S11.E07: Episode 7

[MissLucas]

Short update on my crow-situation (since so many of you offered advice). It's spring now and they returned up to the mountains - more food there, less hassle. (Said food often coming from tourists feeding them.)

[Driad]

Geography help?  How close together are Nonnatus House, Dr. Turner's practice, the Turners' home, Violet & Fred's shop, the maternity home, etc.?  Are they all within a couple of blocks of each other?  adTHANKSvance!

[AZChristian]

9 minutes ago, Driad said:

Geography help?  How close together are Nonnatus House, Dr. Turner's practice, the Turners' home, Violet & Fred's shop, the maternity home, etc.?  Are they all within a couple of blocks of each other?  adTHANKSvance!

I did a little googling.  It appears that the actual area of the real Poplar is about 3.5 square miles (a little bit over 2,000 acres).  I've always thought that everything EXCEPT the Turners' home was in walking or bicycling distance.  It seems like they live in a little more upscale community, but not that far away.

[Daff]

1 hour ago, jschoolgirl said:

I so agree. And, again, I found the show overall was tedious until the train took off. At that point, I kept looking away and saying "Just get it over with."

I do not want Grey's Anatomy-style cliffhangers for the remaining seasons of this formerly wonderful show.

When??? Where was she???

Did PBS cut that, too?

I didn’t get an ending credits roll or a preview for the season finale (and the DVR taped a full 30 minutes after the ending). Cutting the credits (and preview) is a new low. Of course, the SAME “extra” we’ve seen 7 times now played. Just off-hand, I’d attribute that to your local PBS. I’ve already griped about mine here. So many of the programs aired in other locations just aren’t ever shown here, and I mean ever. They want you to contribute regularly so you can access Passport. To me, it’s a blatant disregard for the tax dollars we give them. 

[kwnyc]

On our PBS station, they played the "extra" twice in a row!

[Daff]

No one has commented on the opener-Fred hanging the sign for fireworks. At first I thought it was a community event. When I saw he was selling them-“This won’t end well!”  I figured they’d fly astray and break some windows, doors, land on some random roof. And Sr. MJ better not be shooing crows from the front stoop, or she’ll tumble down the stairs again!

2 minutes ago, kwnyc said:

On our PBS station, they played the "extra" twice in a row!

Ok, 8 times!

[DonnaMae]

I couldn't believe that Carol was 16.  The actress looks like she's 12.

[Daff]

1 hour ago, EllaWycliffe said:

It looked like a seizure. Earlier, when Sr Hilda was visiting and spotted him in the doorway staring off into space and unresponsive, he seemed to be having a petite mal seizure

 

That was explained as him being just as sleep-deprived as his wife (from the hip pain). Early in the travel, it showed him nodding off, and he took a bottle of pills out of his pocket. Shortly after he took one, he lost consciousness. That was also the era of rampant amphetamine use (abuse). Doctors gave them out like candy. (Song lyrics-“Mother’s little helper”). 

[EllaWycliffe]

I found the attitude on birth control a little schizophrenic. Everyone seemed pretty "Yay! Abortion is legal!" when previously this seemed a bit of a argument between the nuns and midwives. And just a couple years earlier, giving out birth control pills was a huge debate and now they're sending Sr. Frances to get the fifteen year old single mom an IUD?

1 minute ago, Daff said:

That was explained as him being just as sleep-deprived as his wife (from the hip pain)

I know they said that but the standing in the doorway eyes open not responding didn't look "sleepy" - it looked like something weird was happening. And he didn't seem to fall asleep in the train, his eyes were rolling back and he was twitching. That and his earlier complaint that it was getting worse makes me think it wasn't entirely just exhaustion. 

[jschoolgirl]

34 minutes ago, Daff said:

No one has commented on the opener-Fred hanging the sign for fireworks. 

For me, that turned out to be Chekov's fireworks.

19 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Everyone seemed pretty "Yay! Abortion is legal!"

Which means they presumably will not face the aftermath of an illegal abortion or a self-induced abortion.

[EllaWycliffe]

12 minutes ago, jschoolgirl said:

Which means they presumably will not face the aftermath of an illegal abortion or a self-induced abortion.

Agreed and for the record I have absolutely no problem with that but even now the Anglican Church, while allowing some exceptions, is somewhat anti-abortion. I buy everyone secretly being yay! and the midwives openly being yay! but I wasn't expecting the nuns to be yay!

[jschoolgirl]

7 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I wasn't expecting the nuns to be yay!

I don't think they were "Yay!" -- it was more that they anticipated healthier outcomes as a result.

[Daff]

32 minutes ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I found the attitude on birth control a little schizophrenic. Everyone seemed pretty "Yay! Abortion is legal!" when previously this seemed a bit of a argument between the nuns and midwives. And just a couple years earlier, giving out birth control pills was a huge debate and now they're sending Sr. Frances to get the fifteen year old single mom an IUD?

I know they said that but the standing in the doorway eyes open not responding didn't look "sleepy" - it looked like something weird was happening. And he didn't seem to fall asleep in the train, his eyes were rolling back and he was twitching. That and his earlier complaint that it was getting worse makes me think it wasn't entirely just exhaustion. 

I see your point, but the eye rolling came after he took the pill, didn’t it? Sleep deprivation, alone, can and does cause severe physical and mental damage if sustained over time. Add to that, persistent amphetamine use. It didn’t sound as if his wife’s pain due to the pelvic condition (meant to look it up, but didn’t) was late onset. I’m thinking he had a heart attack or stroke. 

[Sarah 103]

Was it just me, or did anyone else think Carol looked like a young Valerie Bertinelli (Barbara on the original 1970s One Day at a Time)?

Tim working himself to the point of near exhaustion to keep with his medical school studies sounds like his father. Patrick would put his patients' health above his own and I can see what Timothy's doing an academic version of that. (being a doctor/studying to be a doctor is more important than my health)

My Prediction-None of the main characters are going to die from the train wreck. The trolly lady may die. It seemed liked that's who were they setting up for it. It's a random character we just met but like and have some small attachment to her, so we'll feel bad when they killl her off. 

I don't know if this happened in the UK, but in the US Bill Graham of the Fillmore would give med students free tickets for the show but they had to stay sober/not take anything and deal with any cases of bad trips/other drug related issues. The idea was to do everything in house and not involve actual doctors/hospitals/authorities. I would like to see Tim deal with that type of gig for a night or two. 

[caitmcg]

20 minutes ago, Daff said:

I see your point, but the eye rolling came after he took the pill, didn’t it? Sleep deprivation, alone, can and does cause severe physical and mental damage if sustained over time. Add to that, persistent amphetamine use. It didn’t sound as if his wife’s pain due to the pelvic condition (meant to look it up, but didn’t) was late onset. I’m thinking he had a heart attack or stroke. 

In the very first scene with the Corbetts, his wife remarks that he has headaches all the time and if he’s not careful he won’t be able to see to drive the train (his response is, “I’m just getting old”). He then takes a couple of white pills, so I’m assuming it’s just aspirin he’s reaching for in both cases. In light of the headache remark, it could have been a seizure or aneurysm.

[Driad]

A locomotive usually has a dead man's switch.  I hope the next episode will mention it.

[proserpina65]

On 2/14/2022 at 6:56 PM, MissLucas said:

I'm not too worried about our main characters

I'm actually very worried about both of them.

4 hours ago, kwnyc said:

I thought the scarf-wearers on the train were football fans on their way back from a big game...they were rowdy and cheering, and at the beginning of the ride

They were.  At one point they were chanting one of their team's chants.  I spent several minutes trying to figure out which team they supported, but I didn't recognize the colors.  Millwall is close to Poplar, as is West Ham, but the colors were wrong.

 

2 hours ago, Daff said:

No one has commented on the opener-Fred hanging the sign for fireworks. At first I thought it was a community event.

They were for Guy Fawkes' day, weren't they?

[GaT]

5 hours ago, Daff said:

BTW, someone mentioned Tim’s arrival (last week’s preview) looking like he came from Hogwart’s. 

I think that was me, he looked like he was sorted into Gryffindor, & once I saw it, I can't unsee it, he's always going to be going to Hogwarts to me 😁

[jschoolgirl]

12 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

They were for Guy Fawkes' day, weren't they?

Yes, I saw a small mention on Fred's sign, or maybe in another flyer. 

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Agreed and for the record I have absolutely no problem with that but even now the Anglican Church, while allowing some exceptions, is somewhat anti-abortion. I buy everyone secretly being yay! and the midwives openly being yay! but I wasn't expecting the nuns to be yay!

It was just the younger nuns in that scene, wasn't it?  Sister Hilda and Sister Francis?  I suspect they'd have a more pragmatic attitude about legalizing abortion.

6 minutes ago, GaT said:

I think that was me, he looked like he was sorted into Gryffindor, & once I saw it, I can't unsee it, he's always going to be going to Hogwarts to me 

I was thinking it was Hufflepuff.

15 minutes ago, Driad said:

A locomotive usually has a dead man's switch.  I hope the next episode will mention it.

On a show about engineering disasters, I saw a segment about an Australian train crash where the engineer had suffered a fatal heart attack and the way his body slumped meant the dead man's switch couldn't activate.  Maybe that will be the case here?

 

[bunnyblue]

7 hours ago, Capricasix said:

There was a random scene of him in a neighbourhood café doing some paperwork, and chatting with Violet (who had popped in to buy iced buns) about writing to Trixie while she was out of town

Thank you. On rewatch I did see the brief random scene of Matthew sitting in a Poplar cafe. Without Trixie, I think the show is struggling to organically have Matthew hang around Poplar. I like him but he seemed out place in this episode. 

 

[jschoolgirl]

5 minutes ago, bunnyblue said:

Without Trixie, I think the show is struggling to organically have Matthew hang around Poplar.

Well, he has property there, and he could be taking a break in the cafe while on site.

[EllaWycliffe]

11 minutes ago, jschoolgirl said:

Well, he has property there, and he could be taking a break in the cafe while on site.

Kind of late for him to be out and about dealing with his Poplar properties - its implied that its evening, after the dinner hour as people are arriving for church service at the Robinsons. And Matthew has a little child at home. He's working in a not so great part of London on a Saturday night with his kid home with the nanny? I mean, I get it, he's on the main cast, thats why we see Reggie all the time despite how he was placed in that really nice farming community for people with special needs because he couldn't live independently and the Buckles couldn't keep an eye on him but yeah, a better reason would have been nice. 

[Badger]

The coffeeshop he and Violet were in was the same one he was in when he had scabies.  He obviously likes it there.

In a way, he's had two different story arcs going:  His relationship with Trixie, but also his relationship with Poplar/Nonnatus House.   I think that's because the ultimate plan is for Trixie and him to stay in the area.  

Will we ever see him doing his actual job? Matthew is a barrister meaning he gets to wear a wig in court.

 

 

[Haleth]

I think we all guessed there would be a train crash but, man, that was scary!  I blame Tim. He finally acts up/pushes back like a normal teenager (20 yo) and the universe goes topsy turvey. 

[Dehumidifier]

5 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

Kind of late for him to be out and about dealing with his Poplar properties - its implied that its evening, after the dinner hour as people are arriving for church service at the Robinsons. And Matthew has a little child at home. He's working in a not so great part of London on a Saturday night with his kid home with the nanny? I mean, I get it, he's on the main cast, thats why we see Reggie all the time despite how he was placed in that really nice farming community for people with special needs because he couldn't live independently and the Buckles couldn't keep an eye on him but yeah, a better reason would have been nice. 

Next time we see his son he will be 16. Like in a soap opera.

[txhorns79]

It just seems crazy to me that someone thought the best idea for Carole would be to move her into her own apartment with a baby.  I get that it's Britain and attitudes were a lot different back then, but she's 16 and looks 12.  It can be overwhelming as a new parent when you are married and in your 20s or 30s.  I can't imagine what it would be like living on your own at 16.  

And am I the only one who thought of the woman from the movie Airplane who was valiantly trying to apply makeup in the airplane bathroom as the plane was doing a crash landing when they showed Nancy applying make up in the bathroom at the time of the train crash?   

[Sarah 103]

7 hours ago, GaT said:

I think that was me, he looked like he was sorted into Gryffindor, & once I saw it, I can't unsee it, he's always going to be going to Hogwarts to me 😁

The colors may say Gryffindor but he is totally a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw.  

4 hours ago, Badger said:

Will we ever see him doing his actual job? Matthew is a barrister meaning he gets to wear a wig in court.

Shallow end of the pool: I would rather see him on weekends in polo shirts, especially tight polo shirts. 

[tvrox]

Did they ever explain why the teen mom was itching so much and passed out? Was it eclampsia? 

[caitmcg]

41 minutes ago, tvrox said:

Did they ever explain why the teen mom was itching so much and passed out? Was it eclampsia? 

Not that we saw. At the hospital, it went from she’s quite pregnant and we’re running blood tests to her water breaking and her going into labor. Given the cliff-hanger nature of the episode, maybe there will be followup next week.

[debraran]

5 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Not that we saw. At the hospital, it went from she’s quite pregnant and we’re running blood tests to her water breaking and her going into labor. Given the cliff-hanger nature of the episode, maybe there will be followup next week.

Yes, in the preview you see her asking about the baby and no one answering her. I can't see her having 2 babies to take care of but it's sad enough with one. She needs to take care of herself and learn how to do that first. A premature baby back then was not like today but I do like how they show band aids like a shoddy apartment and a few bucks don't change the problem, it's always gone much deeper than that. I felt for her.

[AZChristian]

10 hours ago, tvrox said:

Did they ever explain why the teen mom was itching so much and passed out? Was it eclampsia? 

According to Dr. Google, she may have had cholestasis of pregnancy.

[Rootbeer]

7 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

According to Dr. Google, she may have had cholestasis of pregnancy.

As a board certified OB/GYN, I concur with the doctor's diagnosis, although jaundice is pretty rare with it.  I don't know why anyone would faint from it except that everyone on TV faints anytime they are sick with anything.  It's universal TV code for 'I am unwell'.  Cholestasis is also related to preterm delivery, as happened here as well as stillbirth, which might be what happened to the baby.

[Shermie]

22 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

I know they said that but the standing in the doorway eyes open not responding didn't look "sleepy" - it looked like something weird was happening. And he didn't seem to fall asleep in the train, his eyes were rolling back and he was twitching. That and his earlier complaint that it was getting worse makes me think it wasn't entirely just exhaustion. 

He definitely had a stroke or something. If he’s like most middle-aged men, especially back then, he’d handwave health symptoms until it becomes a crisis. Which in this case, cost dearly. And was his name Lionel? Lionel a train engineer? Okay.

Carol the teen mom was just a sad case all around. She was so tiny and so young-looking, a baby herself. Sometimes these teen moms are portrayed that they doll themselves up to look older, but this girl was just such a child. I agree that her preemie was likely stillborn, which would be merciful.

As for who dies, I wonder if there’s more to come - another explosion, an ensuing fire, or a completely unrelated death. I thought they were going to kill off Nancy; it would fit all the tropes. She’s finally getting her life together, she’s excited about something in the future, and she’s a new enough character that her death would be sad but not heart-breaking. 

There was a lot going on for an hour of tv. 

[Capricasix]

2 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

As a board certified OB/GYN, I concur with the doctor's diagnosis, although jaundice is pretty rare with it.  I don't know why anyone would faint from it except that everyone on TV faints anytime they are sick with anything.  It's universal TV code for 'I am unwell'.  Cholestasis is also related to preterm delivery, as happened here as well as stillbirth, which might be what happened to the baby.

Aha! I knew that sounded familiar, because I had read on Wikipedia that Helen George herself had cholestasis during her first pregnancy. 

[Cetacean]

57 minutes ago, Shermie said:

There was a lot going on for an hour of tv. 

Yikes. so true!  So many unfinished stories as well.

The poor little child, I can't imagine how there will be a happy ending for Carole.  No one is likely to adopt a 16 year old with a baby (maybe two although I think the preemie probably died) and what is she going to do trapped in a hovel with nothing to do but watch her kid?  No job, just living on the dole, no further education unless the UK had some pretty progressive programs back then.  How sad to be so alone at that young age, no one to love her.  I agree that Nonnatus is not a baby sitting service but sweet Sr. F is so dear and empathetic.

Lionel looked like he was having a seizure to me.  Hard to tell with the impact (I can't bear to watch it again) if his engine was spared in the collision.  His poor wife will have a lot to deal with.

We'll have to wait to see the structural consequences.  Hopefully some of the worst slums will have been impacted and need to be torn down.

[Capricasix]

On 5/2/2022 at 11:18 AM, Driad said:

Geography help?  How close together are Nonnatus House, Dr. Turner's practice, the Turners' home, Violet & Fred's shop, the maternity home, etc.?  Are they all within a couple of blocks of each other?  adTHANKSvance!

I’m fairly sure that Violet’s dress shop is just on the other side of the train underpass which is a few steps away from Nonnatus House. I don’t know where their confectionery shop is, though. The little house where Tom and Barbara used to live is quite close to Nonnatus IIRC, perhaps even across the road?

I don’t know where the surgery/maternity home is, though, and I’m curious to know the location of the community centre.

[AZChristian]

5 hours ago, Capricasix said:

I don’t know where the surgery/maternity home is, though, and I’m curious to know the location of the community centre.

The show is filmed in Kent (made to look like Poplar), so most of it is in the movie studio there.  But it is understandable that we who love the show want to be able to visualize locations, etc.

[tvrox]

7 hours ago, Cetacean said:

Yikes. so true!  So many unfinished stories as well.

The poor little child, I can't imagine how there will be a happy ending for Carole.  No one is likely to adopt a 16 year old with a baby (maybe two although I think the preemie probably died) and what is she going to do trapped in a hovel with nothing to do but watch her kid?  No job, just living on the dole, no further education unless the UK had some pretty progressive programs back then.  How sad to be so alone at that young age, no one to love her.  I agree that Nonnatus is not a baby sitting service but sweet Sr. F is so dear and empathetic.

Lionel looked like he was having a seizure to me.  Hard to tell with the impact (I can't bear to watch it again) if his engine was spared in the collision.  His poor wife will have a lot to deal with.

We'll have to wait to see the structural consequences.  Hopefully some of the worst slums will have been impacted and need to be torn down.

I thought Lionel had a brain tumor-it would explain the seizure and headaches. 

[LittleIggy]

Sister Julienne is based on a real person. I don’t see how they can kill her off like that. 
The teen mom looked about 12 to me!

[Badger]

Baby Dean's real mom posted this on Twitter.

Ellie-May Sheridan, who played Carole, was 16 when she filmed her episodes.

Edited May 4, 2022 by Badger
edited picture

[Suzn]

10 hours ago, Badger said:

Baby Dean's real mom posted this on Twitter.

Ellie-May Sheridan, who played Carole, was 16 when she filmed her episodes.

She still doesn't look over 12!

[kwnyc]

On 5/2/2022 at 2:44 PM, proserpina65 said:

Millwall is close to Poplar,

Millwall fans are CRAZY. I can believe some of them are from Poplar.

I also read an article that said Helen George (Trixie) suffered from cholestasis during her pregnancy, so they didn't have to look far for that particular plot twist. (Just as two of Jenny Agutter's siblings died of cystic fibrosis, which was a plot point in an early season.)

 

[Badger]

1 hour ago, Suzn said:

She still doesn't look over 12!

She played a 13-year-old on an episode of "Casualty" a few weeks ago.

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, kwnyc said:

Millwall fans are CRAZY. I can believe some of them are from Poplar.

The first English football match I ever attended was an FA Cup match between QPR and Millwall where the hardcore fans were kept in separate sections and not allowed to leave the grounds until all the casual fans had left.  Probably because Millwall supporters had gotten out of control and caused damaged at Selhurst Park a couple of weeks earlier.  They are indeed crazy, or at least they were in 1995.

23 minutes ago, Badger said:

She played a 13-year-old on an episode of "Casualty" a few weeks ago.

She definitely looked way younger than 16.

 

[Sarah 103]

To everyone who commented on the actress who played Carol being 16, playing 16, but looking 12: There are people who look young for thier age. I was offered the kids menu into my 20s.   

[Suzn]

10 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

To everyone who commented on the actress who played Carol being 16, playing 16, but looking 12: There are people who look young for thier age. I was offered the kids menu into my 20s.   

Of course it's true that some people look young for their age.  The reason I mentioned anything about it was that it affected the role to have her played by a girl who looked like an undeveloped prepubescent child.  It would have given a different tone had she looked 16 or if she looked mature for her age.  It just looked impossible that a little girl could handle being a mother.

[Dehumidifier]

2 hours ago, Suzn said:

Of course it's true that some people look young for their age.  The reason I mentioned anything about it was that it affected the role to have her played by a girl who looked like an undeveloped prepubescent child.  It would have given a different tone had she looked 16 or if she looked mature for her age.  It just looked impossible that a little girl could handle being a mother.

Also somewhat impossible to believe that even the horniest teenager or young man wouldn't pause a moment and think "jailbait."

[EllaWycliffe]

Yeah, I admit I was kind of surprised that her clearly well into puberty boyfriend was interested in a girl who really didn't look like a woman yet.

[libgirl2]

I think how young she looked really drove home the point that she is a child herself. Plus, we are so used to teenagers being played my people in their late 20s or older, we forget, kids really do look like kids.