S09.E06: Episode 6

[txhorns79]

23 hours ago, Rhetorica said:

I've been weepy enough these last few weeks, so the waterworks broke tonight! Sweetness one minute and tragedy the next. Still, such a good episode.

I was in tears throughout most of Warren's storyline, particularly during that scene when everyone was in bed talking about what a wonderful day they had, because you just knew they would wake up and he would be gone.  I don't know what it was, because I haven't had an experience like the one depicted in the episode, but I was just bawling over the storyline. 

[Kohola3]

52 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

This is funny because I felt like he was trying to get close to her so that HE could get into the medicine...and that she seemed suspicious at the end? 

I don't know about the UK back then but in the US there was a shift change count of all narcotics that had to match the records of signing out the medication.  You couldn't just waltz in and grab a handful.

[howiveaddict]

If this medicine is the same as demerol, then it is neuro toxic and can cause seizures.  Demerol is rarely ordered anymore due to this.  I couldn't tell you how many injections of demerol mixed with phenergan I have given over the years.  Also, I was once told, that oral demerol doesn't work as well as tylenol.  Not effective in the pill form.

Back in the 60s I remember a young girl, at my church who was totally deaf from her mother having rubella.  I think also she had developmental delays. It must have been severe for me to have remember this, and I was also a child at the time.

[caitmcg]

43 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I don't know about the UK back then but in the US there was a shift change count of all narcotics that had to match the records of signing out the medication.  You couldn't just waltz in and grab a handful.

The article linked above mentioned that pethidine is used in the first stage of labor, generally by injection in more recent years, so I imagine that in 1965 and in the context of Nonnatus House, it was thought of as something that only was of use as part of labor and delivery midwifery. It’s interesting to hear about the practices here prior to the creation of the drug schedules after the passage of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. 

20 minutes ago, howiveaddict said:

If this medicine is the same as demerol, then it is neuro toxic and can cause seizures.  Demerol is rarely ordered anymore due to this.  I couldn't tell you how many injections of demerol mixed with phenergan I have given over the years.  Also, I was once told, that oral demerol doesn't work as well as tylenol.  Not effective in the pill form.

That’s interesting, as in the episode Sister Frances said she’d tried aspirin and paracetamol, aka acetaminophen aka Tylenol, and neither had helped.

[OtterMommy]

8 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Lucille's story was touching, and though of course she was quite involved as the principal nurse treating Warren, I was kind of surprised we didn’t see more of Valerie there, just supporting her cousin through it (unless I just missed her, in which case she was really in the background). 

Val assisted at the delivery (as well as visiting her sister earlier in the day) and then at the party.  On the one hand, I do see professional boundaries in play but, on the other, I was also surprised that Val wasn't there *as a sister.*  When Dr. Turner took Lucille with him to break the news to the family, I was actually surprised that he didn't bring Val as well so that she could process the information as a member of the family.

6 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Yes, they thought she had died at least two years ago, but it turns out she was a drug addict.  Miss Williams told Shelagh that Miss Tang had a "credible claim" to be May's mother.

I was sympathetic to both sides of that story.

I was probably not as sympathetic as I thought I would be, for a number of reasons.

First, I can't believe that she had the job that she had.  I'm sorry, but I can't see a British dignitary hiring a former addict as a nanny.  

Was it ever explained how May came to the agency and why they thought her mother was dead when her mother was still alive?  Did she surrender her daughter, knowing that she couldn't care for her, or did someone else bring May to the agency?

Anyway, I understand Esther's pain.  But the fact remains that her reasons for not signing the papers were completely selfish.  She knew she couldn't care for May, she recognized that the Turners could provide a better home for her than she ever could, and it was explained to her that not having the Turners as legal parents could have some pretty nasty consequences for May.  Yet, she still wouldn't sign because she didn't want May not to know that she loved her.  Well, why couldn't she write to May?  I'm certain that the Turners would have allowed that--they had been very generous to Esther to the point that they could see that it was having a negative impact on May.

[Kohola3]

If I had a nickel for each Demerol and Vistaril injection I've given over my career I'd be as rich as the Queen.  I honestly don't recall ever giving oral Demerol at all.

I don't think aspirin or Tylenol is of much benefit for really severe dsymenorrhea.  But that's probably all that was available back then.

[lovesnark]

I had horrible, debilitating cramps starting at about 14. Our family doctor would routinely prescribe codeine. My granny kept the bottle and would give them to me when I needed them. I went on the pill at 16 and the cramps went away. I didn't believe the doctor at Planned Parenthood when she said the pill would probably fix the cramps. I wanted to go back and thank her for being right-LOL.

[zoey1996]

I don’t know how it was back then in England, or if being part of the “Hong Kong Project” would have been different.  My English granddaughter was adopted through a town council, and my DD and her husband are required to share a progress report twice a year with her biological mother.  It was a neglect situation.  So it’s possible the Turners would have been able to share reports with May’s bio mom.

On the other hand, my bio brother  and I were adopted together, and didn’t really know anything about our bio parents.  At one point when the state we were adopted in had an open records policy, and we were older than 18, we were able to get some info.  Never met them, though we have met some of the other family members.

My sympathies lie with the Turners, and it’s been lovely to see Tim with his younger siblings.

[Driad]

38 minutes ago, caitmcg said:

Sister Frances said she’d tried aspirin and paracetamol, aka acetaminophen aka Tylenol, and neither had helped.

Acetaminophen helps some people more than others.  It does nothing for me.  Ibuprofen, which is more helpful for menstrual pain, was first marketed in 1969 in the U.K.; when that becomes available, it may help Sister Frances.

[Ms Lark]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

I don't think aspirin or Tylenol is of much benefit for really severe dsymenorrhea.  But that's probably all that was available back then.

It didn't do much of anything, I can attest! It wasn't until ibuprofen (Motrin) became available OTC in the US (80s?) that women had something that would really help. I thought of it as a gift from the goddess!

I still think the show is being Hallmark-ified. Even the tough stuff becomes all sweetness and light in the end.

[Sarah 103]

17 hours ago, debraran said:

I like McNulty being back and I wonder what addiction he will have. I have a feeling Ms Higgins will have some "looking down her nose" comments for sure!  I think no matter what he will be a welcome addition for a while and I hope for others in the future.

 

15 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Wasn't it the other doctor with the famous father that was a drinker,not McNulty?  Why would he have an addiction?  I think he was really trying to help Sr. Frances and back then drugs were given quite freely - think of the legions of "nervous" women who were prescribed and subsequently hooked on Valium!

@Kohola3. I agree with you. It was the other doctor who had the drinking problem, not McNulty. I feel like I missed something. (I watched the PBS version). Sister Frances was having bad cramps and he gave her something for it. Why do people think he's addicted? 

16 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

 I don't want Sister Frances addicted and I don't Want McNulty to have caused it.  He seems so nice and well meaning.

I thought this was similar to Dr. Turner perscribing Thalidomide. In both cases the doctor may have had no idea the drug had such dangerous or side effects. 

Overall, I liked the episode, especially the baby garden at the end. 

 

[caitmcg]

2 hours ago, Driad said:

Acetaminophen helps some people more than others.  It does nothing for me.  Ibuprofen, which is more helpful for menstrual pain, was first marketed in 1969 in the U.K.; when that becomes available, it may help Sister Frances.

Oh, sure, it wasn’t that I expected it would’ve been effective, but rather was commenting because howiveaddict said they’d always heard Demerol in oral form was no more effective than Tylenol, which is somewhat contrary to how the show played it. For story purposes, it certainly is simpler for the purposes of this episode and if they’re setting something more up to have a drug like that available in pill form.

[athousandclowns]

16 hours ago, MartyQui said:

Yes, they do it all the time at Boston Children’s, which was the first hospital to do the procedure.  They usually see the defect on ultrasound and then correct the heart within a few days of birth.  Children’s can also do it before birth, they were the first to do that too.  Its still a multiple surgery procedure, but their success rate is 98%.  I used to work there, it’s an amazing place.  Poor little Warren.

I was wondering what year this was my son died from a heart condition when he was 5 days old in 1966. That surgery Is done now. It wasn’t picked up till the 4th day and since I had a fever they were not bringing him to me. I never held him. I was sobbing uncontrollably and a nurse gave my in injection ( really without permission)  to calm me down. Like you see in a movie. 

[debraran]

6 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

 

@Kohola3. I agree with you. It was the other doctor who had the drinking problem, not McNulty. I feel like I missed something. (I watched the PBS version). Sister Frances was having bad cramps and he gave her something for it. Why do people think he's addicted? 

I thought this was similar to Dr. Turner perscribing Thalidomide. In both cases the doctor may have had no idea the drug had such dangerous or side effects. 

Overall, I liked the episode, especially the baby garden at the end. 

 

The other doctor did have a problem, but they glossed over that McNulty wouldn't indulge. Not a big deal but the show did it for a reason. He seemed to be more "recovering" than active. The UK version (have an online friend I check with sometimes) does have scenes cut, as someone on this site said, 4 small ones in the last show, but I'd like to have seen Dr Turner talking about May and her mom and when to tell her she's adopted. They have to discuss that at one point in the future.

Many doctors had drug problems from being around more narcotics and the looser way they were sometimes handled and recorded.

Edited May 5, 2020 by debraran

[Kohola3]

OK, now I am confused.  I watched PBS online last night and there was a scene in there that I don't believe was broadcast.  I'm posting it as a spoiler in case someone doesn't want to see it but if you don't mind, then please tell me if I missed it entirely!

Spoiler

Sr. Frances gives Dr. McNulty the keys to the narcotics cabinet because she gets called away.  He falsifies records and takes a vial of Demerol.  Was that broadcast on Sunday's episode?

 

[JudyObscure]

No! 

I'm about ready to quit donating to PBS.  If they're going to cut important plot points so they can show us 10 minutes of cruise ads and  silly behind the scenes stuff,  why give them money so we can have advertisement free TV?  The writing in some of their recent shows has been ridiculous like "World on Fire."  The Masterpiece part of Masterpiece Theater has become a joke, they should have dropped it to just "Theater."

Edited May 5, 2020 by JudyObscure

[debraran]

35 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

OK, now I am confused.  I watched PBS online last night and there was a scene in there that I don't believe was broadcast.  I'm posting it as a spoiler in case someone doesn't want to see it but if you don't mind, then please tell me if I missed it entirely!

  Hide contents

Sr. Frances gives Dr. McNulty the keys to the narcotics cabinet because she gets called away.  He falsifies records and takes a vial of Demerol.  Was that broadcast on Sunday's episode?

 

I do remember someone saying at house that something wasn't recorded correctly? I know it will seem odd to suddenly show him later with an issue when the build up is missing. If you read the episode descriptions, they usually match but not always everything. I think they might show that next episode.

[lovesnark]

44 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

OK, now I am confused.  I watched PBS online last night and there was a scene in there that I don't believe was broadcast.  I'm posting it as a spoiler in case someone doesn't want to see it but if you don't mind, then please tell me if I missed it entirely!

  Hide contents

Sr. Frances gives Dr. McNulty the keys to the narcotics cabinet because she gets called away.  He falsifies records and takes a vial of Demerol.  Was that broadcast on Sunday's episode?

 

I watched that, too. I think it was a preview for next week. 

[tljgator]

1 hour ago, debraran said:

I do remember someone saying at house that something wasn't recorded correctly?

Ms. Higgins chastises him for not logging something correctly -- frankly it looked more like he was covering for someone else than that he did something nefarious since we clearly missed a scene *grumbles* (directly after, one of the nuns tells him that her bark is worse than her bite, making it look like she's just being hard-nosed about it)

[txhorns79]

Just now, tljgator said:

Ms. Higgins chastises him for not logging something correctly -- frankly it looked more like he was covering for someone else than that he did something nefarious since we clearly missed a scene *grumbles* (directly after, one of the nuns tells him that her bark is worse than her bite, making it look like she's just being hard-nosed about it)

From what I remember, she was chastising him because he mixed up a sample that was going to the lab. 

[AZChristian]

28 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

From what I remember, she was chastising him because he mixed up a sample that was going to the lab. 

Yes.  He had placed a sputum vial with the blood vials.  HORRORS!! 

[tljgator]

18 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

Yes.  He had placed a sputum vial with the blood vials.  HORRORS!! 

Yes, but with the deleted scene, it would seem there's a build-up...because of this "mistake" he can say that he's been doing some things wrong, so sorry, learning the system, etc. It seemed like he was trying to establish some kind of pattern (alibi). That, or depending when the other scene was, this gave in an idea of how to get around anything she might say about missing meds.

I could be reading too much into it, but it really just speaks to why the deleted scenes bug me -- even if the PBS editors seem to think they don't mean much.

[debraran]

Since it's shown first in the UK, sometimes it's hard to not see certain things online ahead of time. That said, I wish we had the deleted scenes. Does Netflix put them in later?

[OtterMommy]

2 hours ago, debraran said:

I do remember someone saying at house that something wasn't recorded correctly? I know it will seem odd to suddenly show him later with an issue when the build up is missing. If you read the episode descriptions, they usually match but not always everything. I think they might show that next episode.

There was the issue with Miss Higgins, but there was also Phyllis saying that things were being taken without a record and I thought it was going to come down of Dr. McNulty, but then it was just Sister Monica Joan and some blankets.

[Kohola3]

22 minutes ago, debraran said:

Does Netflix put them in later?

I have been told that they do not.

[StatisticalOutlier]

3 hours ago, lovesnark said:

I watched that, too. I think it was a preview for next week. 

I saw it, and I think it was in the preview, too.

Did those of you who didn't see it watch the preview?

[caitmcg]

51 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I saw it, and I think it was in the preview, too.

Did those of you who didn't see it watch the preview?

It definitely was not in the episode proper on the PBS website. I streamed it there at broadcast time on Sunday and watched it again this morning out of curiosity. I also didn’t see it in the brief preview shown at the end of the episode, which is the same as what’s shown here, on the official site. Strange.

[StatisticalOutlier]

24 minutes ago, caitmcg said:

It definitely was not in the episode proper on the PBS website. I streamed it there at broadcast time on Sunday and watched it again this morning out of curiosity. I also didn’t see it in the brief preview shown at the end of the episode, which is the same as what’s shown here, on the official site. Strange.

I watched the preview at the end of the episode you linked to.  That's not the same preview I saw on broadcast TV. 

It did have a quick shot of Dr. McNulty furtively opening the drug cabinet, but my version (broadcast TV) had the long-ish scene that @Kohola3 described in spoiler tags, and which @lovesnark (and I) thought was in the preview.

And maybe I wasn't paying close attention, but I don't remember anything about a blind mother, which almost all of the online preview was about.  The online preview has a scene of a man barging through a door, and I think I remember that, but at this point, I'm not sure I'd swear to my own name.

[lovesnark]

1 hour ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

I watched the preview at the end of the episode you linked to.  That's not the same preview I saw on broadcast TV. 

It did have a quick shot of Dr. McNulty furtively opening the drug cabinet, but my version (broadcast TV) had the long-ish scene that @Kohola3 described in spoiler tags, and which @lovesnark (and I) thought was in the preview.

And maybe I wasn't paying close attention, but I don't remember anything about a blind mother, which almost all of the online preview was about.  The online preview has a scene of a man barging through a door, and I think I remember that, but at this point, I'm not sure I'd swear to my own name.

I watched a preview of Trixie calling on a blind woman who is expecting. Blind woman's sister is insisting she give the baby up for adoption because she says she isn't fit to parent.  She's really awful. Trixie tells her to go home, but also tells the young mom to be that social services could take the baby if she isn't able to care for it properly. I believe the woman is married. I think I heard her mention her husband.

[debraran]

Only 2 more shows  ☹️  This is what was written for next week unless you want to just wait and see, which is fun too.

Spoiler

rixie helps Marion, an expectant mother who is blind but does not believe this will stop her caring for her child. Marion's sister has other ideas, however, and reports her to social services. When the baby is born, Marion has to learn to accept help. Dr McNulty appears to be settling in well, but he is troubled by an old injury and resorts to stealing pain relief drugs. Valerie is concerned for the well-being of her grandmother in prison.

 

[howiveaddict]

On 5/4/2020 at 9:08 PM, Kohola3 said:

If I had a nickel for each Demerol and Vistaril injection I've given over my career I'd be as rich as the Queen.  I honestly don't recall ever giving oral Demerol at all.

I don't think aspirin or Tylenol is of much benefit for really severe dsymenorrhea.  But that's probably all that was available back then.

I remember their buttocks areas getting tough and the shots would leak out some after so many injections.  

21 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Oh, sure, it wasn’t that I expected it would’ve been effective, but rather was commenting because howiveaddict said they’d always heard Demerol in oral form was no more effective than Tylenol, which is somewhat contrary to how the show played it. For story purposes, it certainly is simpler for the purposes of this episode and if they’re setting something more up to have a drug like that available in pill form.

They probably didn't have studies to compare parental vs oral demerol back then.  I bet it's been 20 years since I saw it prescribed.  Of course now it's oxycontin that gets prescribed in the hospital.

[LittleIggy]

On 5/4/2020 at 11:31 AM, StatisticalOutlier said:

May I gently point out that the Turners' foster kid's name is spelled "May"? 

"Season 8 sees the Turner family welcome May Tang into their family as her foster daughter"

https://www.pbs.org/call-the-midwife/cast-characters/shelagh-turner

If she's going to be featured more in upcoming episodes, we ought to get her name right.

Because we wouldn’t want to upset her by misspelling her name! 🙄

[LittleIggy]

It seems so weird to see those babies in terry cloth nappies. Was that a British thing? 

[willowk]

On 5/4/2020 at 3:46 PM, DonnaMae said:

Is Sister Monica Joan supposed to have dementia or Alzheimer's?  Would someone if either of these conditions have such a huge vocabulary?  I have a friend who has dementia, and she's always repeating the same comments.  I don't see MJ doing that.

you know, I think they backtracked on her having dementia to keep her on the show. Maybe when they were developing the storyline the plan was either to have the actress leave the show (as so many others have) or maybe they thought the show wasn't going to get as many seasons as it has. Its odd for someone like me, my mom has Alz, but I just roll with it as I so like Sister Monica Joan.

[willowk]

On 5/5/2020 at 9:03 AM, Kohola3 said:

I have been told that they do not.

I've heard that too, or that they cut different things than PBS but still edit. I wonder why, and is there anyway to see the full episodes?

[theatremouse]

On 5/4/2020 at 12:58 PM, AZChristian said:

Yes, they thought she had died at least two years ago, but it turns out she was a drug addict.  Miss Williams told Shelagh that Miss Tang had a "credible claim" to be May's mother.

This is my understanding of the sequence of events: it was known in Hong Kong that Ms.  Tang was an addict and had placed her daughter in care, re-taken custody, etc several times in serveral waves of sobriety vs not. At some point while her daughter was still in care, she was thought to be dead, and hence the child made available for adoption. The drug history and the in-and-out-of-foster-care several times was not new info in this episode I don't think. What was discovered (offscreen, by Miss Williams) was that what actually happened was Ms. Tang changed her name in such a way that she dropped off all records, which is what made whichever people/authorities conclude she was dead in the first place. Meanwhile, she got clean, got this job as a nanny and when they ended up in England, she showed up to demand her kid back.

On 5/4/2020 at 11:42 PM, athousandclowns said:

I was wondering what year this was my son died from a heart condition when he was 5 days old in 1966. 

The show is currently at August 1965. (We know from the newspaper headline about the Beatles at Shea Stadium)

[khyber]

I remember getting my pre-marriage blood tests & finding out that I had no immunity to rubella. I got a vaccine. 

[Sarah 103]

2 hours ago, willowk said:

I've heard that too, or that they cut different things than PBS but still edit. I wonder why, and is there anyway to see the full episodes?

The best way I know of is to watch the full episodes is on DVD. Other people may have different methods.

[tennisgurl]

I can empathize with Ester and her pain at losing her daughter, and its great that she is getting her life together (although I do question a well to do British family hiring a former drug addict as a nanny) but her taking May away from the Turners seems terribly selfish. May has clearly deeply bonded not only with her adopted parents but also with her family, and taking her away to live with a women she doesn't even know, just seems like it would be terrible for her. And I take real offense at her accusing the Turners of "turning her child against her" like what now? It doesn't take a genius to guess that a shy little kid would be freaked out meeting a stranger who starts intensely talking to her and starts pulling at her arm, its hardly some kind of evil plan. I know that she doesn't know that the Turners are the nicest people ever, and it must be terribly hard to see your child and not have them know you, but I am still rooting for the Turners in all of this. Its the best thing for May. 

Poor poor tiny Warren and his poor family. His little hand...

[caitmcg]

3 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

And I take real offense at her accusing the Turners of "turning her child against her" like what now? It doesn't take a genius to guess that a shy little kid would be freaked out meeting a stranger who starts intensely talking to her and starts pulling at her arm, its hardly some kind of evil plan

Also the language barrier; however long it’s been that May's been exclusively around Anglophones has been long enough for a child that young to lose her knowledge of Cantonese (something Miss Tang didn’t seem to register in her own personal distress). A strange woman grabbing at her, speaking stridently in a language she has no recollection of, would be frightening to any young child.  I still remember becoming separated from my parents for a few minutes at a Montreal amusement park when I was around seven, and in that moment the fact that the woman who approached me was speaking French, a language I didn’t understand, was more disorienting than not seeing my parents. 

Edited May 7, 2020 by caitmcg

[Badger]

4 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I can empathize with Ester and her pain at losing her daughter, and its great that she is getting her life together (although I do question a well to do British family hiring a former drug addict as a nanny) but her taking May away from the Turners seems terribly selfish. May has clearly deeply bonded not only with her adopted parents but also with her family, and taking her away to live with a women she doesn't even know, just seems like it would be terrible for her. And I take real offense at her accusing the Turners of "turning her child against her" like what now? It doesn't take a genius to guess that a shy little kid would be freaked out meeting a stranger who starts intensely talking to her and starts pulling at her arm, its hardly some kind of evil plan. I know that she doesn't know that the Turners are the nicest people ever, and it must be terribly hard to see your child and not have them know you, but I am still rooting for the Turners in all of this. Its the best thing for May. 

Poor poor tiny Warren and his poor family. His little hand...

I'm not sure that the family Esther works for knew about her addiction.  That's the thing about her telling them she had a child.  They'd want to know exactly why May was not with her and sooner or later the truth would come out.

[txhorns79]

2 hours ago, Badger said:

I'm not sure that the family Esther works for knew about her addiction.  That's the thing about her telling them she had a child.  They'd want to know exactly why May was not with her and sooner or later the truth would come out.

I'm pretty sure they would fire her immediately for having a child, so it would never get to the point of them asking what was the backstory.  I understand that Esther gave her child up, and had a sordid history with drugs.  She obviously was not a suitable parent for her daughter at the time she gave her up.   However, I also think the system is stacked against her ever getting her kid back, regardless of whether she takes steps to improve herself.  I mean, to me it says everything that they gave Esther papers written in English to sign over her child.  While I have no doubt the woman in charge of the project would have done her best to ensure Esther understood what the papers said, that they aren't written in Esther's native tongue gives you an idea as to what they think of the Chinese biological parents.     

[loribelle1]

This episode really hit home for me because I had patent ductus arteriosus as a young child, and had corrective surgery in California in 1963, two years before the time that this episode was supposed to be taking place.  I was 6 when I had the surgery, so my case might not have been as severe as portrayed in the episode, and I imagine neonatal surgery was a much greater risk/less of a possibility in 1963.  My mother did not have rubella, and we never knew why I had pda.  It is not something you hear much about, so I was really surprised to see a storyline about it on Call the Midwife, and such a sad one at that (since I was just a little kid, it did not make that big of an impression on me that this was a serious issue, but I now think about what my poor parents were going through with me, and the Kennedy assassination going on at the same time!).

[Calvada]

My parents had a baby born in 1957, everything seemed fine, and three hours after his birth, the doctor walked into my mom's room and said there's a problem with the baby.  My parents were told that his heart hadn't formed correctly, and he would not make it.  He died four days later. My mom said the thing that saved her was that she had other children at home who needed her.  

Hearing of the deleted scenes is why I buy the DVDs.  It irks me that we miss out on a few minutes of each episode, since so often those few minutes are very important to the story line.  

[debraran]

7 hours ago, Calvada said:

My parents had a baby born in 1957, everything seemed fine, and three hours after his birth, the doctor walked into my mom's room and said there's a problem with the baby.  My parents were told that his heart hadn't formed correctly, and he would not make it.  He died four days later. My mom said the thing that saved her was that she had other children at home who needed her.  

Hearing of the deleted scenes is why I buy the DVDs.  It irks me that we miss out on a few minutes of each episode, since so often those few minutes are very important to the story line.  

My DIL told me to get them at the library to save money if I didn't want them as a personal collection. I did that one year and it was startling at times what they left out. Sometimes it was just fluff, other times it was important.

They have done that with other shows too but with a show like this, I wish there was a way to cut out other things. In season 5 a blogger was putting the missing scenes in her blog, she'd write in black what we saw, red what was missing. Not sure why but it was nice to read it although a lot of work for her.

Edited May 9, 2020 by debraran

[Suzn]

10 hours ago, debraran said:

My DIL told me to get them at the library to save money if I didn't want them as a personal collection. I did that one year and it was startling at times what they left out. Sometimes it was just fluff, other times it was important.

They have done that with other shows too but with a show like this, I wish there was a way to cut out other things. In season 5 a blogger was putting the missing scenes in her blog, she'd write in black what we saw, red what was missing. Not sure why but it was nice to read it although a lot of work for her.

Sometimes the behind the scenes pieces are interesting enough, but they are never, ever essential to the plot.  They can easily be sacrificed in order to have the entire show be intact.  Not only do I think it's wrong for them to make those cuts, I feel like the people making the edits don't really understand the show and what is important.

[SandyToes]

On 5/4/2020 at 8:22 PM, howiveaddict said:

Also, I was once told, that oral demerol doesn't work as well as tylenol.  Not effective in the pill form.

Depends on the patient and the cause of the pain. My spousal unit keeps a current 'script of about 10 pills a year (in case he's ever drug tested), but only takes about 2 pills a YEAR. When his pain is acute, nothing else helps (including Vicodin, etc), and the demerol does.  Different people react differently.  He and I have both had several surgeries, and morphine does nothing for me. My spouse? It's his happy hospital drug!

On 5/7/2020 at 1:22 PM, tennisgurl said:

It doesn't take a genius to guess that a shy little kid would be freaked out meeting a stranger who starts intensely talking to her and starts pulling at her arm,

 

On 5/7/2020 at 4:46 PM, caitmcg said:

Also the language barrier; however long it’s been that May's been exclusively around Anglophones has been long enough for a child that young to lose her knowledge of Cantonese (something Miss Tang didn’t seem to register in her own personal distress). A strange woman grabbing at her, speaking stridently in a language she has no recollection of, would be frightening to any young child. 

Exactly. The angry babbling in a foreign language would be frightening to anyone.  And pulling a 4-5 year old child from the only real home she has ever known is also not a good plan. She already had bonding issues when she first arrived, having been tossed around, regardless of the reasons. It took a long time for her to warm to Shelagh and the family. As an adoptive parent, this resonated with me.  The Turners are fairly "progressive' - especially Shelagh. I was hoping they would respond with some type of limited, yet open communication with the birthmother. Letters,  supervised visits, photos, etc.  And she can not support the child (currently). As a nanny, the other family would have to okay her bringing her child in as "part of the family." So no job, no place to live, even in a country where housing, medical care, etc are all provided to those without. Wanting to be a parent doesn't make it possible to parent.  And "temporary parenting" isn't good for anyone. There's a reason birth parents sign the papers.  They can't come swooping in 2, 5, 10, 12 years later and say, "Hey, I'm good to go now!  Hand her over!"  (And that's something every adoptive parent fears, papers or no.)

On 5/7/2020 at 9:12 PM, txhorns79 said:

I mean, to me it says everything that they gave Esther papers written in English to sign over her child.  While I have no doubt the woman in charge of the project would have done her best to ensure Esther understood what the papers said, that they aren't written in Esther's native tongue gives you an idea as to what they think of the Chinese biological parents.     

Hong Kong was an British territory/protectorate, and as I recall, English the predominant language (feel free to correct!) Why would an office have papers in different languages at the time?  Perhaps they should have, since there were apparently so many of these types of adoptions. But most of the birth parents would have been in Hong Kong, not the UK.  I would think the offices in China/Hong Kong would have papers in the appropriate language.  Probably not many of the birthmothers lived in the UK.  But again, that may be wrong, so feel free to correct.

Giving birth is not the only (nor the best) qualification to be a parent. And sometimes, the best parents didn't provide the egg and sperm.

Overall, I thought this one of the best episodes. I DO like how the series works in real-life struggles of the times - like the rubella here, the unwanted pregnancies even in happy families, and the Thalidomide earlier. I remember the first episode when Dr. Turner prescribed the miracle anti-nausea drug, and thinking, Oh, God, no!  And Sister Monica Joan gets me every time. She is soooo intuitive and "sees" so much.  Her catching Sr. Julienne (last episode?) out in the real world, that was so touching and powerful.  Just a great show. Sigh.  Hankies abound.

[debraran]

3 hours ago, Suzn said:

Sometimes the behind the scenes pieces are interesting enough, but they are never, ever essential to the plot.  They can easily be sacrificed in order to have the entire show be intact.  Not only do I think it's wrong for them to make those cuts, I feel like the people making the edits don't really understand the show and what is important.

I agree, sometimes it's just choppy or you see Sr Julienne out in a hall and you are why was that? Or you see them build up a plot and then nothing happens. For certain episodes, I'd really like to get the set at the library and just watch them again. If you are going to edit, know what you are editing.

[Kohola3]

Obviously every system is different but our local library gives us free checkouts from Hoopla which carries the DVDs online.  Because the libraries are all closed, they have upped the limit to 10 checkouts a month.  I can watch them online which is a nice perk.

[caitmcg]

59 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Obviously every system is different but our local library gives us free checkouts from Hoopla which carries the DVDs online.  Because the libraries are all closed, they have upped the limit to 10 checkouts a month.  I can watch them online which is a nice perk.

I had no idea Hoopla carries these in the original format, interesting. Looks as if they currently have through S7 (My library has also upped its borrowing limit in these times; unfortunately, each episode of a show counts as a borrow.)