S06.E08: Episode 8

[OnceSane]

Quote

Sister Julienne oversees the opening of a family planning clinic at the local community centre, leading mother-of-three Wilma Goddens to start taking the contraceptive pill behind her husband's back. Barbara is distraught when she discovers that her father has accepted a missionary posting in New Guinea for the next three years so will not be able to officiate at her wedding, while Violet suffers terribly with hot flushes, Christopher asks Trixie to meet his daughter, and Delia's heartache may finally be over.

[kieyra]

I had to google to figure out who Violet was. 

[Gulftastic]

Flipping finally!

[MissLucas]

Not quite as devastating as last season's finale - except that I hadn't realized that it was the finale until the very end, ack!

I knew from the moment the poor lady noticed a twinge where this was going - and it was as rough as I feared. But then this 'Call the Midwife' and you should never expect to make it through an episode without tears. Speaking of tears: Barbara explaining to Phyllis why she wanted her to be her bridesmaid made me teary as well. And I may have laughed a bit too much about her mishap in the bathroom because almost the same thing happened to a good 'friend' of mine *cough* And who would have expected that Tom had such a big romantic gesture in him? Well done!

Random notes: I'm still not sure what really happened to Trixie's bunny, I fear the worst. Violet's plot felt a bit tacked on which I thought was a shame because the topic fits the show and deserves a bit more attention. But maybe they'll bring it up again next season. The Turner birth was very sweet and as usual Sister Julienne was in best Yoda-mood (as one reviewer did put it). And of course the final scene was the one so many people were asking for.

All in all this was another good season - I'm just a bit upset poor Sister Maria Cynthia is still in mental limbo.

[Gulftastic]

I actually gave Tom a little burst of applause for the Carousel. Superbly done, that man.

[Ceindreadh]

10 hours ago, Gulftastic said:

I actually gave Tom a little burst of applause for the Carousel. Superbly done, that man.

I may have given him a burst of applause when he appeared at the door all disheveled and hungover and looking very well indeed! ;-)

[Gulftastic]

Yes, it has to be said, he looked rather sexy.

[sarahthenerd]

I do wonder what the point was of having Wilma specifically be taking the pill behind her husband's back. That didn't really go anywhere. Unless it was just another highlight of how women had it back then and wasn't really supposed to be plot-relevant...

[MissLucas]

Wilma wanted to return to a working life, making a (modest) career - her husband wanted her to give him a son and to stay at home. He was clearly upset when she bought the new settee feeling emasculated because his wife was working and making money. On a conscious level he wished for a son to have a legacy unconsciously he wished her to give him another child in order to force her to stay at home. Whether Wilma had his motives analyzed or not - she knew he would not be okay with her taking the pill. In other words: the plot illustrated how the pill became a vital instrument to liberate women (albeit a dangerous one).

[OnceSane]

The looks of glee on Fred & the Parish Men's group's faces when inviting Tom on his stag do had me rolling...which was nice since most of the rest of the show had me in tears.  Not the buckets of last season's finale, but enough.  And Tom's morning after hair also made me laugh.  He looks really hot hung over.

Shelagh choosing Sister Julienne made sense to me.  They have had a longer, and deeper, connection than Shelagh & Phyllis.  And Dr. Turner singing with her was so touching.  Though I understand why Phyllis was disappointed.  It made me happy that Barbara chose her as her bridesmaid.  Barbara is closer to her than anyone else outside Trixie…which could have been awkward.

I adored Tom's wedding gift to Barbara and that everyone took part in enjoying it.  Barbara looked beautiful and so happy.  And I liked seeing Trixie with Christopher's daughter and even Reggie enjoying a ride.  By the way, his "hello, mum" when Fred brought him to visit Violet was so sweet.

Although I'm glad Patsy & Delia finally had an onscreen kiss, I'm disappointed in their development.  Patsy didn't send a single letter!  WTF?

And now I have to wait until Christmas for a new episode--thank goodness it's about to air in the US.  I'll probably research then.

[Ceindreadh]

1 hour ago, OnceSane said:

Shelagh choosing Sister Julienne made sense to me.  They have had a longer, and deeper, connection than Shelagh & Phyllis.  And Dr. Turner singing with her was so touching.  Though I understand why Phyllis was disappointed.  It made me happy that Barbara chose her as her bridesmaid.  Barbara is closer to her than anyone else outside Trixie…which could have been awkward.

 

Sister Julienne is the closest thing to a mother that Shelagh has, so I was happy that she picked her for her midwife.

Although I did feel some sympathy for Phyllis, who clearly thought that she was going to be called on. 

[jschoolgirl]

Oh, that was darling!

Did you notice that Tom looks like Barbara's father?

[Primetimer]

A quickie wedding is just one of the big life milestones of Call The Midwife's Season 6 finale.

View the full article

[Ohwell]

Who was Tom's best man?  He cut quite the dashing figure.

[Straycat80]

Aside from that woman dying from the blood clot, I loved this finale.

The wedding and the carousel was so sweet. Next season will probably have Barbara pregnant because she'll probably lose that diaphragm. 

I'm liking Vi more and more, I wish they would have had more about 'the change', it's a good subject to show  because so many women go through  it. I loved how Reggie called her 'Mum'. 

I wish we had learned the name of Shelagh and Patricks new baby. There were tears in my eyes at the birthing blessing by Sister Julienne and when Shelagh and Patrick were singing together. 

I'm  a sucker for happy endings so I was glad Patsy came back. I was tired of Delia walking around with that depressed expression on her face. 

Can't wait until next season. 

Side note: I hope Sister Mary Cynthia comes back well.  I didn't even miss Chumley this season. 

[jschoolgirl]

Shelagh was way sweatier than any other laboring mother we've seen on the series.

[Nordly Beaumont]

On 3/15/2017 at 1:53 PM, OnceSane said:

Barbara looked beautiful and so happy.

Didn't she though? Just lovely.

[AZChristian]

2 minutes ago, Straycat80 said:

I wish we had learned the name of Shelagh and Patricks new baby. There were tears in my eyes at the birthing blessing by Sister Julienne and when Shelagh and Patrick were singing together. 

Side note: I hope Sister Mary Cynthia comes back well.  I didn't even miss Chumley this season. 

Was it a boy or a girl?  (Won't air here for another hour.)

"Chumley" (or is it Chumlee?) is a buffoon on a reality show called "Pawn Stars."  But I'm with you . . . as much as I liked Chummy, I've almost forgotten about her.

[Calvada]

Yes, what is baby Turner's name?   Editing to add, because Google is your friend, I found an article from a British publication which says the baby's name is Edward Patrick Turner, but will be called Teddy. 

Didn't they make early versions of the Pill much higher in hormone levels?  As I recall from various women's health books I've read, there was a backlash against taking the Pill because of the health risks, things like were shown here with blood clots, heart issues, etc.  Then they came out with a low-dose version which was shown to be as effective in preventing pregnancy.  And the Pill is not recommended for smokers, and Wilma was shown smoking.  As well, she was a bit overweight, and that can be a risk factor with the Pill. 

Edited May 22, 2017 by Calvada

[BooksRule]

It was before my time, but I remember reading something bout the Pill being much stronger (not sure if that's the right word) in the beginning.  As, Calvada stated, Wilma was a little overweight, she smoked and we saw her take three pills at once at least one time.  I'm hoping they'll revisit the topic next season and we'll get more about what people thought about it back then.  

Shelagh singing and then Patrick chiming in from outside the bedroom was so sweet.  I'm glad she let him come in for the birth.  

[Kohola3]

I laughed out loud when Barbara was juggling the diaphragm!  Springy little devil, wasn't it?

[Ohmo]

13 minutes ago, BooksRule said:

It was before my time, but I remember reading something bout the Pill being much stronger (not sure if that's the right word) in the beginning.  As, Calvada stated, Wilma was a little overweight, she smoked and we saw her take three pills at once at least one time.  I'm hoping they'll revisit the topic next season and we'll get more about what people thought about it back then.  

Yeah, I do think that the writers could have fleshed out a bit more that Wilma was taking the pill incorrectly.  That point got kind of lost...it wasn't just that she smoked.  It was that she was taking more than one pill at a time and the way the scenes were shot made it seem like she was taking pills more than once a day.

[jschoolgirl]

35 minutes ago, Calvada said:

Didn't they make early versions of the Pill much higher in hormone levels?

Yes, incredibly so.

[movingtargetgal]

22 minutes ago, Ohmo said:

It was that she was taking more than one pill at a time and the way the scenes were shot made it seem like she was taking pills more than once a day.

Maybe she thought she needed to take a pill every time she had sex.  The pill was new and many women did not know how the pill worked on the female reproductive system.  There are some people who still think the pill is used every time a woman has sex and that giving a month's supply of 28 pills to a woman enables her "slutty" behavior.  

[jaybird2]

i thought the pill came out later than '62.  i thought it came out about the time abortions were legalized.

[Badger]

According to Laura Main, the new baby is named Edward Patrick Turner and will be called Teddy.

[howiveaddict]

1 hour ago, Calvada said:

Yes, what is baby Turner's name?   Editing to add, because Google is your friend, I found an article from a British publication which says the baby's name is Edward Patrick Turner, but will be called Teddy. 

Didn't they make early versions of the Pill much higher in hormone levels?  As I recall from various women's health books I've read, there was a backlash against taking the Pill because of the health risks, things like were shown here with blood clots, heart issues, etc.  Then they came out with a low-dose version which was shown to be as effective in preventing pregnancy.  And the Pill is not recommended for smokers, and Wilma was shown smoking.  As well, she was a bit overweight, and that can be a risk factor with the Pill. 

Plus she tookk three at once after a fun night with her husband. I bet her hormone levels went sky high.  As soon as she said her leg her, I knew she would throw a pulmonary embolism.

[Mumbles]

Quote

I may have given him a burst of applause when he appeared at the door all disheveled and hungover and looking very well indeed! ;-)

Yep. I saw that and wondered why I hadn't noticed how hot Tom is. Barbara is a lucky lady.

I'm glad that a gay couple was portrayed in this show but I gotta say the Patsy/Delia storyline got very boring. Plus I find Delia a bit of a dim bulb. They never give her anything to do and there's something about the way they style the character, or how the actress portrays her - very childish.

Trixie was so good in that dire and sad situation in the hospital. Having had a relative die in a hospital years ago, I noticed how some nurses are quite wonderful and calming and ensuring that the dying patient retains their dignity. It can't be easy for them either.

I lol when I saw the cast out of character chatting in the end bits on PBS and the actor who plays Sister Winifred,  the most boring person on this show, is totally cool and witchy in a Stevie Nicks way.

Speaking of boring....not missing Sister Mary Cynthia. Yeah I said it.

[Ohmo]

9 minutes ago, Mumbles said:

Plus I find Delia a bit of a dim bulb. They never give her anything to do and there's something about the way they style the character, or how the actress portrays her - very childish.

Dim bulb is a great way to describe Delia.  Patsy being a lesbian is not the part of the story that I find implausible.  It's the fact that she would supposedly choose Delia as her partner.  I know that opposites attract and all that, but Delia's about as dull as dishwater, and I agree about her childishness.  I think Valerie (the new midwife) would have been a better match for Patsy.

[TVFAN]

At least in the U.S., they started prescribing birth control pills around 1960, so the timing here is about right.

I love all of the storylines tonight. It was definitely a multiple hankie evening.

Vi and Fred are absolutely adorable, and when you add Reggie and his "Hi, Mom!" to the mix, you cannot ask for more.

Trixie fixing Wilma's makeup was so Trixie and so perfect!  I share everyone's concerns about Trixie's bunny, but I am going to assume she told the truth, and it was rescued.  I hope they explore her relationship with the handsome dentist and his daughter more fully next season.

Tom shocked me with his romantic gesture, and Barbara picked out a wedding ensemble that suited her to a T.  Enjoyed meeting Barbara's father far more than I thought I might.  He's as sweet as she is.  Kudos for making Phyllis the maid of honor.  

Sister Julienne was the perfect choice for the midwife.  (Although I kept waiting for Tim to rush in and somehow know how to perform a perfect C-Section.)  Loved Shelagh and Patrick singing together.   Loved the shot of the whole family giving baby a bath.   Loved essentially everything about this little family.  They could do a full hour of the Turners, and I would be perfectly content.

Do I really have to wait until Christmas for my next fix??????

[jschoolgirl]

Having read of them in a novel, I was glad to see what a Knickerbocker Glory looks like -- yum!

[LittleIggy]

Reggie! Yay!

I loved Barbara's cape and hood. She looked lovely.

My father died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism at age 57. That was in the early 90s. Nothing much anyone can do when a clot is thrown like that.

[GaT]

I wish they had just stuck to Barbara's wedding & Shelagh giving birth because this season was so incredibly depressing overall it would have been nice to have a strictly happy episode.

On 3/13/2017 at 6:16 AM, MissLucas said:

I'm just a bit upset poor Sister Maria Cynthia is still in mental limbo.

 

3 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

Side note: I hope Sister Mary Cynthia comes back well. 

Not sure if this should be a spoiler or not, so just in case I'll make it one.

Spoiler

Bryony Hannah has left the show, so Sister Mary Cynthia won't be coming back. http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-20/call-the-midwife-stars-bryony-hannah-emerald-fennell-and-kate-lamb-wont-be-returning-for-series-seven

[JeanneH]

25 minutes ago, GaT said:

Not sure if this should be a spoiler or not, so just in case I'll make it one.

  Reveal hidden contents

Bryony Hannah has left the show, so Sister Mary Cynthia won't be coming back. http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-20/call-the-midwife-stars-bryony-hannah-emerald-fennell-and-kate-lamb-wont-be-returning-for-series-seven

Well that's going to make things interesting.

[abbyzenn]

I love this show and think it doesn't receive the attention it should.  While I find some of the stories incredibly sad, rarely do I actually cry (I can still tear up about the early story about Jenny and the old Vet living in squalor) but last night I did with Wilma's death.  She just seemed such a delightful person and I chuckled how excited she was about her job - I could see her being a great sales woman.  I thought the storyline would be about a conflict between her and her husband when he found out about her talking the pill so I was shocked at the turn it actually took.

I really like Barbara and hope that just because she isn't living in Notalus House next year they don't write her out or limit her appearances.  Trixie seems to have plenty of money to spend on fancy clothes so I wonder if its just that Barbara is so used to being frugal.  Loved that everyone chipped in to help her buy a wedding dress.  And it was so sweet that she asked Phyllis to be her bridesmaid.

I actually thought the Sheligh birthing scenes went on far too long.

They just don't make enough episodes of this show and it's far too long between seasons!

[mbutterfly]

9 hours ago, jaybird2 said:

i thought the pill came out later than '62.  i thought it came out about the time abortions were legalized.

I was married in 1962 and my father, a doctor, suggested I take the pill. I didn't because I wanted to have a baby right away. And sure enough I did. 

[jschoolgirl]

10 hours ago, Ohmo said:

Yeah, I do think that the writers could have fleshed out a bit more that Wilma was taking the pill incorrectly.  That point got kind of lost...it wasn't just that she smoked.  It was that she was taking more than one pill at a time and the way the scenes were shot made it seem like she was taking pills more than once a day.

I wonder if that was more evident in cut scenes, which would be unfortunate.

[AZChristian]

Another outstanding episode.

The only thing that seemed unrealistic to me was Patrick sitting behind Shelagh in the bed to support her while she was giving birth.  Isn't that a fairly recent thing?  It truly was rare for the husband to even be in the room during childbirth in those days (my last child was born in 1967, and men were just then reluctantly being allowed in - if they wanted to be).  

I cried all the way through the wedding and carousel scenes.  Then I realized this was the last episode until Christmas . . . and I REALLY sobbed then.  I so love this show.

[anna0852]

I figured since Sr. J was the midwife and Patrick is a doctor, she gave him a pass on being in the room. Had Shelagh been in a hospital Dr. T probably wouldn't have been allowed in.

[AZChristian]

14 minutes ago, anna0852 said:

I figured since Sr. J was the midwife and Patrick is a doctor, she gave him a pass on being in the room. Had Shelagh been in a hospital Dr. T probably wouldn't have been allowed in.

But did you think his positioning (behind her in the bed) was odd?  If he was barely allowed in the room, having him in bed with her just seemed unrealistic to me.  I can see allowing him (especially as a doctor) crouched next to her, holding her hand, and perhaps holding her up a bit to help with pushing.  But in the bed???  That seemed anachronistic.  What's next?  Water births???

[SheTV]

12 hours ago, BooksRule said:

It was before my time, but I remember reading something bout the Pill being much stronger (not sure if that's the right word) in the beginning.  As, Calvada stated, Wilma was a little overweight, she smoked and we saw her take three pills at once at least one time.  I'm hoping they'll revisit the topic next season and we'll get more about what people thought about it back then.  

My mother was one of the early users of the first birth control pills in 1960/1961.  She was THRILLED to have a reliable way to prevent pregnancy after five children and four miscarriages over the course of 16 years.  She, like Wilma, developed blood clots in her legs and had to stop using them.  Fortunately, the blood clots were discovered and treated before anything catastrophic happened. 

P.S.  I was born in 1962!

[Suzysite]

Quote

Edward Patrick Turner, but will be called Teddy.

So when he grows up he'll be Ted Turner.

[MissLucas]

2 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

I wonder if that was more evident in cut scenes, which would be unfortunate.

It's been a while since I saw the episode but IIRC she fell asleep with hubby on the new sofa one night and the next day she took two pills. It wasn't quite clear (or my memory's shabby) but I thought she had forgotten to take the pill the day before and panicked and took two or more pills at once. And yes, early pills had higher hormone levels.

[LittleIggy]

I was hoping the Turners would name the baby "Julian."

[SunnyBeBe]

I loved this episode.  It made me sad and then glad.  A carousel is one of my favorite things.  OMG, what fun for a wedding reception.  It's fun for people of all ages.  How perfect.  What a magical day that will be remembered and cherished forever.  Will this start a trend?  lol

I can barely wait to see what's in store for the characters.  

[proserpina65]

On ‎03‎/‎15‎/‎2017 at 2:53 PM, OnceSane said:

Although I'm glad Patsy & Delia finally had an onscreen kiss

That wasn't their first on-screen kiss.  But I was so hoping that Patsy would just show up at the end, and then she did.  Yay!

[skippy]

I predict a romance between Phyllis and Barbara's father.

[peaceknit]

There were so many emotional scenes in this finale, that I cried like a baby! Shelagh's posterior birth touched me too, as two of my four sons were posterior, the first and the last. It really is much harder than a normal position, and I felt for her! It was kind of weird seeing her hubby behind her. Most men just did not do that. Also timely was the bit on menopause. Those hot flashes can be beastly!

And yes, you could see the blood clots coming with her leg pain, and popping three at a time, etc. So sad, and she left her husband with three little ones to care for.

Barbara's wedding cape was lovely!

[anna0852]

2 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

I was hoping the Turners would name the baby "Julian."

They named their ddaughter Angela Julienne 

[jschoolgirl]

1 hour ago, skippy said:

I predict a romance between Phyllis and Barbara's father.

That would be pretty interesting, since one is a cleric -- and a foreign missionary -- and the other is a freethinker.

I wonder how much a carousel would have cost and how much time it would take to order and set up.