S06.E07: Episode 7

[OnceSane]

Quote

Dr Turner is reunited with a couple whose daughter was born without limbs, and takes them to a specialist unit where she can be fitted for prosthetics. However, while the experience helps the girl's mother to realise that she is not alone, it proves traumatic for the father, who blames his wife for his child's condition. Nurse Crane takes charge of Sister Winifred's driving lessons, and Trixie thinks Christopher is hiding something from her.

[OnceSane]

Not the bucket of tears usually invoked, but I definitely teared up in spots.  Like the Thalidomide families meeting.  Just the way Mr. Mullocks said "This is our Susan."  But wow…that argument between Rhoda and her hubby before she took Susan to the hospital was a stab to the heart.  I did like Rhoda saying they needed to stop apologizing to each other in their family…and though she said it to her husband, you could tell she was speaking just as much (if not more) to herself.  I hope we continue to see the Mullocks throughout the series.

So Trixie's beau is a divorced father?  Interesting.  And I loved seeing Delia getting closer to the other nurses with her advice to Trixie.  So glad Trixie told Christopher about AA.  And it was nice to see Phyllis asking Delia about Patsy.

Speaking of Phyllis, the police station!  Her breaking down in the bathroom got me.  As did Sister Monica Joan trying to urge Phyllis to take up her work again.  I liked Sister Winifred helping find the truth of the accident, & the family joining the cubs at the end and introducing their new baby brother.  I also liked that we are seeing another interracial family and some of the problems they face(d).

[MissLucas]

I appreciate that they returned to the Thalidomide story although it was tough to watch. The woman Susan befriended at the hospital casually mentioning that each time she fills coffee into her thermos she congratulates herself that it's not gin was a fantastic line. As was Mr Mulluck's admission of the horror he feels when seeing the other children and his anguish upon realizing that this is what others might feel when seeing Susan. And the stories related at the meeting were really heartbreaking. On a side-note: Susan is really terribly cute.

I'm a bit confused that the puller of teeth's daughter is wearing Guerlain's l'heure bleu (expensive and definitely not the scent for a little girl). I guess she had borrowed her mother's silk scarf (although I have questions about that too). But I'm glad Trixie told him about her secret.

Nurse Crane's breakdown was shocking to watch. Also: a rare Sgt. Noakes sighting! I really liked the brief scene with Tom who tried to help Nurse Crane but respected her world-view. And Sister Monica Joan gently nudging her back into midwifery was also great.

If anything this episode was a bit over-stuffed. There was the Thalidomide story, Nurse Crane's crisis, the casual racism the interracial couple and their kids had to endure, Trixie's love woes and not to forget Timothy and the bassoon of love - that's a whole lot of plot!

Edited March 7, 2017 by MissLucas

[GinnyMars]

Did we know Phyllis was an atheist? Just this week I was thinking it'd be very nice to have one in the bunch, so that made me happy.

Valerie's comment about secrets that can get you prosecuted made me wonder if she could be a potential gay-lady replacement for Patsy if she doesn't come back (I avoid spoilers and casting news, so that's just speculation).

Very glad we're getting more of the Thalidomide story, but I could do without the very repetitive oh-so-much-guilt-oh-so-much-angst scenes between Dr Turner and Shelagh. Timothy's "bassoon of love" was a welcome addition to their storyline.

Edited March 8, 2017 by GinnyMars

[kieyra]

Not sure they ever said Phyllis was an atheist, but when she said as much I thought "yep, that sounds about  right". So it's nice that it felt true to the character.

Does anyone have any behind the scenes knowledge of how they're creating the shots of the thalidomide kids? I can't tell if they are all practical effects (although in some shots it was clear Susan was wearing a costume, basically, with her real arms tucked inside--she'd turn her head but the fake torso wouldn't move at all), or CG, or maybe some combo of both? 

Edited March 7, 2017 by kieyra

[MissLucas]

I thought Phyllis was an atheist or agnostic before this episode - but I can't remember how I came to that statement. They used a robot baby last year for baby Susan (the face being enhanced by CGI) but now that she's a toddler I guess it was a mix of costume/CGI for her and the other kids.

Edited March 7, 2017 by MissLucas

[OnceSane]

I don't have a link to it now, but apparently the show used prosthetics for Susan.

[Primetimer]

Rhoda Mullucks tries to help her daughter Susan start growing up, only to be obstructed by everyone from the local nursery school headmistress to Rhoda's own dumb husband.

View the full article

[jschoolgirl]

I love Lydia, and on the shallow end of the pool, Rhoda has some nice scarves!

Edited May 15, 2017 by jschoolgirl

[GaT]

On 3/7/2017 at 6:50 PM, OnceSane said:

I don't have a link to it now, but apparently the show used prosthetics for Susan.

Thanks, I was hoping she wasn't really like that & it was faked somehow. I'm wondering how they used the prosthetics on the children though, did they put them over whatever limbs they had, or did they amputate the limbs & just use the prosthetics.

I felt so bad for that poor mother whose daughter had no arms, eyes, or roof of her mouth, that poor child would have no life at all.

When Nurse Crane hit the boy, I thought for sure he was going to die. So glad the show didn't go in that direction, this season has been depressing enough as it is.

[MaryHedwig]

On ‎3‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 3:58 PM, GinnyMars said:

Timothy's "bassoon of love" was a welcome addition to their storyline.

Did I miss this scene? Could someone summarize it for me?

 

On ‎3‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 6:56 PM, MissLucas said:

Also: a rare Sgt. Noakes sighting!

Writers: Let me help you. Sgt. Noakes:  "Chummy will be over soon to offer the use of our car."

Edited May 15, 2017 by MaryHedwig

[jschoolgirl]

PBS apparently cut the bassoon scene. I didn't see it, either.

[Blackie]

wow I thought that was the best episode in a long while,

I couldn't catch what Sister MJ said when her and Phylis were winding the wool, something like she would rather "pound the treadmill in the workout and......"

Baby Susan is sooo cute

On ‎3‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 4:58 PM, GinnyMars said:

Did we know Phyllis was an atheist?

Did we know she was a vegetarian?  Didn't she start by making a comment about Tom eating meat.

[jschoolgirl]

7 minutes ago, Blackie said:

wow I thought that was the best episode in a long while,

I couldn't catch what Sister MJ said when her and Phylis were winding the wool, something like she would rather "pound the treadmill in the workout and......"

"Pound the treadle in the workhouse or pick oakum [from tarry rope]."

Oakum is gross-looking stuff. I used to work at a store that sold it.

[jschoolgirl]

She might have said "pound the treadmill in the workhouse" referring to working a mill.

Picking oakum was done in workhouses and prisons.

Edited May 15, 2017 by jschoolgirl

[anna0852]

26 minutes ago, Blackie said:

wow I thought that was the best episode in a long while,

I couldn't catch what Sister MJ said when her and Phylis were winding the wool, something like she would rather "pound the treadmill in the workout and......"

Baby Susan is sooo cute

Did we know she was a vegetarian?  Didn't she start by making a comment about Tom eating meat.

Yes, she said so in the episode in which she was introduced.

[jschoolgirl]

I hate to say it, but I wish Shelagh would adorably have her adorable baby and be an adorable family of five already.

But I love the Turners!

Edited May 15, 2017 by jschoolgirl

[Arynm]

Holy crap, I have never cried so hard in my life! Every damn scene had me boo-hooing like a baby. Give me a minute to compose myself show!

[LittleIggy]

Yeah, I wondered why a six year old would be wearing an expensive silk scarf and perfume! ;-)

[NeverLate]

This was a tough one to watch. I'm old enough to remember thalidomide babies. I'm glad we saw Susan again, and that  her story didn't just trail off. Its amazing what prosthetics look like now, compared to how they did. 

I wept with Phyllis, I think she's my favourite nurse. I'm not sure I could ever drive again if I hit a child, it took me a long time after I hit a stupid rodent for heavens sake. Sister Monica Joan knew how she was feeling, and offered to go with her, I love her as well.

I'm glad Trixie told her new guy she is an alcoholic, I was hoping she would.

This is so well done, I miss it when the season is over .Patsy, do come back! 

29 minutes ago, LittleIggy said:

Yeah, I wondered why a six year old would be wearing an expensive silk scarf and perfume! ;-)

I thought it belonged to his ex, perhaps she was in the car with their daughter. 

Edited May 15, 2017 by F. M.

[StatisticalOutlier]

Susan is beyond cute, but that kind of bothers me, like it's easier to love a thalidomide baby if she has a cute face.  I wonder about the one with no eyes and no roof of her mouth (cleft palate?), compared to Susan, who's possibly the cutest baby who ever lived, and how it's the cute one who's a character in this show and we will all love her.  And maybe even Susan's father is coming around a little more quickly because she's so cute. 

I think someone posted this link in the thread for the original thalidomide story:

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2017-05-13/how-call-the-midwife-filmed-thalidomide-birth-scenes

[MissLucas]

Timothy and the bassoon of love:

Timothy came home with a bassoon and declared to his perplexed parents that there was going to be a 'joint orchestra' with the nearby girls grammar school. Only vacancies left had been in the woodwind section. When Dr Turner gingerly pointed out that there are not that many great tunes for bassoon the answer was: 'No, but I get to sit next to Caroline Gillespie while I'm playing them.'

We later get to see the Turners outside Timothy's room bending over with laughter at the sounds coming from behind the closed door and Dr Turner saying that he hopes Caroline Gillespie better be absolutely gorgeous.

[Badger]

Not sure they ever said Phyllis was an atheist, but when she said as much I thought "yep, that sounds about  right". So it's nice that it felt true to the character.

Does anyone have any behind the scenes knowledge of how they're creating the shots of the thalidomide kids? I can't tell if they are all practical effects (although in some shots it was clear Susan was wearing a costume, basically, with her real arms tucked inside--she'd turn her head but the fake torso wouldn't move at all), or CG, or maybe some combo of both? 

I'm not sure about Philip, but all the other kids they used in this episode are actual amputees with the exception of Susan, of course.

[BusyOctober]

I don't remember the details, but I know Phyllis declared her atheism and vegetarianism in her first (or second) episode.  I can't go back and look it up, but I'm pretty sure she let everyone know at one of her first meals she didn't eat meat.  And I think Sister J invited her to prayers and Phyllis explained her view on religion.  I'm just glad it all worked out for Phyllis.  Sister MJ is amazing.

So glad to see baby/toddler Susan and her family.  Loved the other mom offering support and getting Rhoda involved in the thalidomide group.  The other mom, Lydia, was played by the actress who plays Miriam in "Home Fires".  I liked Lydia a lot more than Miriam.

[JudyObscure]

13 minutes ago, BusyOctober said:

The other mom, Lydia, was played by the actress who plays Miriam in "Home Fires".  I liked Lydia a lot more than Miriam.

I know!  What a range the actress has! In all her Home Fires episodes she was the very face of doom and gloom, so when she came along here with this  big bright smile and glowing face of cheer, I didn't recognize her for a minute.  Then I said, "Didn't you just die when a plane came through your delivery room?"

It was a gut wrenching show for sure.  The anger and grief from the thalidomide parents and the horrific guilt from Nurse Crane.  Too much really, how mean of PBS to deny us the one funny scene with Timothy's bassoon.

At least we have hope that Trixie will finally find happiness.

[angora]

Wow, what a difference another perspective makes!  I'd previously heard about the hospital in Roehampton in connection to thalidomide, in this poem/rap written by Mat Fraser, an actor/musician/writer who was affected by thalidomide, and his view of the hospital couldn't be more different.  In the poem, he talks about feeling like the artificial limbs were more about aesthetics than function, something to make the children look more "normal," and that limbs and fingers the kids could functionally use were sometimes amputated to help the (in his mind, all but useless) artificial limbs fit better.  As such, as soon as Dr. Turner said Roehampton to the Mulluckses, I was bracing myself and waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I'm so curious about what Valerie's secret might be.  I imagine it's in some way connected to her uneasiness when she came to Nonnatus and realized she had to share a room - they haven't picked up that thread since it was first brought up, but after her conversation with Trixie, I'm sure there must be something to it.

[AZChristian]

This episode was set in 1962.  My first child was born in 1965.  I was horrendously sick, and was given medication for it (not thalidomide).  There but for the grace of God . . . So I sat and sobbed during the scene when all the parents were talking about their babies.

They did give me something called Bendectin, which was taken off the market because of lawsuits a few years afterward.  

To this day, I thoroughly research ANY medication before agreeing to take it.  

[Calvada]

Felt terrible for Phyllis - I once came close to hitting a child (same scenario, not my fault, unattended child ran into the road) and I still can't drive on the street where it happened.  And this was over 25 years ago! 

I'm not sure why there is suddenly such urgency to have Sister Winifred get her driving license.  They don't have a car, right?  The one Phyllis drives is her property, isn't it?  Or will Fred find one for them, one that is constantly breaking down so that he needs to be shown tinkering with it in every episode? 

Did Delia mean that Patsy hadn't written her at all, or just hadn't written her about Patsy's father's death?

[BusyOctober]

A very small point in such a good drama, but it's one of those nitpicks that makes my brain churn...Trixie always looks like a million bucks, but I need to know.  How does she afford so many of those dresses and fashionable clothes?  She isn't from a wealthy family. The other girls may not have her high sense of fashion, but they must all get paid the same amount, right?  What do the other young nurses do with their money? They aren't dressing like Trixie. They don't have cars to upkeep.  Barbara is saving for her wedding/married life I guess?  Maybe the rest send money home to their parents? I don't think the nurses have to pay rent and meals are provided, so I'd guess their salaries would be low to reflect that. So if Trixie spends all her earnings on clothes and beauty treatments, that's fine. Maybe she earns a little extra b/c she's "head nurse"?  Or does she get paid to teach her exercise class?

[SunnyBeBe]

I'm so upset that I missed this episode.  i'll have to catch up pronto. 

[marceline]

Confession: Sr. Monica Joan usually annoys me. Or more accurately, I get annoyed by the way a lot of her more dangerous behavior is handwaved away but when she has these moments of lucidity - usually anchored in another person's pain - she's an emotional Wonder Woman. You can really see what kind of midwife she must have been back in the day. I do wish that Cynthia had been around for this story since she went through something similar.

It's time for Sr. Winifred to get a real story instead of just being comic relief. We know nothing about her. 

12 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

PBS apparently cut the bassoon scene. I didn't see it, either.

I find the editing of episodes annoying.

[jschoolgirl]

5 hours ago, angora said:

I'm so curious about what Valerie's secret might be.  I imagine it's in some way connected to her uneasiness when she came to Nonnatus and realized she had to share a room - they haven't picked up that thread since it was first brought up, but after her conversation with Trixie, I'm sure there must be something to it.

And she mentioned being prosecuted for whom you fall in love with. She might be a lesbian or have a gay family member or platonic friend. If she is gay, I hope they don't put her and Delia together, because it's just too easy. It would be like Grey's Anatomy -- nooooo!

4 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

A very small point in such a good drama, but it's one of those nitpicks that makes my brain churn...Trixie always looks like a million bucks, but I need to know.  How does she afford so many of those dresses and fashionable clothes?  She isn't from a wealthy family. The other girls may not have her high sense of fashion, but they must all get paid the same amount, right?  What do the other young nurses do with their money? They aren't dressing like Trixie. They don't have cars to upkeep.  Barbara is saving for her wedding/married life I guess?  Maybe the rest send money home to their parents? I don't think the nurses have to pay rent and meals are provided, so I'd guess their salaries would be low to reflect that. So if Trixie spends all her earnings on clothes and beauty treatments, that's fine. Maybe she earns a little extra b/c she's "head nurse"?  Or does she get paid to teach her exercise class?

They do pay for their rooms; it was mentioned, but I can't remember what episode.

I've wondered about the clothes, too. Maybe Trixie is a good secondhand shopper.

[jschoolgirl]

4 hours ago, marceline said:

It's time for Sr. Winifred to get a real story instead of just being comic relief. We know nothing about her. 

In one of the PBS insider pieces that they fill time with instead of giving us the unedited show, the actress says that Sister Winifred is beginning to figure out what she believes. So I guess we'll see.

[movingtargetgal]

I think Trixie may have her "fancy" clothes made.  Fred's cousin was a seamstress and when she was fitting a dress on Barbara, Barbara mentioned that Trixie had recommended her.  Trixie has also mentioned using household items in her beauty regime.  Trixie is a smart cookie and knows how to be glamourous on a budget.  She really makes it look effortless, yet I love her anyways.

[Ohwell]

7 hours ago, marceline said:

Confession: Sr. Monica Joan usually annoys me. Or more accurately, I get annoyed by the way a lot of her more dangerous behavior is handwaved away but when she has these moments of lucidity - usually anchored in another person's pain - she's an emotional Wonder Woman. You can really see what kind of midwife she must have been back in the day. I do wish that Cynthia had been around for this story since she went through something similar.

She usually annoys me, too, but this episode was the first one where I actually liked her.  Also, she wasn't stuffing her face with sweets.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

22 hours ago, anna0852 said:

22 hours ago, Blackie said:

Did we know she was a vegetarian?  Didn't she start by making a comment about Tom eating meat.

Yes, she said so in the episode in which she was introduced.

That's why Trixie made her an egg when everyone else was eating kippers for breakfast.

10 hours ago, Calvada said:

They don't have a car, right?  The one Phyllis drives is her property, isn't it?

Yes; even if Sister Winifred could drive, she wouldn't have had a car to take her to the laboring mother.  Would Phyllis have similarly scolded another one of the midwives whose bike had been unavailable? (Although perhaps Winifred should have told Fred that she was swapping bikes, since it was an emergency.)

Edited May 16, 2017 by ItCouldBeWorse

[SunnyBeBe]

Okay.  I watched and actually thought it was a very good episode.  The parents and babies with birth defects was so touching.  Their struggle  IS still going on. I just read an article about their lawsuit a few months ago!  

Can someone explain this to me.  I must have missed something.  When Nurse Crane came out of the apt building with Sister Winfred, after delivering the baby, she was scolding Sister Winifred for being late and saying that she would have gotten there faster, if she would have taken the car.  But, the car was already there.  So, how was Sister Winfred supposed to have driven it to the call if Sister Crane had already driven it there?  

Trixie looked just lovely.  That gold suit really suited her. And with that red coat!  Perfect.  That blue outfit was awesome too.  I like her hair much better at the current length.  I can't understand getting that upset over a new boyfriend holding back on having a child though.  She really does have a temper.  

[JudyObscure]

I agree, Nurse Crane was being unreasonable yelling at Winifred for being late.  I thought maybe she was just so upset over her patient having to endure so much pain, because she ran out of gas, that she was taking it out on Sister Winifred. That said, Sister Winifred should give up on driving and let someone else step in to learn, she doesn't even keep her eyes on the road and her speed down.  Those aren't things that you learn over time, they are actually two things that most serious, new drivers do to a fault.  Winifred is a dangerous combination of nervous, distracted and careless. 

[jschoolgirl]

16 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

  I can't understand getting that upset over a new boyfriend holding back on having a child though. 

That makes things more complicated and invites concern over what else might have been held back.

And she was holding back a biggie of her own, so she could be redirecting any guilt over not being more upfront earlier on into anger with Christopher over his withholding of information.

31 minutes ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

(Although perhaps Winifred should have told Fred that she was swapping bikes, since it was an emergency.)

Isn't she pretty short? She might not have been able to switch bikes.

[Brattinella]

The thalidomide stories break my heart.  I was born approx the same time as these babies, and my mother took another drug, DES, due to having multiple miscarriages.  Turns out it can cause cancer and sterility in the babies born.  The FDA and I assume, NHS, do not do their due diligence even now.  They let new drugs be sold willy-nilly until they get sued for damages.  SMH.

[txhorns79]

Quote

That said, Sister Winifred should give up on driving and let someone else step in to learn, she doesn't even keep her eyes on the road and her speed down.  Those aren't things that you learn over time, they are actually two things that most serious, new drivers do to a fault.  Winifred is a dangerous combination of nervous, distracted and careless. 

In fairness to Sister Winifred, I got the impression that driving with Phyllis makes her very nervous and self conscious.  That said, my heart broke a little for Phyllis when she had her breakdown in the bathroom.   

I did want everyone to be like: "We get it Delia!" when Delia was going on how people can't choose who they love. 

I also wished they had found a baby who was slightly more expressive than Susan and her dead eyes. 

[Blackie]

22 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

22 hours ago, Blackie said:

wow I thought that was the best episode in a long while,

I couldn't catch what Sister MJ said when her and Phylis were winding the wool, something like she would rather "pound the treadmill in the workout and......"

"Pound the treadle in the workhouse or pick oakum [from tarry rope]."

ok that makes sense, I couldn't imagine Sister MJ pounding he treadmill in the workout, if they even had treadmills then :)

[limecoke]

Quote

I can't understand getting that upset over a new boyfriend holding back on having a child though.  She really does have a temper.  

It was the early 60's .  Different times, different attitudes.  She just needed the time to think and realize she was keeping secrets too.  It didn't really look like temper to me.  

[NeverLate]

18 minutes ago, limecoke said:

It was the early 60's .  Different times, different attitudes.  She just needed the time to think and realize she was keeping secrets too.  It didn't really look like temper to me.  

I didn't see temper, I also think in her own way she's pretty fragile..

[jpgr]

I thought the actress playing Nurse Crane did a phenomenal job in this episode. She's always been pretty strict, but with a definite twinkle in her eye. After the car accident, that twinkle was gone, and her whole body language was so expressive of her distress. The light had gone out of her and it felt so real.

[Kohola3]

1 hour ago, Blackie said:

I couldn't imagine Sister MJ pounding he treadmill in the workout, if they even had treadmills then :)

Different type of treadmill.  These were big round things with steps on the outside generally used to turn some sort of wheel.  They were used to grind flour and being assigned to one was considered hard labor in prison situations.  

Has Sgt. Noakes lost weight?  His face looks a lot slimmer to me.  He was very gentle with the little boys when questioning them.  Must be because of his time with Young Sir.

I, for one, love Sister Monica Joan.  She manages to step up with the right stuff when the chips are down like helping with the birth and coaxing poor Phyllis along.  I know she annoys others but I think she's got the wisdom of those who have seen a lot and it pops out when needed.  Plus the line about "Nonnatus House, not a midwife speaking... " was a hoot.

I'm thinking two lesbian stories would be stretching it a bit. I think it's more likely she was mixed up with a married man.

[craziness]

Quote

They do pay for their rooms; it was mentioned, but I can't remember what episode.

I don't think the regular midwives pay rent.  To paraphrase Patsy when she was going to move in with Delia, the room was a perk but she didn't have to live there. But I think when Delia started to live at Nonnatous, that she paid rent since she wasn't a working midwife. Not sure if she pays rent now that she's a trainee.  It would be a pretty crappy job that included mandatory housing and rent payments (who knows how high the rent payments could be...).

[Brookside]

6 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

That's why Trixie made her an egg when everyone else was eating kippers for breakfast.

I think she eats fish because I believe in an earlier scene she told Celia she didn't think she could take any more fish. So, even though there were kippers, Celia kindly made her an egg.  (I think it was Celia not Trixie, but could well be wrong.

[cinsays]

10 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I also wished they had found a baby who was slightly more expressive than Susan and her dead eyes. 

Goodness.   Quite an unpleasant comment.

[txhorns79]

Quote

Goodness.   Quite an unpleasant comment.

I don't think so.  I thought it would have improved the story a great deal if they showed that Susan was just a generally normal, otherwise happy baby who happened to have deformities on her hands and feet.  Instead, she just sat there in most scenes with a blank look on her face.  Don't get me wrong, I understand they are dealing with infants who can't act on cue, but I think my comment stands.