we had to just interpret what was going on…maybe the time was not right for them, maybe time away and the common link of Sidney is the thread that us hopless romantics can cling to.
LOL at Cutting It – have you got to the carpet scene..Dorcas doesn’t know what she’s missing.
The carpet scene was the reason for me buying the series – love it! And no, dorcus seriously doesn’t get what she’s missing!
Agree about the closure thing, the whole thing was a little heart-wrenching and actually a bit inconsistent. Seemed like they just stopped having feeling for each other suddenly. Hopefully just circumstances as you said – I agree that us hopeless romantics need relationships to work!
There’s been some lovely (all be it lengthy) posts – MsGee I’m talking to you!
There’s been some hilarious posts – Mimmi I’m talking to you, that perfectly sums up Series 2 for James!!
I think Dorcas is just scared of committing to something that might not work out, which in turn would lead to heartbreak. But I wish she’s take that leap of faith as I’m one of the ones who thinks her and JD would have been good together.
I didn’t really get why Sidney was so scared of his dad – I though JD was trying his absolute hardest and was being really quite sweet and thoughtful towards the boy. And surely he couldn’t have formed such an attachment to Dorcas in just half a day!
Dorcas isn’t going to fall for a broken man. JD needs to come back strong and confident – he needs time and space away from her to do that. She will then see what he is really made of. I think he still has feelings for her – hope it stays that way. With Sidney under her roof maybe she will see what it must have been like for JD as a young boy and begin to appreciate him.
Thank you Lexy. I hadn’t read yours before I posted the last one. I imagine Sidney never knew his stepfather or was mistreated by him. Maybe that coloured his view of what a father is. Why else would he have been left at a home for the unwanted. Perhaps the only person who visited him was his mother and he was looking for a replacement.
Loved Dorcas at the beginning of the series.
Now I think she is sanctimonious and priggish. I have lost sympathy with her character, and find her relationship with James at the best boring and the worst manipulated by the writers to wring another series out of the book.
Poor handling of the fans of what started out as such a wondeful series.
Bring the old Dorcas back.
Hello to all fellow fan’s out-there . I have so enjoyed reading all the diffrent post’s .
I so ,so, so want James to come back . “You torture me with possibility”, Yes how true and all of us too . It was the Dorcas and James storyline that kept me watching , waiting and hoping . I would hate a reunion with Sir.Tim or the school teacher or a new love intrest .
James has been given a hard time by the writer’s , I hated the “life worth living” end , none of it made sense to how his character was written previous to that .
I really hope that the purpose of the James character was’nt just to deliver a child to Dorcas . Even though Sidney is sweet , he would’nt keep me watching .
Don’t get me wrong I love Lark rise , but James leaving tested it’s appeal to me . I really love the Dorcas & James love story , I’m hoping he’s back in season 3 and that he and Dorcas end up together . I want to see them married to each other . There is nothing wrong with a happy ending , I hate show’s that feel it’s beneath them .
I really want to see that happy ending , the writer’s need to be careful about cliff hanger’s because the beeb don’t alway’s renew show’s , that’s the credit crunch for you.
Dorcas & James , come on Bill xoxo Lol .
Well done BBC. I am so glad we get BBC broadcasts over here. They are so much better than that reality tripe we get stuck with. I love Lark Rise just as much as I loved Cranford.
Thanks again BBC.
Hey. Does anyone know who does the costumes for LRtC? I have looked everywhere for it and cannot find it!
Thanks
omg i havent seen this episode yet im on ep2.6 cuz i live in america so i watch it on pbs but my fav charcters r
1. Margret Ellison soon to be Margret Brown
2. Thomas Brown – By the way stop making fun of him for being so religous
3. baby annie – think she should be in the show more
4. Dorcus Lane
5. Laura Timmons
My fav part about 2.5 is when annie says thomas’s name oh and what craks me up is when they dont know how to change annie’s diaper and miss. ellison does that Oooooo thing and alos when shes suprised about how thomas knew just wat to do about the diaper thing
2.4 is my favrotie won so far since i havent seen 2.12 yet
Hello every-one . Hope ur all good out -there .
Sage in answer to your question about larkrise wardrobe , the BBC have their own in house costume specialist’s if you email they should be able to forword you more info .
Does any one know if Jason Merrells aka James Dowland will be back ? I’ve surfed online every where to find this out to no avail .
Come on Bill bring JD back . So say I , my Mum , Dad , Granny and the people who live down the end of our street . 3rd series Dorcas & James in love with each other , happy ending . So tired of all the doom & gloom television .
I just watched both series from start to finish after catching it mid series 2 on PBS (in America). OK, was a bit sad that JD left, but upon reflecting…how brilliant of him (or the writers). What better way to keep DL obliged to him than to leave her with his son. She couldn’t, with a clear conscious, allow her affections to follow another man while JD’s own flesh and blood in under her roof! Now, could she??? I can hardly wait until series 3. I’m hooked!
Hi David Staley . I hope your right about Dorcas & JD . I hope JD comes back and that the writer’s give him and Dorcas another chance . I would love to seem them together as a happy couple .
Season 3 start’s tonight , I am so excited xoxo .
I just finished watching Series 2 on DVD and was also disappointed to see JD ride off. I’m also getting tired of Dorcas’s interference in everyone’s lives and how she always seems to be so perfectly composed, wise, and compassionate. She’s becoming quite boring and predictable. Re: Dorcas marrying someone by the end of series 3: in one of the series 2 DVD “extra” feature interviews, the producer, I think, mentions that in this era, only a single woman would have been permitted to run a post office. If this woman married, the government would not have allowed her to continue. If that’s true, then it seems unlikely that Dorcas will ever give up her beloved PO career and family to become any man’s wife, no matter how much she loves him in her annoyingly repressed way.
About my comment above – I hope I’m wrong about my Dorcas prediction and that somehow she finally accepts her need for a loving partnership, declares her love for James, they get married AND she keeps her job! Tall order!
Hi Lark rise fan’s . Hope your all well out-there?
Jean I totally hear you as regard’s to JD . I’ve been hoping he might return this season and that the writers give him and Dorcas’s romance another chance .
I heard Sir.Tim might be coming back , but I’m James Dowland all the way, haven’t heard any news if JD will ever return I hope he does .
I would still love to see him and Dorcas Marry each other .
Most of Season 2 was about the JD & DL’s love story , it seemed alot of effort for their love to just end, or rather her’s not his .
Fingers crossed that James comes back eventually . xoxo
Leave a comment