Call the Midwife 6.07.
In which we catch up on last season's Thalidomide plot, and Nurse Crane goes through a terrible experience.
You know, I hadn't expected it, but I'm really glad they brought the Mullocks family back, because what Thalidomide did to children was a life long sentence, and how to cope equally was/is a life long challenge. Also, it was good to see Rhoda befriending other parents, and them getting organized both to support each other and, in the long term, hold someone in the pharmazeutical companies responsible. (And of course it's good character continuity, as Dr. Turner is never able to forget he prescribed that medication, no matter how much in good faith he did.)
Despite the trailer, I hadn't seen the twist in the Phyllis Crane subplot coming, I thought something might happen to the newborn she delivered. Instead, it's every driver's nightmare that happens: someone runs in front of your car, and you're not able to stop in time.
This leaves the otherwise so confident and competent Phyllis Crane thoroughly shaken, and provides the series with another opportunity to showcase its virtues: the emphasis on solidarity and kindness to help each other, which includes not solely our heroines but also Tom trying to provide support for Phyllis, and Sister Monica Joan helping her on the road to recovery and regaining her confidence by leading her to a woman who needs her.
I had noticed that the credits this season have been somewhat altered to include more photographs of non-white children, reflecting the changing demographic in Poplar, and more and more cases of the week are now featuring people of color - in this week, a mixed race family trying to cope with the daily racism, which directly ties into the Nurse Crane subplot. As this isn't something you can resolve within one hour (or, well, ever), it's wrapped up on a "standng by each other and being proud of what you are in your community" note; I wonder whether we'll see the Antoines again, too?
Ongoing subplots: after discovering Christopher the dentist's secret (he's divorced with a child), Trixie divulges her own, to my great relief, because nothing good on either a Doylist or Watsonian level could have come out of Trixie hiding this. Also, it occurs to me what while we've had single parents (both cases and recurring - Dr. Turner as a widower before marrying Shelagh was one), we didn't have yet divorced parents yet both trying their best for the child/children. As divorces start to get more common in the 60s, it makes sense we're now introduced to one.
Delia reads the obituary for Patsy's father in the Times and is bewildered Patsy hadn't written to her about this yet: methinks more angst is in store, but I'm also confident there'll be a sense making explanation at the end of it and the two will be reunited. I was tempted to call it "gratitious angst" until I realised this might provide the occasion for Delia to come out, so to speak, as she might want to confide to one of the nurses (Phyllis Crane being the obvious choice as she's already guessed and hinted as much, but it hasn't been spelled out in dialogue; otoh it might also be one of the others), in which case the plot device is entirely justified.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1219016.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.
You know, I hadn't expected it, but I'm really glad they brought the Mullocks family back, because what Thalidomide did to children was a life long sentence, and how to cope equally was/is a life long challenge. Also, it was good to see Rhoda befriending other parents, and them getting organized both to support each other and, in the long term, hold someone in the pharmazeutical companies responsible. (And of course it's good character continuity, as Dr. Turner is never able to forget he prescribed that medication, no matter how much in good faith he did.)
Despite the trailer, I hadn't seen the twist in the Phyllis Crane subplot coming, I thought something might happen to the newborn she delivered. Instead, it's every driver's nightmare that happens: someone runs in front of your car, and you're not able to stop in time.
This leaves the otherwise so confident and competent Phyllis Crane thoroughly shaken, and provides the series with another opportunity to showcase its virtues: the emphasis on solidarity and kindness to help each other, which includes not solely our heroines but also Tom trying to provide support for Phyllis, and Sister Monica Joan helping her on the road to recovery and regaining her confidence by leading her to a woman who needs her.
I had noticed that the credits this season have been somewhat altered to include more photographs of non-white children, reflecting the changing demographic in Poplar, and more and more cases of the week are now featuring people of color - in this week, a mixed race family trying to cope with the daily racism, which directly ties into the Nurse Crane subplot. As this isn't something you can resolve within one hour (or, well, ever), it's wrapped up on a "standng by each other and being proud of what you are in your community" note; I wonder whether we'll see the Antoines again, too?
Ongoing subplots: after discovering Christopher the dentist's secret (he's divorced with a child), Trixie divulges her own, to my great relief, because nothing good on either a Doylist or Watsonian level could have come out of Trixie hiding this. Also, it occurs to me what while we've had single parents (both cases and recurring - Dr. Turner as a widower before marrying Shelagh was one), we didn't have yet divorced parents yet both trying their best for the child/children. As divorces start to get more common in the 60s, it makes sense we're now introduced to one.
Delia reads the obituary for Patsy's father in the Times and is bewildered Patsy hadn't written to her about this yet: methinks more angst is in store, but I'm also confident there'll be a sense making explanation at the end of it and the two will be reunited. I was tempted to call it "gratitious angst" until I realised this might provide the occasion for Delia to come out, so to speak, as she might want to confide to one of the nurses (Phyllis Crane being the obvious choice as she's already guessed and hinted as much, but it hasn't been spelled out in dialogue; otoh it might also be one of the others), in which case the plot device is entirely justified.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenak.dreamwidth.org/1219016.html. Comment there or here, as you wish.