S11.E08: Episode 8

[jschoolgirl]

3 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I think if Shelagh had experienced a charmed life, she wouldn't have made the wrong choice of vocation in the first place, resulting  in lots of angst and feelings of having failed as a nun.  She wouldn't have been infertile in the first place with more feelings of failure, but got pregnant easily as most women do.  Her adoption would have been closed with no worries about the birth mother and her issues. She wouldn't have married a widower with baggage, but a young single doctor.  She wouldn't have almost died of tuberculosis.

And her mother wouldn't have died when she was a child. (This was revealed when she was shopping for her wedding apparel.) She would not have endured World War II in England. 

[Ceindreadh]

6 hours ago, anna0852 said:

She's a married, working mother with three small children in the 1960's and *no one* is commenting? It was one thing for a poor family to have mom working or a widow needing a job but a doctor's wife with a nice house and a nanny would really be getting a lot more side-eye.

 

Shelagh is working in her husband's medical practice.  It's not like she's going out to work in a factory.  She's assisting her husband in his business.

[TomGirl]

I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other about Shelagh, but for god’s sake, woman, LET YOUR HAIR DOWN ALREADY!

[libgirl2]

2 minutes ago, TomGirl said:

I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other about Shelagh, but for god’s sake, woman, LET YOUR HAIR DOWN ALREADY!

I think that and her glasses are that little bit of nun that is still in there. 

[jschoolgirl]

12 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

I think that and her glasses are that little bit of nun that is still in there. 

Contacts weren't really a thing yet. I am surprised we don't see more people wearing glasses, as would be authentic to the period.

[EllaWycliffe]

7 minutes ago, jschoolgirl said:

Contacts weren't really a thing yet. I am surprised we don't see more people wearing glasses, as would be authentic to the period.

Glasses were somewhat non essential in poorer communities until the 1970s and 80s. 

[libgirl2]

15 minutes ago, jschoolgirl said:

Contacts weren't really a thing yet. I am surprised we don't see more people wearing glasses, as would be authentic to the period.

I thought about that. I can see very few people using them. 

[amarante]

Wanted to mention that when Sr. was explaining the burial to Carole she told her that the woman who was being buried had 9 children and 18 grandchildren and it comforted Carole to think that her baby was going to be with that kind of woman and that the baby would also provide comfort for the dead woman.

I don't have any kind of spiritual feelings as I think we are dead when we die but I can have the leap of imaginative empathy to understand that obviously a Sister and a not very well educated 15 year old girl would have quite a literal idea of souls having some kind of awareness.

[Badger]

2 hours ago, LGraves65 said:

Agreed.  Even though I'm in the US and have already seen this series (there are Ways) I couldn't tell you which scenes have been cut if you paid me.  Thanks, @Badger! 

Aww, thanks.  I watch using a VPN but ITA there are ways to see it without one.

Does anyone wonder why Sr. Hilda was not in the picture?  

[marceline]

Nancy said that she went to the toilet when she, Sister Julienne, and Dr. Turner was on the train. I know this question will probably lead to bad responses but what does a train bathroom in 1960s Poplar look like?

[amarante]

4 minutes ago, marceline said:

Nancy said that she went to the toilet when she, Sister Julienne, and Dr. Turner was on the train. I know this question will probably lead to bad responses but what does a train bathroom in 1960s Poplar look like?

It would depend on what class the particular car was but the bathroom compartment was on the train and had nothing to do with Poplar specifically. It wouid have been a standardized car that went throughout London 🤷‍♀️Are you confusing a train bathroom with one in a station?

[howiveaddict]

11 hours ago, Mermaid Under said:

I don't know this for sure, it is just a guess.  But in most instances, I remind myself of that old trope "follow the money".  I wonder if there is some way this is financial?  That getting a 45 minutes of  British import is cheaper than the whole show.

I think most British shows are not the traditional 30 or 60 minutes, but somewhere in between with commercials. Remember back in the day, the shows on BBC America would run an odd length of time.  Now days Dr Who usually runs an hour 15 minutes.  

That said, I no of no shows on PBS that fit in the 60 minutes slot.  They usually end in 50 minutes and then there are advertisements for other shows and the short little clips that are like a mini documentary.  I just wish they would run the whole British shows and shorten the min documentary clips that are shown ad nauseum.  

I was a sloppy mess during the whole show last night.  Tears from start to finish.

[Diana Berry]

Short but sweet.  Love this show.  Lots of happy and sad tears.  

[Shermie]

6 hours ago, TomGirl said:

I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other about Shelagh, but for god’s sake, woman, LET YOUR HAIR DOWN ALREADY

Literally and figuratively. Girl is wound tight.

[LittleIggy]

I’m glad Matthew gets to be more that Trixie’s arm candy. Damn, that man is hot! 😏 

It appears that Carole and Dean will have a new family to give them support as needed. That whole storyline was so touching. I love Sister Frances!

[Daff]

For those wondering why it took so long for Dr. Turner and Sr. Julienne to be found, I think we are applying modern standards to events occurring in the past, to a certain extent. I also think the timeline, trying to show multiple simultaneous events played a role in our perception of time as well. The concept of triage dates back to the 17th century, but the idea of “golden hour” in emergency response wasn’t introduced until the 1980s. However, neither approach to emergency care would be effective unless the entire scope of the scene were known. There were passenger victims as well as community resident victims. (What a confusing mess!) When Tim arrived, the man who led him to the scene explained that the forward train cars hadn’t been checked yet (and he seemed exasperated, as if he had run out of hands, with so much more to be done). Apparently, they were going from car to car, starting from the back.  For the time period, I think they were doing fairly well, and it appeared to take longer than it actually did. They did manage to empty the train before daylight. 

[Straycat80]

19 hours ago, libgirl2 said:

Did they mention who the baby was buried with? 

They buried Carol’s baby with the tea lady who died in the train accident. 

[BooksRule]

On 5/8/2022 at 8:29 PM, anna0852 said:

Do the dvd sets sold from the PBS site have the full episodes? 

All of the DVD sets sold here in the U.S. should be uncut.  I've checked them out from my local public library and have added seasons 1-9 to my own university library and they are all uncut episodes.  (I think they even say the original BBC versions -- even though it clearly says PBS on the case as well.)

 

Maybe I missed a scene (or maybe it was one that was cut from last week's or this week's episode), but what happened to Cyril's hand?  I noticed that it was heavily bandaged but don't remember a scene where he hurt it.

[LADreamr]

On 5/8/2022 at 8:06 PM, Badger said:

In the scene where Violet is talking to the reporter, he asked her about the accident and whether or not she knows what caused it and whether or not it was driver errort.  She got very angry and said not to put words in her mouth and that anyone scandalmongering would be shown the door. He tells her he's from the East End too, and that's when she tells him that he ought to know there are ordinary people doing what they can to help and that there are heroes everywhere.

The power of this show.  I got teary just reading that.

[Capricasix]

8 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I’m glad Matthew gets to be more that Trixie’s arm candy. Damn, that man is hot! 😏 

It appears that Carole and Dean will have a new family to give them support as needed. That whole storyline was so touching. I love Sister Frances!

I love her, too ❤️ The character has really come into her own over the last couple of seasons after being so nervous when she first went to Nonnatus.

[libgirl2]

3 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

They buried Carol’s baby with the tea lady who died in the train accident. 

I don't know how I missed that but I was really sleepy as I hadn't slept well the night before. 

[dubbel zout]

Violet can be a lot to take, but when the chips are down, she has your back. That's worth a lot of exasperation, to me.

[Doublemint]

Is there a Christmas Special for this season?   If so, when will we see it on PBS?   I thought it would be next week, but apparently, not.

[dubbel zout]

PBS usually shows the Christmas episode around Christmas, right?

[EllaWycliffe]

10 minutes ago, dubbel zout said:

PBS usually shows the Christmas episode around Christmas, right?

Correct. I mean, things could change but thats how the last few years have been.

[caitmcg]

25 minutes ago, Doublemint said:

Is there a Christmas Special for this season?   If so, when will we see it on PBS?   I thought it would be next week, but apparently, not.

They’ve just begun filming the next season, and technically, the Christmas episode marks its beginning. Not only do we in the US get to see it at the same time it airs in the UK (Christmas), I believe it’s the only episode they don’t cut. 

[Daff]

And then, we have to wait until Spring for the new season. But I like to think of the roll outs here as “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Easter” gifts. Always welcome. 

[bunnyblue]

18 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I’m glad Matthew gets to be more that Trixie’s arm candy. Damn, that man is hot!

I said that his inclusion in last week's episode was clunky and I still believe that, but seeing him be useful in this week's episode made up for him randomly hanging out in a diner in Poplar. I mean, I get it: they needed a reason for Matthew to be in Poplar at night just as the train derailed. But once he was there, him helping out felt more natural. The fact that the show is giving him more of a presence in Poplar & Nonnatus House without Trixie being there tells me that he may finally be the one for her. And I'm glad because he is a good guy, extremely hot, and while rich he doesn't mind hanging around Poplar and helping out its residents. Christopher sometimes came off as bit of a snob, but so far I'm not seeing that in Matthew. 

18 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I love Sister Frances!

 

9 hours ago, Capricasix said:

The character has really come into her own over the last couple of seasons after being so nervous when she first went to Nonnatus.

I adore Sister Frances too. When she was first introduced she seemed similar to Cynthia: young, naïve, innocent, with a big heart. But Cynthia never seemed to grow from that timid young midwife and even regressed, in my view, by becoming a nun. Like she was trying to hide from the world. Sister Frances has taken a different path: she's not so shy anymore, not as nervous, and will use her voice & authority to get things done (even if she breathes a huge sigh of relief afterwards). 

Was the white coat Tim was wearing his own or his father's? And why did Dr. Turner tell him he shouldn't be wearing it? 

[EllaWycliffe]

10 minutes ago, bunnyblue said:

Was the white coat Tim was wearing his own or his father's? And why did Dr. Turner tell him he shouldn't be wearing it? 

It was his dad's. He says to someone, fred maybe? That he brought it because his dad always wants his coat and his bag in a crisis. 

Dr. Turner didn't get specific into WHY Tim shouldn't be wearing it but basically? My thought? Tim isn't a doctor yet and shouldn't be pretending to be one in a crisis. 

[jschoolgirl]

9 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

Violet can be a lot to take, but when the chips are down, she has your back. That's worth a lot of exasperation, to me.

She was great when she first appeared, so homey. They've changed her.

[jpgr]

37 minutes ago, bunnyblue said:

I adore Sister Frances too. When she was first introduced she seemed similar to Cynthia: young, naïve, innocent, with a big heart. But Cynthia never seemed to grow from that timid young midwife and even regressed, in my view, by becoming a nun. Like she was trying to hide from the world. Sister Frances has taken a different path: she's not so shy anymore, not as nervous, and will use her voice & authority to get things done (even if she breathes a huge sigh of relief afterwards). 

This is a great comparison. Sister Frances and Nurse Crane are both characters I wasn't sure I would like when they first appeared, but they are now by far my favorites.

[Bunnyette]

On 5/8/2022 at 11:01 PM, Straycat80 said:

Great final episode of this season. I’m so glad everyone was OK. Well, except the train driver which was sad. 
I missed who was taking care of Carole’s little boy while she was in the hospital.  Also, I learned something new, that they would bury babies with someone else so they could be in consecrated ground. 
I would also love to see a Trixie and Matthew wedding on the Christmas special. 
 

I think her foster mother was looking after him…it mumbled in a scene in the hospital 

[Nialla]

2 hours ago, EllaWycliffe said:

It was his dad's. He says to someone, fred maybe? That he brought it because his dad always wants his coat and his bag in a crisis. 

Dr. Turner didn't get specific into WHY Tim shouldn't be wearing it but basically? My thought? Tim isn't a doctor yet and shouldn't be pretending to be one in a crisis. 

Exactly this. Tim brought the coat because his dad wears it during emergencies so people can easily spot the doctor.

Tim's only a med student, and even having the coat in hand made one of the emergency responders think he was a doctor. That could be bad if someone needed an actual trained doctor.

I was really surprised he wasn't put to work in Nonnatus House as soon as he showed up. He could have at least helped with triage. Though I knew he'd end up at the train, and said "Your mum is going to kill you" when he started up the ladder.

[Badger]

Speaking of Matthew, back when the current series wrapped up filming, Olly Rix posted something on his Instagram that indicated that his storyline was over. Basically it was a picture of him in the dark jacket he wore in the final two episodes with a caption that said something along the lines that it was a quick two years, everyone was great and it was a privilege.  The post was up until around the middle of January when it was taken down.  I thought maybe he removed it because it was a bit of a spoiler and that it would be back when the finale aired, but it's still not back.

The thing is, there's nothing to indicate any kind of ending for his storyline.  So what's going on?  I do know he's in the Christmas episode.

[EllaWycliffe]

I mean... Matthew reminds me of Matthew Crawley. A LOT.

And Christmas episodes and characters named Matthew in British period pieces.....

I mean I don't know any inside info BUT THERE WAS A PORTENTIOUS RAVEN IN NONNATUS HOUSE!!!!

[Daff]

On 5/9/2022 at 12:10 PM, caitmcg said:

I don’t know, both my middle-class grandmothers worked at least part-time through most of their children's childhoods in the 1940s, ‘50s, and in my paternal grandmother’s case, into the ‘60s. Many of their neighbors and peers may not have worked, but I don’t think they were necessarily giving side-eye. 

And, it wasn’t so long ago (within the show’s timeline) that women WERE the workforce. They were the factory force during the war years (a lot longer for the Brits than the Yanks). 

[Daff]

9 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

She was great when she first appeared, so homey. They've changed her.

Getting out of her home/shop, having to advocate for Reggie, becoming active in the community, being elected council president have all changed her. Character development. 

[Badger]

Quote

I adore Sister Frances too. When she was first introduced she seemed similar to Cynthia: young, naïve, innocent, with a big heart. But Cynthia never seemed to grow from that timid young midwife and even regressed, in my view, by becoming a nun. Like she was trying to hide from the world. Sister Frances has taken a different path: she's not so shy anymore, not as nervous, and will use her voice & authority to get things done (even if she breathes a huge sigh of relief afterwards). 

I never noticed this until fairly recently, but back in season 9 episode 7, there's a scene where she and Dr. McNulty are going back to Nonnatus House and he wants to stop and get fish and chips from a street vendor.  She says she's not allowed to eat in the street.  Then in the first episode of Season 10, Shelagh brings shortbread cookies for the midwives and we see Sr. Frances in the street, eating hers.  What a rebel!!!

[Haleth]

I give Shelagh a pass for being abrupt with Tim.  Her husband had just been in a train wreck and she hadn't heard from him.  On the outside she had her usual pragmatic nurse/nun demeanor, but inside she was terrified.

21 hours ago, BooksRule said:

Maybe I missed a scene (or maybe it was one that was cut from last week's or this week's episode), but what happened to Cyril's hand?  I noticed that it was heavily bandaged but don't remember a scene where he hurt it.

Maybe he was cut by flying glass/debris in their apartment?  I hope the lady with the glass in her eye is ok.

On 5/9/2022 at 3:46 PM, TomGirl said:

I don’t have strong feelings one way or the other about Shelagh, but for god’s sake, woman, LET YOUR HAIR DOWN ALREADY!

Remember in the first season there is a scene where takes off her wimple (is that the right word?) and glasses and looks at herself in the mirror?  (This was a night that Trixie and the other young women were going out on the town, leaving her behind.)  Laura Main is lovely when not all buttoned up.

I'm glad Sr Julienne and Dr Turner will both be fine.

Everyone needs a Nurse Crane to get their lives in order.  I could use a Miss Higgins too.

[Badger]

Quote

 

  ON 5/10/2022 AT 7:36 AM, BOOKSRULE SAID:

Maybe I missed a scene (or maybe it was one that was cut from last week's or this week's episode), but what happened to Cyril's hand?  I noticed that it was heavily bandaged but don't remember a scene where he hurt it.

Maybe he was cut by flying glass/debris in their apartment?  I hope the lady with the glass in her eye is ok.

Mrs. Wallace was seen washing/polishing a dish in a scene that was cut out of the "Elusive Butterfly" montage.  She had a bandage over her injured eye.

Regarding Cyril, there was nothing to indicate what happened to his hand in the original broadcast.  Maybe he injured it in real life and they decided to incorporate it as part of the story.  Or maybe there was a scene that showed how he was injured but it was cut before broadcast in the UK.

Something I just noticed:  I posted that in that montage Reggie was cutting out the article about him being a hero while the Buckles drank tea and watched.  Anyway, according to the article, Reggie is 22.   However, he was at least 21 when he was introduced back in Series 6.  It was one of the reasons he couldn't be put into a home; he was too old.  Lucille is another one who hasn't aged.  She was 25 when she came to Nonnatus House and she's still 25.  

Edited May 11, 2022 by Badger
added content.

[OtterMommy]

23 hours ago, dubbel zout said:

PBS usually shows the Christmas episode around Christmas, right?

Yes, it normally airs on Christmas Night (I believe it airs on Christmas Eve in the UK?)

[Sarah 103]

 

12 hours ago, Badger said:

Speaking of Matthew, back when the current series wrapped up filming, Olly Rix posted something on his Instagram that indicated that his storyline was over. Basically it was a picture of him in the dark jacket he wore in the final two episodes with a caption that said something along the lines that it was a quick two years, everyone was great and it was a privilege.  The post was up until around the middle of January when it was taken down.  I thought maybe he removed it because it was a bit of a spoiler and that it would be back when the finale aired, but it's still not back.

Maybe they originally thought they were done with the character, then changed thier minds. I'm hoping Matthew proposes in the Christmas episode and then the wedding is the season finale. 

[anna0852]

26 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

I'm hoping Matthew proposes in the Christmas episode and then the wedding is the season finale. 

The problem there is Trixie getting married means Trixie leaving her job at Nonnatus. It's 1968, she'll have an infant stepson and her husband doesn't live locally. We saw with both Shelagh and Chummy that motherhood drastically reduced their work hours. I suspect that Trixie won't marry until Helen decides to leave. 

[Badger]

1 hour ago, anna0852 said:

The problem there is Trixie getting married means Trixie leaving her job at Nonnatus. It's 1968, she'll have an infant stepson and her husband doesn't live locally. We saw with both Shelagh and Chummy that motherhood drastically reduced their work hours. I suspect that Trixie won't marry until Helen decides to dp. 

I remember when the finale aired in the UK, some people thought that he looked odd in the group shots at the end like he had been added in later.  I don't know if you remember the show "Spartacus", but they killed off a character in the season 1 finale and then changed their minds.  In the original, she was lying dead in a pool of blood but they reshot the scene so she was still lying in a pool of blood, but you could see her hand twitching.

FWIW, I think the reason why they've had Matthew become so involved with the community is that the plan is for him to move to the area so that Trixie can keep on working.  I know everyone thinks that it was "convenient" that he was at a local coffeeshop near where the accident was just so it would make sense for him to be there helping. However, he's attended council meetings and although the scene was cut on PBS, there was a scene where Trixie ran into him at the council offices and obviously, he's been overseeing the renovations to the properties he or his family owns.

But if the plan originally was for his storyline to end in the finale, what was the whole point of his relationship with Trixie?  Was that meant to be a red herring? From what I gather from the younger fans, they really really don't like Matthew who they see as rude, snobbish and self-important.  A lot of them were hoping that either she stayed single or that she would  come out as a lesbian.

[MissLucas]

Even if marrying Matthew would mean we'd lose Trixie I'm all for it. The character deserves some happiness and we know that she never wanted a single life. I hate shows stalling character arcs just to keep a character around, that's normally the first step to turn them into caricatures.

Of course it's possible the are laying the groundwork for her to marry and remain a midwife. We have precedence with Shelagh and with Lucille - though the latter has already suffered a tragic plot to stop her from leaving Nonnatus House.

[Daff]

I went back this afternoon (after exhausting myself outside, I needed a break) and watched episodes 7 and 8 again. There are clues to the timeline throughout. They flashed briefly to the clock during the driver’s wife’s labor. They frequently mentioned the 5:19 from Chelmsford.  I was confused because when the trio boarded the train, it was dark outside. Now it makes sense because it’s November (Guy Fawkes anticipation). Overall, the wounded were found and treated/moved to a higher level of care more quickly than you would expect for the era. Cyril’s hand was shown, bloodied and wounded as he walked Mrs. Wallace through the street toward Nonatus House; however, in all the following scenes, as he assisted in so many ways, the blood seemed to have disappeared. It was not shown as bandaged until the scene where everyone left the room when Sr. Frances broke down (basically, the end, and this time I chuckled because the bulk of the bandage was so huge). For that much gauze, he shouldn’t have been treating other injuries, or handing out anything (blankets, bandages) without covering his wound first; but at that time no one considered cross-contamination and blood-born pathogens in emergency care. I think we’re supposed to take that as selflessness, but he put himself in real danger by waiting to cover that wound. 

[JudyObscure]

16 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Even if marrying Matthew would mean we'd lose Trixie I'm all for it. The character deserves some happiness and we know that she never wanted a single life. I hate shows stalling character arcs just to keep a character around, that's normally the first step to turn them into caricatures.

Yes! I remember when Trixie told  Tom she shouldn't marry him, it was largely because she knew she wouldn't make a good minister's wife.  She said she didn't want to live in poor neighborhoods all her life and always be doing such hard, gritty work.  She came from a poor background (had her head shaved for lice one time) and felt that after doing her good service for a number of years she looked forward to a more luxurious life later on.  At least that's how I remember it and I thought it was very honest and self-aware and I really want to see her get the fine life she has earned a dozen times over.

I also think Helen George is a good, very distinctive actress and ready for a show where she doesn't have to share the lead with a half dozen others.

[Suzn]

16 hours ago, MissLucas said:

Even if marrying Matthew would mean we'd lose Trixie I'm all for it. The character deserves some happiness and we know that she never wanted a single life. I hate shows stalling character arcs just to keep a character around, that's normally the first step to turn them into caricatures.

Of course it's possible the are laying the groundwork for her to marry and remain a midwife. We have precedence with Shelagh and with Lucille - though the latter has already suffered a tragic plot to stop her from leaving Nonnatus House.

I don't think every woman has to have a man, marriage, children, but in Trixie's case, she has always been someone who wanted all that.  She also likes nice things and pretty clothes.  I think she has earned getting whatever she wants and I will be disappointed with the show if she doesn't.

[SuzySmith]

On 5/9/2022 at 9:36 AM, dubbel zout said:

Is that an Anglican tradition? It's lovely (and slightly creepy at the same time, IMO). I thought that whole part of Carole's story was handled so sensitively. Really well done.

I am really hoping we'll see a little more of Carole in the future.  I doubt we will, but I liked her a lot.

[Badger]

On 5/12/2022 at 9:47 AM, Suzn said:

I don't think every woman has to have a man, marriage, children, but in Trixie's case, she has always been someone who wanted all that.  She also likes nice things and pretty clothes.  I think she has earned getting whatever she wants and I will be disappointed with the show if she doesn't.

I don't think they're end game, sadly.  I started following a bunch of CTM people on Instagram a few weeks ago when they started filming on the 2022 Christmas Special.  Olly Rix did a bunch of Instastories of his dog in his set trailer.  Today, after not posting anything for a few days, he posted one of him working out; apparently, he's really into boxing.  Also, in that interview I posted last week, when they asked him if he had any acting plans coming up, he didn't say he was working on filming the new season of CTM. 

Also, I noticed he had facial hair in that Instastory - a mustache and serious stubble like he hadn't shaved for a few days.

It's also possible that he's got some time off from filming and is taking advantage of the downtime to get back to the gym.  

I guess we shall see what we shall see.  I wonder if Helen George will drop any hints at that event she's attending with Laura Main, Stephen McGann and Heidi Thomas.  BTW, did you know that Jack Hawkins who played Christopher has written a book about doing spreadsheets?  He seems to enjoy living the good life in LA.   Also, Cliff Parisi has a pilot's license and a daughter studying to be a midwife. Actually, I think she may be a midwife.  He had a couple of pictures of her in her scrubs.

If I'm right about Trixie and Matthew not being end game, maybe the whole point of their storyline isn't about her finding true love, but about her having a relationship with a man end and being strong enough not to go back to alcohol.

 

Edited May 17, 2022 by Badger
Added new information