S04.E08: Episode 8

[staveDarsky]

Trixie and Sister Mary Cynthia team up to support a deaf mother-to-be, while another patient causes great concern when a case of morning sickness proves more serious than initially suspected. On the personal front, handyman Fred's daughter is less than delighted to hear about his forthcoming wedding. Will he be forced to choose between her and Violet?

 

[bybrandy]

BBC is really courting the lesbian audience in 2015, huh? Seriously? Was that necessary? Really?

Also, I'm sensitive to this right now because my mother is ill, but too much dead mother story lines for Chummy. I think it is finally behind us, but major story point for three of the last four Chummy stories? If Miranda returns I need a happy Chummy story.

I still think they short sold the drinking problem but I liked her with Mary Cynthia and at the meeting.

Thalidomide. Sigh.

[kieyra]

All I can say about the thalidomide thing is that I was thinking "yes, yes, hyperemesis, like Duchess Kate, well done." (sorry I suspect I am blowing the title there, it's late). And so the thalidomide thing caught me 100% off guard. They are usually somewhat optimistic in focusing on medical advances as they occur, but I give them credit for showcasing a major science fail there. Not that I expect we'll see it revisited in the show. (Or. I don't know, will we?)

Yes, the lesbian stuff was heavy-handed. I get that they wanted to portray the tragedy of next-of-kin issues, but they also didn't want to kill the girlfriend off, so the amnesia solution was too much.

Edited March 9, 2015 by kieyra

[MissLucas]

Chummy's back! Although she did not get much of a story-line. I thought Fred's daughter was let off the hook way too easy. She was quite a nasty bit of work - I don't care about her dramatic 'I don't want to lose my home' wailing. Badmouthing your own father just to get what you want is taking things one step too far. And her behavior during the first visit to the shop was the action of a complete bully.

There was a lot of ominous threat going on in this episode - the moment Delia got on that bike and the moment Shelagh mentioned better living through chemistery both made me feel uneasy. I'm sure we'll get back to the Thalomide (next season, ack!) it would be odd to drop that bomb without follow-up.

Trixie's plot was my favorite this season - well-written and acted and based on a lot of built up which never made it feel contrived.

[Cherpumple]

Wow, that was probably the most depressing episode of this show I've ever seen. Trixie's story ended on a slightly hopeful note, but her whole arc this season has been so sad to watch (kudos to the actress for being able to convey so much grief and pain in such an understated way). The looming threat of Thalidomide hit me like a slap in the face, and now I'm torn about how much follow up I want to see next season. I expected something in the ending voiceover, like the way they mentioned the fate of so many poor children who were shipped abroad to Canada and Australia a few episodes ago, but since we didn't get it, I assume they will address it somehow next season. It would be a shame to drop it altogether, but I don't know how much I could actually stand to watch.

 

I was quite sad about the Delia storyline, but I did roll my eyes at how contrived it seemed. It reminded me of the swift exit of Jenny's suitor last season, and also of the way homosexuals used to be treated in Hayes-code era Hollywood; gay characters could only be seen as sympathetic if they had a tragic ending. I recently watched "The Children's Hour", so this was fresh in my mind. Aside from the melodramatic nature of the story, I'm disappointed because I liked Delia and Patsy as characters and as a couple, and I was really interested to see how they would navigate their live-in relationship moving forward. It could have been a really good addition to the show. But alas, unless there is a miraculous recovery, I doubt it will happen.

 

I really hope that Chummy comes back full time next year. I don't know what else the actress is up to, but now that her sitcom is over (for good, I think), I really hope she returns. Nonnatus house could definitely use some cheering up!

[smrou]

Man, that episode was kind of rough. The Thalidomide thing caught me completely by surprise and it was, I suppose, appropriate for Shelagh and Dr. Turner to be so happy and smiling after sending the woman off with her prescription given that they obviously don't know what is to come, but man that was kind of rough to watch. And Trixie's alcoholism has been going on all season so I guess the fact that she's seeking help is actually a positive development, but at this point it still feels more sad than hopeful. And Delia...that was just a big old gut punch. I didn't really expect Delia and Patsy to just have smooth sailing, but amnesia? Seriously?! Right when they're about to start their life together in their own flat? Just...good grief! 

 

Sure, the plotline with the deaf woman's baby and the Fred/Violet wedding were both happy stories and I'm always very happy to see Chummy, but those bits weren't nearly enough to make this a cheerful or very hopeful episode. I don't think I've ever ended a season of this show feeling so depressed. I do have hope that next season will show things looking up for Trixie and that the Patsy/Delia storyline isn't over--it's not unusual for this sort of memory loss to be temporary, is it?--but still...so depressing.

[Beldasnoop]

From what I've read, the previous series finales had been written so they could double as show finales in case the show wasn't renewed for another series, because they didn't get renewals until after filming had ended.  In series 4, they got the series 5 renewal while filming was still going on, so it appears that now Heidi Thomas, who seems to be fond of writing long, complex story arcs, has chosen to put in some sort-of cliffhangers that will carry over into series 5 rather than wrapping up all the stories in the finale.  It looks like the Trixie, Patsy and Turners/Thalidomide stories will continue into next series.

 

The Turners being so happy about giving the patient Thalidomide, and the patient's excitement at receiving it, is quite the dramatic irony moment. We the viewers know what's going to happen, but they don't, and that makes it all the more tragic. That was actually the most difficult part of the episode for me to watch, because I really like the Turners and they meant nothing but good in what they did, but I think this will come back to haunt them next series, as well as the mothers that they give the drug to (since the one mother said she would spread the word, there will inevitably be more patients getting it).  I think it's going to be the Turners' main story line next series.  

 

As for Trixie, her story is going to be a long one too, I think. She's only at the beginning of her recovery process now, and I thought Helen George's performance in this episode was great, and possibly her best ever. 

 

Patsy and Delia's story isn't over either, I think.  Patsy is still a regular character, and though Delia is going away, she could come back. 

 

As for the rest of the episode, I liked the Fred/Violet story but wish there had been little more time for it. I guess we'll see more of Violet next series. I like Chummy, but she seems to dominate episodes whenever she shows up now.  If she's in more episodes next series, I hope they figure out how to keep the ensemble atmosphere and integrate Chummy into the plots more effectively.  Oddly, though, I haven't really missed her much this series because I liked seeing the other characters take turns in the spotlight.  

 

It was a very sad episode, on the whole, but well written and acted. I've really enjoyed series 4 overall, even though I think some of the episodes had too many stories so there wasn't enough time to give them enough depth. That's really my only criticism, though. I like the new characters, and I liked the character development of the existing regulars as well.   

Edited March 10, 2015 by Beldasnoop

[Cherpumple]

In series 4, they got the series 5 renewal while filming was still going on, so it appears that now Heidi Thomas, who seems to be fond of writing long, complex story arcs, has chosen to put in some sort-of cliffhangers that will carry over into series 5 rather than wrapping up all the stories in the finale.

Aaah, that makes sense. The last series definitely had more of a feeling of an "ending" than this one. I am interested in seeing how these storylines continue to unfold (I suspect that Trixie will get back together with her ex-fiance at some point), but as I said earlier, I don't know how much I could take of a Thalidomide storyline- it's just too sad!

[staveDarsky]

I really don't think they could avoid addressing Thalidimide which wasn't pulled from the market till the end of 1961. I expect we'll see at least one birth of a thalidimide baby the next series.

 

I was happy to have Chummy back. I hope she's in more episodes next year, even if it's a matter of sprinkling a scene here or there in because Miranda's busy elsewhere. But I've got to say, I also like the new additions, especially Nurse Crane. I'm so pleased they introduced Barbara and her well, especially in the few episodes where Pam Ferris, Bryony Hannah and Miranda Hart were elsewhere. Many shows force new characters into the spotlight too fast forgetting they have long-established ones. But CTM seems to have a knack for doing it right because I've liked every addition so far.

 

I also enjoyed the Turners this year what with Sheila realizing she missed midwifery and taking up some nursing duties again. The episode that spotlighted her delivering a baby with Sister Monica Joan was wonderful.

[Primetimer]

An uneven Season 4 comes to a close with the return of Chummy! And...some other stuff that Al Lowe is pretty mad about.

Read the story

[Jeffurry]

Ugh, this show. "The Celluloid Closet" gave examples of how NOT to handle LGBT storylines. I'm surprised a tree didn't fall between Delia's legs.

[stopeslite]

OMG THIS SHOW.

It's like they said "Oh, you thought last week was brutal? Last week was TEA AND CRUMPETS compared to what we're giving you for the finale!"

I wasn't ready for any of it. This is one show where I don't try to predict what's going to happen, because I enjoy going along with it so much. Sometimes... that comes back to bite me in the butt. My husband had the misfortune to walk in about 30 seconds after Delia got hit, when I was still sitting with my mouth hanging open staring at the tv.

I understand why Miranda's not on much, but what's the deal with her and Peter? Why do they keep passing like ships in the night? They're living together while she's at home visiting, right?

[JudyObscure]

As soon as the Turners started talking about a "new drug for morning sickness," I knew it was going to be thalidomide, but it was still horrific to see the two of them beaming after sending the poor trusting woman off with it. If Dr. Turner went into a bad depression after miss-diagnosing the fragile bone baby he will never forgive himself for this.

Trixie's acting this season has been wonderful. I don't know how she managed to make her normally doll-like face look so haggard.

I was so looking forward to little glimpses of Patsy and Delia in their bright yellow flat living a fun, if secret life. I hope the writers didn't have to wreck Delia's life just to show us that friends couldn't visit in the hospital when it's "family only." If it had been Trixie and the young vicar a few weeks ago it would have been the same deal. It just seems like a very small thing compared to permanent brain damage.

[stopeslite]

I'll be surprised if the Turners realize what's going on with the thalidomide in the next season, unless it's near the end. I was just reading up on it and it seems that it still took a few years past 1960 for them to really make the connection with the drug, because most doctors didn't think that anything crossed the placental barrier.

Trixie was heartbreaking, the way she kept smiling through her confession because she still couldn't turn it off.

The shooting was gorgeous. The colors of Patsy's clothes and her flowers and the hospital room and the flat... stunning. I also thought "Marlene is so huge what is happening" when she was first at Fred's! Everything about the way they frame and film this show is fantastic.

[Jodithgrace]

I too predicted thalidomide. Gah! The wisdom of hindsight and history, heh?

 

I don't know what's worse..the dead lesbian cliche or amnesia, for heaven's sake! I guess it's good that Delia wasn't Tara-fied and still could recover in some future season..maybe 20 years later when she can actually be in a relationship without being hit by a truck!

 

Poor Patty..poor Trixie, poor me..with no more Call The Midwife to look forward to, until next year!

 

Confession: My mother died in 2007, and I still have her ashes hanging around. I can't quite come up with an appropriate way to disperse them. The Thames isn't exactly convenient. 

[Kohola3]

Dr. Turner will be in the company of many thousands of horrified doctors who trusted the drug companies and prescribed the wonder drug for morning sickness.  It was distributed worldwide.

 

I am so pleased to see Fred so happy.  That was a sweet story line.

 

I knew as soon as she was smiling on that bike that Delia was sailing toward being road kill.  Hopefully the amnesia will resolve;  amnesia to the event is common but total amnesia to life long memories is not.  But poetic license, I suppose.

 

Trixie - wonderful acting tonight.  Her face is an open book.

 

Loved the deaf mom and her devoted husband.  Seeing things from the 2015 view, the horror at having the man present at the birth was pretty funny.

 

Gosh, that season went FAST!

[stopeslite]

(Heck, we still have our cat's ashes in a tin in the front room, since 2012, because we can't find a good way to part with them that we're ok with, so I can't imagine the trouble Chummy had)

Edited May 18, 2015 by stopeslite

[sigmaforce86]

What I hated about Marlene sabotaging Fred's wedding is she should have been called out on how selfish she was - She moved to Canada, her sister moved to Australia; apparently it was OK for them to leave and go as far away as they wished but dear old Dad must always stay in the same place.  That's not a fair or reasonable expectation especially when it's you who expect something to be done but it's another person who has to make the sacrifices.

 

I couldn't hear what/who Trixie called on the phone - basically it was a suicide hotline?  Edit:  Samaritans - Thanks to a link in the re-cap that explained this! That moment when Cynthia takes the phone and says she's somewhere safe though was wonderfully done.  I thought Chummy would make me cry tonight with her mothers ashes but Trixie did it first with the call but even more with that AA monologue in the end.

 

Delia - I don't know - seems an easy way to make sure a couple (same sex or not) doesn't get a happy ending.  I actually thought the saddest part about it was how she kept asking everyone if they were a Nurse since she built a career as one herself and was so independent and even that's gone now.   I wonder how many at Nonnatus know or suspect about Patsy?  I really think Nurse Crane knows are is nearly sure but if she does I suspect she's one who wouldn't care or say a word about it.

Edited May 18, 2015 by sigmaforce86

[LittleIggy]

Geeze, Fred's daughter looked like a pitbull with shark's teeth (apologies to both animals). Yeah, she got off too easily. I knew Delia was in for it when she cheerily rode off on the bike. I would rather have seen Patsy and Delia trying to lead a double life. Thalidomide. Oy! What a gut punch.

[attica]

I know the show wanted to hit us on the head with the message, but it seemed to me that Patsy could have played her Nurse Card to get info and visiting rights to Delia. 

 

Chummy is the best.

[Beldasnoop]

I've said already that I didn't miss Chummy this season, and that I was surprised about that because I like the character. Watching this episode again tonight, though, I genuinely thought Chummy was out of place. I realize a lot of people will probably disagree with me, but to me It's like she's in a different show than everyone else, and it's distracting.  I will be fine if she doesn't come back next year (and there's been no word from the show or Miranda Hart about whether or not she will be). I say this as someone who loved Chummy in the first 3 seasons (well, especially seasons 1 and 2). She was my favorite character in the first season, but since then I've gotten to know other characters more as they've developed over the seasons, and it seems like Chummy has mostly stayed the same.  I don't dislike her, but I don't think she belongs on the show anymore. I like the rest of the characters so much that I think the show is fine without her.

 

As for the rest of the episode, I already posted my thoughts earlier in this thread.. I wanted to post again because I'm honestly surprised at how much my opinion has changed about Chummy since season 1. 

Edited May 18, 2015 by Beldasnoop

[GaT]

So series 4 ends like it began, ending the episode on an incredibly depressing note. I was caught completely by surprise by the Thalidomide thing, & they just had to give Patsy's girlfriend amnesia, the lesbians can't possibly have a happy ending.

 

Fred's daughter was such a little bitch, I'm so glad that she didn't ruin everything for him

 

I really hope series 5 is a lot happier than this series was.

[Beldasnoop]

The Patsy and Delia story isn't over. I'm sure it will carry over until next series. They may eventually get a happy ending, but it might take a while. That's just the way this show works.

 

Couples on this show usually get drama before they get to be happy, if they do get to be happy. Jenny's boyfriend, Alec, died suddenly in series 3, for instance. The Turners had the whole "she's a nun" thing before they got together, and then TB, and polio (for Timothy), and then angst through most of season 3 before they got to be really happy (and now they're in the middle of the Thalidomide story, so probably more drama ahead for them). Chummy and Peter broke up because of her mother before they got back together and got married. Chummy also had life-threatening pregnancy complications. Trixie and Tom broke up and that contributed to Trixie's drinking problem. Fred and Violet had a relatively minor crisis as this show goes, but I'm not sure if everything will be smooth sailing for them right away, either.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Beldasnoop

[Andyourlittledog2]

I'm surprised that the actors weren't seriously concussed from all the plot anvils flying around this season. Was there any social or medical hot button issue they didn't address this season?  The last ep alone we had Chummy and her mother (again), alcoholism/depression, thalidomide (!!!!!), men in the delivery room, and issues surrounding a deaf mother to be. The only plotline this episode that seemed completely organic to me was Fred's. That seemed genuine and not forced in any way. The rest seemed shoehorned in to meet some need of the writer/showrunner to make a point (!!!!) and teach (!!!!) us something. 

 

I agree about Chummy though. I like her character but she seemed completely out of place in this episode.  I wasn't happy to see her at all, and I missed her all season long before tonight.  I don't think it's her character but just how she was written in this particular episode. Too many things going on with too many people and too many Very Important Issues to present to us all at once. 

 

I hope season five dwells more on organic plotlines and delivering babies and community nursing and less on Issues That Must Be Talked About.  

[Micks Picks]

I didn't tune in until quite late, so missed the thalidomide story introduction, which I'm sure was quite a shock. It shocked me, in reading here to try to figure out what I missed. I didn't miss Chumney, and wouldn't care if she didn't return.

[Badger]

Does the kid who plays Timothy Turner remind anyone else of Roddy McDowell?  Also, did anyone else get the feeling that Delia's mother kind of knew what was going on with De. lia and Patsy? ITA that storyline isn't over yet.  I don't know if it's going to end happily, but it's not over yet.

[albaniantv]

24 hour lesbihappiness trope: Okay, I am properly chastized by above writers that almost every couple here has to undergo their challenging arc before reaching a positive outcome. But, still I have to note for the record that something in the Brit air seems to lead to 24 hours of happiness before disaster for lesbains.

I point to Last Tango in Halifax where the lesbian couple was married for under 24 hours before one of them (of course the pregnant one!) was hit head on by a bad driver.

Then in this episode, the prospective couple have 24 hours in their new apartment to fantasize about flowers and other nonerotic trivia before the more romantic one of the couple gets on her bike and hit head on by a bad driver.

 

Sally Wainright and all other Brit writers who have the chutzpah to comment on this trope for lesbians on tv, state regularly that they need the freedom to write bad endings for gay couples. Delighted that we have these 24 hours of freedom to love on 21st century tv, before meeting our disastrous ends. 

 

Mod Note: The spoiler tag hides a spoiler for Last Tango In Halifax, only click if you don't mind being spoiled.

Edited May 26, 2015 by SilverStormm
Added tag for another show spoiler

[stopeslite]

 

I really think Nurse Crane knows are is nearly sure but if she does I suspect she's one who wouldn't care or say a word about it.

Hm - I wonder if there's a reason Nurse Crane is a spinster?... Would be interesting, given how "square" they think Phyllis is, if she introduced Patsy to the underground London gay scene.

[pasdetrois]

I believe Miranda Hart is in Melissa McCarthy's new movie - I think I spotted MH in the movie's commercial.

[JudyObscure]

I've said already that I didn't miss Chummy this season, and that I was surprised about that because I like the character. Watching this episode again tonight, though, I genuinely thought Chummy was out of place. I realize a lot of people will probably disagree with me, but to me It's like she's in a different show than everyone else, and it's distracting.  I will be fine if she doesn't come back next year (and there's been no word from the show or Miranda Hart about whether or not she will be). I say this as someone who loved Chummy in the first 3 seasons (well, especially seasons 1 and 2). She was my favorite character in the first season, but since then I've gotten to know other characters more as they've developed over the seasons, and it seems like Chummy has mostly stayed the same.  I don't dislike her, but I don't think she belongs on the show anymore. I like the rest of the characters so much that I think the show is fine without her.

 

As for the rest of the episode, I already posted my thoughts earlier in this thread.. I wanted to post again because I'm honestly surprised at how much my opinion has changed about Chummy since season 1.

That's how I feel about Chummy, too. She's adorable and hilarious and yet the show seems to jump into comical sit-com territory every time she enters. Dawn French played a funny character in Lark Rise to Candleford, that took me out of the story in the same way. I love Miranda Hart and Dawn French but I can't seem to suspend disbelief when they're around.

[marceline]

Isn't that typical Call the Midwife? Get me all happy for Maureen. "Oh thank heavens for modern medicine! That poor woman won't have to suffer needlessly! Yay!! I wonder what they gave her."

 

Thalidomide. *record scratch sound* Nonononono! NOOOOO!

 

I liked Trixie calmly deciding that the husband should be there for the birth. She really is an excellent midwife even with all of her other issues. As is Barbara. Even Sister Evangelina saw it and gave her a bit of encouragement.

 

Fred's daughter was perfectly odious to Violet. All she needed was a pink suit and a wand and she would've been a perfect Delores Umbrage. Who talks about their father like that?

 

As for Chummy, it would be fine if we could see her get back to work. I'm surprised that they haven't showed us more of the mother and baby home. It was such a disgusting wreck that it would be nice to see how Chummy has whipped it into shape.

Edited May 18, 2015 by marceline

[SweePea59]

 She was my favorite character in the first season, but since then I've gotten to know other characters more as they've developed over the seasons, and it seems like Chummy has mostly stayed the same.  

Mileages do vary. I think that Chummy has changed a lot. She did seem shoehorned into this episode. I don't think they did the story of her disposing of her mother's ashes justice. As has been mentioned several times, there is just too much going on in most of the episodes this season. I also felt like the two pregnancy storylines could have each used a few more minutes. As usual I wish there was more Sister Monica Joan and especially Sister Julienne. I feel that way about most episodes.

 

I was expecting the season finale to be much sadder and to have some monumental tragedy affecting some of the original characters considering how morose this season has been. I was actually glad it wasn't as sad and miserable as I expected. And I was really glad they didn't bring Chummy back just to stick it to her.

[MaryHedwig]

Watching this episode again tonight, though, I genuinely thought Chummy was out of place. I realize a lot of people will probably disagree with me, but to me It's like she's in a different show than everyone else, and it's distracting.

I agree. Her new hairstyle also jumped me out of the time period.  I kept thinking that Miranda Hart was busy with other projects and and told them, "I can give you two hours, but I don't have any time for hair and makeup, you will just have to take whatever I come in on." 

 

Also, it seemed forced to have Peter and Chummy once again not reside in the same city.   Did Miranda put in her contract that she won't share airtime with Ben Caplan?

[Diane M]

Does the kid who plays Timothy Turner remind anyone else of Roddy McDowell?  Also, did anyone else get the feeling that Delia's mother kind of knew what was going on with De. lia and Patsy? ITA that storyline isn't over yet.  I don't know if it's going to end happily, but it's not over yet.

 

I agree that Tim looked very much like RM when he was young.  He's a good actor and plays such a sweet character.

 

I don't believe that Delia's mother had a clue that her daughter was a lesbian. Patsy acted like any caring friend and didn't give any clues that she and Delia were anything more than best friends. My best friend and I shared an apartment in the late 50s, and we weren't/aren't lesbians.  It was quite the normal thing to do when you left home to work in another city.  In those days, girls didn't live with their boyfriends before marriage.  I also would have been devastated if my friend had been in a serious accident.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Diane M

[proserpina65]

As soon as Shelagh asked her husband about whether or not one of the drug reps might have something for morning sickness, I knew what was coming.  I actually said aloud "Oh dear god, not Thalidomide!" knowing full well that it was the new miracle drug for pregnant women in the early 60s.

 

I enjoyed this episode, and the overall season, a lot.  And I was nearly in tears when Trixie was talking about her father's problems and how her own had grown from that.

[stopeslite]

 

Patsy acted like any caring friend and didn't give any clues that she and Delia were anything more than best friends.

Not even that - Delia's mom didn't say anything like "Oh, you're Patsy, she's talked so much about you!" Patsy seemed hurt right then that Delia's mom had no idea who she was, not on the level of "you're her new flatmate" or even "you're a friend of hers, right?" 

[QuinnM]

Dr. Turner will be in the company of many thousands of horrified doctors who trusted the drug companies and prescribed the wonder drug for morning sickness. It was distributed worldwide.

It was not distributed in the U.S. The FDA had a long and laborious, oft criticized, process to get approval. Thalidomide never passed. Although changes have occurred in the process, speeding up approval, exceptions for terminal experimental and such, pregnant women remain highly scrutinized. When you travel in Europe you see thalidomide deformities on a regular basis.

Women in the U.S. only got the drug by having friends ship it to them.

[proserpina65]

I hope season five dwells more on organic plotlines and delivering babies and community nursing and less on Issues That Must Be Talked About.

 

Given the time period in which the show is set, thalidomide pretty much had to be an issue.  It was a huge, world-wide catastrophe, and pretty much ushered in the age of drug testing.  For a show about midwives set in the early sixties to not touch on it would be ridiculous.

[LittleIggy]

I agree about Chummy. Her "pip-pip, tickety-boo" schtick takes me out of the scene. I didn't miss her.

[AZChristian]

I think the "Did Delia's mother know the type of relationship she had with Patsy" situation was meant to be ambiguous to watchers.  I think Mom suspected that Delia was not attracted to men, but the fact that Delia hadn't told Mom about about Patsy indicates that Delia wasn't out of the closet and didn't discuss her relationships with Mom.

 

JMO.

[AuntiePam]

I didn't appreciate Marlene's interference either, but at least now Violet's going into the marriage with her eyes a bit more open.  Fred's comment about papering the walls with money -- he's not a gold digger, not consciously anyway -- but Violet will be carrying the financial load.  I suppose it's realistic.  There's unequality in a lot of marriages, and the couples make it work.

 

Not sure about Trixie being an alcoholic.  Common wisdom is that if your drinking causes problems, you're an alcoholic.  She drank every day but not to excess, and it only affected her work that one time, when she was otherwise stressed out.  I don't expect the show to be all Days of Wine and Roses with her, and if she felt she needed help, okay.  But I hope people don't look at friends who drink like Trixie drinks and think those friends need treatment.

[pasdetrois]

Yeah, the anvils were flying last night. I think we all saw the bicycle accident coming from a mile away.

 

When the deaf woman was crying and going on and on and on about "will this baby come, when will this baby come, I love my baby so much, I'm waiting forever for this baby...." I just wanted to smack her (and her husband). Well, not really, but it was excessively dramatic.

 

I remember as a child encountering at least two "Thalidomide babies," in two different parts of the country. They were actually children, not babies. I wonder what happened to all of them - if they suffered other complications.

 

The casting of Fred's daughter was genius because she looked exactly like him.

[iggysaurus]

Not sure about Trixie being an alcoholic.  Common wisdom is that if your drinking causes problems, you're an alcoholic.  She drank every day but not to excess, and it only affected her work that one time, when she was otherwise stressed out.  I don't expect the show to be all Days of Wine and Roses with her, and if she felt she needed help, okay.  But I hope people don't look at friends who drink like Trixie drinks and think those friends need treatment.

 

I'm glad to see someone else felt this way about Trixie's storyline - I thought I was the only one! I didn't really buy that she was a full blown alcoholic based on what we had seen of her drinking. Yes, one time she drank too much and passed out, but otherwise seemed to drink pretty moderately. I get that using alcohol to cope with stress is never recommended, but in reality, lots of people do it who aren't necessarily alcoholics. That's why it's such a common workplace trope to hear people saying "Man, after the day I'm having, I'm going to need a couple stiff drinks tonight!" or "Let's go out for happy hour to blow off steam after the stress of this day." Not everyone who drinks regularly (even daily) is secretly an alcoholic. Drinking can be more of a 'kind of negative lifestyle habit that should probably be replaced by more healthy choices' rather than something that's completely out of the person's control.  Trixie's dramatic "I just want to stop drinking!" would've seemed more realistic for someone who had been dealing with the ramifications of severe drinking for quite some time - someone who had to drink to start their day, someone who had lost their job and relationships due to alcohol.  I have alcoholics in my family and the portrayal here just didn't ring true to me.

[AZChristian]

Because she spent so much of the first part of her confessional talking about her father, perhaps she saw things in him that she was beginning to see - and fear - in herself.  My father was an alcoholic, and I never had so much as a glass of wine until I was about 60.  I have now learned that one drink a day with dinner does not make one an alcoholic, but I sure understand being afraid of an inherited predisposition to it.

 

Who else mouthed the words with her after she said, "Do I have to say it now?  My name is Trixie, and I'm an alcoholic."

Edited May 18, 2015 by AZChristian

[iggysaurus]

On paper, that all makes her sound like an alcoholic but I guess I just didn't see it convincingly portrayed in the show. They didn't devote all that many scenes to her progression from harmless social drinking to alcoholic. They didn't show her struggling with quitting much at all - it was maybe one or two scenes that portrayed her inappropriate drinking behavior (the passing out incident, and then a couple other scenes of her staring at the bottles and giving in to a drink). They seemed to go straight to "I'm an alcoholic!" kind of abruptly, IMO. Maybe I'm just expecting more gritty reality than is feasible on a TV show like this, after seeing this sort of thing play out in my real life.

 

The point about not wanting to go down the same road as her father is a good one, though. That can definitely make a person more wary of even the earliest signs of having a problem.

Edited May 19, 2015 by iggysaurus

[MaryHedwig]

The point about not wanting to go down the same road as her father is a good one, though. That can definitely make a person more wary of even the earliest signs of having a problem.

I wondered if they were trying to show that Trixie was close to thoughts of suicide, and recognized that she was using alcohol to self-medicate, enough of a red flag for her to get help.  I got this from her call to Samaritan.

[albaniantv]

Just fyi:

A nearly unknown woman scientist, Frances Oldham Kelsey, single handedly blocked thalidomide from FDA approval, against huge pressure from business interests anxious to cash in on the same profits being made from pregnant women in Germany, UK, Canada etc. The FDA doesn't have a lot of these clear cut success stories, but this is a magnificent one. 

 

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuvingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingOver-the-CounterMedicines/ucm093550.pdf

[Micks Picks]

I hadn't thought of thalidomide until last night, in the comments since unfortunately I missed the first part of the show where it was mentioned.  But I would have been, and am, horrified.  I remember seeing Thalidomide children in the U.S. on several occasions, and it was dreadful.  But I hadn't thought of the name Sherri Finkbine until you, ispansy, just mentioned it, and that brought another heap of memories and history and the things that came from that.  Do you recall perhaps at what week she was finally able to obtain the abortion of the severally deformed and non-viable fetus?  I know she ended up in Sweden I think, but don't know what week of pregnancy it finally was, but it sure opened up discussion toward social change in this country, and in Europe the discussion must have horrendous.

Edited May 19, 2015 by Micks Picks

[staveDarsky]

 

I really think Nurse Crane knows are is nearly sure but if she does I suspect she's one who wouldn't care or say a word about it.

Hm - I wonder if there's a reason Nurse Crane is a spinster?... Would be interesting, given how "square" they think Phyllis is, if she introduced Patsy to the underground London gay scene.

 

To my mind, it would be far braver to delve into her background as an illegitimate child and its bearing on her not finding a mate -- whether intentional or not. There are a lot of single people who are so because of emotional scarring from different sources. And there's a lot of intolerance and rejection toward the unmarried to this day.

Edited May 19, 2015 by staveDarsky

[QuelleC]

To my mind, it would be far braver to delve into her background as an illegitimate child and its bearing on her not finding a mate -- whether intentional or not. There are a lot of single people who are so because of emotional scarring from different sources. And there's a lot of intolerance and rejection toward the unmarried to this day.

 

Boy, you've got that right.  I'm still surprised when it happens.  Once I worked with a team of married ladies (see, they're ladies, I'm a girl) and I mentioned my sister in law they all shot their faces at me and one said how do YOU have a sister in law.  Well, my brother is married.  That and comparing their rings a lot or ribbing in that they don't have to worry about their car, their finances, etc their husband does it for them while laughing at me when I'm stupid enough to ask for advice. This happens on a regular basis.  What's kind of funny is I went out with my older half siblings for xmas and I was stuck with the women talking zumba class when I wanted to be with my brothers sorting out how Medicaid works.  

 

I was born in 61 so the show is quite interesting to me now being set in that time.  It's so much about women's issues I can't help but think how things have changed.  My brother was given a car and life insurance, later on my father told me I didn't need those things because I was going to get married.  Same, I suspect, with no support at all for putting myself through college.  I'm damned proud I did but but when I got pregnant in college there was no help at all for my baby and broken car because the guy was supposed to marry me.  Thanks for marrying my mom but dad it wasn't 1961 anymore. 

 

The show does throw a lot of storylines at us but I'll always remember Ameera in her beautiful Indian dresses and the girl from last season with Down's Syndrome.  Of that poor ship captain's daughter. I love the way Shelagh is glowing these days but at the same time the Turners' expressions were horrifying over the rather miraculous way thalidomide helped the sick lady. I knew instantly when Shelagh asked about pharmaceutical reps it would be thalidomide.  I love the writing for Timothy. 

 

I'm with some of you in that Chummy's tinkety-boo stuff is grating.  They made such a point of her mother being upper class it's as if she's trying to talk "street" for lack of a better word.

 

I believe Trixie is an alcoholic mostly because she herself knows it's a problem for her or she wouldn't be asking for help.  I'm haunted by her looking at herself in the mirror last episode having dropped her facade I got the idea she's scared she doesn't know who she really is.  She went from entertaining her dad to entertaining the other midwives.  Delivering a baby she feels like she's part of a happy family for an hour or two.  So sad.  I still don't think what's his name was right for her though.