Welcome, RetroGirl01! You sound like a kindred spirit! Julia was incredibly moving in her portrayal of Dorcas in the first series, which captured my imagination so much that I still have a hard time letting go of her past with Sir Timothy. Julia is the crown jewel of this show and why the writers, as you said, 'put to grass somewhat' such a riveting character, I just don't know. "Steely-eyed strength"--I love it! I love how one moment you see the strength in her eyes and in the next such incredible vulnerability and sadness that you actually feel her pain.
Speaking of the first series, I have, for the first time, been writing my own interpretation of what occurred between Timothy and Dorcas in their past growing up together and leading up to his return in the future. They gave us so many tantalizing clues about what happened between them that I just had to do my own story incorporating them all. So far I'm up to twelve pages and still have about three "scenes" to write. It's been a catharsis for me and fun to imagine the life those two used to share together and how it tragically came apart.