S07.E06: Episode 6

[OnceSane]

Quote

Barbara helps a pregnant mother-of-two whose husband has recently died, and is on hand to give her support when a further tragedy drives her and her children from their home. Lucille teaches a health and relationships class at the youth club, only to encounter a furious mother who objects to her daughter attending. Sister Monica Joan goes into hospital for cataract surgery.

[OnceSane]

I absolutely adored Fred in this episode.  I mean, I usually do but he was particularly wonderful this week.  Loved him in everything, from welcoming the new family to the neighbourhood to reaching out to the Irish mother and letting her know she had support after her husband died.  And being the point man for fixing up the shop after the fire!  Just an all-around terrific guy.

Phyllis was also a hero!  How brave to make sure the whole family escaped the flames without a concern for herself.  So glad she was fine minus the smoke inhalation.

Sister Monica Joan and her hospital roommate had me rolling!  I laughed when they sang at the top of their lungs.  And Sister Monica Joan learned a new song!  But the best part was the roommate getting Sister Winifred to read the romance novel to them…second best was Shelagh taking the book home before giving it to the maternity home ladies.

Oh that mom!  You know the one.  I liked that Valerie wouldn't let her ruin the class for the teens no matter what.  And that Lucille realized that a little information will mostly help.  So messed up about the sister, though.  I can't imagine being put in a mental institution while of sound mind, and losing your mind after they take your baby.  I'm glad the sisters were reunited, but damn if that whole story didn't tuck with me.

[Calvada]

The diagnosis of "moral insanity" was unbelievable.  How could anyone do that to their child?  Although I must admit, there have been many in the news in the past year or two I would like to be called morally insane and locked up.  

Fred is just a peach, isn't he?  Such a decent person.  He sees something that needs doing and does it.  

[Primetimer]

And: the luck of the Irish sure seems to mean something different than we thought in our latest EPIC OLD-SCHOOL RECAP!

View the full article

[jschoolgirl]

On 3/2/2018 at 12:41 PM, OnceSane said:

I absolutely adored Fred in this episode.  I mean, I usually do but he was particularly wonderful this week.  Loved him in everything, from welcoming the new family to the neighbourhood to reaching out to the Irish mother and letting her know she had support after her husband died.  And being the point man for fixing up the shop after the fire!  Just an all-around terrific guy.

Fred annoyed me in the early seasons, but he has really become a great character. I love the scenes in their home as it reminds me of my Gram and her friends.

[Ohwell]

If Barbara dies, I'm out.

[jschoolgirl]

The timeline is very confusing, as the recap notes. In what amount of time were the Davidsons' lives upended and somewhat restored.

As for Sister Monica Joan and the cataract timeline, that is very consistent with the era. Gram had her surgery in early 1970s. You had to wait for the cataract to "ripen" or somehow be optimal for removal, and if both eyes were affected this just dragged it out more. There was a week in the hospital, and then considerable recovery time.

I had my cataracts off a couple of years ago, and it was in-and-out. It really was a big, big deal decades ago.

Cataract treatment has advanced, and so has smoke-damage remediation. I can't imagine being able to live in that flat in such a short time. And where did the new stock for the shop come from? How was it purchased?

[Blackie]

I thought for a second that Barbara had small pox, because in the "previously "scenes they showed the small pox guy, even though that story is done and not connected to anything.  The  one ongoing storyline they do have going on, Sister Monica Joan's surgery, is not even mentioned. PBS is driving me nuts, with their weird the edits, the "warning" ....because you might see a newborn baby??????....., putting stories that are done and not continuing in the "previously scenes".  Sorry, this show is just not what it used to be, I have to rant about something.  The scenes with Sister Monica Joan and her "roomie" were good, too bad the family scene had to be cut.

3 minutes ago, jschoolgirl said:

In what amount of time were the Davidsons' lives upended and somewhat restored

I liked that Fred got his group out to restore the shop, but smoke damage reeks, you can't just paint over it.  Maybe it will be ok in a smoke shop? And it would take quite a bit of time to clean and renovate a whole shop

[JustDucky]

Sister MJ does best when she is either the Voice of the Audience or on the front burner.  Back burner stories do not suit her.  So I'm glad she got to be in the spotlight this week.  Especially with that ribald roommate of hers.  

It's strange how the anti-sex-ed mom's thoughts mirror those of many today.  Strange and sad.  You'd think to prevent history from repeating itself that you'd teach it...

Are we going to put Barbara and all who love her through the wringer?  Why?  WHY?

(PS: long time lurker, first time poster.  *wave*)

[jschoolgirl]

4 minutes ago, Blackie said:

the "warning" ....because you might see a newborn baby??????

I know, they've done this with every show this season. It was very rare before.

[Rap541]

Quote

the "warning" ....because you might see a newborn baby??????

Well, it is pretty gross. I mean... ewww. 

[jschoolgirl]

3 minutes ago, Rap541 said:

Well, it is pretty gross. I mean... ewww. 

It wasn't done in previous seasons.

[ichbin]

13 minutes ago, jschoolgirl said:

As for Sister Monica Joan and the cataract timeline, that is very consistent with the era. Gram had her surgery in early 1970s. You had to wait for the cataract to "ripen" or somehow be optimal for removal, and if both eyes were affected this just dragged it out more. There was a week in the hospital, and then considerable recovery time.

I remember my uncle having the surgery in the 70's too.  What a difference between then and people having the procedure done today!  

Is there ever a good day in Poplar?  This show has become far too mired in melodrama.  Even if someone has something pleasant happens (like Trixie meeting the dentist) it seems there is always something terrible waiting waiting in the wings.  

[Ohmo]

1 hour ago, jschoolgirl said:

Fred annoyed me in the early seasons, but he has really become a great character. I love the scenes in their home as it reminds me of my Gram and her friends.

Agreed about Fred being an acquired taste.  Sometimes he can drive me bonkers because I find him to be too goofy,  but in this episode, he was just a genuinely good guy.  I also loved the nod to him being a widower and wanting to help Mrs. Davidson out.  The 1963 version of a distracted driving incident.

This episode seemed exceptionally packed with content.  We probably could have stuck at least one of the storylines in last week's episode about the Poplar Picnic.  I thought that episode was kinda slow.

I snorted during the scene in the class when the young girl mentioned what her sister said about girls going to the bathroom after sex.  There are so many examples of that type of incorrect information that has been passed down and continues to be to this day.

[rlc]

Seriously, Barbara can’t be home for a full episode before having a life threatening blood infection? Come on show, we need more of the tearful but heartfelt stories we expect from this show, not a constant fear of favorite kind-hearted midwives dropping off. Fix this, and let Barbara and Tom be happy for a whole week.

[craziness]

Read the recap and tried to note the PBS edits.  I may have forgotten one or two while watching so think they were edited out.  1.  Barbara going to the shop and buying flying saucers that taste like communion wafers (I think they taste like communion wafers too).  2. Val and Lucille being called into Sister J's office and the class being cancelled.  3.  Breakfast where Sister J says Sister MJ surgery went well and class is back on (at least both halves of the cancel/back on make sense).  4.  The Valentine family party at the hospital (would really like to see this).  5.  Barbara getting home all sooty after the fire and Tom helping.

May have been one or 2 more.  All in all a good episode.  Lots happened.  I liked the health class, I assume they've never had a class like this before.  And I wonder if that book or author really exists.

Also, when Val was talking to Elizabeth's mom at her apartment, did anyone else think Val looked like a different person?  When watching, I thought it was a different character.

Edited April 23, 2018 by craziness
Final thought

[Straycat80]

I used to work in surgery. They’ve come a long way in cataract surgery. It’s in and out now (day surgery).

Sister MJ and her roommate were funny! And their faces when Sister Winifred was reading them the romance novel was priceless.

Barbara is going to die isn’t she? So many actresses have come and gone From this show. :(

[AuntiePam]

On 3/2/2018 at 11:41 AM, OnceSane said:

Oh that mom!  You know the one.  I liked that Valerie wouldn't let her ruin the class for the teens no matter what.  And that Lucille realized that a little information will mostly help.  So messed up about the sister, though.  I can't imagine being put in a mental institution while of sound mind, and losing your mind after they take your baby.  I'm glad the sisters were reunited, but damn if that whole story didn't tuck with me.

Me too.  That story line needed more time.  Elizabeth's mother switched gears too quickly, from believing that her sister was some kind of vile sex-crazed monster, that sex education was filthy, fearing for Elizabeth's well-being, etc., to acceptance and understanding.  It should have taken more than just being told Lily was in an asylum, not reform school.

And we didn't really learn anything about how something like depression could keep a woman hospitalized for what, 25 years -- from 1938 to 1963 (or wherever we are now).  How did that happen and why is that woman still in an asylum? 

Tampons for virgins, heh.  A friend of my mom's said that I must not be a virgin if I was using Tampax.  This was in 1959. 

[Rap541]

My mom said that to me in 1986. That and only whores use tampons, and tampons cause you to die of toxic shock syndrome.

Mom didn't cotton to Tampax at all....

[LittleIggy]

1 hour ago, jschoolgirl said:

It wasn't done in previous seasons.

I’ve seen it every season. I always thought it ridiculous. Violence is fine but warn people about childbirth scenes!

One of my pet peeves is “You Are My Sunshine” being presented as a cheery song. It isn’t. It’s a “my woman left me for another man” song. The chorus is always taken out of context. Listen to the cover of it on the “O Brother, Where Art Thou” soundtrack. The guy is heartbroken.

Unfortunately, the prudish mother’s argument is still around today. Abstinence only teaching! As if that ever worked.

7 minutes ago, AuntiePam said:

.

And we didn't really learn anything about how something like depression could keep a woman hospitalized for what, 25 years -- from 1938 to 1963 (or wherever we are now).  How did that happen and why is that woman still in an asylum? 

 

Deinstititutionaling wasn’t a thing back then. 

[GaT]

3 hours ago, jschoolgirl said:

The timeline is very confusing, as the recap notes. In what amount of time were the Davidsons' lives upended and somewhat restored.

 

Yes, I wasn't sure how much time had passed after the husband died, it didn't feel like it just happened. I also found the Sister MJ timeline a bit confusing because at the end of the episode where she decided to get the surgery, it seemed like the scene with her & Fred was after surgery.

Barbara better not die or end up with some disease that incapacitates her for forever. This show is getting too depressing. It's very nice that the community rebuilt the shop & donated clothes for her kids, but the poor woman was in another country, her husband recently died, she gave birth to twins, & she's going to have to be the sole person taking care of a shop & 4 kids, & the other woman spent 25 years in an asylum just because she liked sex. Whoopee! her sister found her, well, that makes it better, except for the fact that she's actually insane now. Neither story is my idea of a happy ending.

[frogprof]

My DAD forbade my mother to use tampons after they were married. Why she didn't take one and shove it up his ... whatever ... I'll never know. She did, however, use them when I was growing up, so I guess she grew a pair after a while. I don't remember my using tampons ever being a subject of discussion when the time came, thank God.

[Bonzie]

My great-grandmother got pregnant when a teen (I believe it was the family friend whose wife was back home temporarily in Hungary). She bore a son who was sent to an orphanage. She was 16.  The boy died when he was 4. She then had another child and I don't know what happened to him/her. Then she had my grandmother when she was 20.

She and my grandmother were put in a mental institute when Grandma was 19 months old. Here is what the form said, "about 16 years old, she ran around and was incorrigible."

I suspect she was preyed upon by this family friend at least once. My grandmother appears to have come from someone else. So after this experience at 16, she started having sex and getting pregnant. So they put her away after the third birth. Her child went too.

According to grandma, it was very bad in there. I suspect that she had some very unpleasant things happen. They let her out at 18.  For the rest of her life, even after she married, she slept around with anyone and she was an alcoholic.

So for sure, parents DID put their daughters away. Was it her fault or was she taken advantage of? I'll never know. The mother died the age of 34 of heart disease while still institutionalized.  So tonight's episode resonated with me.

[Kohola3]

8 hours ago, craziness said:

Read the recap and tried to note the PBS edits.  I may have forgotten one or two while watching so think they were edited out.

I think you listed them all as I recall from the recap. Some were parts of scenes but I think leaving out the one where Sr. J cancelled the class was rather important.  And, again, the "extra" added on at the end was boring - I would rather have the deleted scenes!

 

6 hours ago, Bonzie said:

So for sure, parents DID put their daughters away.

How truly awful.  I can only imagine the sexual abuse that took place while she was there.  Poor souls.

[Blackie]

8 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

I used to work in surgery. They’ve come a long way in cataract surgery. It’s in and out now (day surgery).

That is why cataract surgery is so lucrative, in Canada anyways.  The surgeons are still paid based on doing long complicated surgeries even though now it is basically assembly line.

[sigmaforce86]

8 hours ago, craziness said:

Read the recap and tried to note the PBS edits.  I may have forgotten one or two while watching so think they were edited out.  1.  Barbara going to the shop and buying flying saucers that taste like communion wafers (I think they taste like communion wafers too).  2. Val and Lucille being called into Sister J's office and the class being cancelled.  3.  Breakfast where Sister J says Sister MJ surgery went well and class is back on (at least both halves of the cancel/back on make sense).  4.  The Valentine family party at the hospital (would really like to see this).  5.  Barbara getting home all sooty after the fire and Tom helping.

I thought this episode was Sister Julienne light especially since Sister MJ was having the surgery and I thought Sister J would be around more.  Now I know why since she lost two scenes in the US airing!

I've been holding this in for what seems like ages and it's been driving me crazy so I can say - I knew about Barbara all along and I was really pissed about it.  Not the story just the knowing.  It was my fault, I was reading news on a UK site and along the side of the screen they had headlines and the first few sentences of each article.  One was about the show and they spoiled Barbara right in the headline - I wasn't mad at the news site, it's UK after all and they show had already aired so they had every right to do it.  I was mad at myself for seeing it and tried to either forget or pretend I wasn't sure who they were talking about (they didn't mention her name it was just enough to figure out it was her).  Anyway I've been waiting for it and at the same time mad that I knew I was waiting for it.  Although from the preview last week I thought I was wrong about the character and something was going to happen to Phyllis in the fire instead ; I'm way to invested in this show!

Question; maybe they cover it next week or maybe they don't consider it important but do we know yet HOW she got the sepsis?  Just a cold that got out of control or did she get a cut in the fire that she didn't pay attention to or something else?  

Loved Phyllis being the rescuer, loved that Sister MJ's ward friend wasn't awed by her status as a nun and they had fun together, loved Sister MJ and her visualization and loved Shelagh and her sneaky "No I'm not reading this I'm perusing it for suitability that's a totally different thing" when given the romance book.  I expect to see that hidden in her nightstand drawer in a future scene!

[JudyObscure]

I always thought, "can't move your neck," meant spinal  meningitis.  I guess it can be a symptom for several things.   If they kill Barbara I'll be very upset, it's taken me this long to really warm up to  her.  It's one thing when a regular cast member leaves and the writers are forced to either kill her or make up a story about her leaving, but to bring her back only to kill her is a different thing.  That smacks of, "This is Us," level of "let's make 'em cry!"

[BusyOctober]

As mentioned in the recap (BTW- THANK YOU for bringing these back!), I thought the 180-degree attitude change from Mrs. UpRight & UpTight was too fast.  Her sister was put away in an institution for 25 YEARS.  She apparently never gave a thought to finding her or learning what happened until one of the sainted nurses of Nonnatus House enlightened her/gave her the idea?  Also, as a lifelong resident of the area, she never knew that Lark Hill was an asylum vs. reform school?  No one in her neighborhood, school, hair salon, church ever dropped the hammer to let her know what the place really was? And if she was conditioned from childhood that sex is bad, your body is sinful &  knowledge of either is sure damnation, I don't think she'd be convinced in a week to flip on her 40+ years of ingrained ideology.  As far as the fiction of the episode, I'm glad she found her sister.  I'm happy she's releasing some of the strangle hold on her daughter. I like that Val & Lucille took on sex ed and gave the "knowledge is power" speech.  

The timeline of the Davidson's story was weird too.  Smoke & fire damage are no easy fix.  All that community "Extreme Tobacconist Makeover" efforts were lovely re. the story line, but not realistic. And, not for nothing, but if I were Mrs. Davidson, I'd reconsider going back to Northern Ireland.  The "Troubles" (in Ireland in general & Belfast specifically) were horrific for generations of Irish, but let's be honest...Poplar isn't exactly free of "troubles" for anyone living there either!

[sigmaforce86]

Just want to add if they do kill off Barbara I won't be mad.  I'll miss her and want it to be where she lives next week but I won't be mad at the show if she dies die.  What would make me very mad at the writers is if Barbara dies and they put Trixe and Tom back together. Real life is fine, they're a cute couple but the characters don't belong together, that's well established so here's hoping they do not go down that road at all.  

Edited April 23, 2018 by sigmaforce86
mobile=tons of typos!

[Mulva]

What really got to me is that between today's airbags and seatbelts, Mr. Davidson would probably have walked away from that crash.

[whydoiwatch]

11 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

I thought this episode was Sister Julienne light especially since Sister MJ was having the surgery and I thought Sister J would be around more.  Now I know why since she lost two scenes in the US airing!

I have thought most of this season has been Sister Julienne light and this has really bothered me. In the earlier seasons I thought the nuns were more the focus of the show and for me that was more enjoyable.  The character of Sister Julienne is so kind and calming and the actress nails her scenes. After Sister Evangeline died, the show just hasn't been the same for me. I still watch and do enjoy it, but somehow the show seems to have lost what originally drew me to it.

Edited April 23, 2018 by whydoiwatch
spelling error

[plurie]

2 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

Question; maybe they cover it next week or maybe they don't consider it important but do we know yet HOW she got the sepsis?  Just a cold that got out of control or did she get a cut in the fire that she didn't pay attention to or something else?  

They seem to be implying that she has meningococcal meningitis with meningoccal sepsis. The "rash" is purpura fulminans, which is caused by bleeding into the  skin, and is indicative of meningococcemia.  The head ache and stiff neck are signs of meningitis.

[Blackie]

1 hour ago, whydoiwatch said:

I have thought most of this season has been Sister Julienne light and this has really bothered me. In the earlier seasons I thought the nuns were more the focus of the show and for me that was more enjoyable.  The character of Sister Julienne is so kind and calming and the actress nails her scenes

The scene with Sister Julienne and the thalidomide baby that was set aside to die killed me.  I was just bawling, the acting was so good, Now it just seems like they want to pack each episode full of "story", a lot of it which we in NA don't even get to see.  They don't seem to have any time in an episode for the "heart" of the stories. I am just not emotional moved as I used to be. This show used to motivate me to be a better health care provider and a better person, now I am just watching any show on a Sunday night.

[OnceSane]

2 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

What would make me very mad at the writers is if Barbara dies and they put Trixe and Tom back together. Real life is fine, they're a cute couple but the characters don't belong together, that's well established so here's hoping they do not go down that road at all.

Actually, in real life the two did end up together.  But I feel like the show has already decided to veer away from romantic Trixie/Tom.

[Ohmo]

Quote

What would make me very mad at the writers is if Barbara dies and they put Trixe and Tom back together. Real life is fine, they're a cute couple but the characters don't belong together, that's well established so here's hoping they do not go down that road at all.

That really wouldn't bother me because I don't agree that they don't necessarily belong together.  I'd say they didn't necessarily belong together at the time that they were together, but circumstances change.  People change.  I like Christopher, too, so I'd be fine with either Christopher or Tom for Trixie.  If Tom loses Barbara, that will be a huge blow for him.  Trixie has not had the easiest of lives.  Tom could possibly draw insight from her life experiences, and we have no idea how Trixie will be affected by her time away.  Hopefully, it will have a positive effect.  In terms of RL, if anyone here watches A Place to Call home, the actor and actress who play Jack and Carolyn are married IRL, and their characters are now also married.  I think it was done organically for that show, and I could see the same being true for Trixie and Tom (Helen and Jack).

Edited April 23, 2018 by Ohmo

[Popples]

I had to Google whether or not septicemia is contagious because I was worried Barbara could have passed it on to the babies. It'll be so annoying if they bring her back only to kill her off.

I was going to flip over all the furniture in the house if the show killed Phyllis in that fire.

Sister Monica Joan's roommate Maudie and her husband were hilarious. I was a bit worried about her being so upbeat that her surgery might go wrong.

[Kohola3]

Septicemia means that the infection is circulating in the blood but has some primary cause.

IF she has meningitis (which is probable) it could be viral, bacterial, or fungal.  Bacterial is very serious but can be treated by antibiotics if caught early.  Viral meningitis is usually milder and is usually not fatal.  Fungal is pretty uncommon and is not thought to be contagious.  There are other types as well.

Level of contagion depends upon the cause of the infection.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Septicemia means that the infection is circulating in the blood but has some primary cause.

IF she has meningitis (which is probable) it could be viral, bacterial, or fungal.  Bacterial is very serious but can be treated by antibiotics if caught early.  Viral meningitis is usually milder and is usually not fatal.  Fungal is pretty uncommon and is not thought to be contagious.  There are other types as well.

Level of contagion depends upon the cause of the infection.

As noted above, they specifically mentioned she had a rash which is classic for meningococcal meningitis.  This is a very contagious, bacterial infection that spreads quickly, especially amongst young people in close quarters (college dorms and army barracks) and can be rapidly fatal.  Nowadays, someone with the infection would be quarantined and anyone who had contact with them in the days before they got sick would be given prophylactic antibiotics.

[willowk]

Seriously, Barbara can’t be home for a full episode before having a life threatening blood infection? Come on show, we need more of the tearful but heartfelt stories we expect from this show, not a constant fear of favorite kind-hearted midwives dropping off. Fix this, and let Barbara and Tom be happy for a whole week.

totally agree. was thinking though that often when a show gives a character a big storyline its a prelude to disaster. Barbara was everywhere in this episode, so . . .

[willowk]

I too loved Sister MJ and Mrs. Valentine -shows what's been missing, Sister MJ hasn't had a best friend since Sister Evangeline died.

Was I the only one wondering if Lily's adopted baby would turn out to be one of the Davidsons? The kept switching between the two stories, and I thought they were going to connect them, so that Lily was reunited with her child and the Davidsons then had connections in Poplar. Am rather relieved they didn't do it, would have been too fantastical.

[Kohola3]

I loved the look on Sr. MJ's face when she opened her eyes. She looks like and adorable dork in those spectacles as does her new bestie.

[Ceindreadh]

9 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

 

 

9 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

The timeline of the Davidson's story was weird too.  Smoke & fire damage are no easy fix.  All that community "Extreme Tobacconist Makeover" efforts were lovely re. the story line, but not realistic. And, not for nothing, but if I were Mrs. Davidson, I'd reconsider going back to Northern Ireland.  The "Troubles" (in Ireland in general & Belfast specifically) were horrific for generations of Irish, but let's be honest...Poplar isn't exactly free of "troubles" for anyone living there either!

We’re still in 1963. The Troubles didn’t really kick off until closer to the end of the decade - although the seeds were sown much earlier. 

[marceline]

I don't believe they will kill off Barbara. Not with Trixie/Helen George being MIA. I suspect we'll get a vigil much like we did when Chummy gave birth to Freddie with lots of singing and praying then a recovery. It would be utterly nonsensical to kill Barbara. Although given some of the issues with this show, nonsensical is closer to the realm of possibility than I want to admit.

18 hours ago, Rap541 said:

My mom said that to me in 1986. That and only whores use tampons, and tampons cause you to die of toxic shock syndrome.

Mom didn't cotton to Tampax at all....

Yikes. That's...unfortunate. Although I do remember the Rely tampon/toxic shock debacle. I was years away from my first period and I was utterly confused and terrified because my mom used that brand. 

[Bunnyette]

21 hours ago, craziness said:

Read the recap and tried to note the PBS edits.  I may have forgotten one or two while watching so think they were edited out.  1.  Barbara going to the shop and buying flying saucers that taste like communion wafers (I think they taste like communion wafers too).  2. Val and Lucille being called into Sister J's office and the class being cancelled.  3.  Breakfast where Sister J says Sister MJ surgery went well and class is back on (at least both halves of the cancel/back on make sense).  4.  The Valentine family party at the hospital (would really like to see this).  5.  Barbara getting home all sooty after the fire and Tom helping.

May have been one or 2 more.  All in all a good episode.  Lots happened.  I liked the health class, I assume they've never had a class like this before.  And I wonder if that book or author really exists.

Also, when Val was talking to Elizabeth's mom at her apartment, did anyone else think Val looked like a different person?  When watching, I thought it was a different character.

And instead of those scenes we got a behind the scenes tale about why they changed Vi’s hair.

[txhorns79]

Am I the only one who thought sex hating mom looked way too much like she could be an older version of Barbara? 

More seriously, I didn't really follow that storyline.  So sex hating mom thought her daughter learning about the female body was evil because her sister liked sex and went away forever?  And then sex hating mom learns the "reform school" was really a hospital and we learned that the sister became depressed after her baby was taken from her at the hospital and just stayed there?  I felt like I missed something. 

[Hero]

12 minutes ago, txhorns79 said:

Am I the only one who thought sex hating mom looked way too much like she could be an older version of Barbara? 

More seriously, I didn't really follow that storyline.  So sex hating mom thought her daughter learning about the female body was evil because her sister liked sex and went away forever?  And then sex hating mom learns the "reform school" was really a hospital and we learned that the sister became depressed after her baby was taken from her at the hospital and just stayed there?  I felt like I missed something. 

I think the mom was afraid that if her daughter knew too much about her body, the daughter would enjoy sex and then sleep around like her aunt did. 

The mother also said that her own mother told her that girls shouldn't enjoy sex too much. 

. 

[Calvada]

22 hours ago, craziness said:

Also, when Val was talking to Elizabeth's mom at her apartment, did anyone else think Val looked like a different person?  When watching, I thought it was a different character.

I thought this too.  I was trying to figure out who it was, and I was cursing PBS because I was sure they cut a scene introducing this character.  

23 hours ago, Blackie said:

PBS is driving me nuts, with their weird the edits, the "warning" ....because you might see a newborn baby??????

I thought the warning was because we saw a pregnant woman smoking!  I admit I found that disturbing.  That poor family - Dad is killed, the family business goes up in flames, and then twins.  I was expecting locusts next.  

[Rap541]

Quote

I have thought most of this season has been Sister Julienne light and this has really bothered me. In the earlier seasons I thought the nuns were more the focus of the show and for me that was more enjoyable.

I'd actually like some acknowledgement from the Mother House that Sister Julienne is a great person but not so hot on keeping nuns in the nunnery. 

Sister Bernadette left the order, and Sister Mary Cynthia went mad....

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I thought the warning was because we saw a pregnant woman smoking!  I admit I found that disturbing.  That poor family - Dad is killed, the family business goes up in flames, and then twins.  I was expecting locusts next.  

My dad - who was born in 1944 and lived in the East End until 1958 - would say their worst plague was that they had to stay in the East End. 

[Fireball]

On ‎4‎/‎22‎/‎2018 at 7:22 PM, Ohwell said:

If Barbara dies, I'm out.

I'm not sure I'll quit the show if they kill Barbara, but I'll be very very pissed off. If they kill her off my theory is they do it because 1) Charlotte "Barbara" wants to be done with the show or 2) either Helen "Trixie" or Jack "Tom" are uncomfortable with Jack being in a fake relationship when Helen & Jack are in a relationship in real life.

11 hours ago, sigmaforce86 said:

What would make me very mad at the writers is if Barbara dies and they put Trixe and Tom back together. Real life is fine, they're a cute couple but the characters don't belong together, that's well established so here's hoping they do not go down that road at all.  

If the show puts Tom & Trixie back together it would make me very mad and it would confirm to me that either Helen or Jack were uncomfortable with having to pretend to be in love with someone or uncomfortable seeing their partner kiss someone else. 

13 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

It's one thing when a regular cast member leaves and the writers are forced to either kill her or make up a story about her leaving, but to bring her back only to kill her is a different thing.  That smacks of, "This is Us," level of "let's make 'em cry!"

I feel like having a character go away for a couple of episodes and then come back to be written out (killed off, sent to a asylum, go work with dying patients, come back to get their SO to leave again) is the shows go to way of writing out a character. They let you get use to the character being gone then the writers bring the character back to give closure.  

[Kohola3]

4 minutes ago, Fireball said:

If the show puts Tom & Trixie back together it would make me very mad and it would confirm to me that either Helen or Jack were uncomfortable with having to pretend to be in love with someone or uncomfortable seeing their partner kiss someone else. 

I would be extremely surprised if that were the case.  These people are actors and that's their profession.  I can't imagine anyone paying a bit of attention to any personal feelings.  Actors who hate each other still manage to work together as needed;  surely having a chaste love scene (it's not like this is anything beyond PG rated) should cause any issues.