S12.E01: Episode 1

[mmecorday]

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After the racist speech, we see Shelagh and the Turner children at Nonnatus.  Sr. Veronica says she's making sandwiches and do they want to stay for tea?  Shelagh says no, because they have to get home to watch "The Monkees."  Sr. Veronica asks if they have pet monkeys and Shelagh says no, it's an American show about a pop group and quite wholesome.

I loved "The Monkees!" Davy Jones was one of my first crushes. I was devastated when he died. I often wondered if that show enjoyed popularity in the UK. 

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Why did the writers dump Sister Winifred, Sister Hilda, and Sister Frances? Or did the actresses leave?

I was really starting to take a shine to Sister Frances. I'm going to miss her. 

 

[kwnyc]

Y'know who should get that snazzy new scooter: Sister Julienne! She's been through the wringer for Nonnatus House, and could use a zippy motorbike to get around to the deliveries she loves so much. Second choice: Trixie, since she's by far the senior midwife.

[Sarah 103]

1 hour ago, kwnyc said:

Y'know who should get that snazzy new scooter: Sister Julienne! She's been through the wringer for Nonnatus House, and could use a zippy motorbike to get around to the deliveries she loves so much. Second choice: Trixie, since she's by far the senior midwife.

Or, the new scooter is shared and whoever has to travel the farthest that day gets it. 

[purist]

17 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

18 hours ago, Daff said:

Unbelievably, I do think this season has given us an even bigger Nancy than before. 

Sadly, I don't see anything unbelievable about it.  People who have a tendency to be overweight, also tend to get bigger over time. 

Lordy. I didn't even notice Nancy's size/weight. I think she's gorgeous and I love her wardrobe.

Edited March 21, 2023 by purist

[Daff]

1 hour ago, purist said:

Lordy. I didn't even notice Nancy's size/weight. I think she's gorgeous and I love her wardrobe.

Yes, I agree, she is very beautiful, with a winning smile. I’m mostly remembering her scuttling around Poplar when she absconded with Collette, and while she was fairly big then, one camera view in this episode made her appear as if she’d doubled in size.

[debraran]

3 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Or, the new scooter is shared and whoever has to travel the farthest that day gets it. 

Besides not needing gas, bikes could stay and I like your idea, it's not like the money came out of their funds. I would change the use of it. I mean he could actually afford a few of them but lets not get ridiculous. :)  If someone is hurting, knees etc it could help, pregnant or just older.

The writing has always been so wonderful and I know it makes us gasp when something is "off" but overall they are doing a great job with some hiccups we don't get yet. I think someone thought lying was funny because the actress talks of her characters "fibs" to get things in that vein. If she wasn't a nun, fine, but it just doesn't seem right when that is thought of as a sin unless she is doing it for someone else's benefit and even then, carefully.

[iMonrey]

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Who is doing the voice overs at the beginning now?  That doesn't sound like Vanessa Redgrave.

I didn't think it sounded like her either, but it was, according to the closing credits. I wonder if she had a stroke or something.

[Shelbie]

I thought Vanessa sounded frail. I just looked her up and she is now 86.

[jah1986]

1 hour ago, Shelbie said:

I thought Vanessa sounded frail. I just looked her up and she is now 86.

I was just thinking "she has to be getting up there in age". VR did sound really frail during this episode.

It's so nice to have this show back, even if it is more and more obvious that we are getting a severely edited version of the show.  I do not like the new nun and can't think what the writer's are trying to achieve with her character.

Poor Lucille and Cyril, and everyone else that had to put up with the particular brand of foolishness from that MP.

[kaygeeret]

Completely agree with the criticism of "the Lying Nun" story line.

Was the character's arc supposed to be lighthearted and humorous?

If so missed the mark by miles.

[Stevie Nicks]

Agree with everyone else about the lying nun. I don't like her at all. I hope Sister Julienne doesn't let her keep it. And then the liar gets punted back to the Motherhouse. Wrt the scooter, whatever happened to the one they had from the 1st season. Or 2nd season whichever. 

I hope Cyril and Lucille don't leave. I love their characters. I really wish someone would have taken that woman she walked on down a peg. I don't blame Lucille walking out. Was it unprofessional? Yes. Was it completely understandable? Also yes. 

So I guess the nun who left at the end of last season is gone for good? Bummer. 

I don't understand why PBS edits the episodes. They're not all there on Netflix either. I don't get it. 

VR has sounded rough all last season with the voice overs. She really sounded awful last night. 

[Cetacean]

I hate losing much loved characters!  I have a strong suspicion that Lucille will be going home and that would mean no real role for Cyril other than a passing "How is Lucille doing, Cyril?" from the residents.  Is the shrinking cast a foreshadowing for the end of the series? 

[BooksRule]

I don't have a problem with the storyline of 'the lying nun' (hee!), but I agree with others that it could have been written better.  She has no remorse and is so smug about getting what she wants by lying.  She sees no problem with it other than kind of a 'oops, my bad!' and goes on to do it again.  If she was lying to get things and then was actually remorseful about it but just had a problem with stopping (compulsive liar?) we might have some sympathy.  I also agree that there should be consequences, such as having them share the scooter. 

As for PBS (and Netflix) cutting scenes, as far as I can tell only the DVDs are uncut.  I've watched them through season 10 (I was fortunate enough to be able to add those to my university library's collection and can check them out whenever I want to--yay, me!) and cut scenes seem to be there.  I've only noticed an occasional substitution in music choices. 

[DonnaMae]

On 3/20/2023 at 5:37 PM, Cetacean said:

Who is doing the voice overs at the beginning now?  That doesn't sound like Vanessa Redgrave.

I could hardly understand what she was saying.

[DonnaMae]

9 minutes ago, LtKelley said:

The small bone I will throw Sr. Veronica is that the scooter is for work not her personal pleasure. 

How do we know that?  She may use it to just take a ride that's unrelated to her work.

[Tiggertoo]

I think it’s because Sr Monica Joan is supposed to be slightly away with the the fairies, while the newbie is just an out and out liar because she’s too lazy to ride a bike.

I’m shocked that that is Vanessa Redgrave.  I thought I’d missed an announcement that she had left the show.

I don’t think Mrs Patel was varicose vein lady’s neighbour.  I was so angry at how she turned on Lucille after all the care she’d given her. I think it was supposed to show the type of person who is racist but not about you!  She thought by saying that, Lucille would be okay with it because it was against an Indian lady?  I’m not sure.   And of course, it was fine for English to go and move into and colonize all these other countries.

[Stevie Nicks]

9 hours ago, LtKelley said:

 

I'm not saying Sr. Veronica isn't lazy ;)....  but there's been far too many "Sr. Monica Joan smiles slyly as she get away with it" storylines for me to agree that her every blatant self centered lie is totally due to her magical dementia that comes and goes. 

Exactly. And if you read the books that Jennifer Worth wrote, Sr Monica Joan died before Jennifer left Poplar.  I guess they kept the character because she's beloved or something, and because if she has dementia, she'd be gone long before now in the show. She's annoying for the most part. YMMV 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Stevie Nicks

[DonnaMae]

1 hour ago, Stevie Nicks said:

She's annoying for the most part.

I agree, but the actress does a great job playing an annoying character.

[Cetacean]

Unpopular opinion but I like Sr. MJ.  Since she's away with the fairies most of the time, I just think of her as a child rather than a fully functioning adult.   I enjoy her a lot more with that mindset.

[Suzn]

I can tolerate Sr Monica Joan in small doses, but really it is past time for her to go to the mother house and stay.  She has had widely varying effects of dementia for over 10 years and depending on plot purposes, she is either completely gaga or at other times just a bit childish and at still others, she is the voice of wisdom.  I love Judy Parfitt  but the character has exhausted any interest I have in her.

The new nun is very unpleasant and I can't imagine how her being a liar is tolerated.  I miss Sr Hilda and Sr Frances!

[kaygeeret]

Since the writing in this episode seemed 'off' to me, has the show changed showrunners, writers or... ????

If they don't seem to be able to pull it together, as it were, AND Lucille and Cyril leave......I may have to put the show on the back burner.

Never thought I would feel this way about the show.

 

 

[natyxg]

2 hours ago, kaygeeret said:

Since the writing in this episode seemed 'off' to me, has the show changed showrunners, writers or... ????

If they don't seem to be able to pull it together, as it were, AND Lucille and Cyril leave......I may have to put the show on the back burner.

Never thought I would feel this way about the show.

 

 

I felt the same way. I think I've never actively disliked an episode of Call the midwife before. There were way too many plots happening, so nothing really came together and everything felt rushed. I find Lucille's story very depressing all of the sudden, both her depression post miscarriage and the sudden race stuff that they threw in there. Sorry, but after I don't know how many years of Lucille and Cyril there with very little or no problems (as well as tons of immigrants featured in the show over the years), all of that felt forced and awkward. It will be very sad if Lucille and Cyril end up leaving the show in this depressing way (I hope they don't). Then there was the suddenly racist woman giving birth who just as suddenly stopped being racist... really, it was all very badly done. There was also the weird story of the lying nun that... everyone is okay with her being a liar and she's gonna keep lying? That's weird. It was also weird to spend the whole episode going on about Trixie meeting Mathews parents, and then... we don't see the actual meeting? Wat?

The one story I liked a bit was the one about the lesbians, but it felt lost in the middle of this mess. I was surprised we didn't even get to see the one with cancer actually die.

[natyxg]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:24 PM, debraran said:

I admit I never liked the Trixie love affair, so predictable etc. Am I the only one who thinks they don't have any chemistry?

I like Trixie and Mathew on paper, but I agree that they don't have any chemistry. I think it's the actor who plays Mathew. I think he's handsome, but very lifeless. I keep wondering if the show wants me to believe that they're doomed or if they're really meant to be a great love story, but Mathew just cancels out everything with his dead energy.

[debraran]

5 hours ago, natyxg said:

I like Trixie and Mathew on paper, but I agree that they don't have any chemistry. I think it's the actor who plays Mathew. I think he's handsome, but very lifeless. I keep wondering if the show wants me to believe that they're doomed or if they're really meant to be a great love story, but Mathew just cancels out everything with his dead energy.

Yes, he always seems to be saying the lines, but I don't feel anything. The preacher was different. Even watching the disastrous  dinner Trixie made, he seemed better but still not as expressive/funny as the other people in attendance. He talks like she is one of his employees sometimes. I hope he isn't just the "money" person when needed on the show. He's handsome as you said, but reminds me of a model. I will wait and see but a UK FB comment made me think the wedding will be the same but that is a few episodes off.

[debraran]

5 hours ago, natyxg said:

I felt the same way. I think I've never actively disliked an episode of Call the midwife before. There were way too many plots happening, so nothing really came together and everything felt rushed. I find Lucille's story very depressing all of the sudden, both her depression post miscarriage and the sudden race stuff that they threw in there. Sorry, but after I don't know how many years of Lucille and Cyril there with very little or no problems (as well as tons of immigrants featured in the show over the years), all of that felt forced and awkward. It will be very sad if Lucille and Cyril end up leaving the show in this depressing way (I hope they don't). Then there was the suddenly racist woman giving birth who just as suddenly stopped being racist... really, it was all very badly done. There was also the weird story of the lying nun that... everyone is okay with her being a liar and she's gonna keep lying? That's weird. It was also weird to spend the whole episode going on about Trixie meeting Mathews parents, and then... we don't see the actual meeting? Wat?

The one story I liked a bit was the one about the lesbians, but it felt lost in the middle of this mess. I was surprised we didn't even get to see the one with cancer actually die.

I love the show to much to give up now but feel the same as you on that episode. Watching older ones the cadence etc was different. Maybe if I look at who wrote etc I will see a difference.

I thought Lucille being depressed about being without child was real but how long have they been trying? It seems months, has it been longer? She is very religious and knows God isn't a vending machine and having her turn so quickly into despair seemed rushed because she wanted off the show ? Also they are treating her like it's situational depression and not clinical. A change of scenery in Jamaica and she'll be fine. I can forgive the lying nun if they drop it. Not as believable as early dementia coming and going with Sister Monica Joan but maybe she "lies" in the future for the good of her patient. We will see.

I love Phyllis and she seems to hold the group together. Now if she goes......

 

Edited March 23, 2023 by debraran

[Badger]

5 hours ago, debraran said:

I love the show to much to give up now but feel the same as you on that episode. Watching older ones the cadence etc was different. Maybe if I look at who wrote etc I will see a difference.

I thought Lucille being depressed about being without child was real but how long have they been trying? It seems months, has it been longer? She is very religious and knows God isn't a vending machine and having her turn so quickly into despair seemed rushed because she wanted off the show ? Also they are treating her like it's situational depression and not clinical. A change of scenery in Jamaica and she'll be fine. I can forgive the lying nun if they drop it. Not as believable as early dementia coming and going with Sister Monica Joan but maybe she "lies" in the future for the good of her patient. We will see.

I love Phyllis and she seems to hold the group together. Now if she goes......

 

When Lucille got pregnant, she told Phyllis that she was on the pill but that it must not have worked.  She had her miscarriage in the fall.  I'm guessing she got off contraception and started trying to conceive as soon as it was possible.  Given that the first episode is usually in mid-spring, she's probably been trying to get pregnant for about 5  or 6 months.

[Badger]

11 hours ago, natyxg said:

I felt the same way. I think I've never actively disliked an episode of Call the midwife before. There were way too many plots happening, so nothing really came together and everything felt rushed. I find Lucille's story very depressing all of the sudden, both her depression post miscarriage and the sudden race stuff that they threw in there. Sorry, but after I don't know how many years of Lucille and Cyril there with very little or no problems (as well as tons of immigrants featured in the show over the years), all of that felt forced and awkward. It will be very sad if Lucille and Cyril end up leaving the show in this depressing way (I hope they don't). Then there was the suddenly racist woman giving birth who just as suddenly stopped being racist... really, it was all very badly done. There was also the weird story of the lying nun that... everyone is okay with her being a liar and she's gonna keep lying? That's weird. It was also weird to spend the whole episode going on about Trixie meeting Mathews parents, and then... we don't see the actual meeting? Wat?

The one story I liked a bit was the one about the lesbians, but it felt lost in the middle of this mess. I was surprised we didn't even get to see the one with cancer actually die.

I don't think she was racist, just upset that someone else had gotten ahead of her.  More than likely, if the woman who took her place in line had been a teenage single mom, she would have been making disparaging remarks about her.

Or if you do think she was racist, maybe their shared experience of having a baby made her think differently.

[Badger]

11 hours ago, natyxg said:

I felt the same way. I think I've never actively disliked an episode of Call the midwife before. There were way too many plots happening, so nothing really came together and everything felt rushed. I find Lucille's story very depressing all of the sudden, both her depression post miscarriage and the sudden race stuff that they threw in there. Sorry, but after I don't know how many years of Lucille and Cyril there with very little or no problems (as well as tons of immigrants featured in the show over the years), all of that felt forced and awkward. It will be very sad if Lucille and Cyril end up leaving the show in this depressing way (I hope they don't). Then there was the suddenly racist woman giving birth who just as suddenly stopped being racist... really, it was all very badly done. There was also the weird story of the lying nun that... everyone is okay with her being a liar and she's gonna keep lying? That's weird. It was also weird to spend the whole episode going on about Trixie meeting Mathews parents, and then... we don't see the actual meeting? Wat?

The one story I liked a bit was the one about the lesbians, but it felt lost in the middle of this mess. I was surprised we didn't even get to see the one with cancer actually die.

FWIW, there were two incidents involving Lucille that you could chalk up to racism.  The first was the woman who owned the salon where Val got her hair done.  Her daughter went into labor while she was working and  Lucille delivered the baby.  Later, she had a debilitating stroke, and the mother blamed it on Lucille being an immigrant.

The other one was the woman who gave birth in the elevator.  I don't think she was necessarily racist just bitchy and stressed. She did apologize for how she spoke to Lucille.

3 minutes ago, LtKelley said:

With respect, the lack of racism and stories about racism concerning immigrants in London in the 1950s and 1960s has been Call The Midwife cheerfully avoiding reality. Lately, because the time gap is less and less, I compare it to The Tomorrow People - a show filmed and set in the early to mid 1970s London where the professional young black female character was routinely catcalled with racist abuse and even physically attacked as just everyday stuff if you were walking in the slummy areas of London (aka Poplar)

I've never been found of Lucille but this does seem like a rushed storyline. 

The preacher was actually banging the actress playing Trixie in real life. Where I give him kudos is that he and Barbara had chemistry that Trixie and Matthew lack. Trixie and Matthew are pals. 

Their relationship didn't start until the filming of the South Africa episode which was long after Trixie and Tom had broken up.

[kwnyc]

On 3/22/2023 at 4:57 PM, Stevie Nicks said:

Exactly. And if you read the books that Jennifer Worth wrote, Sr Monica Joan died before Jennifer left Poplar.  I guess they kept the character because she's beloved or something, and because if she has dementia, she'd be gone long before now in the show. She's annoying for the most part.

There is NO WAY Judy Parfitt is giving up that part. It's probably her most widely-seen role of a very long career. She is leaving the show feet first! 

[Badger]

On 3/26/2023 at 6:49 PM, kwnyc said:

There is NO WAY Judy Parfitt is giving up that part. It's probably her most widely-seen role of a very long career. She is leaving the show feet first! 

I've noticed that there is a personal assistant listed for her in the credits now; I just noticed it so I don't know long it's been there.   Anyway, I'm assuming that person is helping her so she can continue with the show. 

[proserpina65]

On 3/19/2023 at 8:24 PM, debraran said:

I admit I never liked the Trixie love affair, so predictable etc. Am I the only one who thinks they don't have any chemistry?

I think they have plenty of chemistry.  More than Trixie's had with any other love interest.  I like that storyline, even though it does bring out Trixie's shallower side.  I like that Matthew wanted his late wife's parents to know Trixie and for them all to be part of the family.

On 3/19/2023 at 8:42 PM, LtKelley said:

I will say Trixie being frivolous and more focused on the material aspects of the wedding is pretty typical Trixie. 

Yep, it's been part of her character from the beginning.

 

[Clemency]

On 3/28/2023 at 12:40 PM, proserpina65 said:

I think they have plenty of chemistry.  More than Trixie's had with any other love interest. 

I agree!  I thought she had zero chemistry with Tom, which was odd since they are a real life couple.  Or maybe it was more that she and Tom didn't seem like they would be each other's type at all, so it was hard to understand what they saw in each other.

[Chalby]

On 3/21/2023 at 11:10 AM, jah1986 said:

Poor Lucille and Cyril, and everyone else that had to put up with the particular brand of foolishness from that MP.

Sadly, although that incident supposedly occured in 1968, it appears to still be happening everywhere. For whatever ignorant reasoning, fear of the foreigner (xenophobia) is still alive and well. 

[Chalby]

On 3/22/2023 at 7:58 PM, natyxg said:

I like Trixie and Mathew on paper, but I agree that they don't have any chemistry. I think it's the actor who plays Mathew. I think he's handsome, but very lifeless. I keep wondering if the show wants me to believe that they're doomed or if they're really meant to be a great love story, but Mathew just cancels out everything with his dead energy.

I definitely felt their attraction to each other after Fiona died, far more than her and the Minister. Come to think of it, I didn't get a "they're close"feeling when she dated the divorce dad. Maybe it's Trixie?

[marypat57]

I too, have difficulty with the cuts that PBS makes.  When I was unable to watch part of Season 11 when it was on originally, I solved the problem by purchasing the dvds from the BBC online shop instead of PBS.  I will do the same for Season 12 when it is released.  

[pasdetrois]

On 3/19/2023 at 9:40 PM, Blackie said:

FFS I HATE PBS and their cuts!!! The editing of CTM is bad enough but with the cuts, it makes the show almost unwatchable.

This episode was unwatchable for me. It was a mess due to horrible editing. I FFed through much of it.

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the lying nun

And suddenly I have memories of Sally Field and The Flying Nun.

Add The Monkees and Ayds diet candy, and this is quite the nostalgic episode.

Elderly voices can be very high-pitched. I think that's what we are hearing in Vanessa's voice.

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by pasdetrois