writing in February: Call the Midwife 6.03
Hey, I made it a whole week before getting behind schedule! This feels like an accomplishment? Yesterday for writing in February, 
daybreak wanted an ep review of Sunday night's episode of Call the Midwife. But I've been sick this week, and that just absolutely wasn't happening yesterday. Fortunately, today was an empty day, so I'm now caught up!
So today we are going old-school with a DW/LJ episode review! Party like it's 2008, babies!!!
In episode three we basically continue--and perhaps even more so than the first two eps--what has felt like my broader impressions of this season: skepticism about some of the broader plot arcs combined with absolute adoration of most of the character beats. Fortunately I will generally forgive a lot if you give me good character stuff, and I'm also willing to give the plot stuff the benefit of the doubt while it's all still in progress.
Naturally, I must start with the Turners, because oh, my Shelagh Turner goggles, let me show you them. Turners having multiple adorkable married people scenes: check. (See also
gabolange's awesome fic about what happened right before the ep started: The World Itself.) Shelagh running the maternity home with humor and grace and having multiple conversations with characters who are not members of her family: check. Sooooo many fascinating visual and thematic echoes of my either favorite or second favorite (depending on my mood) Turner ep ever (2.06), which did a great job showing how far they've come and pushed all my continuity buttons: check, check, check.
So any complaints aren't major complaints because okay, I may not like the pregnant Shelagh arc, particularly, but they're doing it fairly well, and she's had so much GREAT stuff to do this season already, and they're paying attention to the bigger picture of these characters' whole story, and I become increasingly convinced that Shelagh may also be Heidi Thomas's favorite character, and I can live with that.
That said: ugh, baby drama, really?! I have a really knee-jerk reaction against pregnancy plots (the irony of saying that about this show is not lost on me). There's so often this assumption that OF COURSE character X wants a baby without examining it, and also so often unnecessary drama, or then the baby actually gets there and they realize they don't know how to write it in without wrecking the mother's character, and yes, I know I'm overreacting. Because Shelagh's relationship to motherhood has been a longstanding and truly interesting character beat, and she's already a working mother so I'm not worried about how they're going to handle what happens when(/if) the baby is born, and there are stories to tell here. On the other hand, the story they'd already told was really important, too! Not everyone who wants a baby can get pregnant and give birth to one. It felt important for a show like this to look at that and deal with it and give the plot to a major character, and to turn around and let Shelagh get pregnant after all kind of undercuts that a bit to me.
And now, of course, drama, and in such a way that it's hard to see how it resolves in a satisfying way. This show hasn't done much with miscarriage, and that feels like a super important story to tell and a real oversight in a show about pregnancy and birth. I'd love to see that story given to a main character and not just a case of the week character, but I'm also not sure that I want that story given to Shelagh. For a show that tends not to be overly soapy, the Turners really do get the bulk of the drahmah (the death of the first Mrs. Turner! TB! polio! infertility! Patrick's nervous breakdown! now a threatened miscarriage!), and just...eh. I also think it would be fascinating to give a miscarriage story to someone like Barbara and Tom: she's young, healthy, no reason she should miscarry, but sometimes these things happen. That's an interesting story, and if Shelagh miscarries, it's not a story they're likely to tell. On the other hand, if Shelagh doesn't miscarry, is this all just drama for drama's sake, and does it fail to tell that important story that not all pregnancies come to the conclusion the hopeful mother wishes for?
So mostly I'm trying to focus on what I'm enjoying about Shelagh's story this season and trying not to eyeroll too hard at the things I don't like.
In non-Turner-land, Phyllis Crane is basically the best that ever was. I almost feel like they're making her too awesome lately, but how is that actually a complaint. Once again, Phyllis steps up and is the best friend and colleague anyone ever had. I especially appreciated the role the personality trait that sometimes made her difficult at the beginning--her brisk efficiency--plays in the Sister Ursula storyline. Phyllis wants a tight ship. Phyllis has the best rolodeck you've ever seen. Phyllis will out-competent anyone. If Phyllis thinks you're too focused on efficiency over care, listen to her. I basically just want to draw hearts and flowers around Phyllis all the time. (Trixie has long been my not so secret second-favorite character, but Phyllis is threatening to give her a run for her money.)
Which brings me to the other longer plot arc I've been skeptical about: what has been the point of this whole Sister Ursula thing? The overall NHS hospital plan in the 60s, the shift of care from communities to hospitals, and the eventual phasing out of places like Nonnatus House is super interesting, and I love that they addressed that in this episode and will no doubt continue to do so. But what Sister Ursula added to that plot, particularly, I'm not sure. I wanted to give this the benefit of the doubt. I LOOOOOOVE Harriet Walter, and I was so excited to see that if we had to get a new character in an already overcrowded ensemble, at least it was Harriet Walter. I thought Sister Ursula was kind of fantastic in certain parts of the first episode, little bits of humor and kindness unexpectedly here and there: she seemed to have layers. But then it just hasn't worked for me in the past two episodes. She was a caricature in 6.02, and then the explanation for her behavior, from this episode, didn't really feel sufficiently explanatory. And now suddenly off she goes, and that's that? There are so many characters we already have who don't get sufficient screen time (please, someone give Delia something to do besides just being Patsy's girlfriend, already, and no, making tea for Tom and Barbara doesn't count! Also, what is the point of Sister Winifred?), so why spend so much time on the character and plot that does not seem to be contributing anything in the long term? But maybe the payoff will show up later.
Oh well! Other highlights: Sister Monica Joan and the television! Sister Julienne being completely excellent, both to Sister Monica Joan and to Sister Ursula! The ladies of the maternity home speculating about Shelagh's pregnancy! Case of the week turning out to be more interesting than it initially appeared to be! TRIXIE'S BACK!!!!!!
Looking ahead, I suspect whatever is going on with Cynthia is going to break us all. Thank god for Trixie. I have been disappointed that the show hasn't done as much with their friendship as I'd like to have seen since Cynthia joined the order--there have been gestures, especially in season 4, but just so many unplumbed depths there. So that, I think, is top of my wishlist going forward: give us really good Trixie and Cynthia, as that all unfolds.
Aw, I might have to get in the habit of doing this every week!
Crossposted from DW, where there are
comments. Comment here or there.
daybreak wanted an ep review of Sunday night's episode of Call the Midwife. But I've been sick this week, and that just absolutely wasn't happening yesterday. Fortunately, today was an empty day, so I'm now caught up!
So today we are going old-school with a DW/LJ episode review! Party like it's 2008, babies!!!
In episode three we basically continue--and perhaps even more so than the first two eps--what has felt like my broader impressions of this season: skepticism about some of the broader plot arcs combined with absolute adoration of most of the character beats. Fortunately I will generally forgive a lot if you give me good character stuff, and I'm also willing to give the plot stuff the benefit of the doubt while it's all still in progress.
Naturally, I must start with the Turners, because oh, my Shelagh Turner goggles, let me show you them. Turners having multiple adorkable married people scenes: check. (See also
gabolange's awesome fic about what happened right before the ep started: The World Itself.) Shelagh running the maternity home with humor and grace and having multiple conversations with characters who are not members of her family: check. Sooooo many fascinating visual and thematic echoes of my either favorite or second favorite (depending on my mood) Turner ep ever (2.06), which did a great job showing how far they've come and pushed all my continuity buttons: check, check, check.
So any complaints aren't major complaints because okay, I may not like the pregnant Shelagh arc, particularly, but they're doing it fairly well, and she's had so much GREAT stuff to do this season already, and they're paying attention to the bigger picture of these characters' whole story, and I become increasingly convinced that Shelagh may also be Heidi Thomas's favorite character, and I can live with that.
That said: ugh, baby drama, really?! I have a really knee-jerk reaction against pregnancy plots (the irony of saying that about this show is not lost on me). There's so often this assumption that OF COURSE character X wants a baby without examining it, and also so often unnecessary drama, or then the baby actually gets there and they realize they don't know how to write it in without wrecking the mother's character, and yes, I know I'm overreacting. Because Shelagh's relationship to motherhood has been a longstanding and truly interesting character beat, and she's already a working mother so I'm not worried about how they're going to handle what happens when(/if) the baby is born, and there are stories to tell here. On the other hand, the story they'd already told was really important, too! Not everyone who wants a baby can get pregnant and give birth to one. It felt important for a show like this to look at that and deal with it and give the plot to a major character, and to turn around and let Shelagh get pregnant after all kind of undercuts that a bit to me.
And now, of course, drama, and in such a way that it's hard to see how it resolves in a satisfying way. This show hasn't done much with miscarriage, and that feels like a super important story to tell and a real oversight in a show about pregnancy and birth. I'd love to see that story given to a main character and not just a case of the week character, but I'm also not sure that I want that story given to Shelagh. For a show that tends not to be overly soapy, the Turners really do get the bulk of the drahmah (the death of the first Mrs. Turner! TB! polio! infertility! Patrick's nervous breakdown! now a threatened miscarriage!), and just...eh. I also think it would be fascinating to give a miscarriage story to someone like Barbara and Tom: she's young, healthy, no reason she should miscarry, but sometimes these things happen. That's an interesting story, and if Shelagh miscarries, it's not a story they're likely to tell. On the other hand, if Shelagh doesn't miscarry, is this all just drama for drama's sake, and does it fail to tell that important story that not all pregnancies come to the conclusion the hopeful mother wishes for?
So mostly I'm trying to focus on what I'm enjoying about Shelagh's story this season and trying not to eyeroll too hard at the things I don't like.
In non-Turner-land, Phyllis Crane is basically the best that ever was. I almost feel like they're making her too awesome lately, but how is that actually a complaint. Once again, Phyllis steps up and is the best friend and colleague anyone ever had. I especially appreciated the role the personality trait that sometimes made her difficult at the beginning--her brisk efficiency--plays in the Sister Ursula storyline. Phyllis wants a tight ship. Phyllis has the best rolodeck you've ever seen. Phyllis will out-competent anyone. If Phyllis thinks you're too focused on efficiency over care, listen to her. I basically just want to draw hearts and flowers around Phyllis all the time. (Trixie has long been my not so secret second-favorite character, but Phyllis is threatening to give her a run for her money.)
Which brings me to the other longer plot arc I've been skeptical about: what has been the point of this whole Sister Ursula thing? The overall NHS hospital plan in the 60s, the shift of care from communities to hospitals, and the eventual phasing out of places like Nonnatus House is super interesting, and I love that they addressed that in this episode and will no doubt continue to do so. But what Sister Ursula added to that plot, particularly, I'm not sure. I wanted to give this the benefit of the doubt. I LOOOOOOVE Harriet Walter, and I was so excited to see that if we had to get a new character in an already overcrowded ensemble, at least it was Harriet Walter. I thought Sister Ursula was kind of fantastic in certain parts of the first episode, little bits of humor and kindness unexpectedly here and there: she seemed to have layers. But then it just hasn't worked for me in the past two episodes. She was a caricature in 6.02, and then the explanation for her behavior, from this episode, didn't really feel sufficiently explanatory. And now suddenly off she goes, and that's that? There are so many characters we already have who don't get sufficient screen time (please, someone give Delia something to do besides just being Patsy's girlfriend, already, and no, making tea for Tom and Barbara doesn't count! Also, what is the point of Sister Winifred?), so why spend so much time on the character and plot that does not seem to be contributing anything in the long term? But maybe the payoff will show up later.
Oh well! Other highlights: Sister Monica Joan and the television! Sister Julienne being completely excellent, both to Sister Monica Joan and to Sister Ursula! The ladies of the maternity home speculating about Shelagh's pregnancy! Case of the week turning out to be more interesting than it initially appeared to be! TRIXIE'S BACK!!!!!!
Looking ahead, I suspect whatever is going on with Cynthia is going to break us all. Thank god for Trixie. I have been disappointed that the show hasn't done as much with their friendship as I'd like to have seen since Cynthia joined the order--there have been gestures, especially in season 4, but just so many unplumbed depths there. So that, I think, is top of my wishlist going forward: give us really good Trixie and Cynthia, as that all unfolds.
Aw, I might have to get in the habit of doing this every week!
Crossposted from DW, where there are
comments. Comment here or there.