S03.E02: Episode 2

[Tara Ariano]

Jenny is delighted when she's promoted, and Cynthia spearheads a new birthing practice.

[girlonthepark]

Yay! They are giving Cynthia something to do! I have a soft spot for her because she looks eerily like my mother as a young woman.

[TheAnglican]

I liked this episode.  I see I was confused, though, because I could have sworn that was Jim Broadbent playing Dr. Latham - but it's somebody else named Roger Morlidge who is new to me.  A few more random thoughts:

1. Hey, people finally have telephones in their own houses!
2. Fred has been awfully absent in Season 3.
3. Alec is awfully milquetoast, isn't he?
4. Did I miss why the lay midwives have to share rooms all of a sudden at the new Nonnatus?

[happyhumanist]

I loved this ep! Cynthia's strength and determination to help her patients was inspiring. And standing up to Sr. Evangilina was masterful. I loved Evangilina's smile after the successful birth, and her reactions back at Nonnatus House.

This is why I love this show--women are strong, intelligent, determined, and useful. And allowed to be themselves with little judgement.

(BTW, former TWOP'er)

[Tara Ariano]

Here's my post on one of the episode's central conflicts/relationships.

[LittleIggy]

I wonder what happened with the husband of the woman who gave up baby Carole. I was afraid he would return and beat up his wife.

[dramachick]

Poor Doris.  Hopefully, one day -- fast forward to 1980 -- she's divorced, owns her own salon, and she and Carole find each other.

[Curtsy]

You guys, I hope my feeling about Shelagh is wrong....if they have trouble conceiving, or if she loses a baby, I will be so sad. I was hoping they would just adopt baby Carol.

I like the character of Jenny, but she needs more depth. She needs to experience some hardship, some heartbreak, overcome some obstacles, something. And her boyfriend is so bland and they have no chemistry. I want some romance!

Maybe Cynthia or Trixie will get some action. Love Trixie's haircut, and shenwas looking fab in that green sheath.

[lucindabelle]

I don't like Trixie's new haircut. It's too severe. I too worried about Doris' husband... As he is still around at the end. I guess so, because otherwise they wouldn't have enough money. I thought the nosy neighbor didn't look nearly mortified enough.

Natural childbirth has arrived, and that's interesting but the doctor telling the women that those other women gave birth without pain because they didn't expect to feel pain was pretty condescending. He's give north so many times, then, has he?

There seemed a little spark between the doctor and Jenny, though, so I'll forgive him if there is.

I love the doctor so much, and Shelagh.

lucindabelle- please look at the bolded text and correct. The sentence needs clarification.

Edited April 7, 2014 by maraleia
please proofread before posting

[Milz]

Bummer that Jenny and Trixie are sharing a room because in real-life Jennifer Worth and Cynthia Miller became best friends while working in Poplar and that friendship lasted throughout their life.  I thought they were going to show Jenny and Cynthia becoming BFFs this season after the way Jenny and Cynthia bonded after Cynthia lost confidence.

[Embron]

I thought for a moment that Shelagh and the doctor would adopt Doris' baby.  It wouldn't work, of course, because they are in the same neighborhood, but they look so sad when giving her up.  I hope in the end they get to have a baby, in whatever way it happens. Infertility is not fun, but it can bring a couple closer together. 

 

Was the breathing technique Lamaze? or is that something later?

[Charlotte Vale]

Didn't we already do Surprise Biracial Baby already?

Yes, Doris' husband is awful, but she did cheat on him, so one can understand his chagrin. Abortion, sweetie--one of your neighbors could have steered you somewhere. Now all she can do is run off and get a job with Vidal Sassoon, because yes, her husband is going to spend the rest of his life making her miserable.

And never take Sister Monuica Joan to a lecture, what were they thinking?

[Milz]

I think they're following the books with the  biracial baby storylines. IIRC there were 2 or 3 biracial baby situations addressed in them.

PS Charlotte Vale, I'm glad to see you here and did I ever tell you I read and enjoyed (except the last one) all of Olive Prouty's Vale novels about 10 years ago, so your handle always makes me smile ?

[JudyObscure]

3.Alec is awfully milquetoast, isn't he?

I feel guilty that I can't stand him. His smile seems so smarmy and twee, but I'm sure that's just the actor's mouth and he can't help it. I simply can't suspend disbelief enough to think that the beautiful Jenny is really into him.

I wanted Doris's little baby so much. Some of the baby "actor's" are smaller than others and she looked like she was about one day old and was so. precious.

[PRgal]

Poor Doris.  Hopefully, one day -- fast forward to 1980 -- she's divorced, owns her own salon, and she and Carole find each other.

Secrets & Lies!

[Tara Ariano]

Didn't we already do Surprise Biracial Baby already?

Yes -- when Trixie was angrily smoking outside and complaining that Jenny didn't tell her what she was dealing with, she mentioned the first one.

[Charlotte Vale]

PS Charlotte Vale, I'm glad to see you here and did I ever tell you I read and enjoyed (except the last one) all of Olive Prouty's Vale novels about 10 years ago, so your handle always makes me smile ?

 

Thank you, my dear--Olive Higgins Prouty and Christopher Morley are two of the Great Forgotten Novelists of the last century.

[LittleIggy]

I liked Jenny's first boyfriend, the one who knocked the girl up and married her, better.

[attica]

3.Alec is awfully milquetoast, isn't he?

 

He's certainly no patch on Jenny's relationship with any of the women. Wouldn't it be nice if that were the point? I don't think it is; I suspect it's just the writers all "eh, we need a Love Interest" and shoe-horning in some underdeveloped boy.

[Popples]

And never take Sister Monuica Joan to a lecture, what were they thinking?

I was thinking they only brought her in case someone went into labor and they couldn't leave her by herself at the new Nonnatus House.

There wasn't enough Chummy in this episode for me.

[MaryHedwig]

There wasn't enough Chummy in this episode for me.

 

I so agree.  I want to watch the Chummy spinoff after this show is cancelled.

[Portia]

I was hoping Dr. Latham was going to ask Cynthia to go out with him...or to come work for him.

.

[Swedish Chef]

This episode sure gave us a whole lot of "baby doom" for Dr. Turner/Shelagh didn't it? They seemed to be sitting under a great big foreshadowing cloud. I hope I'm wrong, but I think I'm not.

Yay for Cynthia! Although as someone who had given birth twice, I had to appreciate Sister Evangelina's side eyes because, yeah. Some things can't be handled by breathing and fear management. Also thought the doctor was a pretty spot on representative of that Levi Strauss era anthropology. His blend of being both progressive and making enormous assumptions about other cultures and, well, women generally, rings very true.

[SilvaVocat]

Abortion, sweetie--one of your neighbors could have steered you somewhere.

 

As shown last season, while it was available it wasn't exactly safe and legal.  

[jah1986]

Excellent episode. Agree about the foreshadowing with the doctor and Shelagh. But I thought she couldn't have children after contracting (I forget what) when she was hospitalized for a while. Am I remembering wrong?

[neonlite]

I think Dr. Latham is meant to be Grantly Dick-Read (or an ardent follower of his ideas) who published "Childbirth without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth" The book was a national best seller and Dr. Grant-Read lectured on the topic all over the world.. His pioneering book discusses anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and birth, pain of labor, how fear plays a part and how to dispense with it, diet in pregnancy, the judiciousness of breastfeeding and rooming-in, the partner’s roles in pregnancy and birth and the mess obstetrics was making of the processes of pregnancy and birth. He honored the wisdom of natural birth and advocated ceaselessly for it, probably endangering his reputation in the world of obstetrics.

[Portia]

I think Dr. Latham is meant to be Grantly Dick-Read (or an ardent follower of his ideas) who published "Childbirth without Fear: The Principles and Practice of Natural Childbirth" The book was a national best seller and Dr. Grant-Read lectured on the topic all over the world.. His pioneering book discusses anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and birth, pain of labor, how fear plays a part and how to dispense with it, diet in pregnancy, the judiciousness of breastfeeding and rooming-in, the partner’s roles in pregnancy and birth and the mess obstetrics was making of the processes of pregnancy and birth. He honored the wisdom of natural birth and advocated ceaselessly for it, probably endangering his reputation in the world of obstetrics.

Did you miss the part where Grantly Dick-Read was referenced?

[Charlotte Vale]

As shown last season, while it was available it wasn't exactly safe and legal.

 

Still, probably safer than having your dock-worker husband beat the holy hell out of you every day for the next 20 years.

[Kohola3]

Agree about the foreshadowing with the doctor and Shelagh. But I thought she couldn't have children after contracting (I forget what) when she was hospitalized for a while. Am I remembering wrong?

 

She had TB and his son had polio. I don't remember the doctor having an illness but I could be wrong.

[Milz]

Egads! I hope Dr. Turner doesn't come down with some illness too!

[Marigny]

My heart was broken when Shelagh couldn't keep Carole. 

 

More Chummy, please! 

[RedbirdNelly]

I felt so badly for the hairdresser mom and her boys who don't understand what is going on. 

My favorite part was probably Cynthia and Sister E returning and Sister E joking about doing the breathing to go to sleep. Just a great sweet moment.

[statsgirl]

My local station is playing the old episodes and I'm catching up on what I've missed.  Jenny is my least favourite character and these episodes that highlight her just reinforce it. I know that the series is based on her but she's such a bossy boots Mary Sue character. The Mary Sueness (the suitors, the unearned promotion, the arrogance) makes the problems with her character all the worse.

Cynthia's relaxation class made me laugh.  I had my own personal relaxation therapist at home and I still begged for an epidural.