S13.E07: Episode 7

[chitowngirl]

PBS makes episodes available on Passport before they air on PBS. Discussion in this thread may contain plot information pertaining to the episode before it airs on PBS. Do not use spoiler tags.

Rosalind oversees the care of a teenage mom and uncovers a disturbing truth. Trixie and Matthew struggle with their change in fortune, while Joyce receives an unexpected visitor.
 

Edited March 30 by chitowngirl

[DonnaMae]

1 hour ago, chitowngirl said:

Trixie and Matthew struggle with their change in fortune

What did I miss?  Is he now in the poor house?

[debraran]

5 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

What did I miss?  Is he now in the poor house?

yes, I haven't watched this one but saw UK updates. I don't know if this had to do with whatever off screen happenings with the actors but they made it so they will be gone or one of them for a bit until next season. It was a way to write him off for a bit but I don't know yet if Trixie visits or goes later to US.

I don't know for sure, but I doubt that never ending wedding and preparation last year was done to make everything collapse. I never liked the paring, Trixie having to have the ultra rich guy and talk about money all the time, this season has been awful with them both being clueless, but maybe if they stay on the show, it will get better as time goes on. Only 2 shows left I think so they have time to recoop if matters get better. I hope so. We don't have to listen to talk about the "best couch and best nursery school and best car etc" anymore.

Edited March 31 by debraran

[txhorns79]

I guess it was "bad husband week" on Call the Midwife.  Your choices are abusive stalker, child molester or self-centered, financially destitute guy.  

I give the actor playing Joyce's husband credit.  He hit all the right notes to make the character legit terrifying with stalking Joyce while she works and showing up at Nonnatus House posing as her cousin.  

I have a lot of trouble seeing how Trixie could stay with Matthew.  He certainly doesn't seem to care about her or her opinion when making big decisions for their family.   

[Good Queen Jane]

This is an episode that suffers from taking place 50 years ago when it comes to Trixie and Matthew. Today, Matthew making decisions without Trixie’s input would be insufferable. In 1969, not so much. I can remember when I was working in the late ‘70s where one of the partners bought the family house without his wife ever seeing it. As a divorce lawyer, I was always amazed by how many women had no idea about any financial issues and that continued pretty much through the millennium. So this story line is realistic for the times, but hard to swallow under current sensibilities. 

 

 

[jah1986]

I don't know what the actors did behind the scenes to make the writers sabotage their characters like this, but the Trixie/Matthew storyline has just been awful. And I guess now we'll have to suffer through sad, and possibly relapsing drunk Trixie. Just fire her if you hate her so much. It's not entertaining and has been done before, with this character.

Now to the rest of the episode. I did not  see it coming that Joyce was married. Hate her husband, he must go. Just once I would love to see someone call a blackmailer's bluff. Joyce should tell Nonnatus the truth, I'm sure they would back her as much as they could.

So relieved that the mom with the little boy didn't die. And good for the new mom standing up for herself and baby when she realized her mom was not going to protect them. Her case was just so heartbreaking, but hopefully she gets all the help she needs to make it.

[pasdetrois]

I wonder if grandmother's syphilis was too late to treat. Dr. Turner sure was making a lot of silent faces. I think she said it had been at least a year since her chancre disappeared.

The Trixie and Matthew storyline is now loathsome. Get rid of both of them or do better, writers. I'm not interest in drunk weepy Trixie. The actress wore a noticeable wig in this episode.

 

[Suzn]

3 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I wonder if grandmother's syphilis was too late to treat. Dr. Turner sure was making a lot of silent faces. I think she said it had been at least a year since her chancre disappeared.

The Trixie and Matthew storyline is now loathsome. Get rid of both of them or do better, writers. I'm not interest in drunk weepy Trixie. The actress wore a noticeable wig in this episode.

 

They have completely wrecked Trixie's character.  She always liked nice things, but she wasn't that shallow or whiny.  I also feel bitter that they couldn't let her be happily married for a little while before it all went to shit.

[debraran]

16 hours ago, pasdetrois said:

I wonder if grandmother's syphilis was too late to treat. Dr. Turner sure was making a lot of silent faces. I think she said it had been at least a year since her chancre disappeared.

The Trixie and Matthew storyline is now loathsome. Get rid of both of them or do better, writers. I'm not interest in drunk weepy Trixie. The actress wore a noticeable wig in this episode.

 

Her hair has looked kind of odd lately, stiff and brassy. Is that why?

I didn't realize there was only one more. Was the shorter season planned or cut short for other reasons? I guess they had less time to move them along, but fans had pretty good ideas they didn't agree with and thought this was better, but they also could have not had the downfall, Trixie a money hungry "Lets spend" kind of girl and just had them move somewhere where she could drop in to visit but not so far. The son Jonty is a bit of thorn, if he stayed and she was "motherly" to him, who would mind him and if Dad takes him, which is happening, who will watch him when he's busy at work. A stranger? Poor kid, he loses his mom, second mom didn't really connect, now Dad is taking him off to another country, he'll be resilient but not want to connect much.

Edited April 6 by debraran

[chitowngirl]

6 hours ago, debraran said:

I didn't realize there was only one more. Was the shorter season planned or cut short for other reasons?

8 episodes is the regular number of episodes.

[Straycat80]

This was a depressing episode. I’m glad the young girl stood up for herself to her mother but I hope all three were cured of the Syphilis. Joyce/Claudine seems pretty tough, hopefully she can get rid of her stalker husband. I hope Trixie decides to go to New York and join Matthew and they both stay there. Their story got too exhausting and ridiculous to follow. 
At least the little party at the end with the turnips was cute. 

[Orcinus orca]

Well that was downright painful, what a downer episode.  

Nancy called it right away, "cousin" Sylvester was smarmy.  That whole storyline does not bode well for Joyce.  In 2024 her story would make her deceptions understandable but back in the 60's spousal abuse was handwaved.  

And that horrible mother taking that rapist monster back into her home and pitching a fit that the police were involved - yeesh!  But, again, as horrendous as that behavior is/was, men got a pass way too often.

As soon as Dr. Turner handed over the sleeping pills, I was waiting for Trixie to overdose.  She is a known alcoholic so addictive pills are not a great idea.  

The writers must really hate Olly Rix, they have just completely torpedoed his character making the happy couple into a hot mess.  He must have really cheesed off someone at the BBC to be treated this way.  

I find it somewhat amusing when these single, penniless woman are handed over to Cecil to walk happily into the sunset having apparently been handed housing, food, etc.  For how long does something like that last in the UK?  Does the mother just sit in her apartment with the kid until he graduates from high school?

Now we need for @Badgerfill us in on the deleted scenes, which increasingly seem to contain important material that we are missing.

[jschoolgirl]

Wow.

I saw from a mile away that the guy was Joyce’s husband and the stepfather was the baby’s father.

But I was sure Sylvester was going try to get in the mother’s flat. Glad I was wrong!

I would have expected them to encourage Alison to have the baby adopted.

On 4/5/2024 at 1:57 PM, pasdetrois said:

The actress wore a noticeable wig in this episode.

I think she has been all season.

[honeywest]

I was afraid that Sylvester would abduct Joyce from the phone booth, and the mother would be left alone to die.

[jschoolgirl]

17 minutes ago, honeywest said:

I was afraid that Sylvester would abduct Joyce from the phone booth, and the mother would be left alone to die.

Same here.

[Orcinus orca]

41 minutes ago, jschoolgirl said:

I think she has been all season.

I certainly hope that isn't her real hair!

[caitmcg]

3 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

But, again, as horrendous as that behavior is/was, men got a pass way too often.

Would that the past tense were entirely adequate here.

[libgirl2]

7 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

Same here.

I thought the same. 

[JudyObscure]

So Jonty is going to lose a mother a second time and Trixie doesn't seem to care beyond a crying hug.  Did she ever really bond with that child or did she simply do her duty the same way she would with a patient?  None of this story seems believable to me.

[Daff]

Season 13-are they making each story depressing because of the number? They’ve all been real downers. Seems every character is having to deal with jeopardy. 
They telegraphed Allison’s abuser the moment she arrived home early in the episode. Interestingly, when her mom announced the imminent return of the stepfather, Allison just stared at the little female sibling at the table. Best that can happen for Joyce will be hubby aggravating someone into violence against him. Nancy seems to think he’s capable.

[mammaM]

Loathsome season, can't wait for it to be over.

I actually liked having new midwives but we never really got to know them because of the neverending Trixie/Matthew drama.

And add me to the list of people that HATE what they did to those two, especially Trixie. I know, I know, Trixie had her rich godmother and her dress allowance, but she was nice and fun and a damn good midwife. Now she's a hot mess with a bad wig (who did the actress piss off)

[ML89]

2 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

None of this story seems believable to me.

The one piece that does is Matthew hightailing it out of town to go follow his "pay off in five years NYC warehouse" (do they turn it into a dance club? Artist lofts?) folly. He was so completely sad sack, I was happy to see him get on the plane. He could have sold those warehouses, stayed in London with his law license and done something good. Instead, he goes chasing after a crazy dream. I wonder if that's why Lady Mom was the way she was in the last ep, because Dad had done that too? But they could have done a somewhat better job of setting it up. Violet telling him that he could get it together and go on was a great scene, but Violet has had to deal with reality with no fallback, unlike Matthew.

Count me in the "Sylvester stops Joyce at the phone booth" gang and also in the "stepfather is the father from pretty much jump" gang. Glad Joyce told him off so thoroughly but it's going to blow up at the end of the season and yes, this is a soap but it's a feel good soap and this season has not made me feel good most of the time.

Edited April 29 by ML89

[Mermaid Under]

Quote

Well that was downright painful, what a downer episode. 

Whole season has been soap opera story lines. The only story they didn't do this week was may/mei's mother showing up to take her back to China, which is sure to happen sometime, since the writers have dropped serious anvils about it.

What the hell was with the turnips? That was supposed to be uplifting?

The only positive thing is that this episode made me google "spirochete" which is the type of bacteria that causes syphilis.  And syphilis is still best detected with blood tests.  40 years on, I remembered.

 

[Straycat80]

4 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

So Jonty is going to lose a mother a second time and Trixie doesn't seem to care beyond a crying hug.  Did she ever really bond with that child or did she simply do her duty the same way she would with a patient?  None of this story seems believable to me.

It seemed like Jonty was with a nanny more than with his parents. And apparently his Grandmother, Matthews Mom, didn’t care about his welfare either by cutting off money to her son. And what happened to his bio Moms family? Don’t they care about him? Now the poor kids loses Trixie and gets taken to a different country.  

[jschoolgirl]

4 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

Did she ever really bond with that child or did she simply do her duty the same way she would with a patient?  None

She did bond with him. There was a sweet scene of him joyfully running up to her at Nonattus House after some separation, last season or maybe the one before. This season she was pretty upset when Matthew referred to “my son.”

[iMonrey]

Jonty's fate is a real narrative problem for the show. It doesn't really make sense for Matthew to take him with him to NYC without a nanny, and it's also impractical to leave him with Trixie since she works full time. I guess we're just supposed to hand-wave the poor kid being swept under the proverbial rug because he's an inconvenient plot point when it comes to Matthew's exit from the show. Still, they should have had Matthew reconsider sacking the nanny and taking her with them to set up house in NYC. 

I wonder if Joyce really would lose her license, or certification, or whatever she worked for, if it were discovered she used a false name. I guess logically it would invalidate whatever document she had, but could they just issue a new document under her real name, or could she take the test again using her real name?

[Suzn]

3 hours ago, mammaM said:

And add me to the list of people that HATE what they did to those two, especially Trixie. I know, I know, Trixie had her rich godmother and her dress allowance, but she was nice and fun and a damn good midwife. Now she's a hot mess with a bad wig (who did the actress piss off)

Early in this season I posted that Trixie and Matthew were like pod people.  They have completely assassinated Trixie's character in particular.  She had her shallow side, but she was a great midwife and a reliable and strong person.

If they need to write out Matthew and/or Trixie, there were many graceful, believable ways to do that. What they have done is just painful, unpleasant and unrealistic.

They have left Lucille dangling, so I guess they can't write people out properly at all.

[Sarah 103]

15 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

As soon as Dr. Turner handed over the sleeping pills, I was waiting for Trixie to overdose.  She is a known alcoholic so addictive pills are not a great idea. 

That was my thought too: There is no way this is going to end well. 

14 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

I saw from a mile away that the guy was Joyce’s husband and the stepfather was the baby’s father.

Same here. I knew it the moment she was upset her stepfather was coming home earlier than she thought. 

I thought Sylvester was going to attack Joyce in the phone booth or in the flat. My guess is that he realizes stalking her, threatening her, and blackmailing her is his best bet. He sees her a source of money.  

The show has turned into a bit of dramatic soap opera this season, and it hasn't worked for me. Thanks to @Badger we in the US were able to find out about a fantastic plotline that we didn't get to see. I would have much rather had the nurses' union storyline than the poorly written drama of Matthew and Trixie. 

[eel2178]

4 hours ago, Mermaid Under said:

What the hell was with the turnips? That was supposed to be uplifting?

I was pretty confused by that, too. Hopefully, there is a deleted scene that will explain how the whole story was supposed to fit in. Maybe there's some symbolism behind it that the writers were trying for and missed (pretty badly).

[jschoolgirl]

2 hours ago, Suzn said:

They have left Lucille dangling, so I guess they can't write people out properly at all.

Plus Val, Sister Winifred, and Sister Hilda.

[eel2178]

On 4/5/2024 at 11:57 AM, pasdetrois said:

I wonder if grandmother's syphilis was too late to treat. Dr. Turner sure was making a lot of silent faces. I think she said it had been at least a year since her chancre disappeared.

She said she had taken her children's antibiotics from when they had tonsillitis. That most likely would have been penicillin, so it should have adequately taken care of it.

Obviously, she knew exactly what she had and how to treat it. She wasn't naive about it or in denial about what her husband had been up to.

[Sarah 103]

26 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

I was pretty confused by that, too. Hopefully, there is a deleted scene that will explain how the whole story was supposed to fit in. Maybe there's some symbolism behind it that the writers were trying for and missed (pretty badly).

When I saw the turnip truck pull up, my reaction was "I can't believe they are doing this plotline." I did think it was cute the way they figured out what to do with them at the end. They did make adorable little jack-o-lanterns.  

[eel2178]

4 hours ago, ML89 said:

The one piece that does is Matthew hightailing it out of town to go follow his "pay off in five years NYC warehouse" (do they turn it into a dance club? Artist lofts?) folly. He was so completely sad sack, I was happy to see him get on the plane. He could have sold those warehouses, stayed in London with his law license and done something good. Instead, he goes chasing after a crazy dream. I wonder if that's why Lady Mom was the way she was in the last ep

He appears to be a gambling addict. Even though he didn't burn through his/the foundation's money at the track or a casino or poker games, he thrives on high-risk investments to satisfy his addiction.

Trixie is probably seeing herself in him which is what she finds so frightening, not just the trip to the poor house. He doesn't seem able to stop the high-risk behavior.

Is it too late for him to have handed Nonnatus House back to the nuns? Is that still a seizable asset due to him waiting too long to return it?

[Orcinus orca]

30 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

That most likely would have been penicillin, so it should have adequately taken care of it.

Except you need a full treatment, not just a few leftover pills.

And, climbing onto my ER nurse soapbox, there should never be any "leftover" antibiotics.  Take the entire prescription unless told to do otherwise by your doc.  That's why so may superbugs have developed.

But that woman was a moron so,....

Count me in as someone confused about the turnips.

[eel2178]

2 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

When I saw the turnip truck pull up, my reaction was "I can't believe they are doing this plotline." I did think it was cute the way they figured out what to do with them at the end. They did make adorable little jack-o-lanterns.  

Was "I didn't just fall off the turnip truck" an expression in Briton in the late '60s?

Maybe that is the symbolism they were going for in regard to the other story lines? Or, maybe it was their variation of "making lemonade out of lemons?"

[Badger]

Spoiler

call the midwife 13.7 deleted scenes:

In the scene where Joyce and Rosalind get their uniform cardies, Joyce says it's an honor to wear the uniform, and Rosalind says they hope to do them justice. Phyllis tells Rosalind her slip is showing; she asks if she should hitch it up. Joyce says she's going to run to the autoclave as they are running late and Sr. Veronica tells them not so fast, they aren't finished yet. Sr. Julienne announces the winner of The Violet Albany Prize which is given to the midwife with the highest marks in their exams; the winner is Joyce; the announcement is met with applause and she says thank you.  Shelagh asks everyone to go outside where there is a photographer from the Gazette waiting to take pictures "for posterity."  Sr. Veronica is concerned that the girls have not had their breakfast yet.  Everyone goes outside and the photographer takes a picture of Joyce holding up her certificate; he asks everyone to cheer.

Right after Phyllis tells Rosalind she will be accompanying her to the Kingsley Toy Factory, Sr. Veronica says that as health visitor her offer to attend does still stand. Rosalind asks her if she really wants to go  Sr. Veronica says she has been on two appropriate training courses; Rosalind answeres she hasn't been on any in tones that suggest she can't understand why she's the one going.  Phyllis tells Sr Veronica that the union representative feels the religious habit would be a bar to open discourse.

In the scene after Matthew's car is repossessed, Trixie is in Sr. Julienne's office crying that she feels she has failed Matthew as he looked as though he wanted her help and in that moment, she didn't know how. She gives her a cup of tea, tells her to drink it and then to go about her duties, because in helping others, she will help herself.

Right after Violet tells Matthew that there was always someone in her family with their back to the wall, he asks because they'd miscalculated.  She answers absolutely, or failed to spot a trend. He says and that matters, doesn't it, seeing the next big chance. She says she never intended to be in haberdashery as she had trained to be a milliner.  When war broke out, hats collapsed and it was all "make do and mend." So she started to sell what people needed, which was needles and pins and darning mushrooms, and trimmings to tart things up a bit. Matthew observes clever and she says it was resourceful. 

Right after Phyllis tells Rosalind they will just have to make use of the time they have, we switch to Miss Higgins telling two patients to wait and a midwife will show them round after a suitable pause in her duties. Gerri Godfrey comes in with her son and asks if she's late as she had to change this one's bum.  Miss Higgins says she is somewhat less than punctual but that the tour has not commenced and to take a seat.  Gerri asks if they will get a cup of tea and she answers that tea is only served to patients and very ancient relatives. Trixie enters and Miss Higgins asks her if the delivery room remains unoccupied.  She says it is all ready for inspection as are two new mothers who are washed, brushed and fully made up and ready to answer their questions; she asks everyone to follow her please.

Right before Fred tells Violet about the great deal he got in turnips we see him shaking hands with a man and asking him to leave them in front of the shop; he asks if they will be be there in plenty of time, the man says he heard him say so, didn't he.

In between the scenes of Matthew and Trixie we switch to Alison who is sitting on the toilet and grimacing in pain.

Right after Miss Higgins gives Alison's mother a cup of tea with sugar in the spoon, she notices Trixie who has come in looking exhausted, she asks if she is okay.

They cut out a bit when Trixie goes to see Patrick. When he asks what the trouble is, she says it could be described as circumstances beyond her control: change, stress, money worries. He tells her she can tell him as much or as little as she likes. After she says she feels as though she's falling from a great height, she says she lies awake.  He asks if she wants to be signed off from work,she says she is better at work than you might think.  She drinks coffee, she can cope, she can concentrate,she's in control.  The nights are torment because she needs sleep. He prescribes her Nitrazepam.  He says she doesn't need to take them every night; in fact, he advises against it.  He tells her to try them and then see him in a fortnight. She thanks him and he says he means it, he's always here.

Right after Joyce asks Fred about the turnips, Colette leans out the window and tells "Nurse Joyce" that someone has come to see her as a surprise. We then switch to Fred and Cyril.  Fred asks if he wants a cup of tea and says he'll put a kettle on in the shed.  Cyril says if they stop now, they'll be doing this at bedtime.

 

[eel2178]

3 minutes ago, Orcinus orca said:

Except you need a full treatment, not just a few leftover pills.

And, climbing onto my ER nurse soapbox, there should never be any "leftover" antibiotics.  Take the entire prescription unless told to do otherwise by your doc.  That's why so may superbugs have developed.

Back in the days before the rapid strep test was available, there were doctors who would give you a full 10 or even 14 day prescription of penicillin while a throat culture was pending. If in 24 to 48 hours the culture was negative for strep, it would have been appropriate to stop the antibiotics. With 3 kids in the house, that could have given her more than enough "leftovers" to cover her syphilis infection.

[Salacious Kitty]

They showed Allison in the toilet. 

[eel2178]

14 minutes ago, Badger said:

  Hide contents

call the midwife 13.7 deleted scenes:

Right before Fred tells Violet about the great deal he got in turnips we see him shaking hands with a man and asking him to leave them in front of the shop; he asks if they will be be there in plenty of time, the man says he heard him say so, didn't he.

The mystery has not been solved.

[Crashcourse]

3 hours ago, Suzn said:

If they need to write out Matthew and/or Trixie, there were many graceful, believable ways to do that. What they have done is just painful, unpleasant and unrealistic.

I felt the same way when they killed off Barbara.  After that, I didn't watch this show for a while. 

[Orcinus orca]

48 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

If in 24 to 48 hours the culture was negative for strep, it would have been appropriate to stop the antibiotics.

Yes, and that would have been at the direction of a doctor.  But I have seen countless cases of repeats in the ER where mom quit giving the med "because little whatshername" was feeling better.

Heck, I can't even count the number of people who quit taking their antihypertensives because "I took my blood pressure and it was normal".  

Whatever the case, mom would still need testing and possible treatment.  And a dose of common sense to boot that child molester out of the house. "I will never let him touch you again".  Seriously?  He will just start in on the next kid while mom turns another blind eye.

[proserpina65]

1 hour ago, jschoolgirl said:

Plus Val, Sister Winifred, and Sister Hilda.

At least one of the sisters went to the mother house.

5 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Now the poor kids loses Trixie and gets taken to a different country.  

Honestly, we never saw enough of her with Jonty for me to think losing her would matter much to him.

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I wonder if Joyce really would lose her license, or certification, or whatever she worked for, if it were discovered she used a false name.

I think it would count as fraud.

2 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

Same here. I knew it the moment she was upset her stepfather was coming home earlier than she thought. 

That's when I knew it too.

1 hour ago, eel2178 said:

I was pretty confused by that, too. Hopefully, there is a deleted scene that will explain how the whole story was supposed to fit in. Maybe there's some symbolism behind it that the writers were trying for and missed (pretty badly).

It looks like maybe this is supposed to be around Halloween?  I seem to remember something about lanterns made out of root vegetables for that in some European countries, maybe England is one of them.

 

 

[eel2178]

17 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

I would have expected them to encourage Alison to have the baby adopted.

I'm always amazed at how infrequently this is ever considered on this show. It was almost commonplace in the US in the '50s and '60s. Maybe the socialist government in the UK discouraged it thinking its cradle to grave benefits should have been sufficient to support anyone in any situation.

[Notabug]

15 minutes ago, eel2178 said:

I'm always amazed at how infrequently this is ever considered on this show. It was almost commonplace in the US in the '50s and '60s. Maybe the socialist government in the UK discouraged it thinking its cradle to grave benefits should have been sufficient to support anyone in any situation.

Even in Great Britain, adoption was still a common option for children born to single parents in the late '60's and I found it odd that no one brought it up; especially after discovering who the father of the child was.  Here in the US, in the present day and age, health care providers are mandated reporters and, presuming the girl was still a minor, the authorities would've been notified.

As it is, I expect the step father could technically request visitation, etc with the child.  I doubt he's interested, but he would have rights as the biologic father.

[3 is enough]

That was quite disturbing. I’m glad Allison was getting her own place, but I hope her mother watches the little sister like a hawk because she could be the next victim. Good thing the story did not take place today because there are now strains of syphilis that are resistant to antibiotics. 

Poor Joyce. I certainly did not see that coming. 
 

[Capricasix]

Thanks to @Badger for posting the deleted scenes. PBS deletes so much that the episodes always feel disjointed to me. Anyone else?

[DonnaMae]

Matthew has a law degree.  Why didn't he check with law firms in London to see if they had an opening for a lawyer?

[eel2178]

8 hours ago, ML89 said:

Count me. . . in the "stepfather is the father from pretty much jump" gang. 

However, why didn't Rosalind immediately realize that this hadn't been consensual when Allison said she had never had a boyfriend? Why did she jump to "she doesn't seem to understand how baby got in?"

Rosalind was more naive about it than Allison was.

[Ceindreadh]

2 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

It looks like maybe this is supposed to be around Halloween?  I seem to remember something about lanterns made out of root vegetables for that in some European countries, maybe England is one of them.

 

 

Oh yes, pumpkins weren't a big thing in Ireland in the 70s/80s, so we used carve up a turnip or swede for the jack-o-lanterns.  Bloody difficult though! 

[Orcinus orca]

1 hour ago, Notabug said:

Even in Great Britain, adoption was still a common option for children born to single parents in the late '60's and I found it odd that no one brought it up; especially after discovering who the father of the child was.  Here in the US, in the present day and age, health care providers are mandated reporters and, presuming the girl was still a minor, the authorities would've been notified.

And I found it a bit odd that Alison immediately went into mother-mode.  I certainly have not read a lot of studies but it seems to me that children born of rape are not ordinarily welcomed with open arms.  It is the living embodiment of the horror.

Thanks to @Badger for the updates. I kept trying to remember the newspaper article that Sylvester referred to of Joyce receiving her award!

35 minutes ago, DonnaMae said:

Matthew has a law degree.  Why didn't he check with law firms in London to see if they had an opening for a lawyer?

Because

Spoiler

Olly Rix had already been given his pink slip so they didn't want to write a story that might keep him in town.