S13.E07: Episode 7

[Haleth]

8 hours ago, Mermaid Under said:

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

I hope there were several hundred more kids in the other room that wanted to carve turnips because that was a hella big pile of root vegetables.

Please, writers, send Trixie to NY with Matthew. I’m sick of their issues.  

[Sarah 103]

4 hours ago, eel2178 said:

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?"

I don't think it's as deep as symbolism. I think it's more like "Wow! We have multiple serious dark depressing dramatic storylines in this episode. We need a funny silly comedic subplot." That's where the turnips and turnip truck comes in, because it was a fun little sight gag. 

[chitowngirl]

Re: the abundance of turnips-didn’t Fred think he was ordering X number of turnips and he really ordered X+?

[Capricasix]

Yes, he said something like he “didn’t know what a hundredweight of turnips looked like” (which I find hard to believe because Fred’s the kind of guy who *would* know that kind of thing), and the delivery driver said, “Well, that’s what it looks like!”

[Blackie]

10 hours ago, Mermaid Under said:

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

 

Not to mention, turnips are HARD, I can barely chop one with a sharp knife. I don't know how those kids were carving it with a spoon.

 

2 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

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!

 

Glad you said that LOL!

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

I wonder if grandmother's syphilis was too late to treat.

 

She said she took random antibiotics so maybe she cured herself or maybe she could have secondary syphilis but didn't recognize the symptoms.

[Straycat80]

5 hours ago, Orcinus orca said:

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.

Having worked in a pharmacy for 15 years we saw a lot of people stop taking their antibiotics when they started feeling better and saved the remainder for the next time they needed them to save a trip to the doctor. Sadly these were older people who couldn’t afford repeated doctor visits or medication. 
I noticed the teen Mom had a younger half-sister, how horrible to think the pedo step-father would now be in the house with her and the Mom probably thinking he wouldn’t do anything to her if he hadn’t already. 

[eel2178]

39 minutes ago, Blackie said:

Not to mention, turnips are HARD, I can barely chop one with a sharp knife. I don't know how those kids were carving it with a spoon.

I'm guessing it was a grapefruit spoon.

[caitmcg]

3 hours ago, Sarah 103 said:

I don't think it's as deep as symbolism. I think it's more like "Wow! We have multiple serious dark depressing dramatic storylines in this episode. We need a funny silly comedic subplot." That's where the turnips and turnip truck comes in, because it was a fun little sight gag. 

And the comedic C plots (or D plots, on overstuffed CtM episodes) usually fall on Fred.

[Daff]

Fred is like Lucile Ball, always scheming. It’s fall, turnips are harvested, he’ll sell some (yuck). It backfired. Remember the zucchini (“courgettes”)?

[Blackie]

8 hours ago, caitmcg said:

And the comedic C plots (or D plots, on overstuffed CtM episodes) usually fall on Fred.

 

That is why it was so freakin' scary when Fred got a main plot (tetanus).

[JudyObscure]

17 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

They showed Allison in the toilet. 

LOL  They did didn't they?  One thing you can count on with this show is they'll never gloss over the icky realities of life.

I was binging "Broadchurch" last week and the woman who had a baby screamed at the top of her lungs through the whole thing and I thought, "The writers have watched too much, CTM." 

I didn't do more than moan a little when I was in labor, I didn't have the strength left over for any dramatics.  I'm not without sympathy for the women who have really terrible births, but CTM makes it seem like every single birth is horrendous.

[Notabug]

2 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

LOL  They did didn't they?  One thing you can count on with this show is they'll never gloss over the icky realities of life.

I was binging "Broadchurch" last week and the woman who had a baby screamed at the top of her lungs through the whole thing and I thought, "The writers have watched too much, CTM." 

I didn't do more than moan a little when I was in labor, I didn't have the strength left over for any dramatics.  I'm not without sympathy for the women who have really terrible births, but CTM makes it seem like every single birth is horrendous.

As an obstetrician myself, most TV makes childbirth into a screamfest, which it usually is not.  Yes, women might grunt, groan, even moan during the pain of labor; but very rarely do they scream.  And, when it is time to push the baby out, screaming can actually be counterproductive.  Women in labor do work hard; they sweat, they groan, they say they cannot go on; but most do not scream and shout.  I guess it is dramatic license, but it has always annoyed me.  

Actually, CTM has more realistic birth scenes than any other TV show I can think of.  Remember, most of these women are delivering at home and even those in the hospital are not getting epidurals.  Epidurals were a game changer when it came to how women handle labor and CTM's depiction of unmedicated labor, especially non-epidural birth, is pretty accurate.

Edited April 30 by Notabug

[Sarah 103]

12 hours ago, caitmcg said:

And the comedic C plots (or D plots, on overstuffed CtM episodes) usually fall on Fred.

I think that's true of most large ensemble dramas. There are usually a few characters that become the go to for the silly comic relief plot. 

[iMonrey]

On 4/29/2024 at 10:56 AM, 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.

The situation with Matthew seems very similar to when Robert lost Cora's fortune through bad investments on Downton Abbey. It's as if British TV writers are all of one mind.

6 hours ago, Daff said:

Fred is like Lucile Ball, always scheming. It’s fall, turnips are harvested, he’ll sell some (yuck). It backfired. Remember the zucchini (“courgettes”)?

Funny you should say that because this incident reminded me of when Lucy and Ethel ordered a whole side of beef for their walk-in freezer without realizing how much beef that was.

[DonnaMae]

What is a swede?  I'm Swedish and I'm not a vegetable. 🤨

[zoey1996]

2 hours ago, Notabug said:

As an obstetrician myself, most TV makes childbirth into a scream fest, which it usually is not.  Yes, women might grunt, groan, even moan during the pain of labor; but very rarely do they scream. 

When I was in the hospital for my daughter's birth, I'd had an infection that led to me losing my voice. The nurse there told me they were glad to have it quiet, as a women who had given birth the prior week was a screamer.

Poor Joyce! I understand why she did what she did. Her husband was awful to her. I hope there is a way for her to continue as a midwife.

@DonnaMaeA Swede is also known as a rutabaga.

Edited April 30 by zoey1996

[jschoolgirl]

6 hours ago, Daff said:

Fred is like Lucile Ball, always scheming. It’s fall, turnips are harvested, he’ll sell some (yuck). It backfired. Remember the zucchini (“courgettes”)?

And the pigs!

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, zoey1996 said:

A Swede is also known as a rutabaga.

Or, as Bill Bryson reported in "A Walk in the Woods,"  they're listed on the menu in Gatlinburg as "Rudy beggars.."

[3 is enough]

Alison’s screaming during labour did not bother me. She was young, scared, and had no idea what to expect. For the most part the birth scenes do not have screaming mothers and seem pretty accurate.

 

Edited May 1 by 3 is enough

[proserpina65]

21 hours 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?

I think he still feels too humiliated to let other people know what happened.

[Ceindreadh]

8 hours ago, Notabug said:

 

Actually, CTM has more realistic birth scenes than any other TV show I can think of.  Remember, most of these women are delivering at home and even those in the hospital are not getting epidurals.  Epidurals were a game changer when it came to how women handle labor and CTM's depiction of unmedicated labor, especially non-epidural birth, is pretty accurate.

Call the midwife also has the youngest looking babies on TV - probably because they have the system in place to hire baby babies rather than the six month olds that pass for newborns on most other shows. 

6 hours ago, DonnaMae said:

What is a swede?  I'm Swedish and I'm not a vegetable. 🤨

https://www.bordbia.ie/whats-in-season/vegetables/swedes/

This is a swede, although in Ireland we'd usually refer to it as a turnip. 

[DonnaMae]

7 minutes ago, Ceindreadh said:

This is a swede, although in Ireland we'd usually refer to it as a turnip. 

Thank you for the info.  I wonder why they got that name.

[Capricasix]

Wikipedia to the rescue!

“The term swede (from "Swedish turnip") is used in many Commonwealth Nations, including much of the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The name turnip is also used in parts of Northern and Midland England, the West Country (particularly Cornwall), Ireland, the Isle of Man, and Canada. In Wales, according to region, it is variously known as meipen, rwden, or erfinen in Welsh, and as swede or turnip in English.

In Scotland, it is known as turnip, tumshie (also used as a pejorative term for a foolish or stupid person), or neep (from Old English næp, Latin napus). Some areas of south-east Scotland, such as Berwickshire and Roxburghshire, still use the term baigie, possibly a derivative of the Swedish dialectal word rotabagge. The term turnip is also used for the white turnip (Brassica rapa ssp rapa).”

[jschoolgirl]

On 4/29/2024 at 3:43 PM, Crashcourse said:

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

I have read that the actress herself wanted the character killed off.

[debraran]

On 4/29/2024 at 10:56 AM, Straycat80 said:

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.  

I didn't see it but I don't think it was much of the story. It was always about Matthew and Trixie. She cared for him but you didn't see the bonding, the motherly love you would from others. That was the script. She didn't even have a script line about "who is going to watch him in US while you work? " Can you imagine as a mom having your husband take your child far away and just some tears....no this wasn't written well all around.

[debraran]

16 hours ago, zoey1996 said:

When I was in the hospital for my daughter's birth, I'd had an infection that led to me losing my voice. The nurse there told me they were glad to have it quiet, as a women who had given birth the prior week was a screamer.

Poor Joyce! I understand why she did what she did. Her husband was awful to her. I hope there is a way for her to continue as a midwife.

@DonnaMaeA Swede is also known as a rutabaga.

That's odd, I worked in hospital for 14 years and near OB ward. Some yelled, mostly young, but most grunted and gave those noises they do when pushing. I asked my doc once why some women yelled like they were stabbed and he said most aren't needed, they are usually young and scared and not focusing . Some have back labor which is awful but they high piercing screams are not common.

I'm lucky my 3 without drugs weren't bad, it wasn't a cakewalk but fairly quck and without fanfare. I'm glad they show the spectrum on CTM.

[Crashcourse]

13 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

I have read that the actress herself wanted the character killed off.

Wow, that's weird.

[Sarah 103]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

Wow, that's weird.

@Crashcourse My guess is that if an actor/actress requests to be written off and killed it means they have no interest in returning to the show and want to be absolutely sure they will never be asked to return for an episode or a short story arc. 

[Notabug]

46 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

@Crashcourse My guess is that if an actor/actress requests to be written off and killed it means they have no interest in returning to the show and want to be absolutely sure they will never be asked to return for an episode or a short story arc. 

It has certainly happened before.  Anthony Edwards asked that his ER character be killed when he left.  Then, again, he got a couple of seasons being heavily featured on the show as Mark Greene battled cancer, so he got something out of it too.

On the other hand, the actress playing Barbara hadn't been on the show that long.  She was a very good actress and her character was popular, but many other characters had come and gone before her without the show suffering, so it seems odd that she'd be able to dictate her exit.

[eel2178]

1 hour ago, Sarah 103 said:

My guess is that if an actor/actress requests to be written off and killed it means they have no interest in returning to the show and want to be absolutely sure they will never be asked to return for an episode or a short story arc. 

Sasha Alexander also asked to be written out of NCIS in a way so that she could never come back.

[JudyObscure]

19 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

I have read that the actress herself wanted the character killed off.

I can see where a lot of actresses would much prefer a chance for a huge dramatic exit over just drifting away.  Nobody cried or quit watching when poor little Nurse Miller got assaulted and then was sent off to the mysterious psychiatric convent.  She was my favorite.

[mmecorday]

Quote

Nobody cried or quit watching when poor little Nurse Miller got assaulted and then was sent off to the mysterious psychiatric convent.  She was my favorite.

The world of CTM is a lot like the Land of Oz. People come and go so quickly!

I hated that Matthew was so dismissive of Trixie's homemade dinner of savoury mince. I had to look up the recipe and it looks like a quick, inexpensive and filling meal for people on a budget. When someone prepares a meal for you, you say, "Thank you. This look delicious." 

[Capricasix]

I make something very similar, but I didn’t know it had a name - I just made it up out of my own head 😄

[kwnyc]

One of the recappers I read calls Matthew "Mr. Trixie." And that is how I will always think of him. She also said he's a nepo baby, and I agree.

Joyce just needs to go to Sr. Julienne and explain about her evil husband. Like Nancy did when she suddenly turned up with a little kid.

 

 

Edited May 3 by kwnyc

[squeezel]

I’m glad to see posters here are concerned about the likelihood of pedo-stepdad abusing the younger daughter.  Why would that possibility not occur to the social worker, any medical personnel, or the mother?

[Shermie]

It was a different time, and unfortunately abuse was ignored or disbelieved. Even in a case like this, some might say/think that since the subject of his abuse (the step daughter) had moved out, he wouldn’t be tempted anymore. We know differently now, but again, it was a different time. I mean, quite often the abused was blamed for tempting or luring the abuser.