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Call The Midwife Christmas Special 2014

GaT

By GaT
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GaT

GaT

 

An older Jenny reflects on how she missed the Nonnatus community during the first Christmas after she left. In 1959, Cynthia is invited to join the order as a postulant and Chummy is offered the position of matron. In other events, rehearsals for the Sunday school's Christmas concert interfere with the nuns and nurses; two unmarried patients are sent to a home for pregnant women; and Dr. Turner cares for a destitute older couple.

 

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GaT

GaT

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Did anybody see this? I mean the show that is described? My DVR recorded it, but it was a repeat, not a new show. It's on again on the 24th, I'm going to record it again & see if I get the new show.

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GaT

GaT

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That says it premieres 12/25, so I have no idea why my cable has it on multiple times before then. Now I'll have to make sure it actually records on the 25th, because it will probably be listed as a repeat.

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GaT

GaT

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Well, I checked the one that got recorded today, & it's another repeat. There's another one on tomorrow, but that one actually says it's a repeat instead of the new one, so maybe that's really the new show. I have no idea what's going on at this point.

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sigmaforce86

sigmaforce86

(edited)

I liked it - maybe not as exciting as previous specials but it definitely set up the story lines for the coming season.

Unexpected turn with 

Cynthia possibly taking vows. I hope she's not off the show long although the regular season could pick up six months later with her return.  (unexpected to one who hasn't read the books)

 

Two questions (not really spoilers but does give away a small bit):

Did Jenny Agutter maybe hurt her hand in real life so they invented a cut to explain a bandage?  I know there was more story behind the item that caused the cut but the bandage seemed pretty large and visible.

I thought Sister Evangelina's complaints were part of the plot, some medical emergency she'd have but nothing happened - could it be a set up for later?  If yes it makes sense but if not it was the only thing that seemed a little out of place

 

And my goodness has Max MacMillion grown!  

Edited by sigmaforce86
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GaT

GaT

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What do you know! FINALLY the new episode. The guide said it was a repeat from 2013, so of course it was the new episode. I sent a bitching email to the station because I was just so aggravated.

 

That unwed mothers home was just awful, but I loved Avril. When Chummy was talking to her after she gave birth & she said something about her being together with her baby for weeks, I thought how horrible that was. They let those poor girls bond with their babies for weeks then took them away. 

 

Nancy & Victor broke my heart, that was so sad, but Victor was a good guy.

 

Cynthia is going to be a nun! She looks so different in her postulate clothes. I hope she’s still on the show.

 

I didn’t miss young Jenny, but I liked seeing older Jenny, & I liked them talking about her writing her memoirs. Just out of curiosity, I heard she left the show to try her hand in Hollywood, but I haven’t seen her in anything else, has anybody?

 

I can’t wait until the show comes back in March.

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panthergirl13

panthergirl13

I loved Avril, too. The actress was wonderful. I know it's not likely, but I'd love to see her added to the cast.

I found myself thinking the exact same thing, especially when she was being so forceful in helping the other girls at the home. I wondered if they'd find a way to get her into nursing school or something. She was spectacular.

I love this show for being so honest about what birth looks like

As someone who has done birth work in real life, this is what I love most about the show. So many depictions of labor and delivery on TV are so ridiculous (cordless births, etc.) that it's wonderful to see what they do here. 

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GaT

GaT

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The discussion on how realistic the births look reminded me of something I was thinking when I watched. When they showed the scene of Chummy checking Avril to see how dilated she was, all I kept thinking was what a weird acting job this must be for those actresses. It actually seemed more intimate than a love scene would have to me, think of how much time the leads have to spend up in some other woman's crotch.

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Lillybee

Lillybee

I loved the fact that Avril was allowed to give birth on her hands and knees instead of flat on her back.

 

As a young teen in the early sixties, I think that the one thing that kept me from dropping my panties was the absolute fear of being sent to the Good Shephard Home for Wayward Girls if I would have gotten pregnant. Like the place in this episode, it was a place that forced adoptions.

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anna0852

anna0852

 

As a young teen in the early sixties, I think that the one thing that kept me from dropping my panties was the absolute fear of being sent to the Good Shephard Home for Wayward Girls if I would have gotten pregnant. Like the place in this episode, it was a place that forced adoptions.

You were very lucky, in that you knew that "dropping your panties" would result in pregnancy. If you really want some nightmare about this era, read The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler. More than one of the women interviewed, who were sent to these homes in this time, had no idea how pregnancy even happened or how the birth process went. And Chummy and Patsy were far kinder to the girls in their care than most of the real-life staffers of these places.

 

As an orphan, Avril was actually in the best position to keep her child. If she could get the money to move somewhere else at discharge, she could pass herself off a widow and avoid societal censure altogether. There was no disapproving family to throw her out. It was the girls with homes and families and so-called respectability that were utterly unable to keep their children.

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stopeslite

stopeslite

I love this show. It's just so... lovely, all of it. I wasn't expecting Cynthia, although I guess I should have seen it coming - her character always seemed out of place everywhere, except right at the House and right in the middle of doing nursing duty. It's a nice mirror image to last year's special with Shelagh.

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CindyBee

CindyBee

I finally got to watch and really think that this Christmas episode was one of the best of the entire series.

 

Really looking forward to the new season, as having the characters enter life in the 1960s should be good.

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ApathyMonger

ApathyMonger

That poor woman! Lobotomized and sterilized. I was confused by the scars on the scalp. I thought lobotomies were done via the eye sockets.

 

IIRC, the eye socket method was just used because it was quicker, and allowed them to do far more of them. I think that was more common in the US.

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Popples

Popples

First off I have to say how much I missed the opening theme music, it just warms me inside.

 

I read the books and don't remember Cynthia's decision, but it probably doesn't help that I sobbed through them.

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Anothermi

Anothermi

I have to add to the chorus of acclaim for this Xmas special. Chummy was so...... Chummy ( & poor, lovely Peter being all alone for his 3rd set of exams). Cynthia's decision - as a non-reader - seemed pre-destined - but evocative non the less. The story line about the former mental patients being dumped into regular society had strong, painful evocations of similar situations created by short-sighted legislation where I live.  The imposed sterilization especially. :-(

It happened long before my time, but is non-the-less inexplicably painful. 

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Mumbles

Mumbles

I found Trixie's very strong feelings about Cynthia's choice (while being supportive of her friend) interesting, and a tribute to this show's thoughtfulness (and appreciation for its audience's intelligence).

Patsy's reaction to Trixie's protestations that Cynthia would never get married (that a man was not the be-all and end-all) may be another hint, in addition to a few subtly dropped last season, that she may be gay. Which would be interesting, and one that this show would undoubtedly explore thoughtfully.

I love how all the characters have grown from when we first met them a few seasons ago, yet the growth seems so natural (Bernadette/Sheila being the most dramatic, but still in the realm of realistic.)

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NoThyme

NoThyme

I didn't read the books but I remember an interview with Jennifer's daughters and they said that Cynthia got married but did not have children of her own. She and their mom stayed close the rest of their life.

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Kohola3

Kohola3

I read the books and don't remember this about Cynthia either. It's been awhile though. Can anyone confirm if that was in them or not?

 

No, this is a deviation from the book. Cynthia did not enter the convent in the books.

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SunnyBeBe

SunnyBeBe

Man, I love this show and this holiday special really reminded me of it.  Chummy was in rare form.  I want to see more of Chummy helping those young ladies and the lady she delivered helping her.  I like that actress a lot.  Great chemistry with her and Chummy.  

 

The spirit of this show is back.  I can't wait for the new season.  I've never read the books so everything is a surprise to me.

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yeswedo

yeswedo

How did you all interpret Chummy's comment to Denise's (?) mother that 'based on experience, no one will ask', after the mother said she was concerned people would ask where Denise was. As Chummy had been in that situation or had seen others in it? I'm assuming the latter but maybe I missed a big plot point earlier in the series.

 

I enjoyed Averil's story and was also hoping she'd decide to become a midwife. She really jumped in and helped out after getting rid of the matron. I'd like to see her come back in future episodes. And congrats to Peter on passing his exam but I hope he wasn't serious about moving them out of London!

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purist

purist

(edited)

When they were talking about the mental homes being closed down and the residents being turfed out with no ongoing care, I found myself thinking, 'The more things change, the more they stay the same.' It seems so depressingly familiar to what has gone on in many Western countries in the last 20 years or so.

 

Likewise, when Dr Turner made his remark about the facility for unwed mothers once being run by the church, then by the local council, and now by who-knows-what-or-whom. It sounds like a lot of current social services that used to be well run and well funded, and are now run by companies or corporations who are only interested in the bottom line. Sigh.

 

Loved the whole thing.

Edited by purist
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SweePea59

SweePea59

I still feel that the whole Cynthia thing came out of the blue. I wish they would have telegraphed it. Since they didn't, it feels to me that it was a spur of the moment storyline. Unless I missed the clues? Did anyone else think it was coming?

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Ceindreadh

Ceindreadh

How did you all interpret Chummy's comment to Denise's (?) mother that 'based on experience, no one will ask', after the mother said she was concerned people would ask where Denise was. As Chummy had been in that situation or had seen others in it? I'm assuming the latter but maybe I missed a big plot point earlier in the series.

 

I'm pretty sure that Chummy just mean that she'd treated other girls in similar circumstances.  And IMO, while nobody will 'ask', more than likely most people will have a fair idea of what's going on when a teenage girl is suddenly shipped off for a few months.  But sending them away for the birth/adoption will allow them to save face and pretend that it never happened.

 

As for Chummy herself, I'm pretty sure that the time in S1 when she shows up to Peter and tells him that "Underneath this coat, I'm practically naked" was her first time.  IIRC, her mother wanted her to have a white wedding until Chummy said she was 'no longer qualified'  ;-)

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GaT

GaT

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I still feel that the whole Cynthia thing came out of the blue. I wish they would have telegraphed it. Since they didn't, it feels to me that it was a spur of the moment storyline. Unless I missed the clues? Did anyone else think it was coming?

I didn't see it coming at all. Maybe she got a part in a movie & they're giving her some time off to film it, so they came up with this to explain her absence? 

 

As for Chummy herself, I'm pretty sure that the time in S1 when she shows up to Peter and tells him that "Underneath this coat, I'm practically naked" was her first time.  IIRC, her mother wanted her to have a white wedding until Chummy said she was 'no longer qualified'  ;-)

That was one of my favorite lines.

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zoey1996

zoey1996

(edited)

That unwed mothers home was just awful, but I loved Avril. When Chummy was talking to her after she gave birth & she said something about her being together with her baby for weeks, I thought how horrible that was. They let those poor girls bond with their babies for weeks then took them away. 

Something very similar happened in Philomena, where the girls saw their children until they were taken away, sometimes without warning or notice.  Heart-wrenching for both the mothers and their babies.

 

The "home for wayward girls" that promised a home and a caring place for these young women to have their babies, but turned out to be quite the opposite, was difficult to watch.  That matron was a witchy piece of work!  Glad that Avril blew the whistle, and that Chummy and Patsy were able to step in and provide the care that was needed.

 

Of all the secular midwives, it made perfect sense to me for Cynthia to feel a call to the religious aspect and to become both a nun and a midwife.  It puzzles me that some felt this came out of the blue; on the contrary, I thought Cynthia had been heading towards this all along.

 

So happy that Peter passed the exam despite staying up to care for 'young master' Freddie and Chummy being unable to be there too.

 

I loved the scenes with 'Mature Jennifer' and her husband, and loved that it turned out that Cynthia gave the lamb to Jenny.

 

Can hardly wait for the return of this series in the spring!

Edited by zoey1996
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Clanstarling

Clanstarling

(edited)

I didn't even know this was coming until I saw the recap (which I didn't read until I fired up the computer and watched it online). Teared up more than once.

 

Cynthia being called to a vocation seemed right to me - it suited her, I thought. Chummy is, as always, the best. Who wouldn't love a friend like that - so kind and steady.

 

I had to reacquaint myself with Patsy and the newer nun.  I'd forgotten about them. Though it was fun to see Vanessa Redgrave, I don't think I'll miss Jenny all that much - mostly because this is an ensemble show, even if told (originally) from her perspective.

 

My mother grew up in a restrictive society, and not only did she not know how babies were made, she found out where babies came out when she started pushing contractions. She thought her belly button was going to open up and they'd pull the baby out. Bad time to find out. She over did the sex ed with me because of it. Many uncomfortable talks about the strangest aspects - but I got to lord it over the other kids who didn't know anything. :)

Edited by clanstarling
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pasdetrois

pasdetrois

(edited)

My friend was an "unwed mother" in the 1970s. I used to visit her in the Salvation Army home and although the facility was clean and modern, the mothers were treated like crap. (As a reflection of the still-conservative 70s, my friend was in her early 20s but felt compelled to hide her pregnancy.) They used first names only, had every moment controlled (no freedom to leave the property), mail was censored, phone contact was controlled (no birth fathers allowed) and they had to do physical labor until delivery. There was tremendous pressure to "give up the baby," from the SA staff to the medical staff to the caseworkers, even for women who wanted to keep their babies. The SA staff were judgmental and mean, with great emphasis on how "bad" the mothers were. During my friend's labor she was left all alone, except for occasional checks from the nurse. It was much worse in Ireland - besides Philomena, there is a movie called The Magdalene Sisters that is based on true-life stories.

 

Back to topic: it was lovely to have this little special at holiday time. It's fun for me to see the fashions that I remember my mother wearing in the 50s. Great to see Vanessa Redgrave in the flesh instead of just the voiceover.

 

Agree that the Cynthia/nun story came out of left field. They are trying to hint that she is considering the vocation because she will never have a boyfriend, or that some people would have thought that. My one complaint about this series is that the stories aren't always seamless - they just get kind of jammed in. The newer redheaded midwife seems to serve no purpose, story-wise, unless she's gay and will be used to provide a "modern" storyline.

 

I don't like that Sister Evangelina is complaining of random pains! Surely they are setting us up for an illness, and she's one of my faves. She and Fred balance out the prissy factor (see Trixie).

Edited by pasdetrois
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HerLadyship

HerLadyship

It's on the PBS website.

 

I don't know how I feel about Cynthia's decision to become a nun.  I do wish they had saved the storyline for the main season, though.  It seems like she could have had a lot of interesting scenes with the current nuns about their calling, what they gave up, what they gained, etc.  It would have been some interesting character information.  Agreed with above that Sister Winifred has been underused.  I think Sister Bernadette was similarly underused; she didn't have much to do until she and Dr. Turner started noticing each other.  If they are going to do this thing with Cynthia, I think it would have been interesting to have had a scene where she talks to Winifred about being a nun.  Sister Winifred, having been born and grown up in a similar time, would likely have more similar experiences to Cynthia's own than the older nuns.  She would also have a better understanding of what it is to be a young nun in the late 1950s.  Similarly, a would think a discussion with Shelagh would have been interesting, as she WAS a young nun who struggled with all that she had given up and ultimately made the decision to leave the order.  It just seems like the whole thing should have either been the main plot or a secondary plot for most or all of the season.  Maybe it still will be.  I guess she hasn't taken vows yet.   

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