Just as it’s starting to get hot here in Boston, the autumn chill is coming on in Poplar. Our friends keep busy with work, family games, and car repairs (just Phyllis’ luck: first day back, and her tire springs a leak). But the biggest piece of news is that a date has been set for Joyce’s disciplinary hearing: the powers that be have upheld Bernie’s complaint, so now Joyce has to defend herself against a charge of misconduct and disobedience. Thankfully, she’s got all of Nonnatus backing her, but this will still probably be a fairly wretched experience.

Dive into new drama programs and celebrate Mother's Day with recipes, music, and more.

Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light was originally supposed to debut around 2017, only two years after the first season aired. The fact that it took creatives this long to complete the project means that while the follow-up is a success of British period drama, the tone and creative approach are very different from other recent Tudor England programs. What makes Cromwell’s epic downfall different from other courtly dramas on our screens?

This week, our friends in Poplar are dealing with a real garbagey situation: literally. There’s a trash collection strike, which has resulted in a giant pile of rubbish right outside Nonnatus house. Inside, it’s business as usual. Well, sort of: Phyllis is on vacation, which means Trixie is in charge of the schedule for the week.

In Poplar, school is officially out for the summer, but our pals are still hard at work. Reggie (who’s visiting for a few weeks) has been tasked with feeding Cyril’s cat Nigel. Sister Veronica, who was originally only supposed to chat to a couple — the Baldwins — about their kiddos missing a bunch of school, arrives to find mom Eva Baldwin heavily pregnant (and not on the Nonnatus books). Mr. Baldwin says they don’t need help because they’re planning to move for a job opportunity in the next couple of days, but I gotta say reader: I think there’s something funky going on here, and so does Sister Veronica. And last but not least, Shelagh stops in for a home visit to a gentleman who’s in an iron lung due to polio.

Towards Zero is the newest installment in the BBC and BritBox’s Agatha Christie adaptation anthology. GBH Drama interviewed Mimi Keene and Anjana Vasan to find out what’s motivating Kay and Mary, their experiences on set with Anjelica Huston, and if they believe their characters achieved their goals.

Arwen Humphreys, who plays Mrs. Margaret Brackenreid, has been a key part of the Murdoch Mysteries ensemble since the pilot episode all the way back in 2008. It’s not easy being married to the Inspector and later Chief of Police Thomas Brackenreid (Thomas Craig): Margaret and Tom have survived criminals threatening their lives, coming close to divorce, informal couples’ therapy, and their teenage sons getting into trouble. GBH Drama interviewed Humphreys to find out her favorite moments from the show and what she’s looking forward to in the remainder of season 18.

We’ve reached the point in the season where Poplar’s timeline is overlapping with ours. Specifically: the squad is undergoing a rigorous spring cleaning. But unlike us, they’re doing it for a person. That’s right: there’s a new girl in town named Sister Catherine, and she’s studying for both her religious vows AND her midwifery certification, so she’ll be one busy bee. Also a busy bee? Fred, who’s helping by moving various furniture pieces, and who I hope will get a nice break soon.

Just in case you needed a new reason to like Fred, this episode kicks off with him attempting to save an injured bird, and that’s pretty much the tone of this whole episode. For starters, Joyce has been assigned the case of a gentleman who’s had prostate surgery, and been sent home with a catheter. While she’s in the neighborhood, Sister Veronica asks her to also check in on a recently widowed woman with three young kids, all of whom are suffering from malnutrition and a skin condition, having only recently moved into a council flat from a homeless shelter.

Last week we had a secession, an engagement party, and an exorcism: not too shabby for a season premiere! This time, we meet a brand new arrival in town with an unusual backstory: she’s just been released from a psychiatric facility. And if you think that’s the most dramatic thing we’ll see this episode, don’t fret: Vi is organizing a flower festival as her final act as mayor, and needs everything to go perfectly.