For many viewers, this MASTERPIECE season delivered an escape from the stress of the modern world. But recent conversations outside of this fandom have called for a reexamining of what it means for viewers to escape in period dramas.

The final episode of Tom Jones ties all the main plots together to a very satisfying conclusion. However, the journey to get there is harrowing, with odds that seem impossible for Tom to overcome. Let’s discuss the journey to the final scene.

This week on Tom Jones we find out what Lady Bellaston is up to, and it’s not good news for Tom and Sophia reuniting. Meanwhile, the Westerns and Blifil are hoping Sophia will decide that marrying Blifil is a good idea. Let’s discuss all the chaos Lady Bellaston causes our young star-crossed lovers!

This week on Tom Jones, Sophia decides to take the hard way out on the mismatched engagement with Blifil. Tom also faces eviction from Squire Allworthy’s house. Both of them leave the countryside and along the way, there’s a lot of shenanigans and new characters to meet. Let’s discuss what happens.

Season 12 of Call The Midwife finally gives Trixie the happy ending she richly deserves. However, there are a lot of organizational issues, tragedy befalling a patient, and stressors leading all the way up until the actual ceremony. Let’s discuss how the season finale wraps up all of the plots this season except one.

This week’s premiere of Tom Jones continues the tradition of the spring period drama miniseries while returning to the literary roots of MASTERPIECE. Mammoth Screen, the production company that brought period drama fans Poldark, is back with another 18th Century tale. Screenwriter Gwyneth Hughes (best known for Amazon/ITV’s 2018 Vanity Fair miniseries) adapted Henry Fielding’s classic novel with a modern eye for more inclusive history. Don’t worry if you haven’t read the novel yet: each episode features the spirit of the novel in the brevity of the hour long drama format. Let’s discuss all of the main characters we’re introduced to this week:

This week is the penultimate episode of Call The Midwife Season 12. This week's district patients face homelessness, a viral infection even Nonnatus House residents can’t avoid, and drug addiction. In happier news, Cyril is back from visiting Lucille in Jamaica. Trixie and Matthew are still prepping for their wedding, and the families of Poplar enter a photo contest. Let’s discuss what happens.

Last week, Boring Ralph finally got dumped, Georgiana finally reunited with her mom Agnes, Augusta finally got away from Horrible Edward, and Tom finally felt bad about his garbage behavior. But it came at the cost of Mary being dangerously sick, Arthur and Dastardly Duke being super heartbroken, and Merciless Mama being a scheming racist jerkwad. Reader, I honestly cannot fathom how all of this gets wrapped up in one episode, but I’m game if you are. Let’s get cracking.

This week on Call The Midwife many of the patients are teens and preteens who find themselves in need of medical and emotional assistance. We spend a lot of time in particular on a preteen boy that had to grow up too fast who gets an overdue medical diagnosis, and a teenage mother who finds a way to prove to her parents that she is worthy of their love. Sister Veronica sets up a clinic for kids who have gone to work instead of finishing school. There’s also a cute canine crisis and Trixie runs into issues with her wedding party list. Let’s discuss all of these events.

Where were we? Oh, right: Augusta just took Charlotte’s accidentally bad advice and ran off with Horrible Edward! Charlotte was seconds away from, presumably, telling Boring Ralph that even though he’s very sweet, he’s also the human equivalent of a blancmange, and she’s more interested in a pavlova MINIMUM. And Georgiana had just announced her engagement to Dastardly Duke, leaving Arthur very sad.