S04.E02: Episode 2

[maraleia]

 

Barbara faces her most challenging case so far when she treats a first-time mother, only for the birth not to go according to plan. A new nurse arrives and soon makes an impression on Sister Evangelina, while Sister Julienne is worried about the increasing financial pressure on Nonnatus House, but doesn't bank on a mystery benefactor coming to the rescue.

 

[Ceindreadh]

This was I think the most heartbreaking episode I've watching in a long time.  Granted, I usually need tissues to get through even the happy ending eps, but this one just had me in tears for so much of it.  :-(

 

I was glad though that Barbara hadn't been mistaken about hearing a heartbeat.  She was already faltering confidence wise, and if she *had* been mistaken, that would have completely done for her. 

 

Poor Sister Julienne, when we saw her reaching to take her friend's hand during the movie, I was sure that he was going to have passed away while watching.  Glad she did get to see him and make peace with him.

 

No Chummy, and is Sister Evangelina leaving as well?  There seems to be hardly any midwives left from the first season. 

[bybrandy]

Seriously. I knew that couple started out too happy and that it was going to be hard. I did not, however, expect to be a sobbing mess.

I don't really miss Jenny but it does feel like we have a whole new cast these days.

[gryphon]

This episode was heart wrenching.  I love how it gets me to feel for the characters.   I missed Chummy, though. 

[smrou]

This was I think the most heartbreaking episode I've watching in a long time.  Granted, I usually need tissues to get through even the happy ending eps, but this one just had me in tears for so much of it.  :-(

Oh my goodness, yes, I always cry watching this show, but that was something else.  I was a sniffly snotty mess by the end and had to take my glasses off because they were so spattered with tears.  

 

I'm excited about Patsy's girlfriend!  

 

No Chummy, and is Sister Evangelina leaving as well?

She's not leaving permanently, is she? That would be very disappointing.

[Primetimer]

The ladies of Nonnatus House deal with love, life, and renewal. Not all of it is happy.

Read the story

[Straycat80]

I don't think Chummy is leaving is she? I thought I saw previews for the season with her in them. Well, I hope she's not gone, I like her.

I was a blubbering mess too with this episode. Mrs. Bissette was so huge I had a funny feeling she was going to have more than one baby.

I was all ready to dislike the new midwife, Nurse Crane, but she was so nice to Mr. Bissette I changed my mind about her.

I also felt bad for Sister Julienne too. I like that they show that these ladies had pasts before they decided to give their lives to God.

[Blackie]

The midwives  always measure the belly and she was HUGE so I was surprised they didn't suspect twins sooner.  I cried out all my tears last night watching The Judge but still managed a little cry tonight.

 

I liked the Selfridges call out.

Need more Chummy!!

[Beldasnoop]

Chummy will not be back until the end of the season (I don't think that's a spoiler). Oddly, as much as I like her, I really don't miss her that much. The show is great and has so many wonderful characters, I'm glad they're taking more of an ensemble approach this season.

 

I loved Sister Julienne's story, and that she talked to Shelagh about her situation. It's somewhat of a role reversal from season 2. It was also nice to see Nicholas Farrell in this episode. I've always liked him as an actor.

 

I still don't like Trixie and Tom as a couple.  

 

 

 

 

[izabella]

I still don't like Trixie and Tom as a couple.

 

I'm not totally buying then as a couple, either.  I feel like I need to see Trixie sharing one of those bottles with her fiance and giggling with him, as well as turning to him for help or support.  And I need to know what he is attracted to in her.  I adore Trixie, but they don't seem well matched personality-wise, or maybe it seems like they don't know each other very well.

[Beldasnoop]

I've actually been thinking Barbara would be a better match for Tom than Trixie would. And Trixie needs a guy who can let her be who she is and not expect her to fill a role that she's not really suited for. 

 

[LittleIggy]

The brief scene of the girl who had a botched abortion was horrific. Those desperate woman were treated like criminals.

[Portia]

After all the teasing I'm glad they're finally confirming that Patsy is gay, and I think her GF is super-cute. But judging from the knowing-yet-beneficent glance Julienne gave the two of them during the final voiceover, I fear the show is going to go all Downton on us and endow characters with anachronistically tolerant attitudes toward homosexuality. I kind of hope Patsy stays heavily closeted just because I think that'd be much more realistic. Honestly, I can't even imagine Trixie being able to handle it.

[Black Knight]

Gah. Only with a medical drama does my thought process go as follows: "The mother is adorable. Damn. And her husband is adorable too. Shit. And they're adorable together. Fuck fuck fuck fuck!" It's like watching a horror film. Bad things happen to adorable patients on medical dramas! Well, at least she didn't die, and they actually got one living child.

 

But man, between that storyline and Julienne's, I spent the last 25 minutes or so crying.

 

On a separate note, did the show change writers? Because to me this episode was significantly better than anything the show put out last season. Last week's was strong too. Honestly, I came into S4 with low expectations after watching the way the show faltered last year as it had to make up new material because the real life Jenny's books had been used up, but this feels like S1-S2 quality again. It's a welcome surprise for me.

 

Portia, if I recall correctly, Julienne was aware of the brother-sister incest in S1 and extremely understanding of the circumstances that had caused it. So in her case, at least, I do think it very in character for her not to be judgmental of Patsy's sexuality. But if they all have tolerant reactions, and Patsy doesn't stay heavily closeted, I agree that's problematic.

[GaT]

Wow, that was a good episode, got me right in the feels. I didn't see the twins thing coming, so I was surprised, but then I felt exactly like the father, I wasn't sure if I should be happy or sad. Sister Julienne's story was so sad too, she could see exactly what her life would have been if she hadn't taken vows.

 

I wonder if the actress gave the baby back to it's real mom, because that child was so cute, I would have kept it. LOL

[Beldasnoop]

The show did not change writers. Well, there are few new single-episode writers, but the same people are still in charge. Episodes 1 and 2 were written by the show's head writer since day one, Heidi Thomas. The focus has shifted a little to make it more of an ensemble show now that Jenny is gone, and I think that's made a difference. I didn't hate Jenny, but I thought she was the least interesting character on the show and it suffered trying to keep the focus on her. Now that she's gone, the show is free to take turns focusing on different regular characters. 

[stopeslite]

 

Only with a medical drama does my thought process go as follows: "The mother is adorable. Damn. And her husband is adorable too. Shit. And they're adorable together. Fuck fuck fuck fuck!"

Me too. After the first scene with the sandwich - "Well, they're screwed. Somebody's dying."  I also thought she looked like twins right away, so they must have done that to give a clue to the viewers. I loved the ceremony they had, but I still don't quite get the whole religious setup. The nuns are Catholic, but Tom is Anglican? Or they're Anglican nuns? Because he seems to be the go-to when they need a guy to do something religious ceremony-like. Hopefully the next time they have a baby die, they'll remember this and let the mom see the baby before they take it away.

 

Sister Julienne's storyline was magnificent. She's pretty much my favorite character, and we almost never get to spend any time with her. I adored how she went to experienced cheater on the Lord Mrs. Turner (hee) for advice. And Mr. Newgarten - I thought he looked spot-on like an old Matt Smith. My Spouse finally wandered by and sat and watched most of the episode, and he thought so too (and I may have him converted to watching it now...)  I amused myself by thinking that Sister Julienne had a fling with The Doctor, although I know Sister Evangelina got there first. 

 

I also hope that they keep Patsy firmly closeted. Not that I wouldn't want to see a gay character, but they've been so unflinching about depicting how life really was for people back then - older orphans didn't get adopted by loving families, babies died, mothers died, people in squalor continued to live in squalor, people with mental health problems didn't get the help they needed. It would be whitewashing to try and depict it as though people accepted you if you were gay, rather than facing up to how hard it really was. 

Edited April 6, 2015 by stopeslite

[Blackie]

They are Anglican nuns.

 

 I can't see Trixie drinking scotch and smoking with her nursing friends (one who there will be definate whispers about) as the vicar's wife so I think eventually she is going to realize that even though she loves him, they won't work as a couple and I'm sure we will all cry ;(.

[stopeslite]

Thanks. So are there Anglican priests who are celibate, or is it just the nuns who are?

[Suzysite]

 

And Mr. Newgarten - I thought he looked spot-on like an old Matt Smith.

I totally thought the same thing.  A couple of times I actually thought they'd pulled a fast one and it WAS him. 

[pasdetrois]

It was fun to see the two old battleaxes play off each other, with their dueling logs and Rolodexes.

 

Appreciated the glimpse of the botched abortion scene, so we remember what it was like.

 

The baby bootie service was moving. I wonder if it was based on a real tradition, or just something the writer dreamed up.

 

I loved seeing more of Sister Julienne's back story. I remember her old sweetheart when he was a beautiful young thing in Chariots of Fire.

 

Thank goodness Sister Evangelina "only" has fibroids. These days they zap 'em out in a relatively simple procedure, but she stated that her recovery was many months long.

 

Yes, let's leave Patsy in the closet unless they are going to treat the character intelligently. I had to laugh a little when the morning-after consisted of her lying chastely in bed, fully clothed, and outside the covers.

 

It was interesting to see the modern, new flat that the Bissettes had, compared to the old housing we've often seen.

Edited April 6, 2015 by pasdetrois

[AnnaBaptist]

What a beautifully written and produced episode. I like that they are bringing in new characters. It keeps the show fresh. We get to learn about all the little quirks of each nurse while continually showing different birth experiences, which holds the show together.

 

Am I understanding the stillborn birth correctly? Was the baby dead for 2-3 days, so was already showing signs of decay? Is that why the nurse did not bother to suction out the mucus and get the baby breathing, and why they did not show the baby to the parents? I am not a particularly sentimental or emotional person, but the sight of that baby by the sink wrapped in the blanket with just the little foot sticking out set off the waterworks in me.

 

Characters come and go on this show, but if either Sister Evangelina's or Sister Julienne's character gets written out of the show, that will be the end of watching CTM for me. They are the bedrock of the show. What marvelous actors they are. They express more with their eyes than most actors do with their entire body.

 

[Charlotte Vale]

I dont particularly miss Jenny or Cynthia, but the loss of Chummy and Peter (and Young Sir!) and now Sister Evangeline has dealt a serious blow. I'll keep watching the show, but it's no longer on my Must-See list.

 

Too much TV last night, I kept having Call the Madmen dreams: Don Draper arriiving on a bike to deliver a baby; Sister Monica Joan pitching the Tastycakes account . . .

[vixenbynight]

They are Anglican nuns.

I can't see Trixie drinking scotch and smoking with her nursing friends (one who there will be definate whispers about) as the vicar's wife so I think eventually she is going to realize that even though she loves him, they won't work as a couple and I'm sure we will all cry ;(.

I think the same about Trixie and Tom. They adore one another, love their jobs and their sense of duty to their community. Yet, I think that being a vicar's wife, will be a bit to much for Trixie to handle.

She definitely loves him to pieces though. The look in her eyes, when he gave the blessings to the Bissettes, their living child and the one who was stillborn.

I'm glad that Patsy does have a girlfriend and life, outside of the house. I don't think she'll come out to anyone.

Sister Julianne and the life she could of had. Sigh. She made the right choice and her former boyfriend had an amazingly loving, rich and wonderful life. I'm glad that they both were able to spend time with each other again, before he passed.

Poor Barbara. I would have been a mess, if I had witnessed that stillborn birth. Seeing Nurse Crane giving her comfort, opened up that character for me.

The actress that portrays Nurse Crane looks similar to the actor that portrays Mr. Selfridge's right hand man, on the other PBS series.

[zoey1996]

Thanks. So are there Anglican priests who are celibate, or is it just the nuns who are?

If an Anglican priest (at least in that time period) wasn't married, he (because at that time there were no female Anglican priests) was required to be celibate.  However, they were allowed to court and marry, or to be married before becoming a priest.

[attica]

Wow, either they did a really good job of making Nicholas Farrell look ancient, or I'm at death's door myself.

 

Boy, those wee yellow booties were the cutest.

 

I think it's going to be fairly easy for Patsy to stay safe. Intimate friendships between women were common enough to be overlooked, so one that was more 'intimate' than others might even go completely unnoticed. Two unmarried ladies could easily set up house together, and the worse they'd get is the occasional tut-tut about a 'Boston marriage'.

[marceline]

My only question with Tom & Trixie is which one of them is going to call it off first. They are a sweet and lovely couple but there's nothing about them that says "forever" to me. So far the only man who has been suitable for any of our midwives has been Noakes. I want no less for the rest of them. Although Tom really is a top-notch guy. 

 

I have to admit that all the cast changes are a little off-putting. I think that now that they've gotten rid of the character of Jenny they feel less beholden to the source material. I do miss Chummy and Cynthia though and I'd like to check in to see how things are progressing at the maternity home.

 

I think Patsy and her girlfriend will be safe at Nonnatus House. I agree that Downton's depiction of acceptance of homosexuality is a bit fantastical but I always go back to what Sister Julienne told Jenny in season 1 about getting past your revulsion and caring for the people. At the end of the day, these nuns have seen every horrible aspect of the human condition: a man pimping out his daughter, the workhouses, incest, public baths, botched abortions, etc... I just can't see them getting worked up over a little bit of lady loving. Especially since that sort of thing was probably not uncommon in the religious life.

[Black Knight]

Am I understanding the stillborn birth correctly? Was the baby dead for 2-3 days, so was already showing signs of decay? Is that why the nurse did not bother to suction out the mucus and get the baby breathing, and why they did not show the baby to the parents?

Yes, Patsy explained to the mother that her baby had died several days ago. Then Barbara felt terrible because at the start of the delivery she'd told the mother how easy it was for her to find a heartbeat, and so she thought she'd fucked up again.

 

I'm not sure that Patsy and her girlfriend are actually girlfriends yet, which would explain her being fully dressed, on top of the covers rather than underneath, and the two women facing away from each other the morning after. Obviously they're really close and we all know what's going on, but they may not have fully crossed into romantic territory yet. I hope that's the case because I prefer seeing a relationship develop rather than just being dropped into one that's already ongoing.

Edited April 6, 2015 by Black Knight

[Febgirl]

Oh, this show! I cry every week.   I am now a Nurse Crane fan.  I loved how she was all, "first things first" and hugged Barbara.

Sister Julienne and her old love also did me in.   

Having dealt with Fibroids, and their removal myself, Sister Evangelina's story also brought a tear to my eye. 

[AllAboutMBTV]

While there was no logical way for the writers to get the characters of Sister Monica Joan and Mr. Newgarden in the same room, I hope Judy Parfitt and and Nicholas Farrell had a good time at craft services reminiscing about their time on The Jewel in the Crown.

 

"It's just an old pocket in some apron that I'll never use." Sister Evangelina, Killing It.

[smrou]

Note: I have watched this whole season, but I'll be very careful not to say anything spoilery. 

 

I think it's going to be fairly easy for Patsy to stay safe. Intimate friendships between women were common enough to be overlooked, so one that was more 'intimate' than others might even go completely unnoticed. Two unmarried ladies could easily set up house together, and the worse they'd get is the occasional tut-tut about a 'Boston marriage'.

I agree. It's certainly true that Patsy and Delia couldn't expect to find broad acceptance of their relationship in society and even necessarily among those at Nonnatus. However, even back in the fifties (is it still the fifties on the show?) and before people did carry on long-term romantic relationships with people of the same sex and sometimes family or close friends would be well aware, even if nobody spoke it aloud. Which means that Patsy is likely to stay closeted with regards to the general public--and wisely so--but doesn't necessarily have to be super secretive when it comes to the people she's close to even if she never announces anything openly.

 

As others have mentioned, Sister Julienne seems to be the sort of person who is very open and accepting of people whose lives or lifestyles are very different from hers, even if she doesn't necessarily think what they're doing is "right". I wouldn't consider it at all unreasonable for her to be kind to Patsy and understanding of her situation and supportive of her in the face of any conflict. The person whose reaction is of most interest to me is Trixie since Trixie and Patsy are fairly close. Because, while Trixie is a modern sort of girl as far as style is concerned, I'm not sure she'd easily understand or accept Patsy being a lesbian. She strikes me as the sort of person who would just be shocked by it and react negatively more from the shock (and a complete inability to identify) than any strong sense that it's fundamentally wrong. 

 

Gah. Only with a medical drama does my thought process go as follows: "The mother is adorable. Damn. And her husband is adorable too. Shit. And they're adorable together. Fuck fuck fuck fuck!" It's like watching a horror film. Bad things happen to adorable patients on medical dramas! Well, at least she didn't die, and they actually got one living child.

Yep. I think Call the Midwife is generally a very optimistic show, and even in this case there was a happy-ish ending with the living twin, but yeah...they were just way too happy at the beginning. No way was it going to be smooth sailing for them. And the way it played out I found it incredibly emotionally affecting. I think this was just a really wonderfully written and acted episode. I thought the emotional responses of all of the characters involved were very true and played out very effectively.

 

The focus has shifted a little to make it more of an ensemble show now that Jenny is gone, and I think that's made a difference.

Yes, I think the loss of Jenny has helped make the show feel a little bit more fresh. I liked Jenny just fine, but I do think this show works better with focus shifting among the various characters. Because it's just filled with great characters pretty much across the board. Even with Chummy gone--and I do particularly love Chummy and Miranda Hart in general--I don't consciously miss her because I love the other characters as well.

Edited April 6, 2015 by smrou

[attica]

We will recall that Jenny Agutter got to do some up-against-the-wall-in-the-workplace-corridor nookie with Nicholas Farrell when he guested on Spooks. It's no Chaplin, but I bet it counts. :)

[stopeslite]

 

We will recall that Jenny Agutter got to do some up-against-the-wall-in-the-workplace-corridor nookie with Nicholas Farrell when he guested on Spooks.

There is no clip fitting that description on youtube and  I think that's the first time the internet has ever let me down. 

 

I really hope it works out between Trixie and Tom. They seem like an odd match, but not so much that it couldn't work out. And they're adorable together.

[JudyObscure]

The actress that portrays Nurse Crane looks similar to the actor that portrays Mr. Selfridge's right hand man, on the other PBS series.

Hah!  She does bear a resemblance to Mr. Crabb.  When Nurse Crane first appeared, I couldn't remember where I'd seen her, but I knew she had been kind and sweet,  so I couldn't believe her bossy grumpy self for a minute.  Then I heard her, in my head calling, someone an old fool and new it was Queenie from "Lark Rise," talking to her husband Twister.

 

I have complete faith in Trixie's ability to handle being a Vicar's wife.  If she can climb into a ship, wash lice from children, handle difficult bloody births, and advances from lecherous old actors, then I think she can manage the altar guild ladies and a few, after church, sherry parties.

 

When the young midwives get together after hours for booze and tunes, is anyone else reminded of the MASH surgeons at the end of the day?  That may be why my spouse likes it although he knows when to look away after being frightened by a breech birth early on.

[Blackie]

Hah!  She does bear a resemblance to Mr. Crabb 

 

except she is twice the size of him!!

[monakane]

Kleenex needs to sponsor this show like Ralph Lauren does for Downton Abbey.  I think I used two boxes of tissues last night.

[izabella]

When Nurse Crane first appeared, I couldn't remember where I'd seen her, but I knew she had been kind and sweet,  so I couldn't believe her bossy grumpy self for a minute.  Then I heard her, in my head calling, someone an old fool and new it was Queenie from "Lark Rise," talking to her husband Twister.

 

Yes, yes and yes, Queenie!  Thank you!  It was driving me crazy where I'd seen her before.

Edited April 6, 2015 by izabella

[MissLucas]

Am I understanding the stillborn birth correctly? Was the baby dead for 2-3 days, so was already showing signs of decay? Is that why the nurse did not bother to suction out the mucus and get the baby breathing, and why they did not show the baby to the parents? I am not a particularly sentimental or emotional person, but the sight of that baby by the sink wrapped in the blanket with just the little foot sticking out set off the waterworks in me.

 

About 25 years ago a cousin of mine lost her first baby due to complications with the umbellical cord - they noticed no heartbeat during her last ultrasonic check shortly before her due date. I was horrified to hear that she was told to wait for a natural delivery which would happen soon and would be safer than a Cesarean. My cousin was lost and confused because she had no one to talk about her ordeal and her feelings. She had been given time with her child to day goodbye but no real psychological help afterwards. I got her one of the few books dealing with the topic and read it first to make sure it was helpful. This was about the time when practices dealing with stillborns and the ensuing traumas for mothers and families were about to change and there was still a lot of work to be done to convince people that these losses must be treated like the traumas they are and that families must be allowed to grief (instead of just avoiding the topic or telling them 'you can try again', urgh.)

 

In the previous decades it was generally assumed that removing the stillborn without the mother seeing it would be the kindest thing to do to spare her. (Talking about the time-period of the show probably until the late 70's - people knew better before.) Research and experience in psychology finally brought a change in that attitude because many mothers suffered year long traumas and were haunted by thoughts of having abandoned their children - or even worse they thought their child might be alive and suspected foulplay. This could also affect older siblings who had expected to see a brother or sister once Mum would be back from hospital. So hospitals started to make sure mothers and their families could say goodbye to their stillborn children in a peaceful environment.  In some cases when women refused to see their child the hospitals would take photos and put them in an archive in case the mother changed her mind later on. I don't know if this is still done but I would think so.

[Spunkygal]

My first exposure (no pun intended) to Linda Bassett was the delightful movie Calendar Girls. Of course I have since noticed her in many other presentations. I was so glad to see that she is joining the cast.

Love this show....it is an hour of satisfying TV for me.

[SilvaVocat]

Thanks. So are there Anglican priests who are celibate, or is it just the nuns who are?

 

 

If an Anglican priest (at least in that time period) wasn't married, he (because at that time there were no female Anglican priests) was required to be celibate.  However, they were allowed to court and marry, or to be married before becoming a priest.

 

There were and are Anglican brothers who are celibate as well. And now women can be ordained as Anglican Priests and can marry.

 

So hospitals started to make sure mothers and their families could say goodbye to their stillborn children in a peaceful environment.  In some cases when women refused to see their child the hospitals would take photos and put them in an archive in case the mother changed her mind later on. I don't know if this is still done but I would think so.

 

I had a stillbirth about ten years ago, and the hospital had a whole protocol, pictures, a special outfit, a staff member who specialized in counseling grieving parents. It was very different from my mother's experience 30 years earlier.

[Nedsdag]

My first exposure (no pun intended) to Linda Bassett was the delightful movie Calendar Girls. Of course I have since noticed her in many other presentations. I was so glad to see that she is joining the cast.

Love this show....it is an hour of satisfying TV for me.

Mine was East is East where she was the wife of a Pakistani immigrant with a slew of children (one of them was Archie Panjabi of The Good Wife) during the early 1970s. It's one of my favorite films. I heard they made a sequel of few years ago called West is West. It wasn't released in the States though. 

[MissLucas]

SilvaVocat: I'm sorry you and your mother had to suffer such a loss.

[AZChristian]

I had a stillbirth about ten years ago, and the hospital had a whole protocol, pictures, a special outfit, a staff member who specialized in counseling grieving parents. It was very different from my mother's experience 30 years earlier.

 

I am so sorry for your loss.  I can't imagine what it must be like.

 

Last year, someone on another reality board I frequent mentioned an organization in Texas which accepts used wedding gowns.  They use the fabric to make those special little outfits for stillborn children, and donate them to the families.  I had my 50-year-old wedding dress and a 25-year-old vow renewal dress that I had kept for years, not knowing what to do with them, and unable to just throw them away.

 

They were sent to this organization, and I have felt a sense of peace about that decision.  Thank you for affirming that the little outfit you received (probably from a similar source) was meaningful to you.

[doodlebug]

OB/GYN here.  The current thinking is to let the parents lead the way when it comes to stillbirths.  They can have as little or as much contact as they want. Some parents don't want to see or hold the baby and we let them know it is their choice although we also reassure them that the reality won't be as terrible as their imagination.  The baby will still have Daddy's nose, Grandpa's ears, etc and they will see that and love it every bit as much as any parent. We've had parents bathe the baby, dress it in an outfit of their choosing, pose for pictures with their child.  There's a wonderful charitable organization, Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, whose members are professional photographers.  They come to the hospital and do a beautiful photo session with the baby and include the parents or other siblings if desired.  Their photos are gorgeous.  Their services are free and they present the parents with a CD when they're done.  They perform similar services for children who are seriously ill including babies with severe birth defects so that the parents will have lasting keepsakes from their child.  My hospital has a special memory box for parents with a certificate of Baptism if that was done, a special hand and footprint sheet, a lock of hair if we can as well as a special quilt made by a group of volunteers for their baby.

 

I've actually been thinking Barbara would be a better match for Tom than Trixie would. And Trixie needs a guy who can let her be who she is and not expect her to fill a role that she's not really suited for.

 

In real life, it was Trixie who married Tom.  It was in the books and a big part of the story was the fact that Trixie wasn't the stereotypical clergyman's wife and that Tom wasn't the sort of guy that she usually dated.  They were happily married for many, many years as I recall, until death did them part.

Edited April 7, 2015 by doodlebug

[Spunkygal]

I am so moved by the personal experiences shared on this thread. Thank you all for sharing.

AZChristian, I remember the story about the Ft Worth-based NICU Helping Hands organization that transforms the donated wedding gowns into angel gowns. I sobbed through the story and am tearing up now. You should feel very honored that your donations have helped memorialize a sweet little one. If anyone else is interested in exploring this type of donation, just google. These gowns are exquisite works of art that leave me speechless. God bless the hands who transform the donated dresses into something so meaningful and bless those who donate to this effort.

[JudyObscure]

In real life, it was Trixie who married Tom.  It was in the books and a big part of the story was the fact that Trixie wasn't the stereotypical clergyman's wife and that Tom wasn't the sort of guy that she usually dated.  They were happily married for many, many years as I recall, until death did them part.

 

Oh I'm so happy to hear this.  I think Trixie is perfectly suited to be a vicar's wife.  We've seen how soft hearted she is and how non-judgmental.  She was so nice to the young girl on the ship who had been forced to serve as a prostitute. She has great organizational skills for planning weddings and pretty baby contests. She's even used to being awakened in the middle of the night for emergencies. I can't think of anything about her that would need to change

[NoThyme]

I've loved this season so far. Superb acting and stories. Love the show being more ensemble than Jenny focused but liked it very much when it was. I read awhile ago they are getting stories from other midwives. Look forward to this show.

[dcalley]

I made up for not crying last week by doing quite a bit of it this week.

 

"It's just an old pocket in some apron that I'll never use." I love this so much.

 

The ladies of Nonnatus House deal with love, life, and renewal. Not all of it is happy.

http://previously.tv/call-the-midwife/it-might-as-well-be-spring/

"Your bicycle was brought back. By a black man." --Nurse Crane

This line and Trixie getting packages at the door were not in the version I just watched at pbs.org. Grr.

[Beldasnoop]

Apparently, some stations in some areas of the country are showing an unedited version of the show, while others are showing an edited version. Unfortunately, the edited version is what they put on their website. I don't understand why, if many PBS stations are broadcasting it unedited, they can't put the complete version on the website. It's not fair to those who live in areas that only show the edited version.

 

They've made some really strange editing choices in the past, and this year is no different. If you'll notice in 4.2, the closing sequence starts in the middle of the song ("Hello, Young Lovers"). That's because the first half of the closing sequence was cut. Last week, the Turners' scene where they're talking in their bedroom about Shelagh's missing nursing and midwifery (

which has a lot of significance in relation to the rest of the season

) was cut. Other stuff was cut, too, but these sequences stood out to me as particularly strange. I honestly don't know why they insist on editing this show. It makes much more sense to show the whole episode as aired in the UK. This show is too well-structured to edit it the way they've been doing.

 

Unfortunately, the edited version is also what ends up on US Netflix. I highly recommend buying the DVDs (which are unedited) because there is so much you miss out on in the PBS edited version. 

 

 

 

[Kohola3]

Do the DVDs contain additional material as well?