S06.E06: Episode 6

[Mindthinkr]

15 hours ago, Blackie said:

I don't remember this scene, I think this is one of the ones they may have cut out to show on PBS  errrr!

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Edited 5 hours ago by Blackie. Reason: CMC does not mean Sister Mary Cynthia

I saw no "Hidden Contents". Could you please elaborate? 

 

17 hours ago, ptuscadero said:

 

Now, I guess I will pack my handbasket in anticipation of the trip I'll be taking to Hades.

Can I bring wine? 

[AZChristian]

As someone who can actually remember life in 1962, I will say that things were really different then.  I lived in Baltimore, and at the age of 12 was riding the city transit buses all over the place with no adult supervision.  It really was safer then.  

I get the feeling that the Poplar section of London was a small community within a big city.  The nuns were respected and protected (Sister Mary Cynthia's attack was an exception, rather than a usual event).  Even according to the CtM books, it took a long time before Sister Monica Joan was ever confronted with her kleptomania.  It's doubtful a regular citizen would have gotten away with it.  So it doesn't strike me as strange that she was still wandering around with minimal supervision.  Almost everyone was watching out for her.

[Ohmo]

21 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

Can I bring wine? 

Can I come if this also applies to Shelagh? "Cuz you can take out "Sister Mary Cynthia" and substitute "Shelagh," and that's how I feel.  I find Shelagh to be insipid and whiny, and the breathy voice that Laura Main uses in character annoys me.  "Oh Patrick..."  Blech!  Dr. Turner could have chosen much better, in my opinion.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Ohmo

[proserpina65]

On ‎02‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 3:23 PM, Gulftastic said:

Three series, and Patsy and Delia aren't allowed an onscreen kiss.

Two episodes, and Trixe and her Dentist are snogging.

I'm pretty sure they did have an onscreen kiss, in season 4 or maybe early season 5, but perhaps it was a scene PBS cut.  A friend and I marathoned all 5 seasons in preparation for this season.

[NeverLate]

21 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

I'm pretty sure they did have an onscreen kiss, in season 4 or maybe early season 5, but perhaps it was a scene PBS cut.  A friend and I marathoned all 5 seasons in preparation for this season.

They did. Of course in that time, nothing was as it is now. This show what's everyone too see that.

[Mindthinkr]

This show has turned dark ever since the episode about the thalidomide babies. I like a lot of the characters but I need a little more niceness on my restful Sunday evenings. Enough doom and gloom. 

[bunnyblue]

18 hours ago, ptuscadero said:

.I have always found Sr Mary-Cynthia to be a whiny bore, even before she decided to join the sisterhood. I'm not sure if it's the way the character is written, or the actress overdoing the emotions, but her storylines always clog up the show for me.

I'm so glad you said this because I wholeheartedly agree. I've tried liking Cynthia but I just can't. She's so damn meek & boring, and I blame the actress as much as the writing. I swear she's got 2 facial expressions: ridiculous child-like look of wonder that I want to smack, and eyes squeezed shut & shaking her head when distressed that I also want to smack. I didn't miss Cynthia at all and after so much of her this episode I hope she stays offscreen again while she recovers. *dons flame retardant suit*

 

15 hours ago, craziness said:

Felt sorry for the little sister who was going back to Somalia to be "cut". She seemed old enough that she would definitely remember it.

OMG, that poor little girl, she thought she was going to Somalia on holiday. Natifa said that her older sister didn't remember her cutting because it was done when she was very young but she remembered hers because she was older when hers was done. Well, Deka will remember every horror done to her body, so why didn't Natifa try to save her? She had enough fight in her to try to hide her ticket back to Somalia early in the episode and later when it was said she spared her daughter from the cutting, but she couldn't save her little sister from her fate? Any sympathy I had for Natifa went out the window when she got pissy with Valerie and when they showed Deka waving goodbye from the boat.

[movingtargetgal]

I had a really hard time sleeping last night because I was so upset by this episode.  Thanks to this board, I know I am not alone.  This show did a wonderful job with this difficult and horrifying subject. 

[NeverLate]

4 minutes ago, movingtargetgal said:

I had a really hard time sleeping last night because I was so upset by this episode.  Thanks to this board, I know I am not alone.  This show did a wonderful job with this difficult and horrifying subject. 

I slept okay, but FGM has been on my mind for years. This show bought out to the forefront.

[sigmaforce86]

Wow, that was a mix of cringing, hard to watch drama and levity.  The main story line was really difficult knowing what we know about FGM in the current day.  Bryony Hannah is doing a brilliant job with Cynthia.  Phyllis is the voice of logic with empathy as always.  Even Dr. Turner's little speech that they'll take the memories with them was a great touch.  Did anyone catch the sign on the lawn of the house they bought?  I think the price was 2,995 pounds, which seems to be equal to a little over 42,000 pounds today.

Trixie may feel to new at this relationship and maybe to uncertain after losing Tom but she needs to talk about her alcohol issue sooner not later.  I know some don't like Cynthia or Sister Monica Joan, and I'm not saying I don't like Trixie at all............I do like her character but she needs more then being the fashion plate with the tragic history

 

WARNING!  This is a very tough article to stomach so link and read at your own risk................... but it's written by a women who was subject to FGM and now fights it and she details the types.  I imagine the women in last nights episode was similar to type 3 and unbelievably worse can be and is done.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/04/28/ayaan-hirsi-ali-female-genital-mutilation-and-what-were-really-talking-about-beneath-weasel-words-genital-cutting.html

Edited May 8, 2017 by sigmaforce86
typos!

[Mumbles]

Quote

OK, nobody clutch your pearls, but......I have always found Sr Mary-Cynthia to be a whiny bore, even before she decided to join the sisterhood. I'm not sure if it's the way the character is written, or the actress overdoing the emotions, but her storylines always clog up the show for me. Toooooo much dramah.

Now, I guess I will pack my handbasket in anticipation of the trip I'll be taking to Hades.

You'll have company.

I never liked this character, even though she was perhaps the kindest of the midwives. When she was a lay midwife, I couldn't tell if she was just shy, or a bit of a wet blanket. And while it would be hard to convey such an intense internal process on TV, they never really explained or showed why she decided to become a nun. And part of me wonders if she did it to "hide" from the real world, and/or because she found comfort in the highly regimented nature of their lives. 

[NeverLate]

12 minutes ago, sigmaforce86 said:

Wow, that was a mix of cringing, hard to watch drama and levity.  The main story line was really difficult knowing what we know about FGM in the current day.  Bryony Hannah is doing a brilliant job with Cynthia.  Phyllis is the voice of logic with empathy as always.  Even Dr. Turner's little speech that they'll take the memories with them was a great touch.  Did anyone catch the sign on the lawn of the house they bought?  I think the price was 2,995 pounds, which seems to be equal to a little over 42,000 pounds today.

Trixie may feel to new at this relationship and maybe to uncertain after losing Tom but she needs to talk about her alcohol issue sooner not later.  I know some don't like Cynthia or Sister Monica Joan, and I'm not saying I don't like Trixie at all............I do like her character but she needs more then being the fashion plate with the tragic history

 

WARNING!  This is a very tough article to stomach so link and read at your own risk................... but it's written by a women who was subject to FGM and now fights it and she details the types.  I imagine the women in last nights episode was similar to type 3 and unbelievably worse can be and is done.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/04/28/ayaan-hirsi-ali-female-genital-mutilation-and-what-were-really-talking-about-beneath-weasel-words-genital-cutting.html

Thankyou for this link ,damn  that's hard to read. I only read some of it, will finish up later

[Driad]

Did anyone understand why Natifa did not want to go back to Somalia (hiding the letter and ticket etc.)?  At one point I thought she did not want to have her FGM re-done after her baby was born, but apparently that was not her reason.

Dr. Turner mentioned the Kennedys’ two children and wondered if they were expecting another. The Cuban missile crisis was in October 1962.  The Kennedys did have a son Patrick born in August 1963 but he lived only two days.

[Blackie]

3 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

I saw no "Hidden Contents". Could you please elaborate?

I will elaborate by saying I seem to be reading initials wrong, clinking wrong buttons etc.  Maybe I should be wearing my glasses! Sorry

[NeverLate]

3 minutes ago, Driad said:

Did anyone understand why Natifa did not want to go back to Somalia (hiding the letter and ticket etc.)?  At one point I thought she did not want to have her FGM re-done after her baby was born, but apparently that was not her reason.

Dr. Turner mentioned the Kennedys’ two children and wondered if they were expecting another. The Cuban missile crisis was in October 1962.  The Kennedys did have a son Patrick born in August 1963 but he lived only two days.

I thought she didnt want to leave her home and husband. Plus she didnt want her baby born in Somalia

Edited May 8, 2017 by F. M.

[Kohola3]

Quote

Just read The Handmaidens Tale if you want a horrifying confirmation. 

Disturbingly the direction we are heading in the US these days.

 

3 hours ago, AZChristian said:

As someone who can actually remember life in 1962, I will say that things were really different then.

Gosh, yes.  We were allowed to take the bus to downtown Detroit to shop at age 13. And when I was a student nurse I never had to worry in the inner city as long as I was wearing my Visiting Nurse uniform.  Nobody ever bothered any of us.  Polar opposite from today!

[ItCouldBeWorse]

1 hour ago, F. M. said:

1 hour ago, Driad said:

Did anyone understand why Natifa did not want to go back to Somalia (hiding the letter and ticket etc.)?  At one point I thought she did not want to have her FGM re-done after her baby was born, but apparently that was not her reason.

I thought she didnt want to leave her home and husband. Plus she didnt want her baby born in Somalia

I don't think she wanted to leave her husband.  Ironically, she could have died because she didn't go back.  In Somalia, the midwives would, of course, have known to cut her open as soon as her labor began.  They would have sewn her shut again, though, shortly after.

I assume Natifa's family sent her sister abroad with her because her husband was a sailor, and it wasn't appropriate for her to be left alone when he was at sea. However, there would always be a chance she might not return to have the procedure, so I'm surprised it wasn't done first.

Edited May 8, 2017 by ItCouldBeWorse

[caitmcg]

2 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Ironically, she could have died because she didn't go back.  In Somalia, the midwives would, of course, known to cut her open as soon as her labor began.  

And that was exactly the plan developed at the hospital in London, but she did not go because she didn't want a man attending to those details, as far as I could tell (she was mortified that the obstetrician had even examined her). If she'd gone when she went into labor, she'd have had much less damage than she ultimately did. Although I wasn't clear on why she kept insisting, "No knife!" She had to have known that was coming, whether she gave birth in England or Somalia.

[NeverLate]

7 minutes ago, caitmcg said:

And that was exactly the plan developed at the hospital in London, but she did not go because she didn't want a man attending to those details, as far as I could tell (she was mortified that the obstetrician had even examined her). If she'd gone when she went into labor, she'd have had much less damage than she ultimately did. Although I wasn't clear on why she kept insisting, "No knife!" She had to have known that was coming, whether she gave birth in England or Somalia.

She had a little memory of the knife cutting her.The pain went away, she remembered the knife though( that was my take away) 

[pasdetrois]

This series has become a soap opera, which is so disappointing. What's worse is some of the amateurish acting.

In the past week or so I've seen news stories about immigrant physicians secretly doing female circumcision in the US. I think they were arrested and stopped before it happened.

During the Cuban missile crisis I lived on an air base that had lots of missiles and was a strategic target. My dad took off with his bomber crew and was gone for weeks as they patrolled US borders. All the families on base had to put sand bags in our basement window wells, to protect us against radiation and attack. We had to sleep on cots down there, keeping chemical toilets and lots of canned food and bottled water. It was very scary. 

[AZChristian]

7 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

During the Cuban missile crisis I lived on an air base that had lots of missiles and was a strategic target. My dad took off with his bomber crew and was gone for weeks as they patrolled US borders. All the families on base had to put sand bags in our basement window wells, to protect us against radiation and attack. We had to sleep on cots down there, keeping chemical toilets and lots of canned food and bottled water. It was very scary. 

I remember that we had frequent air raid drills in school.  We never questioned whether standing in a hallway with your head up against the locker and your hands clasped behind your neck would really protect you from a nuclear bomb and fallout!?!

[Sarah 103]

On February 27, 2017 at 3:23 PM, Gulftastic said:

Three series, and Patsy and Delia aren't allowed an onscreen kiss.

Two episodes, and Trixe and her Dentist are snogging.

It's the 1960s, what do you expect? They have little privacy and live in fear of someone finding out. I'm surprised they've gotten away with it (because homosexuality was still a crime) for this long. I thought for sure someone would see one of them coming out of the other's room late at night/early in the morning. Delia had to beg Patsy to go to a lesbian bar and hold hands. 

19 hours ago, craziness said:

CMC = Cuban Missile Crisis, not anything to do with the attack on Sister Mary Cynthia.

Felt sorry for the little sister who was going back to Somalia to be "cut". She seemed old enough that she would definitely remember it. I'm also wondering how women give birth when they only have a little hole left. 

And regarding hearing the word clitoris on tv, I think the first time I heard it was Dr. Ruth.

If Deka's mother felt so strongly about cultural traditions/upbringing, why was Deka going to school in England at all? Why was Deka even in England? This part of the story does not make sense. 

2 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

Dr. Turner's little speech that they'll take the memories with them was a great touch.  

I loved that line too. 

2 hours ago, Driad said:

Dr. Turner mentioned the Kennedys’ two children and wondered if they were expecting another. The Cuban missile crisis was in October 1962.  The Kennedys did have a son Patrick born in August 1963 but he lived only two days.

Thank you for confirming what I wondered. I knew about the baby the Kennedys' lost shortly before Jack's assassination, but I'm awful with math and was having trouble counting backward. 

[marceline]

3 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

This show has turned dark ever since the episode about the thalidomide babies. I like a lot of the characters but I need a little more niceness on my restful Sunday evenings. Enough doom and gloom. 

Agreed. I'd like a few more scenes like the one with Sr. Winifred practicing her driving. I enjoy seeing the Nonnatans interact with each other as friends and housemates. It highlights what a lovely bond they all have.

I was thinking about how easily Valerie fit in with the cast and trying to remember everyone's intro when I found myself wondering, whatever happened to Jane? I can't recall when, how, or why she left. Did she run off with Rev. Appleby-Thornton? And whatever happened to her goldfish? :D

[ItCouldBeWorse]

12 minutes ago, Sarah 103 said:

If Deka's mother felt so strongly about cultural traditions/upbringing, why was Deka going to school in England at all? Why was Deka even in England? This part of the story does not make sense. 

 

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

I assume Natifa's family sent her sister abroad with her because her husband was a sailor, and it wasn't appropriate for her to be left alone when he was at sea.

[SunnyBeBe]

I agree that the story about the woman who gave birth was rather confusing.  We saw the letter she tried to hide, then she had to stay, then didn't want a knife, then did want to be cut to make her the way she was.  She eventually acts as if she is pleased that her sister is going home to have the procedure.  I don't know.....it could have been handled a little better, imo.  I think the writing on the show has gotten a little sloppy.  And I think the way they have handled Cynthia's condition has been less than stellar as well.  

I suppose that it's the writing.  Seasons ago, I was so into each episode, that I could barely stand it when it went off.  Now.....I'm mulling things over and trying to convince myself of what they meant to convey and the episodes just aren't as satisfying.  I suppose last night's wasn't so bad. 

[NeverLate]

5 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I agree that the story about the woman who gave birth was rather confusing.  We saw the letter she tried to hide, then she had to stay, then didn't want a knife, then did want to be cut to make her the way she was.  She eventually acts as if she is pleased that her sister is going home to have the procedure.  I don't know.....it could have been handled a little better, imo.  I think the writing on the show has gotten a little sloppy.  And I think the way they have handled Cynthia's condition has been less than stellar as well.  

I suppose that it's the writing.  Seasons ago, I was so into each episode, that I could barely stand it when it went off.  Now.....I'm mulling things over and trying to convince myself of what they meant to convey and the episodes just aren't as satisfying.  I suppose last night's wasn't so bad. 

I get what you are saying, I just keep in mind this show is an hour, a little less. They try and keep stories interesting, I love the show though 

[txhorns79]

Quote

I'm so glad you said this because I wholeheartedly agree. I've tried liking Cynthia but I just can't. She's so damn meek & boring, and I blame the actress as much as the writing. I swear she's got 2 facial expressions: ridiculous child-like look of wonder that I want to smack, and eyes squeezed shut & shaking her head when distressed that I also want to smack. I didn't miss Cynthia at all and after so much of her this episode I hope she stays offscreen again while she recovers. *dons flame retardant suit*

I'm with you.  I don't find this storyline interesting, and it feels like it's just stuck in some holding pattern.  And it may be just me, but I seriously want someone to tell Sister Monica Joan to calm down over everything related to Cynthia.  She's so emotional over the whole thing, and it feels entirely unearned. 

I am loving Valerie though.  She's like a much cooler version of Jenny Lee.  

[Ohwell]

Can someone please tell me what happened to Cynthia?  I've forgotten.  Thanks.

[txhorns79]

Quote

Can someone please tell me what happened to Cynthia?

She was attacked on the docks, I believe. 

[Clanstarling]

On 2/27/2017 at 9:33 AM, OnceSane said:

I think Nurse Crane said "female mind", which is true.  They also used to do some interesting things for "female hysteria".

At least some of those were kind of fun, though I assume it was inadvertent. treatment of female hysteria

13 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

It's kind of a worry that she didn't tell him straight up that she didn't drink, at all,  and why.

It's still early days, and while it is definitely worrying, how many of us tell our darkest secrets that early in a relationship?

I recommend reading Alice Walker's "Possessing the Secret of Joy." It was both an educational and moving novel about FGM and the culture and impact on the women who have had it done.

[jschoolgirl]

2 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

 

I am loving Valerie though.  She's like a much cooler version of Jenny Lee.  

I like her, too.

It's odd that Jenny is never mentioned at all, as Sister Evangelina sometimes is.

[anna0852]

I can sort of see that. Jenny isn't know by many of them at this point and she's alive and well, just off doing her own thing. Sister Evangelina has only recently died and that wound is still fresh. It makes more sense to reference Sr. E rather than a coworker that moved on 3 years ago.

[Grandma Saracen]

Nurse Crane playing Captain of the Ship with the Scouts, then leaving them to talk to Fred, while they were all trying to get into Crow's Nest position was the highlight for me, honestly.  This was a tough one. FGM stories are always hard. I've always found Cynthia to be a weak link, and when there are entire story lines around her, it weakens the show for me. I also liked Sister Winifred and Delia with the driving bits, and I'm invested in Shelagh and Patrick (when they're not too sappy). 

[Chewy101]

8 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Although I wasn't clear on why she kept insisting, "No knife!" She had to have known that was coming, whether she gave birth in England or Somalia.

If her baby is born in England, the cultural law does not apply. I was under the impression that she knew what would happen to her if she went back: More cutting, but if she "hid" in England, she could maybe avoid that. If she was cut again, she would have to be re-stitched, and then be foreign to her husband. I was not annoyed by her having been conditioned to believing that, but by the world that convinced her of such a thing in the first place. It was her culture. She was seriously wounded, but it's all she knew. Her questions about age and what age a girl remembers it seemed to make her feel comfortable that a baby can be re-routed, but her sister was so exposed by that culture, and not an English citizen, so what could she do. Her sister had to go back. No girl ever consented to this. It just was what it was. 

I cannot imagine a more confusing place to be in. I remember reading about this many many years ago because some famous supermodel from Somalia had experienced it and wrote an article for Reader's Digest or something. She said it could take as long as 45 minutes just to empty her bladder. She would struggle with how rapidly things move on the runway because she could not just sneak away and efficiently "deal with business." She was determined to shed light on it and make changes. For a young girl to go through that, one can't just expect a person to bounce right back. I know Western culture is about solutions and Getting Things Done, but this is no different than the soldiers who come home and find it more difficult to put it behind them than everyone thinks it should. Of course, you want to be in the present and be better, but sometimes you can't. Wounds heal in their own time. 

Dr. Turner and SMC's moment together was very sweet. 

Trixie is not ready to share her reality.... Not even to SMC, who has been facing her own demons. I don't think she has been sober long enough to deal with a new relationship, because a strong part of recovery comes with relinquishing shame and becoming more open and honest with others. My friend said you are discouraged from having even more than a plant for at least a year while in AA. I really like the dentist, but they aren't exactly starting off on the right foot. If she had had a more significant amount of sobriety time to offer with that Alcoholic delivery bomb, when she finally drops it, it could be better.

[txhorns79]

Quote

I don't think she has been sober long enough to deal with a new relationship, because a strong part of recovery comes with relinquishing shame and becoming more open and honest with others. My friend said you are discouraged from having even more than a plant for at least a year while in AA. I really like the dentist, but they aren't exactly starting off on the right foot. If she had had a more significant amount of sobriety time to offer with that Alcoholic delivery bomb, when she finally drops it, it could be better.

I'd just say they've been on two dates.  I do think Trixie has to be honest with him about her alcoholism, but I don't know if it needs to be something discussed this early in the relationship.     

[SunnyBeBe]

The Cuban Missile Crisis was in Oct.  1962.  Does anyone know what year it was when Season 5 ended.  It was then that Trixie joined AA.  I thought it had been at least a year and that she had at least a year of sobriety.  

[anna0852]

It's 1 year per show. Trixie entered AA at the end of season 4, which was autumn of 1960. She's nearly 2 years sober at this point.

[AZChristian]

I have no experience with dealing with alcoholics/relationships . . . but I have an opinion.  When the opportunity arose (when the dentist offered Trixie a drink), that would have been a good time to say, "This is so sweet and thoughtful, but I need to have a non-alcoholic way of celebrating."  Dentists are medical professionals; he should have understood the issue right away.  If it was a problem for him that she is a recovering alcoholic, wouldn't it be better to deal with it sooner rather than later?

As it is going now, there is potential that both of them will move towards stronger feelings for each other.  One or both of them could be hurt a lot more if the person they fall in love with cannot continue in a relationship.  I don't think Trixie had to say, "Oh, you're the new dentist in town.  It's nice to meet you.  I'm an alcoholic."  But by the second date, when he innocently offers her alcohol, it's only fair to let him know that the relationship (if there is to be one) needs to move forward without additional offers of liquor.  

[Ohwell]

14 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

She was attacked on the docks, I believe. 

Thanks!

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

After Birth: It Is No Bad Thing To Be Lost

Sister Mary Cynthia struggles with her recovery, even as her sisters remind her she was never out of the reach of love.

[Chewy101]

Come to think, Trixie could just say she doesn't drink. That's not a big deal either. I have plenty of friends who just don't drink, ever, because they don't like it. 

5 hours ago, anna0852 said:

 

It's 1 year per show. Trixie entered AA at the end of season 4, which was autumn of 1960. She's nearly 2 years sober

 

Thank you for clarifying. My sense of time was way off. I cannot believe SMC has been institutionalized for so long.

[caitmcg]

1 hour ago, Chewy101 said:

I cannot believe SMC has been institutionalized for so long.

It's not clear how much time is meant to have passed since Sister Ursula sent her to the mother house near the beginning of S6, but I'd guess several months. Not too surprising in the era prior to most antidepressants and effective psych meds, unsurprisingly.

[CoderLady]

3 hours ago, Chewy101 said:

Come to think, Trixie could just say she doesn't drink. That's not a big deal either. I have plenty of friends who just don't drink, ever, because they don't like it.

Probably. These days there's less stigma and more understanding about problems with addictive substances but back then it would more likely have required a lot more explanation than a two-date relationship could have handled.

[MartyQui]

On 5/8/2017 at 1:18 PM, anna0852 said:

In 1962 Sister MC *might* be given Valium or another sort of tranquilizer. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs are in the very far future. 

Actually, the first tricyclics were used in the 1950s, so they would have had those.  

[txhorns79]

Quote

I cannot believe SMC has been institutionalized for so long.

What I thought was weird was them bringing Cynthia back to essentially then turn around and ship her off to a different institution.  It made me wonder if the storyline was less about the character and more about the actress not being available to shoot scenes. 

[AZChristian]

IMDB says she was on a TV series called "Unforgotten."  The air dates are 2017, so she may well have been filming during the time she wasn't on CtM.

[txhorns79]

Quote

IMDB says she was on a TV series called "Unforgotten."  The air dates are 2017, so she may well have been filming during the time she wasn't on CtM.

It's strange to me they don't just nail the actors down via contract for the filming period.  It's only an 8 episode season.  It's not like it's that huge a commitment.     

[TVForever]

On May 9, 2017 at 11:40 AM, AZChristian said:

I have no experience with dealing with alcoholics/relationships . . . but I have an opinion.  When the opportunity arose (when the dentist offered Trixie a drink), that would have been a good time to say, "This is so sweet and thoughtful, but I need to have a non-alcoholic way of celebrating."  Dentists are medical professionals; he should have understood the issue right away.  If it was a problem for him that she is a recovering alcoholic, wouldn't it be better to deal with it sooner rather than later?

As it is going now, there is potential that both of them will move towards stronger feelings for each other.  One or both of them could be hurt a lot more if the person they fall in love with cannot continue in a relationship.  I don't think Trixie had to say, "Oh, you're the new dentist in town.  It's nice to meet you.  I'm an alcoholic."  But by the second date, when he innocently offers her alcohol, it's only fair to let him know that the relationship (if there is to be one) needs to move forward without additional offers of liquor.  

I'm attributing Trixie's reticence to the times they were living in. As "open" as we are today about so many medical issues, 50 years ago was quite different. Alcoholism would definitely have still been seen as a personal failing, and likely moreso in a woman. Heck, we still struggle with that notion even today.

[bourbon]

What the actual hell was that? I'm so confused. Are we actually supposed to even remotely think it's OK what happened to the Somali woman because it was done to her by a woman? That it's OK because Somali society is matriarchal? Because no no no no no no. And the fact that this show wasn't willing to take an even stronger stand against the genital mutilation of children (by women for the benefit of MEN) is and wrong and irresponsible. Gah, I know this show bends over backwards to be non-judgey and PC, but even framing the society that practices female circumcision as even remotely pro-woman because the woman is allowed to keep her maiden name is gross. More worried about offending someone than taking a stand, I guess. Blech. 

[Brattinella]

What really pisses me off on this subject, is the imbeciles who call it "Female Circumcision".  It is NOT THAT.  Not even close!  Two different organs. This is a power play FOR MEN that is done TO WOMEN.