S07.E00: Christmas Special 2017

[sigmaforce86]

22 hours ago, Fireball said:

I enjoyed last year Christmas special because it was different, but it was nice to be back in Poplar. However, I did find the main stories to be predictable.

The predictable:

• Barbara & Tom leaving wasn’t shocking; as soon as they started talking about a new church I was oh show just stop we know they are going to take the position. I would have been surprised if the show had had them stay.   So is this how the show will write out Barbara & Tom? It fits the shows pattern “have the character leave for some reason (going to see a dying father, going to a silent house, leaving for the motherhouse etc. etc. etc.) then have them come back for an episode only to be written out again. The only character that didn’t follow this pattern was Trixie when she stayed in Africa.
• However, ever sense Jenny left I've felt that Trixie has become more of the protagonist, so her not following the pattern makes since.

Other thoughts:

• I liked that we saw Reggie again; I like when shows don’t forget about characters.
• Fred dressed up as a women was hilarious; although, I didn’t get why they were doing Jake and the beanstalk for a Christmas play?
• Phyllis is getting a new romance with the grumpy policeman; not exactly excited about the prospect.
• Trixie/Helen was so very very obviously pregnant! This is probably mean, but I think Helen looks better with a bit of weight on her face. When she’s so thin she reminds me of the "big-eyed waifs paintings" by Margaret Keane.

 

• I don't know what the show really plans for Barbara & Tom but it would be easy for them to come back because the story should pick up in the spring.  So even if they miss the first couple episodes the idea of "our six months there are up" wouldn't be weird.  Unless they both want off the show; but I imagine Jack wants to stay as long as Helen is staying.  But hoping they at least pop up for a few episodes and are staying.  Barbara can be a bit bland at times but they're both good characters and the show really does need them.  Also loved how the nurses were with the baby when they called for Tom but Barbara realized what was needed and ran to comfort Valerie
• Trixie is definitely the lead now which I sometimes think must make Jennifer Worth spin in her grave since from what I've read she didn't much like the real life Trixie who was more flighty and a little more like Season 1 Trixie.
• I love seeing Reggie, and that Fred and Violet didn't just dump him in the home and leave him there (as many would especially in that time period).  I saw the three of them in a TV interview and Daniel Laurie has the most amazing red hair; I never noticed it in the show because it's slicked back.
• Others answered the Jack & the Beanstalk question but had to add........being from the US I didn't get it either or why it's called "pantomime" which I associate with no talking at all.  But being a HUGE fan of Collabro I learned about it recently because the boys were all posting on-line about being in Panto performances for the Holidays (Beauty and the Beast, Peter Pan, Aladdin and Snow White - not exactly standard Christmas plays).  I had to look up why it was called Panto and why these plays so by the time CTMW aired it made sense but I was confused at first too.
• The policeman being a guy for Phyllis was as telegraphed as the baby coming back to life and I'm not sure I like the idea but maybe that's because his grumpy, bossy character was a bit too over the top.  His first appearance comes across as a guy who only knows how to yell and boss people around.  Far cry from Sgt Nokes who was a bit more even keeled.    I'll take a "we'll see" on that one
• Helen is so, so thin it must have been hard to hide her, good thing it was a snow episode so they could at least use coats and blankets.  I think they did a pretty good job; the fans that watch all the time aren't going to be totally fooled anyway so the best they could hope for is probably not making it really obvious.

Going to be hard waiting for spring!

[proserpina65]

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 9:44 AM, JudyObscure said:

@AZChristian, So sorry to hear you went through all that. 

I can understand a woman being too timid to speak up for herself or to set off into the unknown with no money or prospects, but I would have thought maternal instincts would have made any of us brave enough to step up and protect our children.

The psychology of abused women can be really difficult to understand from the outside.  I struggled with that watching this episode, but never having been in that position, I just accepted that part of what was a pretty intense storyline.

[proserpina65]

7 hours ago, misgabi13 said:

I agree .... I prefer to read a recap - can't listen to the podcasts (sorry guys!!!).

I never watch/listen to podcasts (not even sure which it is), but can we get a recapper who doesn't hate pretty much every male regular on the show?  Tom was having doubts about leaving one desperately poor area which needs his help to go to another - even for a curate, that wasn't unreasonable.  And Dr. Turner is not perfect, but that makes him human, and mostly wonderful.  A doctor would need help with a busy practice, and it's not like he asked Shelagh to come back; in fact, he was pretty surprised that she did.

[marceline]

I'm doing a rewatch and I just realized that when the Phyllis and the boys are building the igloo, the children are out there in shorts. It's bizarre. Is that historically accurate?

Edited December 28, 2017 by marceline

[helenA]

I enjoyed this xmas special overall but the “ miracle” baby coming back to life, that was really inaccurate .

Let’s analyze the situation again ...

1) Baby was unresponsive and not crying and Val did everything she could to resuscitate him, but I think that his “ death” was declared to soon .

Why didn’t neither Val nor Trixie ever considered having a listen to his heart and lungs with a stethoscope ? This way they can determine for sure if he is dead or alive ? If they don’t have a sthethoscope , then I know it’s hard given the weather conditions ) but bundle him up and rush him to either

A) Nonnatus House where at least one other midwife would be home and they have the equipment they need to check him out .

B) The maternity home where Dr. Turner and one of the midwives is working.

C) The hospital

All these places have ppl who can confirm that he is indeed alive .


2) Even if the baby was alive at birth , he would have suffocated within seconds of being placed inside the medical bag after being declared “ dead “. Therefore, it is scientifically impossible for him to have his first cry about half hour after he was placed in the bag. Valerie almost reached Nonnatus House by the time the baby cried, in real life he would certainly have died by that time .

3) I know the weather conditions are bad and the whole community is out of power but the Maternity Home seems to have adequate power and warmth. This being said, why wasn’t the poor woman who lived in an unheated and cramped Caravan offered a hospital or maternity home birth ? I know everyone wants to give birth at home, but all homes need to be inspected ( as they were strict on doing in the early seasons of this show ) and their caravan doesn’t pass the test . As I said before, if only she has given birth in a medically adaquate place, non of this BS might have happened .

Is it just me or does anyone else think that this story is absolute BS. I to,d this to my friend who doesn’t watch CTM and even she thinks this is BS.

[helenA]

The baby wasn't without oxygen. I think it was Sister Julienne who said that his breathing must've been so shallow and his heartbeat so faint that it didn't register with Val. She didn't have a stethoscope. Also something about her filling his lungs. I thought the baby would "revive" when the hot water bottle was put in with him. Took long enough! 

I don't usually watch things that set out to make me cry, but for some reason I just can't quit CtM.   

yeah the baby story is the one that frustrates me. wouldn’t he be killed after being in the bag for a good half hour? Hello suffocation ?

[JudyObscure]

17 hours ago, Pentwater said:

Oooh, I loved Captain Kangaroo from his very first bluster. 

I thought he was a good match for Nurse Crane because I remember what a gruff stickler for rules and regulations she was when she first entered the Poplar world.  I think she's the perfect person to teach him to lighten up and if Chummy's policeman has gone off to join her, then the midwives really need another nice copper or their side.

[theatremouse]

16 hours ago, PuhLeeze said:

The baby wasn't without oxygen.

He was born blue. In the shot of him being delivered, with just his head poking out, he already looked dead. I am not a doctor, but shouldn't he have been warm in the womb even if it were cold in the caravan? Born blue to me says he was without oxygen for a time. Ie we can't blame that blueness on weather.

I interpreted the sequence of events as: born deprived of oxygen, the CPR worked, but because his breath and heartbeat were so faint Valerie didn't realize it, because it was cold he didn't pink up in those few minutes after CPR and before Valerie left. Hot water bottle did pink him up. I don't think that bag was air tight enough to suffocate him, and it being closed probably kept in the warmth.

So... I'd call it highly improbable but not completely absurd.

[StatisticalOutlier]

20 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I think you are looking for "procrastinator".

^^This is related to Tom being called a "prevaricator" when waffling about whether to take the other position.  I thought of "procrastinator," but I don't think it fits, either.  To me, procrastinating is putting off doing something.  I suppose it could also apply to putting off making a decision, but there are better words for that.  So I still don't know what word I'm thinking they meant to use, but I definitely think "prevaricator" was wrong.

 

5 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

Helen is so, so thin it must have been hard to hide her, good thing it was a snow episode so they could at least use coats and blankets.  I think they did a pretty good job; the fans that watch all the time aren't going to be totally fooled anyway so the best they could hope for is probably not making it really obvious.

I watch all the time, and I had no idea they were disguising a pregnancy.  But I just watch the show--I don't know anything about the people who are acting in it.  Except I surfed by "Walkabout" on TV the other day and noticed that the description said Jenny Agutter is in it, so I watched for a minute and there was that head nun.

 

1 hour ago, marceline said:

I'm doing a rewatch and I just realized that when the Phyllis and the boys are building the igloo the children are out there in shorts. It's bizarre. Is that historically accurate?

I know nothing about England, but I do have something in my head (probably from the movies) about how little boys don't wear long pants until they hit a certain age, and it's kind of a big deal when they get their first pair.  I also don't have kids, but it seems to me they operate like little furnaces.  I was all bundled up inside a restaurant the other day, and there was a girl about 6 years old wearing a filmy sleeveless dress and no tights and she seemed fine.

Hmm...I just did some internet searching, and the no-trousers-before-a-certain-age thing is apparently for the upper classes, which wouldn't apply to the kids in Poplar.  Maybe they were just aspirational. 

http://people.com/royals/why-is-prince-george-wearing-shorts-outside-in-november/

[dargosmydaddy]

2 hours ago, helenA said:

I know the weather conditions are bad and the whole community is out of power but the Maternity Home seems to have adequate power and warmth. This being said, why wasn’t the poor woman who lived in an unheated and cramped Caravan offered a hospital or maternity home birth ? I know everyone wants to give birth at home, but all homes need to be inspected ( as they were strict on doing in the early seasons of this show ) and their caravan doesn’t pass the test . As I said before, if only she has given birth in a medically adaquate place, non of this BS might have happened .

She went into labor four weeks early, so perhaps a maternity home birth was planned for, but went out the window when she was in active labor. Valerie didn't seem to think she was headed for anything other than a "reassurance call" when she went over there. Admittedly the ambulance had an easy enough time getting there with the incubator, but maybe they don't like to move women in active, seemingly non-problematic labor back then?

[howiveaddict]

What I couldn't get over was the nurses wearing dresses , in the snow to make their rounds.    I would think in that situation, they would be allowed to wear a pair of pants to at least keep their legs warm  and dry until they got indoors.  I remember in grade school, we would do that.  Pants were not allowed for girls at school back then.  I know they all, but Trixie had on heavy hosiery.  I know how cold my scrubs are in weather like that and they cover my legs. If it snows, I wear sweat pants over my scrubs until I get to work.  And that is just to get from the car to the hospital.  

[Driad]

18 minutes ago, howiveaddict said:

What I couldn't get over was the nurses wearing dresses , in the snow to make their rounds. 

And apparently regular shoes instead of big warm boots.  Didn't people have galoshes at least?

[Epeolatrix]

How realistic is that Call the Midwife Christmas stillborn storyline?

“We would never do anything that we didn’t have the complete 100% backing of our midwife,” Heidi Thomas explained at a press event in London. “It is based on a true story – and we had a midwife and a paediatrician on set at all times.” She added: “Most of our stories are sparked by a true story that happened to somebody, somewhere, at some point.

“And then we investigate them with our medical personnel and look at all the corners of it, we build it up from the ground and we film it with absolute veracity.”

[ali59]

Quote

Did anyone else notice that whoever it was who as talking to Barbara about how Tom couldn't make up his mind about the new position--I can't keep the nuns straight even after all these years--anyway, she said she never thought of Tom as a prevaricator, but I don't think that's the right word.  I thought he was just unsure and waffling, and I think there's a word that starts with "p" for that but I can't for the life of me think of what it is.

Quote

I think you are looking for "procrastinator".

Quote

^^This is related to Tom being called a "prevaricator" when waffling about whether to take the other position.  I thought of "procrastinator," but I don't think it fits, either.  To me, procrastinating is putting off doing something.  I suppose it could also apply to putting off making a decision, but there are better words for that.  So I still don't know what word I'm thinking they meant to use, but I definitely think "prevaricator" was wrong.

Prevaricate is definitely the wrong word - : to deviate from the truth.  Procrastinate sort of works - to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.  Vacillate would be a more accurate word -: to waver in mind, will, or feeling : hesitate in choice of opinions or courses.  Sorry, no other "P" word in site.

[Kohola3]

Quote

I would think in that situation, they would be allowed to wear a pair of pants to at least keep their legs warm  and dry until they got indoors.

You'd think so but when I was a new nurse in the early 70's, pants were strictly forbidden even for Visiting Nurses who made house calls in the dead of winter.  Just not done!

[Ceindreadh]

8 hours ago, Violet Impulse said:

How realistic is that Call the Midwife Christmas stillborn storyline?

“We would never do anything that we didn’t have the complete 100% backing of our midwife,” Heidi Thomas explained at a press event in London. “It is based on a true story – and we had a midwife and a paediatrician on set at all times.” She added: “Most of our stories are sparked by a true story that happened to somebody, somewhere, at some point.

“And then we investigate them with our medical personnel and look at all the corners of it, we build it up from the ground and we film it with absolute veracity.”

I don’t care how realistic or plausible it was, it made me feel very manipulated emotionally speaking. I was sobbing so hard I could barely follow the story and then they turn around and go “look a happy ending, yay!”  I felt like they’d cheated me out of the tears I’d shed and it just left a bad impression on me. 

[AZChristian]

4 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

I don’t care how realistic or plausible it was, it made me feel very manipulated emotionally speaking. I was sobbing so hard I could barely follow the story and then they turn around and go “look a happy ending, yay!”  I felt like they’d cheated me out of the tears I’d shed and it just left a bad impression on me. 

I felt the same way about the mother/abused daughter story line.  

[proserpina65]

16 hours ago, howiveaddict said:

What I couldn't get over was the nurses wearing dresses , in the snow to make their rounds.    I would think in that situation, they would be allowed to wear a pair of pants to at least keep their legs warm  and dry until they got indoors.  I remember in grade school, we would do that.  Pants were not allowed for girls at school back then.  I know they all, but Trixie had on heavy hosiery.  I know how cold my scrubs are in weather like that and they cover my legs. If it snows, I wear sweat pants over my scrubs until I get to work.  And that is just to get from the car to the hospital.  

There was a required uniform, and unless the wearing of pants was part of the regulations, they wouldn't wear them no matter how cold it was.  The only time we've seen any of the characters in pants was when they were out of uniform.

[wonderwoman]

Quote

I, in my coffee shop, OPENLY SOB and probably very loudly from beneath my headphones.

what in the name if all that's holy, possessed you to watch Call the Midwife in public?  glad you did, and delighted to have the recaps back. but i was crying so hard, i dislodged one of my contact lenses.

[BetyBee]

The stillborn coming back to life story broke my heart.  It would be a dream come true for the parents of stillborns in my family, but sadly, it's not at all likely.  I felt manipulated as well, but I think it hit too close to home for me, just as the abused mother/daughter story did for others.  

[Ceindreadh]

3 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

There was a required uniform, and unless the wearing of pants was part of the regulations, they wouldn't wear them no matter how cold it was.  The only time we've seen any of the characters in pants was when they were out of uniform.

We saw Trixie wearing trousers on duty once, in the episode where the patient was on a ship in the docks and they had to climb to get aboard. 

[proserpina65]

Just now, Ceindreadh said:

We saw Trixie wearing trousers on duty once, in the episode where the patient was on a ship in the docks and they had to climb to get aboard. 

Did we?  I haven't seen that one in a long while, so obviously I didn't remember.

[Ceindreadh]

Just now, proserpina65 said:

Did we?  I haven't seen that one in a long while, so obviously I didn't remember.

I thinnk it was early in S2. 

[Kohola3]

Nope, she was wearing a skirt.  And Sr. E climbed up in full nun regalia.

 

 

[MichelleAK]

11 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

I don’t care how realistic or plausible it was, it made me feel very manipulated emotionally speaking. I was sobbing so hard I could barely follow the story and then they turn around and go “look a happy ending, yay!”  I felt like they’d cheated me out of the tears I’d shed and it just left a bad impression on me. 

This may sound strange, but if it would have been a regular episode of CtM, I would have felt manipulated. However, Christmas episodes of all shows are usually meant to be "feel good" moments, so I always wave off anything that would be eye-roll worthy in a normal episode. As soon as that hot water bottle was put into the bag, I knew the baby would survive.

[ali59]

Quote

We saw Trixie wearing trousers on duty once, in the episode where the patient was on a ship in the docks and they had to climb to get aboard. 

Quote

Nope, she was wearing a skirt.  And Sr. E climbed up in full nun regalia.

She went back later wearing pants to say good bye.

[WatchrTina]

58 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Nope, she was wearing a skirt.  And Sr. E climbed up in full nun regalia.

That true the FIRST time.  But when Trixie came back to the ship to make an anti-natal check on the baby she was sporting capri pants like Laura Petri on the Dick van Dyke Show.  They made rather a point of how she was granted permission to be out of uniform for that particular "house" call.

Edited December 28, 2017 by WatchrTina

[Jeffurry]

Quote

"I almost felt like splashing out on a great big, black 'titfer,' just to show him who's boss, now."

"What's a 'titfer?'"

"If anyone in Poplar knew, perhaps we wouldn't have had this milk situation."

[howiveaddict]

While slacks were not the proper uniform, I would think that in case of snow, freezing temps, they would be allowed under the dress, to be taken off when arriving at their destination.  I know though, that regulations were very strict  back then.    That being said, the nursing school I attended, first allowed a pant suit uniform,  when I was  a pupil in 1976.  When my mother attended nursing school, in the mid 50s, pants were never allowed at all.  They had to roll their pant legs up and wear a long coat to leave the dorm to socialize.

[Kohola3]

Quote

"What's a 'titfer?'"

According to the English Oxford Living dictionary, a titfer is a hat.  So she wanted to show the stingy bastard a thing or two by spending money on a new black hat.

[Epeolatrix]

Titfer comes from rhyming slang: tit-for-tat = hat.

[Fireball]

Quote

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 7:18 AM, sigmaforce86 said:

 

• I don't know what the show really plans for Barbara & Tom but it would be easy for them to come back because the story should pick up in the spring.  So even if they miss the first couple episodes the idea of "our six months there are up" wouldn't be weird.  Unless they both want off the show; but I imagine Jack wants to stay as long as Helen is staying.  But hoping they at least pop up for a few episodes and are staying.  Barbara can be a bit bland at times but they're both good characters and the show really does need them.  Also loved how the nurses were with the baby when they called for Tom but Barbara realized what was needed and ran to comfort Valerie
• Trixie is definitely the lead now which I sometimes think must make Jennifer Worth spin in her grave since from what I've read she didn't much like the real life Trixie who was more flighty and a little more like Season 1 Trixie.
• Helen is so, so thin it must have been hard to hide her, good thing it was a snow episode so they could at least use coats and blankets.  I think they did a pretty good job; the fans that watch all the time aren't going to be totally fooled anyway so the best they could hope for is probably not making it really obvious.

• Oh I agree that the show left it open so they can bring back Barbara & Tom. I do hope they don't pull a Chummy & Peter where they bring the couple back and we only see Peter. If the actress playing Barbara doesn't want to come back, I want the show to write out Tom too. Or if the show doesn't have any storylines for the couple I'd also prefer they don't bring them back.
• I do think the show did the best they could with hiding the pregnancy. However, even if I hadn't know that the actress playing Trixie was pregnant I would have been wondering if she was; anytime a character that usually wears tight fitting clothes and is always front and center in photos starts wearing big coats, holding bags in front of her belly, and being placed in the back of groups I think oh the actress is pregnant.
• I know I'm in the minority, but I really wish Trixie wouldn't get so much screen time/all the big speeches/saving the day/etc.  this episode wasn't bad, but Trixie still got the big scene/speech with telling the parents about the miracle baby.  I guess it's inevitable that I don't like the lead. I didn't really like Jenny and now Trixie is getting on my nerves

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 1:31 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

As for Trixie preparing them, that made me mad.  I don't think she needed to come bursting in screaming, "IT'S ALIIIIIIVE!!!" but hey, it's good news.  Just tell them, and don't make them wait a single nanosecond longer than they have to.

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 1:44 PM, Brookside said:

I totally agree about Trixie.  She made it worse by making it sound as though she was consoling them for the death.

I agree that whole speech of Trixie's didn't work. It went on and on and really seemed like she was consoling them. My personally opinion is that if it was any other character telling the parents the good news that the "speech" would have been short and straight to the point, but whenever it's Trixie the writers give her these long long speeches. I noticed that the writers started doing this when Trixie became the lead. 

Edited December 29, 2017 by Fireball
Quote all messed up

[Ohwell]

41 minutes ago, Fireball said:

I know I'm in the minority, but I really wish Trixie wouldn't get so much screen time/all the big speeches/saving the day/etc.  this episode wasn't bad, but Trixie still got the big scene/speech with telling the parents about the miracle baby.  I guess it's inevitable that I don't like the lead. I didn't really like Jenny and now Trixie is getting on my nerves

I feel the same way.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 12/27/2017 at 10:14 AM, marceline said:

I'm doing a rewatch and I just realized that when the Phyllis and the boys are building the igloo, the children are out there in shorts. It's bizarre. Is that historically accurate?

I did a snippet of a rewatch, just to see the Turner kid smile in the panto, and right before that the scouts were collecting the milk bottles, in shorts.  I noticed they had knee-high socks with tassels on them, which seemed kind of fancy, but think they're probably wearing their scout uniforms under their coats (they had the scout hats on), so maybe that's why the shorts.

[Brookside]

I was born in the UK in the early sixties.  Boys wore shorts, girls didn't have trousers.  Anyone else remember defrosting milk bottles on school radiators?  (Before the days of Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher.)

[Barlowe]

On 2017-12-28 at 1:37 PM, BetyBee said:

The stillborn coming back to life story broke my heart.  It would be a dream come true for the parents of stillborns in my family, but sadly, it's not at all likely.  I felt manipulated as well, but I think it hit too close to home for me, just as the abused mother/daughter story did for others.  

 

 From the article linked above, "It is possible for a baby to be born with very faint signs of life and still survive, but often they will have some level of brain damage. While Thomas does not divulge the exact case that inspired this particular storyline, there have been recorded cases – for example, in 2015 Jacob Tomkin was born stillborn and didn’t start breathing for 22 minutes."

 

It's highly implausible that the baby would've surivied in the medical bag if it was tightly shut though

[Kohola3]

7 hours ago, Lilacly said:

It's highly implausible that the baby would've surivied in the medical bag if it was tightly shut though

Medical bags back then were not constructed so that they were airtight like a present day waterproof camera bag.  Kept the heat in, though.

Love that Reggie.  Love that he hated his hat and scarf - a good judge of sartorial elegance!

[latetotheparty]

5 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Medical bags back then were not constructed so that they were airtight like a present day waterproof camera bag.  Kept the heat in, though.

Love that Reggie.  Love that he hated his hat and scarf - a good judge of sartorial elegance!

Reggie is awesome. Just want to hug the stuffing out of him. 

[Fireball]

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 9:16 AM, NoThyme said:

Are Patsy and Delia gone for good?  

Sadly yes. I'm annoyed that Patsy and Delia are gone without any farewell.  I get why the actresses would want to leave the writers haven't really given either of them a storyline; Delia was suppose to become a midwife which never happened and there was a lot they could have done with Patsy but didn't. It's annoying that the writers just had these two disappear without any explanation; however, maybe they will make an appearance the first episode of next season to be written out.

On ‎12‎/‎26‎/‎2017 at 2:36 AM, Gulftastic said:

First we lose Patsy and Delia, now Barbara and Tom have gone! Stop getting rid of my favourites, CTM!

The show really is losing regulars right and left. It seems like the only original midwife we have left is Trixie. I know this isn't true since we have the Sister Julienne, Shelagh, and Sister Monica Joan, who were all in season 1, but they are/were all nuns. Out of the original midwifes Jenny, Chummy, Cynthia, and Trixie all we have left is Trixie.

 

Speaking of Shelagh did anyone else find it really weird that she would be talking about her breasts/her breast feeding routine in front of Timothy? I get that Shelagh is a midwife and Patrick is a Dr. and that Timothy says he wants to be a Dr. too, but it felt so out of place that Shelagh would talk about that in front of Timothy.  I buy Shelagh having this conversation with Patrick but not in front of her step-son. 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Fireball

[Kohola3]

Quote

 It's annoying that the writers just had these two disappear without any explanation; however, maybe they will make an appearance the first episode of next season to be written out.

I kind of doubt it. I thought that last season ended with their decision to go abroad, didn't it?  Somewhere more accepting of their relationship?

 

53 minutes ago, Fireball said:

Speaking of Shelagh did anyone else find it really weird that she would be talking about her breasts/her breast feeding routine in front of Timothy?

Obviously Timothy thought it was over the top but I have found that a lot of new moms tend to have no filters when talking about anything related to their babies.  Endless updates on feeding, rashes, bowel movements, vaccinations.  TMI at times, even for me, and I'm a nurse.

[Popples]

Just got around to watching this, and I'm so happy I picked up a 3-pack of tissues at the supermarket on Friday.

• Since Peter was so close to the midwives, it looks like the new police officer's relationship with them will be more of an abrasive one. I do not want him with Phyllis.
• It was so lovely to see Reggie again and that he's spends a lot of time with Fred and Violet.
• Timothy's "I have to go check the thermometer" reaction after Shelagh oversharing her breastfeeding schedule was great. Shelagh trying to put on that girdle was even better.
• They got me with thinking the baby was stillborn. Trixie could have delivered the news that he wasn't better than that.
• I detested the storyline to reconcile with an abuser's enabler. Even though they weren't as pushy like with the mother who had planned to give her child up for adoption to her cousin, because she could barely afford her other children, this one was so much worse to me.

[Fireball]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

I kind of doubt it. I thought that last season ended with their decision to go abroad, didn't it?  Somewhere more accepting of their relationship?

Did they? I don't remember that, but it's been ages since I saw that episode. But I thought Patsy and Delia shared a kiss and then Patsy said something like if I ever leave again I won't leave you.

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Obviously Timothy thought it was over the top but I have found that a lot of new moms tend to have no filters when talking about anything related to their babies.  Endless updates on feeding, rashes, bowel movements, vaccinations.  TMI at times, even for me, and I'm a nurse.

I guess the new moms I've been around haven't been like that.  The scene/conversation also for some reason felt too modern to me; I don't know why but it did. But then I also felt the way Patrick helped with the birth of their son was to modern. 

[Clanstarling]

On 12/25/2017 at 7:32 PM, Calvada said:

The funniest thing was how they were all ignoring the fact that Trixie was so obviously pregnant.  The dressing gown, cape, swing coat, and cow costume all came in handy to hide Helen George's pregnancy.

I never even noticed. I'll have to take another look, I generally notice these things right off. I guess I figured it was cold - so everyone was pretty covered up (though Val did look awesome in her Jack in the Beanstalk costume)

On 12/26/2017 at 0:20 AM, GaT said:

I don't remember Barbara & Tom getting married last season (I've blocked a lot of last season out of my mind), but they're obviously married now, I wonder if they'll be back for the new season.

Me too! When they got in to bed together, I was all "excuse me??"

I don't worry too much when characters go - it seems to me that the replacements have always fit right in and added new dimensions to the show. Doesn't mean I don't miss some of them, though.

[MissLucas]

Barbara and Tom married in the season finale. How can you forget hot, disheveled Tom after a night out with Fred and the boys? And then he hired a carousel for the wedding because of a childhood memory of Barbara, awww. It was all so romantic, there was lovely snow and Patsy and Delia finally kissed!

[GaT]

40 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Barbara and Tom married in the season finale. How can you forget hot, disheveled Tom after a night out with Fred and the boys? And then he hired a carousel for the wedding because of a childhood memory of Barbara, awww. It was all so romantic, there was lovely snow and Patsy and Delia finally kissed!

I really have no memory of this, my brain must have blocked out as much of the season as it could. I was not happy with last season at all.

[Kohola3]

Look familiar GaT?

 

[Clanstarling]

53 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Barbara and Tom married in the season finale. How can you forget hot, disheveled Tom after a night out with Fred and the boys? And then he hired a carousel for the wedding because of a childhood memory of Barbara, awww. It was all so romantic, there was lovely snow and Patsy and Delia finally kissed!

 

9 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Look familiar GaT?

 

The amusing thing for me, is that @MissLucas' description rang a vague bell - but the photo - not at all. How weird is that?

[atlantaloves]

I know what you mean, I block out every season because I cry my eyes out throughout every season. It is really getting too be way too much for my old brain to handle. I have to fast forward through so much death death death and just nasty people. I'm going to wait a while before I watch the latest Christmas special, sounds grim.

[Nessie]

On 12/27/2017 at 6:05 PM, StatisticalOutlier said:

^^This is related to Tom being called a "prevaricator" when waffling about whether to take the other position.  I thought of "procrastinator," but I don't think it fits, either.  To me, procrastinating is putting off doing something.  I suppose it could also apply to putting off making a decision, but there are better words for that.  So I still don't know what word I'm thinking they meant to use, but I definitely think "prevaricator" was wrong.

On 12/27/2017 at 8:22 PM, ali59 said:

Prevaricate is definitely the wrong word - : to deviate from the truth.  Procrastinate sort of works - to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.  Vacillate would be a more accurate word -: to waver in mind, will, or feeling : hesitate in choice of opinions or courses.  Sorry, no other "P" word in site.

I agree prevaricate is the wrong word, but I can see how the writers got there if they weren't paying attention.  Using @StatisticalOutlier's word "waffling", a synonym is equivocate, and prevaricate is a synonym of equivocate.  I also agree that vacillate (and vacillator) would have been a much better choice.

On 12/28/2017 at 11:32 AM, proserpina65 said:

There was a required uniform, and unless the wearing of pants was part of the regulations, they wouldn't wear them no matter how cold it was.  The only time we've seen any of the characters in pants was when they were out of uniform.

Right.  Sister Julienne even commented on Barbara's knitted hat not being part of the uniform.  I was a navy brat and spent 3 years in the highlands of Scotland in the late 70's/early 80's.  My school uniform included a knee-length skirt, and there were no exceptions for weather.  I had some extremely cold walks to/from school.

I was wondering why they didn't just move the clinic into Nonnatus House instead of down at the pub.  It's certainly big enough and looks like it has enough rooms.  But it seems it only has one bathroom (inside, anyway)?  That certainly wouldn't do for a roomful of women in various stages of pregnancy, even before Sister Winifred broke the toilet.

[caitmcg]

2 hours ago, Nessie said:

Right.  Sister Julienne even commented on Barbara's knitted hat not being part of the uniform.  I was a navy brat and spent 3 years in the highlands of Scotland in the late 70's/early 80's.  My school uniform included a knee-length skirt, and there were no exceptions for weather.  I had some extremely cold walks to/from school.

My mother went to high school in New York State in the ‘50s, and not only had to wear skirts to school (to which she walked) no matter the weather, she says her thighs would get so cold they’d practically chap from that walk, as there was not yet full length tights or hose then. At least the nuns and midwives (save Trixie) embraced long underwear.