S08.E06: Episode 6

[OnceSane]

Quote

Mother Mildred returns to Nonnatus while Nurse Crane is in hospital receiving treatment for her back. With help from Trixie, she provides care for a retired dock worker whose former job has taken its toll on his health, only to discover his son may be suffering from a more severe condition. However, her insensitive manner angers the family and they refuse to let her help them.

Airs February 17, 2019.

[MissLucas]

It's been a while since the show tackled an issue of social history (not related to obstetrics). It's easy to forget that the Nonnatus ladies also work as district nurses. And although we're entering the 60's with a booming economy this was a good reminder that things like safety and health regulations in workplaces were still not a given.

When the young girl arrived my first thought was 'not another botched abortion'. Her story was heart-breaking but I wondered about her legal situation. Could her parents still force her to give up the child like they obviously did when she was 15? IIRC she was 17 and I think that meant still a minor. Too bad the show can't give serialized plots to non-regular characters. Her story would have been interesting to follow. At least Miss Higgins got another opportunity to shine. Her advice to Lucille was very good. However I wish they had given that story to Nurse Crane, who grew up with a single mother and all the stigma of being born out of wedlock.

Mother Mildred is not letting me down and enjoyed her presence even if it came at the price of Nurse Crane's lumbago (sorry Phyllis). But I'm glad she ran into some stumbling blocks - I find it tedious when those salt-of-the-earth types can just waltz in and since they're about to do good works steamroll others feelings and concerns and obligations. Glad she got called out and was willing to learn a lesson.

And we finally got some more background on Valerie - though I'm not sure we really needed so much medical detail on her grandmother's backside. I wonder grandma and her problems will become relevant later on.

I wish I could feel more enthusiasm for Lucille's romance. And Sister Monica Joan got off way too easily for creating so much trouble.

Edited February 18, 2019 by MissLucas

[snowwhyte]

I understand that the young pregnant girl was traumatised by having her first baby forcibly taken and was desperate for a new baby but couldn't she have waited until she was eighteen so there would be no chance of it happening again? 

[Ceindreadh]

1 hour ago, snowwhyte said:

I understand that the young pregnant girl was traumatised by having her first baby forcibly taken and was desperate for a new baby but couldn't she have waited until she was eighteen so there would be no chance of it happening again? 

Or better yet, waited until she’d actually got a husband or at least a boyfriend who’d be willing to stand by her. 

I found it difficult to be as sympathetic towards her as I’m sure the viewers were expected to be. 

Yes, it’s terrible that she was forced to give up her first baby but what on earth did she expect was going to happen the second time round?

my first thoughts though when she mentioned the adoption was to start counting backwards and wondering whether she was going to be Angela’s birth mother. 

[MissLucas]

She was obviously traumatized by the experience of her first birth - so I give her a pass. Also: teenagers are not exactly known for making rational decisions. Her parents on the other hand can go and rot in their little shop of decency. I can understand why they decided to give her first baby away - single mothers didn't have it easy and the social stigma was real. But from what we've seen of them I doubt their daughter's well-being was really their first concern. Their reputation was and their kid's emotional pain was probably considered a just punishment. She got no help and decided to cope with her loss the only way she could. Get pregnant again. Of course those two paragons of virtue never even paused and listened why she did it but went straight to more or less calling her a slut. They've now lost two grandchildren and their own kid to their righteousness. But at least they got that dingy little shop and each other.

[bybrandy]

Yeah, I don't think this girl made a terriblly intelligent decision but it was one born out of grief.  The only way she knew to stop the grief was to have another baby.  She wasn't thinking of what happens next she was thinking of easing the pain.   

[purist]

On 2/18/2019 at 12:48 PM, MissLucas said:

And we finally got some more background on Valerie

I wish they would give us a Valerie-centric episode. I love her and am dying to know more about her background. At the moment she's just the peppy, attractive, East End girl-made-good. Tell me what makes her tick, please!

[OnceSane]

I liked the young woman's story because it reminded me of the girl in the first Christmas special.  Her "decent" parents let her keep the baby (after first feeling shamed).  So while I felt for this latest woman, I liked they showed the realism that not every family is accepting of an out-of-wedlock baby.

[JustDucky]

I'm usually an unapologetic member of Team Sister MJ, but tonight...  sigh.  Did she not serve penance for stretching the truth?

The unmarried mother storyline could have ended so much worse.  I'm glad there was a glimmer of hope at the end.  I'm also glad Lucille was firmly on her side from moment one.

I want May to stay with the Turners.  No number of ponies can make her forget them.  (I've worked with foster/adopted kids before.  This storyline made me remember them.)

Mother Mildred is a treat.  She may be indefatigable, but she is not infallible.

More backstory on Valerie, please!

[tennisgurl]

Wow, that social service lady was super cold to the Turners about May leaving their home. They had clearly bonded with her, and vice versa, and she just tells them that May wont even remember them? I dont think even a pony can make those memories go away. I really they get to keep her, that little girl is adorable! 

The story with the teen mom was interesting, even if I can see why her wanting to keep the baby wouldn't probably be the most practical idea. She is just a teenager with no family that wants to talk to her, and no father in sight for the child, thats not going to be easy, especially in the mid 60s. It seems like she wanted the baby more because of her grief of giving up her other baby, and she didnt really think this through as much as she thought she did. Still, it was nice that it ended on a hopeful note, and I liked the realism of the parents not coming around at the end. Them not even wanting to look at their granddaughter was awful. 

Mother Mildred was fun, and I enjoyed her plucky attitude, but that she was also willing to admit that she was wrong and that she was still learning. 

Its ridiculous the lack of basic safety regulations that bosses could get away with, even as society was changing and progressing so quickly. I know we dont often check in with past characters, but I hope we see the son of the dock worker again working to make the docks better and safer. 

[Bunnyette]

Much more realistic.  Mother Mildred was a breath of fresh air and also good for Violet calling the nuns out for taking advantage of Fred.    I’m still not on board with Lucille’s romance...seems strange.  At least Phyllis got a reprieve from Sgt. Walrus.

[LittleIggy]

Miriam Margolyes is awesome. It’s a hoot that she lobbied to be on CTM. Great addition to the cast.

I want May to stay with the Turners, too. Find another orphan for that other family to adopt. It’s not as if they have an attachment to May.

I could have gone my whole life without seeing the pus filled boil on Granny’s butt! 🤢

[Rhetorica]

I thought the unmarried girl was impregnated by her father...  Still do somewhat.  

[debraran]

1 hour ago, Rhetorica said:

I thought the unmarried girl was impregnated by her father...  Still do somewhat.  

I hope not, that would have been even darker although I've seen that plot before. Mom can't wait to get rid of girl and baby because she knows deep down and doesn't want the reminders.

I like updates and wish they would occasionally or even bring them up in passing.

I feel the young woman would have had counseling if it was today and more thought given to her emotional breakdown, which is seems she had. But then again, the shame that would bring on top of the baby shame, well, it makes me glad we aren't in those times in that regard.

@Ceindreadh  I thought that too which is why I think they had her have a boy first so there wasn't any thoughts that way.

[JudyObscure]

I thought the unmarried mother story was well done.  I had a few friends in those circumstances in the late sixties.  It was understood that if you couldn't get the father to marry you, you gave the baby up for adoption, keeping the baby and raising it by yourself was barely an option.

 This girl's parents were ice cold, but many would have been at that time.  In my lifetime, I've seen the attitude go from, "Un-wed mothers who keep their babies are selfish and not thinking of what's best for the child," to, "Single mothers are the bravest most admirable people in the world."  Young women went from expecting to be turned out by the family, to taking it for granted that their parents would be willing to support them financially and practically raise their babies for them. 

Social attitudes softened and social services stepped up to financially support the  single mothers --and  the unmarried births rose from about 5% to almost 50%.

3 hours ago, debraran said:

But then again, the shame that would bring on top of the baby shame, well, it makes me glad we aren't in those times in that regard.

I, too, am glad the young mothers aren't shamed anymore, but I'm not glad that so many children are being raised without fathers and with the odds very much against them, with increased risk  of living in poverty, dropping out of school, and ending in prison.

It's the biggest social change in the shortest amount of time, ever, and while it's been good for women it's been bad for many children.

[Kohola3]

I thought the unwed mother story was a little too happily resolved. I'd like to see that young lady in a year or two to see how it all worked out.  Did they really have services back then where women could get housing and money so easily?  Could she support herself and a child by typing at home?  It all seemed a little too neatly tied up.

I, for one, didn't suspect the father.  He just didn't give off that vibe and the girl really wanted to live with them rather than seem to want to get away.

Mother Mildred is great!  What a great addition.

[Mermaid Under]

Quote

 I find it tedious when those salt-of-the-earth types can just waltz in and since they're about to do good works steamroll others feelings and concerns and obligation

I never once thought of Mother Mildred as the "salt of the earth" type.  She seemed overreaching in wielding her authority and over-awed at the status of her position.  I don't know the actress, but I know the role she is playing.  When writer's want to inject drama quickly, without having to come up with storylines that bring drama, they throw in a new character that makes everyone cringe.  And I really like Phyllis (except for the romance story) so unless that actress has asked to be released from the series,  I'd hate to see her screen time cut back.

re: the young unwed mother who was having a second child because her first was taken from her.  I have seen the same behaviour among girls who are adopted, and somehow feel they don't have any "real" family regardless of how kind their adoptive family has been.  They will have a baby as soon as they are physically able, in order to create a blood-relative for themselves. 

Edited May 6, 2019 by Mermaid Under

[SunnyBeBe]

I have been thinking back on how this show tends to handle adoptions, mothers not equipped to provide for a child or who simply do not want another child.  In the past they have seemed to treat mothers who wanted to place their child for adoption as not ideal or as a too bad situation, when, in fact it may have been the best decision.  It seems to me the writers lean that way in the storylines.  

I really like this show, but, it seems that whenever they gather a group of people of color spiritual singing commences.  lol  

[Tardislass]

37 minutes ago, Mermaid Under said:

re: the young unwed mother who was having a second child because her first was taken from her.  I have seen the same behaviour among girls who are adopted, and somehow feel they don't have any "real" family regardless of how kind their adoptive family has been.  They will have a baby as soon as they are physically able, in order to create a blood-relative for themselves. 

Really didn't like this storyline especially as this girl had two pregnancies by 17 and not even a mention of BC. I had a friend in high school like this, her home life was crap, she wanted to feel love so she get's pregnant and baby was adopted and then a year later she gets pregnant again and keeps baby. She winded up having another baby in her freshman year at college, marrying the father and having two more with him.

Bottom line is many of these girls think baby will love them unconditionally and will be a playmate. I was surprised this show didn't even have the midwives advise about birth control. And what happens after 5 years when the money runs out and she has no daycare? Sorry but the writers dropped the ball here and made it seem like all you need is to love your baby.

That said, Trixie is looking quite groovy in her sixties fashion and the dockworkers storyline touched me and made me grateful for hospice. But didn't the Turners adopt May or am I confused? And loved seeing all the dressed up church ladies with gloves and hats singing along. 

5 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I really like this show, but, it seems that whenever they gather a group of people of color spiritual singing commences.  lol  

The lengths a guy has to go to impress Lucille. LOL.

[anna0852]

@Tardislass May is being fostered by the Turners while her adoption is pending. 

I think the implication was that the young mom was expecting to be self supporting by the time her assistance ran out. She mentioned being a good typist and was advertising her services. 

I don't think the midwives are allowed to advise about birth control. That all goes through the Family Planning Clinic and women can't get in there without being married or engaged and about to be married. 

[SunnyBeBe]

38 minutes ago, Tardislass said:

Really didn't like this storyline especially as this girl had two pregnancies by 17 and not even a mention of BC. I had a friend in high school like this, her home life was crap, she wanted to feel love so she get's pregnant and baby was adopted and then a year later she gets pregnant again and keeps baby. She winded up having another baby in her freshman year at college, marrying the father and having two more with him.

Bottom line is many of these girls think baby will love them unconditionally and will be a playmate. I was surprised this show didn't even have the midwives advise about birth control. And what happens after 5 years when the money runs out and she has no daycare? Sorry but the writers dropped the ball here and made it seem like all you need is to love your baby.

That said, Trixie is looking quite groovy in her sixties fashion and the dockworkers storyline touched me and made me grateful for hospice. But didn't the Turners adopt May or am I confused? And loved seeing all the dressed up church ladies with gloves and hats singing along. 

The lengths a guy has to go to impress Lucille. LOL.

Right.  And, if Lucille was all that religious, she'd know all the words to Standing On The Promises.  lol  Just kidding.  It seems to me that on this series all the people of color sing American spiritual songs that are popular in the south (southern USA.)  Not sure why.  lol 

[zoey1996]

1 hour ago, Tardislass said:

And what happens after 5 years when the money runs out and she has no daycare?

By then, the child will be in school, so not in need of full-time care, and the plan is for the mother to be able to be self-supporting.

[debraran]

3 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I thought the unmarried mother story was well done.  I had a few friends in those circumstances in the late sixties.  It was understood that if you couldn't get the father to marry you, you gave the baby up for adoption, keeping the baby and raising it by yourself was barely an option.

 This girl's parents were ice cold, but many would have been at that time.  In my lifetime, I've seen the attitude go from, "Un-wed mothers who keep their babies are selfish and not thinking of what's best for the child," to, "Single mothers are the bravest most admirable people in the world."  Young women went from expecting to be turned out by the family, to taking it for granted that their parents would be willing to support them financially and practically raise their babies for them. 

Social attitudes softened and social services stepped up to financially support the  single mothers --and  the unmarried births rose from about 5% to almost 50%.

I, too, am glad the young mothers aren't shamed anymore, but I'm not glad that so many children are being raised without fathers and with the odds very much against them, with increased risk  of living in poverty, dropping out of school, and ending in prison.

It's the biggest social change in the shortest amount of time, ever, and while it's been good for women it's been bad for many children.

I agree but I meant the stigma of mental illness.  She obviously was scarred from that adoption and couldn’t talk to anyone. Her parents would shut her down. She seemed to me to be trying to rewind the clock.

I do agree that many women think it’s easier than it is and lack of stigma doesn’t make money and proper environment better. 

[mmecorday]

Quote

More backstory on Valerie, please!

Yes! More Valerie, less Valerie's granny's boil-prone backside!

Valerie reminds me so much of the actress Diane Baker when she was young.

[willowk]

13 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

Miriam Margolyes is awesome. It’s a hoot that she lobbied to be on CTM. Great addition to the cast.

I want May to stay with the Turners, too. Find another orphan for that other family to adopt. It’s not as if they have an attachment to May.

I could have gone my whole life without seeing the pus filled boil on Granny’s butt! 🤢

Yes to all of the above. I'm so glad there are more nuns around this season, they add a different dimension to the plot. I didn't realize until last night that the Turners were only fostering May, I thought they had adopted her. I was sure when they had Valerie visit Granny and she was gently criticizing her for not visiting that G would die before the credits rolled! Glad I was wrong, and also that the anthrax victim survived.

Edited May 6, 2019 by willowk
misspelling

[Rap541]

18 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

Wow, that social service lady was super cold to the Turners about May leaving their home. They had clearly bonded with her, and vice versa, and she just tells them that May wont even remember them? I dont think even a pony can make those memories go away. I really they get to keep her, that little girl is adorable! 

I'm gonna be the cold pragmatist on this one. May was always meant to be adopted by the couple in question but one parent took seriously ill. They didn't have second thoughts about having a child - I believe it was tuberculous which would have necessitated the sick person not be around the child so it wasn't as though they were just hemming and hawing. This couple wanted to have May in their home, bonding with them for months. The Turners were never given the impression that May was up for grabs. May is in the enviable position of being wanted by two different families who both clearly want a child to love. I think the social service lady was being cold because she was trying to be firm - the adoptive family had done nothing wrong and the Turners were never made any promises, May was always a foster child to the Turners.  I assume she will go to her new family and it's a lovely home.

Until next season when we find out the adoptive parents were abusive monsters!

19 hours ago, JustDucky said:

I'm usually an unapologetic member of Team Sister MJ, but tonight...  sigh.  Did she not serve penance for stretching the truth?

Now, Lucille is way too much of an endearingly sweet perfect virgin for me to like, and I found her having the vapors over Cyril's supposed lie a wee bit much, but honestly, does anyone ever hold Sister Monica Joan accountable for her shit?

[eel21788]

On ‎2‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 12:08 AM, snowwhyte said:

I understand that the young pregnant girl was traumatised by having her first baby forcibly taken and was desperate for a new baby but couldn't she have waited until she was eighteen so there would be no chance of it happening again? 

The age of majority in the UK was 21 until 1970. Her parents would have the final say in the matter until she was "of age."

[Suzn]

4 hours ago, mmecorday said:

Yes! More Valerie, less Valerie's granny's boil-prone backside!

Valerie reminds me so much of the actress Diane Baker when she was young.

Wow!  That is an amazing resemblance.

[Tardislass]

Yes Valarie has been pushed to the side this season. Hopefully she doesn't leave next year as well.

[Rap541]

I feel like Valerie's grandma being presented to us in a completely separate from all other plots bunch of scenes is the gun being hung on the wall. Something important is going on - was I the only one who noticed that there was a LOT of cash in Granny's hidey hole?

Maybe I have just watched too much Breaking Bad but I always question piles of cash with no apparent source of income. 

[Calvada]

47 minutes ago, Rap541 said:

I feel like Valerie's grandma being presented to us in a completely separate from all other plots bunch of scenes is the gun being hung on the wall. Something important is going on - was I the only one who noticed that there was a LOT of cash in Granny's hidey hole?

Maybe I have just watched too much Breaking Bad but I always question piles of cash with no apparent source of income. 

I too wondered about that.  GIven the storylines this season, I immediately wondered if she was making extra cash performing abortions.  

[Rap541]

Well, her place certainly looked unsanitary enough to cause staph infections. I think I caught one watching the boil scene.

[tvrox]

So weird to watch the anthrax storyline-anthrax is so tied up now with the post 9/11 postal scares that it is hard to remember it was a health concern in other ways.

[SunnyBeBe]

3 hours ago, Rap541 said:

I'm gonna be the cold pragmatist on this one. May was always meant to be adopted by the couple in question but one parent took seriously ill. They didn't have second thoughts about having a child - I believe it was tuberculous which would have necessitated the sick person not be around the child so it wasn't as though they were just hemming and hawing. This couple wanted to have May in their home, bonding with them for months. The Turners were never given the impression that May was up for grabs. May is in the enviable position of being wanted by two different families who both clearly want a child to love. I think the social service lady was being cold because she was trying to be firm - the adoptive family had done nothing wrong and the Turners were never made any promises, May was always a foster child to the Turners.  I assume she will go to her new family and it's a lovely home.

Until next season when we find out the adoptive parents were abusive monsters!

Now, Lucille is way too much of an endearingly sweet perfect virgin for me to like, and I found her having the vapors over Cyril's supposed lie a wee bit much, but honestly, does anyone ever hold Sister Monica Joan accountable for her shit?

You got that right. They portrayed her as having dementia.  Then they changed it to some kind of spiritual guru. Just all over the place and not amusing to me at all. 

[Brattinella]

Laura Main, the actress who plays Shelagh has SUCH a beautiful and infectious smile!  I always smile along with her.

[txhorns79]

13 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

This girl's parents were ice cold, but many would have been at that time.  In my lifetime, I've seen the attitude go from, "Un-wed mothers who keep their babies are selfish and not thinking of what's best for the child," to, "Single mothers are the bravest most admirable people in the world."  Young women went from expecting to be turned out by the family, to taking it for granted that their parents would be willing to support them financially and practically raise their babies for them. 

I don't know if it is quite like that.  Despite whatever MTV might suggest with its programming, it's very difficult for a high school age girl to have and raise a child.  There is a lot of stigma, and unless your parents are all in (meaning they are essentially agreeing to raise the child for you while you are in high school), your life is going to hit a very serious roadblock.

I really didn't like how the show handled the issue.  I don't sympathize with someone who tried to get pregnant with no real plan for what would happen next.  Now that doesn't excuse the awfulness of the parents, but it also doesn't excuse the serious immaturity of the mother. 

[tennisgurl]

I felt bad that the girls parents were so cold, but its kind of hard to blame them for thinking it would be best to put the baby up for adoption, especially when she sounded like she got pregnant on purpose. It sounds like maybe she wont know how to really take care of a baby beyond "I will love the baby and the baby will love me!" with no further life plan beyond some typing skills and unwed mothers checks. I dont really like how the whole story ended up going. This girl and her kid are going to have a really hard time of it, and while I dont sympathize with her parents very much, I find it hard to really get behind her either.

Why so little Valerie lately?

Edited May 7, 2019 by tennisgurl

[JudyObscure]

1 hour ago, txhorns79 said:

I don't know if it is quite like that.  Despite whatever MTV might suggest with its programming, it's very difficult for a high school age girl to have and raise a child. 

I've never watched a thing on MTV so I don't what they suggest. I don't think it's easy for girls to raise babies by themselves at all. That's why I said it's what a lot of girls "expected,"  I don't think it's the reality.

[mmecorday]

Quote

So weird to watch the anthrax storyline-anthrax is so tied up now with the post 9/11 postal scares that it is hard to remember it was a health concern in other ways.

Yep, that's what I thought. It's become synonymous with biological weaponry. "Little House on the Prairie" fans will remember that everyone in Walnut Grove took sick from the anthrax in one episode so Pa and Jonathan Garvey had to wear crocheted potholders over their ears to protect themselves from the cold while seeking medicine to cure the town folk in the church/school/hospital.

[txhorns79]

7 hours ago, JudyObscure said:

I've never watched a thing on MTV so I don't what they suggest. I don't think it's easy for girls to raise babies by themselves at all. That's why I said it's what a lot of girls "expected,"  I don't think it's the reality. 

MTV has programming like Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant, which some have criticized for glamorizing teenage pregnancy.  However, my response was more about the comment "I've seen the attitude go from, "Un-wed mothers who keep their babies are selfish and not thinking of what's best for the child," to, "Single mothers are the bravest most admirable people in the world."  I don't really see people saying that kind of thing in relation to high school age mothers.  

Quote

Why so little Valerie lately?

Spoiler

Someone mentioned last week that she gets a big storyline in the last couple of episodes this season.

Edited May 7, 2019 by txhorns79

[caitmcg]

6 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

Quote

Why so little Valerie lately?

  Reveal spoiler

Hope so. There are only two more to go.

[Popples]

16 hours ago, txhorns79 said:

I really didn't like how the show handled the issue.  I don't sympathize with someone who tried to get pregnant with no real plan for what would happen next.  Now that doesn't excuse the awfulness of the parents, but it also doesn't excuse the serious immaturity of the mother. 

14 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I felt bad that the girls parents were so cold, but its kind of hard to blame them for thinking it would be best to put the baby up for adoption, especially when she sounded like she got pregnant on purpose. It sounds like maybe she wont know how to really take care of a baby beyond "I will love the baby and the baby will love me!" with no further life plan beyond some typing skills and unwed mothers checks. I dont really like how the whole story ended up going. This girl and her kid are going to have a really hard time of it, and while I dont sympathize with her parents very much, I find it hard to really get behind her either.

This bothered me so much. Especially when she said she had nine months to think about things (meaning attempting the typing correspondence), but she didn't try to find a part-time job in a shop or as a waitress or something to get money before the baby came. If Lucille and Mrs. Higgins hadn't put the effort into finding the unwed mothers' assistance programs, she would have been super screwed. I was surprised it all worked out so well for her.

Her parents were cold and harsh, but they had a point.

[debraran]

5 hours ago, Popples said:

This bothered me so much. Especially when she said she had nine months to think about things (meaning attempting the typing correspondence), but she didn't try to find a part-time job in a shop or as a waitress or something to get money before the baby came. If Lucille and Mrs. Higgins hadn't put the effort into finding the unwed mothers' assistance programs, she would have been super screwed. I was surprised it all worked out so well for her.

Her parents were cold and harsh, but they had a point.

She hid it from her parents, maybe the job would have seemed odd to them. I understand in a black/white scenario she was crazy to do that, but she lived with grey. She was obviously scarred from losing her son and couldn't speak of it with her parents or anyone else. I don't think she knew how to deal with those feelings and wanted to reverse course and do it again. Crazy but I think a followup would be nice, but I doubt they'd do that.  Would be nice to have the midwives check on her.

[debraran]

6 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Hope so. There are only two more to go.

I didn't see any hints in next weeks coming attractions but the week after

Spoiler

Spoiler

I didn't see her mentioned next week. The 19th had this on TV Guide

Season 8 • Episode 8

The Turners prepare to say goodbye to May. Sister Hilda digs deep to help a terminally ill patient. Valerie and Trixie must testify in a grueling court case. Fred and Reggie keep secrets from each other.

[Kenzie]

On 5/6/2019 at 9:58 AM, mmecorday said:

Yes! More Valerie, less Valerie's granny's boil-prone backside!

Valerie reminds me so much of the actress Diane Baker when she was young.

Thank you! It's been bugging me who she reminded me of.

[Possum]

On 5/5/2019 at 9:15 PM, JustDucky said:

Mother Mildred is a treat.  She may be indefatigable, but she is not infallible.

Mother Mildred is a breath of fresh air.  Her high energy and spunky ways remind me of Sister Evangelina.  "Call the Midwife" has been missing a character like this for a while now.  I do like the current bunch of nuns and nurses, but some of their personalities are almost interchangeable -- overly nice and mild-mannered.  Mother Mildred is like a strong wind blowing in to clear out some of the mundane that has creeped into the show.

[libgirl2]

3 hours ago, Possum said:

Mother Mildred is a breath of fresh air.  Her high energy and spunky ways remind me of Sister Evangelina.  "Call the Midwife" has been missing a character like this for a while now.  I do like the current bunch of nuns and nurses, but some of their personalities are almost interchangeable -- overly nice and mild-mannered.  Mother Mildred is like a strong wind blowing in to clear out some of the mundane that has creeped into the show.

I have to agree. She comes off as strong and no nonsense and even over bearing yet the way she was with that gentleman who was dying was gentle and understanding. 

[Kohola3]

4 hours ago, Possum said:

Mother Mildred is like a strong wind blowing in to clear out some of the mundane that has creeped into the show.

Seeing her makes me realize how much I miss Sister Evangeline.  She was one great lady.  Obviously Mildred has seen some of the kind of horrors that Sr. E did.

[natyxg]

I was confused when the Mother Superior was riding with Fred while Trixie rode behind them in her bike. Why didn't she just ride in the van, too? Was there no space? It was weird.

I feel like the show keeps moving away from the pregnant women and the births, and I don't like that. I understand that at this point they're probably struggling for ideas, but that's what the show is really about it. As I was watching this episode I kept thinking that the only pregnant woman was the teenager, her plot was probably like 7 minutes of show, and everything else was about a whole bunch of other stuff. They also have so many characters now that they struggle to give them all things, and most of it, again, has nothing to do with what the show is supposed to be about. Last week so much was about the intersex plot and even the husband with the weird phantom pregnancy or whatever. And so on.

I liked this show for its focus on women and on pregnancy and birth and all that, and I wish they didn't keep wandering about. It's okay to give the nurses and the nuns personal things here and there, but only as long as the show feels like it's about what it's supposed to be about.

Having said that, I did like the teenager plot. I liked how much she loved her daughter. The cliché in this type of plot is that the teenager/unwed mother would be in such distress and conflicted about motherhood and the baby and etc, and I liked that they turned it around this time.

[tinderbox]

On 5/6/2019 at 6:30 PM, Rap541 said:

Well, her place certainly looked unsanitary enough to cause staph infections. I think I caught one watching the boil scene.

A bit off topic but...  I think granny is the actress who played the female part of the “bad guy” couple in Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much.