Channel 5's beloved drama All Creatures Great and Small saw Mrs Audrey Hall, portrayed by Anna Madeley, continue her part-time war efforts as a night warden not seeing eye to eye with the stern Mr Bosworth, played by Jeremy Swift.
Nevertheless, she has a formidable ally in Siegfried Farnon, enacted by Samuel West, who champions her corner fiercely. In the latest storyline, he bolstered her confidence when self-doubt crept in.
The will-they-won't-they tension between Mrs Hall and Siegfried has kept fans on tenterhooks, especially after Mrs Hall's split from Gerald Hammond (Will Thorp) due to his family obligations, sparking speculation of a burgeoning romance with Siegfried, a widower within the show.
While intriguingly the real Donald Sinclair, who inspired Siegfried's character, had a wife named Audrey, there's no suggestion that this is a direct crossover into the series' fictional narrative.
Actress Anna Madeley shared insights with Masterpiece into her character's nuanced relationship with Siegfried: "The relationship with Mr Farnon is so complex because there's so many layers to it, in that he employs her in the house, as well as that they have a real fondness for each other, and they are very good friends to one another."
"You can see where there'd be potential there. Then with Gerald, he's the first person that comes along that you really see in another way, helping Mrs Hall out."
"He's someone who wants to engage and be helpful to her. It's interesting, that relationship with Gerald, where they share an era together-they've grown up in the same world, and they can share a wartime memory together and just have some gentle fun together, as well."
"I think those things are all very intriguing about how this progresses."
Ahead of the new season, Samuel voiced his thoughts on "protecting" Mrs Hall in her new role as a blackout warden.
He expressed: "I think Siegfried is caught up with ideas of protecting Mrs Hall and being angered by Bosworth's jobsworthing."
"And he oversteps the mark in trying to protect somebody he would see as staff but also as a friend."
"My friend and companion and housekeeper is away doing important stuff that I'm not being asked to do. And he slightly feels like a spare part at a wedding."
For now, it seems the duo will continue their friendship, but there have been hints suggesting they might consider elevating their relationship to a different level with no obstacles in their path.
All Creatures Great and Small airs on Thursdays on Channel 5 at 9pm
