S10.E07: Episode 7

[OtterMommy]

Quote

The Nonnatus House staff struggles to come to terms with Nancy's revelation. Sister Frances and Trixie rally the others to take a stand and do something about Poplar's growing housing crisis. Sister Hilda relishes taking charge when Sister Julienne takes her annual leave, Timothy Turner prepares to leave for medical school, and Cyril is forced to reconsider his future after he receives news from home. A very special baby is born, causing a rift in a close-knit family and leading many people to count their blessings.

 

[dargosmydaddy]

3 hours ago, OtterMommy said:

Timothy Turner prepares to leave for medical school

I feel old now...

[MissLucas]

1 hour ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I feel old now...

It took me ages to remember who Cyril is... feeling even older 😲

[purist]

Really lovely episode. I can't believe that's it for the regular season and we now have to wait until Christmas to see them all again!

[bybrandy]

lots of laughs in this one, particularly amused by Tim Turner not being able to drink the wine with he nun on the bottle because nuns!   

[MissLucas]

14 hours ago, bybrandy said:

lots of laughs in this one, particularly amused by Tim Turner not being able to drink the wine with he nun on the bottle because nuns!   

What makes this even funnier is the fact that what the Turner's were drinking was 'Liebfrau(en)milch' which translates to 'Our Beloved Lady's Milk' and the beloved lady is of course the Virgin Mary, Liebfrau being an ancient appellation.  Originally the wine was made from grapes around the Liebfrauenkirche in Worms, hence the name. Nowadays it's used as a generic label for a semi-sweet white wine.

Can't believe we're already through with another season!

There was a lot going on in this episode. Sister Frances seemed to channel Sister Evangelina when she slammed the dead rat on Violet's counter - good for her! Mrs Buckle is occasionally a bit too full of herself and I liked the rude reminder of her duties (even though she did not directly ignore them and came through in the end). And of course the unknown landlord had to be Hot Widower. For a moment the sea got a bit stormy for a certain ship. But good for Trixie to call him out on his privilege. It was all resolved a bit too neatly, but once Sister Julienne placed that photo in her office it was Kleenex time again.

I was really worried for Nancy - glad she got away from that filthy guy. I had to laugh at Phyllis chewing her out because she had caused 'two orders at the throat of each other!' But it was also a bit OOC since we know Phyllis was raised by a single mother. I had expected her to be more understanding. But apparently the scene was written so that Sister Monica Joan could be the voice of reason. Nancy's 'sister' really looks like they could be related - great casting. I wonder if the nice foster family Sister Hilda promised will turn out to be the Turners. Sheilagh seems to be on the edge of a nervous breakdown at the first sign of an empty nest 🙄 Just kidding, I don't think that would be a good idea.

The Down syndrome plot was handled with the usual care and diligence. Although I think the show tends to paint a too rosy picture of the realities. The scene between Fred and the father was very well written and acted - probably the episode's highlight for me (apart from the dead rat-slamming).

I had not known that there was going to be a special after the episode dedicated to 10 years of CTM until the nice BBC lady informed me to stay tuned and stack up on hankies. SHE WAS NOT KIDDING!!! I was a mess afterwards. Just a warning in case the special makes it across the pond: be prepared!

Edited June 2, 2021 by MissLucas

[Ceindreadh]

4 hours ago, MissLucas said:

I was really worried for Nancy - glad she got away from that filthy guy. I had to laugh at Phyllis chewing her out because she had caused 'two orders at the throat of each other!' But it was also a bit OOC since we know Phyllis was raised by a single mother. I had expected her to be more understanding. But apparently the scene was written so that Sister Monica Joan could be the voice of reason. Nancy's 'sister' really looks like they could be related - great casting. I wonder if the nice foster family Sister Hilda promised will turn out to be the Turners. Sheilagh seems to be on the edge of a nervous breakdown at the first sign of an empty nest 🙄 Just kidding, I don't think that would be a good idea.

 

 

I don't think it was OOC of Phyllis.  Yes, she was raised by a single mother and was more than likely sympathetic to Nancy's situation.  But any sympathy would always be tempered by her annoyance at Nancy just up and doing a runner with her daughter without and forethought or plan for the future.  Nancy shirked her responsibilities as a student midwife, she disappeared without telling anybody where she was going.  She deserved a good chewing out for that, regardless of her motivations. 

[purist]

12 hours ago, MissLucas said:

The scene between Fred and the father was very well written and acted - probably the episode's highlight for me

Yes, that was outstanding. I loved seeing two middle-aged men who were clearly not used to talking about their feelings (very accurate for the time - and even now) connecting and helping each other. Fred saying that knowing and caring for Reggie had helped him to 'love more' was particularly great. And I enjoyed Reggie with the pram at the end too.

Edited June 3, 2021 by purist

[LGraves65]

"I was prepared for my milk come in, I just wasn't prepared for the love to come in"  = instant sobbing

[txhorns79]

On 6/2/2021 at 2:48 PM, Ceindreadh said:

 

I don't think it was OOC of Phyllis.  Yes, she was raised by a single mother and was more than likely sympathetic to Nancy's situation.  But any sympathy would always be tempered by her annoyance at Nancy just up and doing a runner with her daughter without and forethought or plan for the future.  Nancy shirked her responsibilities as a student midwife, she disappeared without telling anybody where she was going.  She deserved a good chewing out for that, regardless of her motivations. 

Yeah, Nancy's behavior was extremely irresponsible and she's very luck to have people at Nonatus House to bail her out. 

I really liked Shelagh's yellow flower outfit.  It was such a different look for her, and the yellow was stand out in an episode filled with people wearing orange. 

[debraran]

I loved this show, sure they downplayed some of the hardships with a child with disabilities but so many don't highlight the joys. I loved it.

I still don't like the Trixie pseudo romance and now low and behold he is part of that horrible apartment building which will get fixed. I don't know why this story line bothers me so much, not his looks which to me like the bad fiance in Titanic, just how contrived it is. I wondered how many calls and opening of doors in the future and he'll be there. Stay with your kid! ; ) And Trixie reading the letter.....NO! (rant ended) I want her to be happy but not like this.

I loved seeing Tim so much of a mature adult now, Ms Higgins chiding him with a smile and wishing him well. I wonder if her very quick beau will be back or his gone for good? He went away for his health.  (Sgt Woolf)

I didn't see the special yet for 10 years but will look for it  for sure. Sometimes I'll go on Netflix and look up an old one with Jenny, they've come such a long way!

Nancy's story was a little awkward, like they aren't sure how to write her but I'm sure the second half will be better and her daughter will be playing with Shelagh's kids soon enough. ; )

[ChelleGame]

Loved when Reggie met the baby and said "I like his face".

So very sweet.

 

[dubbel zout]

On 6/2/2021 at 10:31 AM, MissLucas said:

And of course the unknown landlord had to be Hot Widower.

I knew he'd be the slum lord (or a representative of the slum lord). There had to be some monkey wrench thrown into his burgeoning relationship with Trixie.

On 6/2/2021 at 10:31 AM, MissLucas said:

The Down syndrome plot was handled with the usual care and diligence. Although I think the show tends to paint a too rosy picture of the realities.

I find everything is resolved too neatly, but I do give the show credit for bringing up some tough subjects.

Are white coats for med students in the UK not short? In the U.S., at least they start short and get longer as the student progresses.

[EllaWycliffe]

17 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

I find everything is resolved too neatly, but I do give the show credit for bringing up some tough subjects.

Agree but I think they wuss out on the topic of Downs Syndrome and the difficulties. The fellow who plays Reggie for example is very high functioning and love and caring is lovely but not every Downs Syndrome kid grows up to be high functioning. There's a great guy at my church for example, who is my age - 50 - and he's completely non verbal and needs constant supervision. His 80+ parents manage well, but he's a non verbal toddler in an adult body. We have another one, a woman, who works, graduated high school and community college, and there's a third who hands out our programs and participates but lives at home with his parents and works in a supervised setting Its not as simple as everyone being overwhelmed by love. 

[libgirl2]

19 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Agree but I think they wuss out on the topic of Downs Syndrome and the difficulties. The fellow who plays Reggie for example is very high functioning and love and caring is lovely but not every Downs Syndrome kid grows up to be high functioning. There's a great guy at my church for example, who is my age - 50 - and he's completely non verbal and needs constant supervision. His 80+ parents manage well, but he's a non verbal toddler in an adult body. We have another one, a woman, who works, graduated high school and community college, and there's a third who hands out our programs and participates but lives at home with his parents and works in a supervised setting Its not as simple as everyone being overwhelmed by love. 

There are some great group homes and communities.  Yes it was a bit simplified but that love is never a thing to argue. 

[TVFAN]

I'm glad that Trixie and hot widower have become friends before they move on to romance.  Trixie's beaus have not always appreciated how smart and talented she is.  Matthew has had to lean on her for help and respects her mind.  Now that a proper period of mourning has taken place, go Mixie!

 

 

[txhorns79]

54 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Agree but I think they wuss out on the topic of Downs Syndrome and the difficulties. The fellow who plays Reggie for example is very high functioning and love and caring is lovely but not every Downs Syndrome kid grows up to be high functioning.

I do think the situation resolved itself too easily.  Love is important, but love alone is often not enough.  Growing up, I knew an older couple who had their adult child with Down's living with them.  He was a very nice person, but as far as I knew, his care needs were such that he would always need third party help and supervision.  Thankfully, they did find him a good housing situation before they became too old to care for him, but I recall his mother telling my mother her greatest fear was what would happen to her son if she and her husband were not there to look out for him.     

[Grrarrggh]

Has there been a single episode this series where the Turner girls weren't wearing some kind of theme outfits? 

[Blackie]

On 6/1/2021 at 10:37 PM, bybrandy said:

ots of laughs in this one, particularly amused by Tim Turner not being able to drink the wine with he nun on the bottle because nuns!   

 

thanks PBS for cutting out this scene

 

The funniest for me was when Fred had the basket of zucchinis and Violet said they would give them to the senior citizens.  OMG I laughed so hard remembering the first year we tried a community garden plot and planted 4 zucchini seeds and ended up with so many zucchinis I was wandering around with a basket trying to give them to people in my apartment building and then I tried to take them to a seniors residence to donate them but they didn't even want them!!!!!

 

On 6/2/2021 at 10:31 AM, MissLucas said:

Just a warning in case the special makes it across the pond: be prepared!

 

I wonder if we are getting this next week??

 

On 6/2/2021 at 11:19 PM, purist said:

es, that was outstanding. I loved seeing two middle-aged men who were clearly not used to talking about their feelings (very accurate for the time - and even now) connecting and helping each other. Fred saying that knowing and caring for Reggie had helped him to 'love more' was particularly great.

 

I think some of these scenes were edited on PBS as well. This season was particularly bad since there was plenty of time at the end that they just replayed the whole 10 yea clips.

I guess the Christmas special will be the wedding!

[ComeWhatMay]

I was having my dinner when the rat appeared. The city I live in has no shortage. Ugh. Hot widower, get your tenements in order before you attempt to court Trixie. 

I felt it when Matthew remarked on 100 years of wrongdoing by his family. It’s never too late to do better. 

Glad baby Robert is loved. Special needs children who will not be able to live independently just need their next addresses set-up while you are here to do it. I have a cousin who has a place she will be moved to when her parents are gone. It will not be them, but it will be nice. 

[susannah]

I don't think that Fred was minimizing the fact that there are difficulties raising special needs children, just that it is okay to love them. As said here, there are varying levels of limitation with Down's kids, but with love and support, they will be the best that they can be, and the parents  have to learn day by day how to do it. Reggie's limitations have been illustrated on the show, but they also have shown how he has grown, and he is treated like the young man he is. Robert will grow up with that love and support, and will never be shoved into a home, regardless of his limitations. His siblings would also be there for him. I love Reggie, and that he and the Buckles will be great support systems. I too loved the scene with Reggie and the carriage. I was glad the sister was honest enough to say that she couldn't take Robert. That was the most adorable baby.

Thank goodness Nancy got Colette out of that orphanage, and away from that nasty guy. Of course she should have come to Nonnatus first thing, but she was scared. She is still a very young woman with a great responsibility, and fear that she will lose her child. I also thought that the Turners could foster Colette, since it would be a temporary situation and not one with a hope of adoption at the end as with May. I thought that Sr Hilda and Phyllis were right to chastise her, and Nancy got that they were so worried about her and cared for her. I didn't care at all about Sr Gorgon at Colette's orphanage.

The tenement situation was horrible. Of course the errant landlord had to be Rich Guy. I didn't at all like that plot manipulation, since Trixie was involved. He wanted Trixie's approval, so he stepped up. I did wonder what endowing NH was going to do for the tenements, besides nothing. They aren't in charge of housing. I don't like the blooming relationship, since it is has only been a year since the wife died. I am sure Trixie's having to lose all her fancy clothes was like a knife to the heart!

Timothy is off to medical school! I am so proud. I remember when he was hanging out the car window looking for Sheilagh, when she was discharged from the tb facility, and when he got polio. He was so little then!

[LittleIggy]

I was hoping that the situation with the baby would be that the father wanted to keep the baby when he finally got a son after four daughters. That would have been a messy situation.
I knew that Aylward’s family would be the slumlords.

[caitmcg]

1 hour ago, susannah said:

I did wonder what endowing NH was going to do for the tenements, besides nothing. They aren't in charge of housing. I

The implication was that it was separate from fixing up the tenements. He said his family’s company mostly owned warehouses and the tenements were a side business they pretty much ignored, so I think endowing Nonnatus House was him committing to investing in the community in Poplar, rather than just making money off it at the expense of people's well being as they’d been doing for a century. Last week's donation of £100 was symbolic because he appreciated Trixie's help, but this is putting his money where his mouth is.

[susannah]

8 minutes ago, caitmcg said:

The implication was that it was separate from fixing up the tenements. He said his family’s company mostly owned warehouses and the tenements were a side business they pretty much ignored, so I think endowing Nonnatus House was him committing to investing in the community in Poplar, rather than just making money off it at the expense of people's well being as they’d been doing for a century. Last week's donation of £100 was symbolic because he appreciated Trixie's help, but this is putting his money where his mouth is.

I guess any opinion is good, because that is all we have. It made no sense to me that he gave the money to Sr J when the issue was the slum apartments, and didn't address that at all in regard to doing anything about them.

[caitmcg]

3 hours ago, susannah said:

It made no sense to me that he gave the money to Sr J when the issue was the slum apartments, and didn't address that at all in regard to doing anything about them.

He did. When he and Trixie had their conversation in the infirmary cafe, after he told her that the family business had bought the tenements as a side line in Queen Victoria’s time, this was their exchange:

Trixie: And now we’re five monarchs on, and nothing’s changed. No one should have to live in nineteenth-century conditions.

Matthew: No, they shouldn’t, and I intend to change that. It’s the proper thing to do.

As for giving the money to Nonnatus House, this whole season has had Sister Julienne fretting about how to raise the funds to keep it from being shut down. This is the plot contrivance that justifies the three more seasons that have been greenlit. In story terms, it also means that if he pursues Trixie as time goes on (and we all know he will), he’s meeting her where she lives and works, so to speak.

Edited November 15, 2021 by caitmcg

[susannah]

32 minutes ago, caitmcg said:

He did. When he and Trixie had their conversation in the infirmary cafe, after he told her that the family business had bought the tenements as a side line in Queen Victoria’s time, this was their exchange:

Trixie: And now we’re five monarchs on, and nothing’s changed. No one should have to live in nineteenth-century conditions.

Matthew: No, they shouldn’t, and I intend To change that. It’s the proper thing to do.

As for giving the money to Nonnatus House, this whole season has had Sister Julienne fretting about how to raise the funds to keep it from being shut down. This is the plot contrivance that justifies the three more seasons that have been greenlit. In story terms, it also means that if he pursues Trixie as time goes on (and we all know he will), he’s meeting her where she lives and works, so to speak.

Yes I know he said that. Saying isn't doing. I disagree that he is meeting Trixie where she lives and works, I think that he is making sure SHE is set up, since he likes her. That is self serving. I would think more of him if he actually did start action on cleaning up the slums, or that his contribution to NH had nothing to do with Trixie. Differing opinions are great.

[caitmcg]

41 minutes ago, susannah said:

Yes I know he said that. Saying isn't doing. I disagree that he is meeting Trixie where she lives and works, I think that he is making sure SHE is set up, since he likes her. That is self serving. I would think more of him if he actually did start action on cleaning up the slums, or that his contribution to NH had nothing to do with Trixie. Differing opinions are great.

Yeah, I guess I’m willing to wait to pass judgment until more than a week or two in the show's timeline has passed, which is about where we were at that point.

[susannah]

2 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Yeah, I guess I’m willing to wait to pass judgment until more than a week or two in the show's timeline has passed, which is about where we were at that point.

I agree. We shall see if he really puts his money where his mouth is. He's not going away, for sure!

[JudyObscure]

Matthew's story may be a bit contrived, but I don't find it too hard to believe.  He inherited money that came from a variety of sources and hasn't had time to look into them all.  You could see when he was coming up the stairs with Mrs. Buckle (poor woman didn't deserve a rat on her counter) he was already appalled before he even saw Trixie.  His new found goals to fix the tenements and be a sustaining member (you sly PBS) of the midwives may have an element of impressing Trixie, but I'm sure the poor people of Poplar don't require absolute purity of motives.

I liked seeing this story about the poverty and horrific living conditions that some people were still living in. Some of their best episodes have been about that: the typhoid epidemic because the communal outhouses were so bad, the old man who had nowhere to go and stories about the workhouses all sent me to Youtube to see some of the films they have about past conditions. It's unbelievable how some people in "first world" countries have had to live and still do.

[Haleth]

Wait.  That's it for the season?  Is there a Christmas show?  I don't see a thread for one.  There must be a Christmas show because of Lucille and Cyril getting married.

The story of the older parents and Robert had me bawling.  I kept yelling at the dad "Meet Reggie!"  Of course he came around at the end.

Nancy is older than I thought.  I figured she was 18 or 19 and her daughter was a baby.  I was surprised to see Collette was a 6 or 7 yo girl.  Of course then Nancy acts like an impulsive teenager and runs off without any plans. 

Poor Trixie losing all her fashionable clothes and having to look like a librarian.  I guess in the Christmas show we will see the romance blossom with Hot Widower.  I'm glad Dead Wife didn't write that he should marry again, let alone seek out Trixie.  

Baby Jonathan is adorable.  He looks a lot like my grandson, who is the cutest baby in the world.  Jonathan is second.

4 hours ago, susannah said:

Yes I know he said that. Saying isn't doing. I disagree that he is meeting Trixie where she lives and works, I think that he is making sure SHE is set up, since he likes her. That is self serving. I would think more of him if he actually did start action on cleaning up the slums, or that his contribution to NH had nothing to do with Trixie. Differing opinions are great.

Do you really think he is that craven?  He seems like a good man so I don't doubt he will see to it that the slums are renovated and cleaned up.

7 hours ago, Blackie said:

thanks PBS for cutting out this scene

Grrrr!  The nun wine sounds like a cute scene.  It must have been when Shelagh was talking about fixing Patrick's button?  

[Blackie]

24 minutes ago, Haleth said:

It must have been when Shelagh was talking about fixing Patrick's button? 

 

Well that makes sense because Shelagh was all giggly and acting differently and I couldn't figure out why, it was because she was tipsy!

 

[dubbel zout]

8 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I do think the situation resolved itself too easily.  Love is important, but love alone is often not enough.  Growing up, I knew an older couple who had their adult child with Down's living with them.  He was a very nice person, but as far as I knew, his care needs were such that he would always need third party help and supervision.  Thankfully, they did find him a good housing situation before they became too old to care for him, but I recall his mother telling my mother her greatest fear was what would happen to her son if she and her husband were not there to look out for him.     

This is my 17-year-old niece. Her parents have set up a special needs trust so that she'll have some financial security, and my nephew will never not take care of her, but right now, my brother and his wife, both in their 60s, are taking care of her. It's a LOT. She can do some minor things for herself and is somewhat communicative, but she's not toilet trained (and likely never will be), she has ongoing health issues that always need attention, and she has to have constant supervision. 

We all love her as much as anyone else in the family, but the worry about my niece is always there. They are lucky they live near DC, where there is a decent support system for people with Down syndrome, and the social programs are pretty good. They still have to advocate all the time for their daughter, and it's got to be exhausting.

I don't expect CtM to delve into the nitty gritty, but sometimes it would be nice to at least acknowledge that some of the families and babies have a tough road ahead, one that won't get easier just because there's a lot of love.

[MissLucas]

1 hour ago, Haleth said:

Wait.  That's it for the season?  Is there a Christmas show?  I don't see a thread for one.  There must be a Christmas show because of Lucille and Cyril getting married.

There will be a Christmas Special - no definite air date yet but chances are it will be on Christmas Day as usual. Mild spoiler alert for the link.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/call-the-midwife-christmas-special-2021-first-look-images-newsupdate/

[Good Queen Jane]

The Christmas episode is usually the start of the new season as in the UK the series usually begins regular episodes in January. COVID, as usual, changed everything last year.

I thought Hot Widower's yearly donation to Nonnatus House was in honor of his wife and had nothing to do with cleaning up the tenements which Hot Widower has also committed to do. In the letter from the wife, she asked him to remember her in a meaningful way, even by just by putting her picture in a silver frame, and then to move on with his and Baby Jonathan's lives. The scene where Sr. Julienne puts wife's picture (in a silver frame) on the mantel seemed to me to show that this was the memorial that Hot Widower had chosen and that Nonnatus House would make sure that the wife was always remembered.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Good Queen Jane

[libgirl2]

My best friend has worked in social services for 30+ years. Her earliest jobs were at group homes with varying levels of disabilities. When she would work on Saturdays, I would often pick her up and we would head out with friends. Some of the homes were just "okay" but one place she worked at is well known out here. It is a collection of homes which provide vocational as well as residential services for over 250 adults. Some residents work on site as the place has stores and a petting zoo and have activities open to the public. I remember one resident worked off site and made more money than my friend! 

[susannah]

3 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

I don't expect CtM to delve into the nitty gritty, but sometimes it would be nice to at least acknowledge that some of the families and babies have a tough road ahead, one that won't get easier just because there's a lot of love

I believe they did address that, and acknowledge that, when Reggie's mother died and the Buckles took him in. He nearly set the place on fire when he tried to cook something and filled the place with gas. He tried to go back to his home, and was getting harassed by some jerks. It was made clear that he needed close supervision. They looked for places they could send him where he would be happy, seeing some bad ones, and not knowing what to do. Reggie now is in the facility where he is happy, doing his gardening, and enjoys his visits home, but it is always clear that he will always need supervision, for his own safety. I don't know how much more clear they could make it. No one said it would be easier because there is love. But it sure would be alot harder if there isn't, and that is all Fred said to Robert's father.

[susannah]

4 hours ago, Haleth said:

Nancy is older than I thought.  I figured she was 18 or 19 and her daughter was a baby.  I was surprised to see Collette was a 6 or 7 yo girl.  Of course then Nancy acts like an impulsive teenager and runs off without any plans.

Nancy said that she had Colette when she was sixteen and that she was five. They got a girl to play her that looks older than five. I think alot of adults make impulsive choices when they are scared and against the wall. She obviously had been abused in the convent she grew up in and she was not going to let the same happen to her daughter, and then the head nun threatened her that she wouldn't see Colette at all. I don't think Nancy thought that she should just say okay, and go home and make plans. She was afraid of losing her daughter.

[graybrown bird]

4 hours ago, Haleth said:

I don't doubt he will see to it that the slums are renovated

Those buildings are rotting from the foundations on up through the moldy walls.  They will have to be razed, and new housing built in their place. It will be a long- term project.

  

[dubbel zout]

2 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

I thought Hot Widower's yearly donation to Nonnatus House was in honor of his wife and had nothing to do with cleaning up the tenements which Hot Widower has also committed to do. In the letter from the wife, she asked him to remember her in a meaningful way

The donation helps indirectly with the tenements, as it allows Nonnatus House to continue its work there.

15 minutes ago, susannah said:

I don't know how much more clear they could make it.

Reggie is the exception that proves the rule, as they made him a recurring character. The majority of babies with issues get nicely resolved within their specific episode. It'd be nice if at least privately someone could say, "Wow, they won't have an easy time of it; I hope they make it" or something along those lines, instead of "Love solves everything!" Yeah, no. Sorry. Maybe it makes you more willing to do the work, but the work is still there. 

[Dehumidifier]

11 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I was hoping that the situation with the baby would be that the father wanted to keep the baby when he finally got a son after four daughters. That would have been a messy situation.
I knew that Aylward’s family would be the slumlords.

I thought it would be revealed that he was the biological father of the baby through an agreement between the sisters.

8 minutes ago, graybrown bird said:

Those buildings are rotting from the foundations on up through the moldy walls.  They will have to be razed, and new housing built in their place. It will be a long- term project.

  

Yes, that is why so many council flats were built by the government. It is beyond the scope of the rich widower to fix the slums. Of course the council flats often ended up slummy too.

[LittleIggy]

9 minutes ago, Dehumidifier said:

I thought it would be revealed that he was the biological father of the baby through an agreement between the sisters.

Yes, that is why so many council flats were built by the government. It is beyond the scope of the rich widower to fix the slums. Of course the council flats often ended up slummy too.

I was talking about the biological father, the husband of the older sister.

[Dehumidifier]

The woman who plays Nancy reminds me of the singer Lulu.

[Dehumidifier]

 

2 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

I was talking about the biological father, the husband of the older sister.

I need a clarification of the situation because I think I wasn't paying full attention at the beginning. Why could the younger sister not carry a baby? There was a younger man in the background in one scene that I assume was the younger sister's husband. I thought it would turn out that he fathered the baby with the older sister.

[libgirl2]

4 minutes ago, Dehumidifier said:

 

I need a clarification of the situation because I think I wasn't paying full attention at the beginning. Why could the younger sister not carry a baby? There was a younger man in the background in one scene that I assume was the younger sister's husband. I thought it would turn out that he fathered the baby with the older sister.

Did they even address that? 

[susannah]

43 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

The donation helps indirectly with the tenements, as it allows Nonnatus House to continue its work there.

Reggie is the exception that proves the rule, as they made him a recurring character. The majority of babies with issues get nicely resolved within their specific episode. It'd be nice if at least privately someone could say, "Wow, they won't have an easy time of it; I hope they make it" or something along those lines, instead of "Love solves everything!" Yeah, no. Sorry. Maybe it makes you more willing to do the work, but the work is still there. 

They had more than one show with Susan Mollucks, the thalidomide baby. They talked about how the nursery wouldn't take her, and her parents had her evaluated for prosthetics. They DID show how it was very difficult to raise a child with no functioning limbs. No one has said that "love solves everything," ever.

31 minutes ago, Dehumidifier said:

The woman who plays Nancy reminds me of the singer Lulu.

Yes she does. When she has her hair up though I just am reminded of Delia.

[Dehumidifier]

1 hour ago, libgirl2 said:

Did they even address that? 

I just re-watched. The younger sister said -- I'm married ten years, didn't want kids at first, when did want one nothing happened "not even a false alarm." Older sister said -- I'm 42, I cried for a week when I found out about this one. My husband turned gray.

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, Dehumidifier said:

I just re-watched. The younger sister said -- I'm married ten years, didn't want kids at first, when did want one nothing happened "not even a false alarm." Older sister said -- I'm 42, I cried for a week when I found out about this one. My husband turned gray.

Thanks.  I remember the younger sister saying that, but not the older one. 

[Kenzie]

2 hours ago, Dehumidifier said:

The woman who plays Nancy reminds me of the singer Lulu.

Thanks, that's it!

[Teriacky]

Oh, thank God! I thought this year was the end of the series!! So happy we’ll have more time with all of the cast!

I seem to remember hearing something about the chances that a geriatric pregnancy (yes, in medical speak 42 is geriatric) has much higher chances of producing a child with Down’s Syndrome. I thought that was if there had been  no previous pregnancies but I could be wrong. 

 My mother had me at 40, and I’m sure there were times (usually when I was doing something stupid) that she wondered  about my mental faculties… 🙄

[libgirl2]

14 minutes ago, Teriacky said:

I seem to remember hearing something about the chances that a geriatric pregnancy (yes, in medical speak 42 is geriatric) has much higher chances of producing a child with Down’s Syndrome. I thought that was if there had been  no previous pregnancies but I could be wrong. 

 My mother had me at 40, and I’m sure there were times (usually when I was doing something stupid) that she wondered  about my mental faculties… 🙄

Yes, at a certain age it is a geriatric pregnancy and the risks are much higher. I often notice that the parents of a child with Down Syndrome are much older than the average parent.

Where I work, we had to men with DS. One of the men was quite high functioning to the point of questioning why he had to be born "this way". He could be really funny and at times could find things no one else could (he shelved and pulled items at the library), but he did need supervision at times as he would wander off and get distracted easily. Could he live alone? No, but I could see him doing well in a group situation with supervision. I do remember one day leaving work, his dad was there to pick him up and when he saw his son, his face lit up with a smile.  

Sadly with Covid, both men had to stop working. I can't imagine how the one is doing. He complained about being bored and wanting to do more. 

Edited November 15, 2021 by libgirl2