REVIEW: Clarkson's Farm, Series 1 Episode Five 'Pan(dem)icking'

 REVIEW: Clarkson's Farm, Series 1 Episode Five 'Pan(dem)icking'

The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard-hitting for many, from NHS workers to shop assistants who have all been pushed beyond the call of duty to support the public at this difficult time. However it's hard to forget that this will have been a trying period for farmers also. After all, they are classed as key workers; when the rest of us were in lockdown, they had to keep going.

Jeremy Clarkson, as well as being a TV host, is one such farmer now. Not only that, but he's a vulnerable man working as a farmer, whose health would be affected significantly if he caught the virus. As he points out, he's in his sixties, he's had a smoking addiction and he's experienced pneumonia which has left a profound impact on his lungs. For Clarkson, COVID is very worrying indeed. This is something that's a little relatable for me, as I have high-functionality autism, which makes me more susceptible to illness, and so like Clarkson if I caught COVID then it's unlikely I'd be able to cope. I can really relate to his concerns, and feel his panic at the prospect of catching this virus. It's great to see a show demonstrate how the pandemic has affected those of us who are vulnerable in some shape or form, as it's not something that has otherwise been widely shown.

A large chunk of this episode concerns lambing season at Diddily Squat farm, something Clarkson describes as 'equal parts cute and horrifying'. It's hard to disagree, as on one hand we see the adorable lambs arrive and on the other the horrible blood bags hanging from the mother. Clarkson's assessment that it's like something out of a John Carpenter film is so accurate with what we are shown here; it's not hard to imagine the 'blood bag' element being utilised for some form of horror set within the confines of a farm. It seems exactly like one of those ideas a horror director would come up with. 

For most of this episode, Clarkson's not alone. He has help from shepherd Ellen Helliwell, who oversees the results of the lambing season. The reaction from Jeremy Clarkson when she talks about castration provides one of this instalment's most memorable moments. He reacts just like how any of us would, with a mix of schoolboy amusement and disgust at the idea. I think this is a big reason why Clarkson's Farm works so well. Jeremy Clarkson's lack of farming experience essentially makes him the audience surrogate; often we are experiencing and learning things the same time as he is, as what is new to him is new to us. He's our guide into this world of farming. 

Something I never expected to see was Jeremy Clarkson delivering a lamb. For a television presenter who is likely a millionaire off the back of his gigs presenting shows such as Top Gear and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, delivering lambs is possibly one of the least glamorous jobs you would expect to see somebody of his immense wealth doing. And yet, credit to him, because he does it. He gets his hands dirty, and brings a lamb into the world. I always like it when presenters get involved in these factual programmes, as it shows they genuinely care about the subject, and that they're not just doing it because they are getting paid 'X' amount of cash. They're invested, and they gave a genuine interest in telling us about this subject.

This is the episode that sees the return of the Diddly Squat farm shop after it was forced to close due the local council taking issue with his roof. It's great to see it back up and running here, as I think the council seem needlessly harsh with their decision regarding the roof material utilised. To my eyes from the establishing shots shown on the show, it looks like it blends in well with the surrounding environment, so I'm not entirely sure why there should be such a problem with it. It's certainly good of Clarkson to open it back up though, and to also deliver potatoes to his local community. A very respectable decision.

It makes me really feel for the poor guy however when he finds somebody has set his hay bales alight. Clarkson suspects it was a group of local teenage youths, which seems a reasonable guess, but it's really not fair for someone to commit such blatant arson. Jeremy Clarkson and his farmhands have clearly put a lot of hard work and graft into running the Diddly Squat farm, and yet this is how they are awarded. It does leave you pondering how some parents are treating their teen youths for them to end up like this, because my parents always raised me to be respectful to those around me. I would never dream of doing something like this.

Overall, 'Pan(dem)icking' offers a hugely entertaining insight into how the pandemic affected Clarkson's farming life. Featuring a fun glimpse at lambing season and a look at how Jeremy Clarkson helped the local community with his potato deliveries in the midst of the pandemic, it's an episode that feels very much like a product of the first national lockdown in March 2020. It's just a shame that whoever set his hay bales alight didn't have the same community spirit as the rest of the country during that time.

What are your thoughts on the fifth episode of Clarkson's Farm? Let me know in the comments.