Every season, the GBH Drama staff sit down to watch the latest and greatest in British dramas. And now, just a few short months after the last season, we have the springtime return of PBS favorite, Call The Midwife. Between our scrappy nurses, sassy nuns and gut-wrenching emotional trauma that somehow keeps you wanting more, there’s a lot to be excited about. Need a refresher on what happened last season? Check out our Season 10 and 2021 Holiday Special recaps here. Ready? Take a deep (lamaze) breath, and prepare yourself for Season 11!
This episode starts with the voice over saying “we’re nothing without change,” which makes me worry that a storm's a brewin’ with SOMEBODY in our main squad. Sure, Vanessa Redgrave just told me change is natural, but guess what? I don’t have to like it!! Ahem. Anyway. At Cyril and Lucille’s place, things are looking up: Cyril’s got an invitation for a job interview at the council offices, which is extra exciting after the many rejections he’s gotten so far (job hunting really is the worst), and Lucille woke up with less morning sickness than usual.
At Nonnatus, Trixie and Sister Hilda discuss a fella called Mr. Packer whom Trixie will be visiting shortly. Poor Mr. Packer has had a rough go of it: hospitalized for fifteen weeks after a worksite fall, he’s now back at home, and has functional paraplegia. Both Mr. and Mrs. Packer are adamant in their choice to move him back home, rather than to a rehab facility, and while I truly do understand the instinct to want your family together, I have to agree with Trixie’s furrowed brow: this may slow his recovery process and be very hard on the whole family.
At the surgery, Phyllis pops in on Lucille in the baby cleaning room to bring some tea.
Lucille: You’re coddling me!
Phyllis: You won’t say that when I bring in the next baby: kid’s caked in meconium. Also don’t forget this tea: you gotta hydrate!
The peace of this sweet friendship moment is quickly shattered when, from the next room, we hear a small voice scream “no!” Unfortunately, it’s little May Turner, who’s got quite a nasty wound on her foot. Poor kid scraped the heck out of it, and, per Miss Higgins, while it may sound like May’s being disemboweled, it’s not actually that serious.
Back at the Packers, Trixie starts going over all the potential issues the family is going to have to sort out. For instance: it’s unclear whether Mr. Packer is confident with using a catheter, and the hospital ought to have arranged for the family to have a proper hospital bed and additional equipment. Unfortunately, Mrs. Packer hears this as an attack on her ability to keep house. She clearly knows she needs some help (she can’t roll her husband over on her own, for instance), but may not be ready to admit just how much, so this is shaping up to be an emotionally fraught storyline to say the least. While Trixie brings Mr. Packer’s wheelchair inside the flat (and lightly scolds Mrs. Packer: her husband needs this equipment and now it’s got bubblegum stuck to the rims), Mrs. Packer starts to let our nurse friend in a bit: this just isn’t what she expected life to look like.
Trixie: I understand; your husband had a life-changing accident, and it’s changing your life too.
Mrs. Packer: It was my idea to bring him home… he wanted it too; we do things together, and if he went to that place he’d be gone for a year. But how am I supposed to take him to the hospital for therapy if the elevator keeps breaking!
Trixie: Physiotherapy for spinal injuries takes a LONG time. And because your husband discharged himself, he stopped that therapy early. Really early. I’ll see what I can arrange with outpatient staff, and get you set up with welfare.
Mrs. Packer very clearly did NOT like the word welfare being used for her family: social workers, in her estimation, are for people who’ve messed up their lives. Wowee, there is a LOT of complicated emotion and prejudice to unpack here, and I don’t envy Trixie the task.
Back at the Turner house, guess who’s FINALLY arrived this season! Yes, it’s young Tim, and he’s here to tell us that the playground where May got hurt is, in the classic tradition of playgrounds built before circa 2000, a deathtrap: the first compound fracture Tim saw happened at the same place!
Shelagh, salty: Well that was probably daredevilry gone wrong! This was just neglected equipment, and it hurt our baby!
Dr. Turner, sanguine: She’ll be fine in a couple days; it was one stitch!
Shelagh: It’s the principle of the thing! This makes the kids think this is all they can expect, and I’m not about to stand for it!
These two are well matched because Dr. Turner clearly a) knew this would get Shelagh all riled up to go fix the problem and b) is into seeing his wife all riled up. Head full of steam, she heads right over to Vi’s shop to explain her idea: hold a jumble sale to raise money for the playground.
Shelagh: People used to fix things, but now it’s like all of our consumer goods are completely temporary.
Me: Shelagh, pal, I have such bad news for you about the future.
Vi: I think this is a great idea, and I can’t promise anything, but I can apply for a council grant for matching whatever you make from the sale!
Shelagh: Yay! But also, just saying, the council probably should be responsible for the playgrounds in the first place.
Vi:
At the Packer house, the eldest daughter (who Trixie delivered, which is cool!) brings her dad some cookies and asks why his eyes are watering. Of course, he claims it’s just the bright sun, but I hope someone is giving this man an outlet to talk. The next time Trixie visits, it’s clear that the family are struggling: Mr. Packer had a tough night, with some incontinence issues, and while Mrs. Packer is very keen to act like everything is fine, it’s obvious that they’re both having a hard time. Mrs. Packer wants to do everything for her husband, and he wants autonomy, and to accept some outside help. Unfortunately, it seems like he’s not yet ready to have that conversation with his wife, and is letting her call all the shots.
Trixie, watching this weird passive aggressive conversation go down:
Meanwhile, at Lucille and Cyril’s place, he’s preparing for his job interview, and looking very spiffy, if Lucille and I may say so! And at the surgery, Shelagh is explaining her awesome scheme to collect jumble sale donations in the waiting room to Miss Higgins, who, as you can imagine, really does not like that plan.
Miss Higgins: Lack of space. Tripping hazard. Fleas!
Tim: And it’s warm. They hatch faster when it’s warm.
Shelagh: Great, well Tim can take all the donations over to Nonnatus at the end of every day.
Miss Higgins: And *I* will insist that Tim do other tasks only when he’s finished his official duties.
Tim:
Well THAT is gonna go great. Over at the school, Sister Hilda meets with a young male teacher who’s hoping she can help him out. See, one of his students started her period recently, and the poor kid was completely blindsided. And even worse, this isn’t an isolated incident. Hip Teacher, despite being a bit uncomfortable talking about menstruation, is hoping they can do something to stop these poor kids from thinking they’re dying when they’re in fact experiencing a very normal bodily function, and Sister Hilda, our team educator, is of course VERY much on board. Later that very day, she corners the two youngest midwives about her plot to have them give schoolchildren The Talk.
Sister Frances: But why us? Isn’t there like… a pamphlet?
Sister Hilda: Yeah, but have you read those things? They’re aimed at teenagers.
Boots: Yikes, that’s a bit late.
Sister Hilda: Exactly. And TBH I think they need more info.
Sister Frances, whispering: Wait. Like… sex?
Boots: Great idea! I didn’t know anything and look how that turned out!
Sister Hilda: You’re both a lot closer to their age, and I think that will make them more comfortable.
As a former sex educator, it probably won’t surprise anyone to hear I’m 100% on board with this plan, which is a soundly science-backed strategy. Do I think this is may also lead to some capital-D Drama, or at least that it would if our midwife friends were based in the US of A?
Over in the clinic proper, Dr. Turner chats with Lucille’s patient this week. Why? Because she’s at the dreaded "advanced maternal age" and thus would be forced to have a hospital delivery if she were enrolled at St. Cuthberts.
Mature: Yeah, my husband, who is a medical nerd and very involved, said this counts as a geriatric pregnancy.
Dr. Turner: Well, I love an involved dad!
Mature: This is our first kid together; he’s a great father to my other children, but look: if he’s into watching the birth I want him to be able to experience that.
Dr. Turner: We do allow dads in the room at the maternity home!
Mature: Perfect! Let’s do it!
Awww! Over at Nonnatus, Phyllis gets a letter, and while she opens it, Sister Monica Joan makes it very clear that she’s not thrilled with God’s decision to make lunch tinned salmon salad. Again.
Sister Frances: It wasn’t God that gave us all those cans, it was the foreman of the fish factory, grateful for our help with his kiddo’s delivery.
Trixie: No complaints here; salmon is full of vitamin D.
Sister Hilda: Yeah, no rickets for us!
Phyllis, opening her letter:
And then she straight up runs out of the room. Oh no! Sister Julienne, of course, follows our friend to try and support her, with the rest of the squad close on her heels. Phyllis, who seems to be having a full on panic attack, explains: her life just turned completely upside down, because she's won five thousand pounds in what I gather is the UK equivalent of something like a government-backed megabucks sweepstakes (that's something around $100,000 in today's money). Obviously, everyone else is immediately filled with relief and happiness for their friend, but Phyllis is still SHOOK. Later that evening, she heads over to Miss Higgins’ house for some sherry and a chat.
Phyllis: Straight up, Millicent, I forgot I even had one of those bonds in the first place. My mom got it for me as a birthday present, and I was so mad because she wouldn’t admit it was basically gambling.
Miss Higgins: She would be so happy for you, right?
Phyllis: Well I feel like a jerk, because I’m not happy. I’ve spent my whole life being careful and prudent to save up money for my old age. Literally my car is my only luxury!
Miss Higgins: Yeah, I get it: I ration stuff too. The idea of running out of money at the end of my life is intimidating!
Phyllis: And all this time I had no need to worry, but I never learned how to have fun!
Miss Higgins: Just give yourself some time to adjust, friendo: it’s ok!
Across town, Mature’s husband escorts Lucille into their house in a panic: thank goodness she’s here! Inside, Mature is a lot more chill: she’s just got heartburn! Lucille, of course, prepares to do a normal checkup for this situation, and the two shoo Mature’s husband off to work. While Lucille gets settled, Mature tells her about her job as a bookkeeper, which is how she met her husband. See, Mature used to work in a factory when she was married to her ex, and he didn’t quite make enough to support them, so she had to look for a non shift-based job.
Mature: You just can’t work a job with super regular hours and be a full time parent at the same time.
Lucille, for some reason just realizing this is relevant to her situation: …yeah. You’re right.
Mature: I don’t want you to think I’m trying to be too fancy or whatever, but a comfortable life costs money! So I went to night school and got a different career.
Lucille: You know what, that’s awesome. Good for you!
Indeed. But what about Lucille, who loves the midwifery game? Back at Nonnatus, Sister Julienne is starting to regret the decision to turn the house into a collection point for the jumble sale. There is crap everywhere! And someone even weirdly donated a bunch of pads and tampons???
Boots: Uh, those are actually ours. We’re taking them to the elementary school for the period lecture.
Sister Frances: Oh yeah, we got ALL the stuff.
And then she proceeds to list off a bunch of products which would be SUPER revolutionary to them (especially to Sister Julienne) but are mostly outdated now. Bless the people who develop new menstrual products, that is all I have to say about the matter! Anyway, at the school, our fearsome duo usher all these kiddos into the menstruation nation, giving the girls a chance to ask questions: out loud, and with an anonymous question box. Interestingly, in the back row, the Packer’s daughter perks right up and starts writing as soon as the question box comes out.
Later, at Nonnatus, Lucille drops in to talk to Phyllis about the career crisis. Phyllis, apparently, had wondered what Lucille was planning, but she was too polite to ask, bless her.
Lucille: I hadn’t come up with anything concrete because it was such a surprise. Kind of like you and the windfall.
Phyllis: Good try, but I’m not talking about that. And good news doesn’t have to change everything.
Lucille: But I can’t keep doing this job once I have the baby! It’s a ton of work, and the hours are all over the place!
Phyllis: So?
Lucille: I’m going to train as a health visitor: regular hours, and close enough to midwifery that I won’t feel like I’m giving up the job I love.
Phyllis: And what does Cyril think?
Lucille: I haven’t told him yet :/
Downstairs, Boots and Sister Frances pour over the questions box, which is hilariously full of the kind of big mysteries that plague small children, such as “do dogs go to heaven?” and “what happens to the egg shells?” the latter completely sending our gals into hysterics. But the fun ends VERY abruptly when Sister Frances finds a note that asks “how do you tell the NSPCC [the UK National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children]?” They conclude that one of the girls is trying to figure out how to report child abuse, but are at a loss as to how to figure out which kid: the children are taught to use a standardised handwriting, and abuse isn’t always visible. The next day, the duo answer the questions they can (including the dog heaven one: in case you were worried, Sister Frances says yes) and then tell the girls that there were a few questions that were too complicated to discuss in class. The plan: leave the box behind, so that anyone can resubmit a question, but with their name or even just their initials this time.
Across town, Lucille tells Cyril about her career plan, and he’s not super thrilled to only just be hearing about this now.
Cyril: Hey, so just recently you were, rightly, on my case for making decisions without talking them over with you first… so?
Lucille: But this isn’t just about a job, this is a career! I traveled halfway around the world for this!
Cyril: Lucille, I literally did that too! But my thing is just a job to you?
Lucille: Don’t love that tone, babe.
Cyril: Well I don’t love that you’re talking about retraining without considering the financial impact on us!
Lucille: Yes, ok, in the short time it’s going to be hard, but in the long term this is how we thrive!
Cyril: So you don’t trust me to be able to provide for us?
Lucille: I don’t expect you to!
And Cyril, hurt, storms out. Hey, guess what, I hate it! It’s important to talk this stuff over, but oof, I don’t like watching them fight :( Especially not when it leads to Cyril, out late at night, getting harassed by a cop for sitting by the water to think. Thankfully the confrontation doesn’t seem to escalate, but the potential for serious danger is absolutely there, and it’s stressful to wach. While one couple is having a super bad night, by contrast, Trixie and A for Effort have a very spicy date night that ends with Trixie sneaking into Nonnatus the next morning in her fancy outfit from the night before.
Trixie sneaking into the home she shares with a bunch of nuns after being out all night? Hilarious. And over at the Buckle’s shop, where Cyril’s stopped by for the mail, things are even better, because guess who just got a civil engineer job for the council!!!
Cyril, overcome, starts crying with happiness.
Fred: Aw, Cyril, I’m so happy for you. You earned it! So much hard work and studying.
Cyril: Fred, I need to find some flowers ASAP.
Fred: There’s roses in the allotment: go get as many as you need.
Good call all around. Cyril, of course, pops right out to get a bouquet, and then sneaks back home to give them to a sleeping Lucille. He wakes her up with flowers, an apology, and the news about his job, which really might be the best way to start one’s day. Across town, Trixie arrives at the Packer home as the kids are heading off to school. Mrs. Packer greets Trixie by telling her they had another rough night, so Trix heads right in to see Mr. Packer, and suggests that it might be a good idea to try putting on an actual shirt instead of pajamas today. As they change his shirt, she sees a MASSIVE bruise on his back, which he claims to have gotten after falling out of his wheelchair.
Trixie, done with this: This isn’t good enough! I’m sorry, I don’t mean you. But the services aren’t supporting you properly! You deserve equipment, and a physical therapist! UGH!
Yes, I 100% agree with Trixie, but reading between the lines I have a bad feeling that we also need to do something about Mrs. Packer. But first, Trixie marches right down to speak to the family’s housing officer and the officer for the board of health.
The Receptionist: They’re both VERY busy.
Trixie, not even remotely here to play: Yeah, and I feel like the guy who edits the East London newspaper is also busy, but he’ll still make time to hear what I have to say about the horrible mistreatment of my patient!
Across town, Dr. Turner grabs lunch with Shelagh so that he can gently and lovingly tell her that she’s taking this playground thing way too far.
Shelagh: I know. It’s just that we have to report that accident, and May’s mom will find out and wonder why I messed up.
Dr. Turner: Look, you know we are amazing parents. I know you don’t want to let May down, but love can’t be a prison. She’s a kid, she should be able to have fun and get normal kid injuries!
Correct! Over at the school, the Packer kiddo asks to speak to Hip Teacher about what I fear might very much not be normal kid injuries. As I suspected, she was the one who asked about the NSPCC. After fetching Sister Frances, the nun finds bruises on this kiddo’s back that look almost identical to the ones on her dad.
Sister Hilda: And you say it’s your mom who disciplines you… can you tell me what she uses?
Packer Kiddo: The dog leash.
It gets worse, unfortunately: when they check the kids’ medical records, Dr. Turner finds that both children have had greenstick fractures, a type of break that very often indicates abuse. The little brother also suffered a perforated eardrum, which was likely caused by a blow to the head, which is backed up by what the older kiddo told Sister Hilda. She and Dr. Turner start pulling together all the records: the police will need them.
On a much happier note, at Nonnatus, Phyllis sits down for a chat with Sister Julienne about the whole windfall situation. They both agree that money is just kind of a challenge: too much or too little can both be a problem. But Phyllis is finally deciding to see the cash as an opportunity: she’s always wanted to see the world, and she has WEEKS of saved up vacation time.
Phyllis: Do I have, say, six weeks of accrued time?
Sister Julienne: Uh, yeah. Probably more.
Phyllis, face lighting up: Because there’s this tour of Europe… and it even goes to Spain.
Sister Julienne: If I could wish you a good journey in Spanish, I would. I approve.
Phyllis: I’ll be back by November, and there’s a whole week before I leave to get everything sorted!
Sister Julienne, just now realizing the implications of what she’s agreed to: A whole week! Wow.
I could not be happier for Phyllis! What a great opportunity! Outside the office, she runs up to Miss Higgins to give her the good news, and to try and get her friend to come along on the trip. Unfortunately, because I would REALLY like to see this spinoff, Miss Higgins declines.
Meanwhile, Trixie joins Sister Hilda and Dr. Turner at the surgery, and tells them she’s just been yelling at the council regarding Mr. Packer’s injuries. Sister Hilda and Dr. Turner, of course, put two and two together, and fill Trixie in. Soon after, everyone meets with a police officer.
Trixie: I thought she was a perfect spouse for the situation: capable, organized, committed.
Police Officer: And you saw injuries on him as well, correct? Is it possible that he could have been the victim of domestic violence?
Trixie: Yes. I think he’s been an abuse victim for a long time, and I also think he’s been covering for his wife.
That evening, Trixie and Police Officer arrive at the house. Mrs. Packer immediately starts screaming at her son, who makes himself as small as possible, before rounding on the adults in the room and accusing her daughter of lying. Police Officer explains that she’ll need to interview everyone in the family alone, and as Trixie prepares to go fetch Mr. Packer, he wheels into the room, because of course he already heard everything through the door. Trixie also makes Mrs. Packer show Police Officer what she’s got in her hand: it’s the dog leash, which is WAY scarier that I pictured given that it’s made of a metal chain. Even worse? The family doesn’t even have a dog.
While Police Officer questions Mrs. Packer, Trixie sits with the little boy. When she offers to take him to go to the safe spot where his sister is, he declines: he has to keep an eye on their dad, because otherwise Mrs. Packer might hurt him. This heartbreaking thought process is echoed in the next room, where Mr. Packer explains that he came home from the hospital early because he was afraid to leave his wife alone with the kids any longer than he had to. As Mrs. Packer continues to try and explain that her behavior is normal (it isn’t) Police Officer finally decides enough is enough, and tells Mrs. Packer that they’re going down to the station.
In a break from this heartbreaking situation, we head to the maternity home, where Mature and her very prepared husband are in the delivery room.
Mature: I feel… stuffed up? This isn’t like my other deliveries.
Lucille: Well, to put it delicately, that’s because you’re constipated. It’s not dangerous, but it’s making you uncomfortable. I’m not going to give you an enema, but suppositories might help?
Mature’s Husband, blanching, but pulling through it: How long will those take to work?
Mature: Dude, I don’t care about the timeline, I just want it out!
Mature’s Husband, bless him: The, uh, feces?
Mature: No! The dang baby! I’m sorry if this is boring, and disgusting, but that’s life, sweetheart!
Lucille: Ok, so, Mature’s Husband, it’s time for you to give your wife the space she needs. Go hang out in reception for a bit.
Once again, I am in awe of Lucille’s ability to deescalate a challenging situation, and after the next thing that happens, I’m even more impressed with her fortitude: on a brief bathroom break, Lucille discovers that she’s bleeding. This sometimes does happen in pregnancy, but it’s definitely cause for alarm. She tries to make a phone call for backup, but before she can dial out, Mature screams for her from the other room, and Lucille and Mature’s Husband both go running.
Mature: I’ve gotta push!
Lucille: Ok, don’t do that, stay calm! Breath!
And just like that, Lucille coaches Mature through the birth, with some actually helpful support from Mature’s husband. As Lucille holds up their beautiful little girl, she starts to cry. Of course, the family thinks it’s just because she’s the best (which she is) but I have to assume she’s worrying for her own pregnancy. Later, when Lucille’s finally had a chance to call Phyllis, she gets a light scolding for telephoning so late in the game, and is bundled DIRECTLY into bed. But what about Mature’s blood pressure?
Phyllis: I already checked it, and it’s coming down. But regardless, I’ve got this! Just stay here and rest, and at the end of the night I am going to drive you home!
At the police station, Mrs. Packer complains about the tea she’s offered, and then, in a horrifyingly certain tone, explains that the case will never go to court: her husband will change his mind; he knows she loves him. What a piece of work. Later that evening, Trixie unpacks everything with A for Effort: she should have realized what was happening! The kids were too tidy and too scared. A for Effort asks if Trixie is trained to notice this stuff, and she tells him that she didn’t need training: she grew up in an abusive household.
Trixie: I’ve always wanted to make everyone feel better. I’ve been looking for someone where the love I feel is equal to the difference I can make for them.
A for Effort: You looked after me when I needed it most.
Trixie: Well I didn’t know I loved you yet.
A for Effort: I’m not gonna ask how you feel now, but just know that I picked up on that accidental admission. I don’t need you to answer right away, but I need you to know I love you, especially tonight.
Back at the maternity home, Phyllis takes a break from listening to Mature’s Husband gush about their baby to check on Lucille, and finds her bed empty, and a bloodstain on the sheets. Of course, she immediately heads toward the restroom to check on Lucille, who confirms what we’ve all been worrying about: she thinks she’s having a miscarriage. Crouching outside the bathroom, Phyllis, who spots more blood on the floor, tells Lucille she’s probably right, and then starts crying as quietly as possible so Lucille won’t hear. Lucille, in a lot of pain, asks Phyllis to fetch a receiver to catch the miscarriage, and Phyllis, of course, runs off to get one (and to compose herself).
Hey, so this sucks. Miscarriages are very common, and very underdiscussed, partly because they’re tough to talk about, and partly because, like many hard things that women go through, we’re expected to just get over it. I think it’s really important that we see this kind of narrative more on television, because it’s a part of life for a lot of people, but also, I am SO upset that this is happening to Lucille.
While the Mature family continues to enjoy their new baby, Phyllis tells Lucille that the ambulance will be there soon, and she’ll likely have a D&C at the hospital, because even though it seemed like the fetus was intact, there’s more bleeding than normal. Phyllis is about to head off to fetch Lucille a fresh pad, and to call Cyril so he can come support his wife, but when the newborn starts crying across the room, Phyllis strokes Lucille’s hair, offering comfort.
The next day, Tim talks to Mr. Packer outside the surgery, and apologizes for the lack of an elevator. Mr. Packer, who seems a lot lighter now that his wife isn’t hovering over his every move, tells Tim it’s ok: at least if there’s no elevator it can’t break down all the time. Tim mentions that if Mr. Packer is homebound they can send the doctor to him, but Mr. P is adamant: he’s got to get out of the house so he can work to support his kids. All that said, Tim starts the arduous process of wheeling Mr. Packer up the stairs, and illustrates one of many reasons that accessibility is so important; this is an accident waiting to happen! Inside, Dr. Turner does an exam, and chats with his patient about everything that’s been happening.
Mr. Packer: At least now I know I can get here if I need to: I have to be able to look after my children and myself.
Dr. Turner: Are you going to press charges?
Mr. Packer: I have to. If she goes in front of the court, it’ll help me get custody. This whole thing is horrible; it sounds like I’m trying to punish the kids, but I just want them safe. See, I’d never met a woman like her: she was perfect…
Dr. Turner: Except she wasn’t.
Mr. Packer: Exactly: everything that went into maintaining that facade was terrifying. Anyway, I’m never going back to her.
Dr. Turner: Glad to hear it. And we’re going to get you SO much support: ground floor apartment, and another assessment at St. Cuthberts, who really shouldn’t have discharged you in the first place.
Mr. Packer: It's what she wanted, and I had to protect the kids. And I’m going to do that properly starting now.
Back at Nonnatus, Sister Hilda pulls a pie out of the oven, which she’s hoping will perk up Phyllis, who’s still looking very down after backing up Lucille last night. In fact, everyone’s looking pretty down about Lucille’s miscarriage, but Trixie also seems to have just gotten some more bad news in the mail. Her fabulous godmother in Italy is apparently pretty seriously ill with cancer. Later, Phyllis tries to reassure Trixie: if her godmother has a good community, she may do well. But unfortunately, Trixie’s godmother doesn’t have a great support system: she’s a beautiful fabulous lady without a home or a family to look after her. Man, could the hits maybe STOP coming for our friends?
At the hospital, Cyril is waiting by Lucille’s bedside when she wakes up. After making sure he’s not there outside of visiting hours, she heartbreakingly tells him she thought she’d be better at carrying a baby. This isn’t your fault, Lucille, you are perfect! Cyril very wisely reminds her that we can’t always control the outcome of our lives. When he’s a pastor he gives great advice, but he can’t always take it for himself. The only mistake is in not waiting to see what happens next.
Back at Nonnatus, Sister Julienne attempts to fix the towering pile of nonsense collected for the jumble sale when she unearths something that immediately triggers the serious music. In the next room, Sister Monica Joan advises Trixie that if her godmother asks for help, Trixie must go: she’s supported Trixie a LOT (and also furnished all of our favorite outfits, as Sister Hilda reminds us). Trixie’s telling everyone that her godmother also helped Trixie when she was quitting drinking, when they hear Sister Julienne scream for help in the next room. As they arrive, she tells them to stand back: that thing she’s holding is an unexploded bomb from the war.
Meanwhile, at the Buckle’s shop, two small boys arrive to show Fred some “skittles” they found (which in the UK is a type of lawn bowling pin, not a delicious sour candy) — just like the one they already dropped off in the jumble pile! You guessed it: they’re two more bombs. Fred, who as we may recall helped deal with the LAST unexploded bomb found in Poplar (Christmas Special 2013) springs into action. He sets up a cordon, calls the authorities, and starts the evacuation plan. Sister Monica Joan? Unimpressed: she lived through the blitz. Phyllis? Takes forever to leave Nonnatus because she’s rescuing her rolodex. A for Effort? Running into a dangerous area because he’s worried about Trixie, much to Fred’s dismay. While the army works to clear the area, Trixie explains that she’ll need to go be with her godmother: she can’t cure her, but she can support her, and that’s what matters.
A for Effort: How long will you be gone for?
Trixie: I don't know. But I WILL be back.
A for Effort: And if you need me, I’ll come to you.
Trixie: I need you here, keeping an eye on things.
And that’s it for this week. While Mrs. Packer moves into a hostel for women, where she can’t harm her family, Mr. Packer does his physical therapy so he can care for his kids. Cyril and Lucille walk hand in hand through Poplar to join everyone in bidding farewell to Phyllis and Trixie, who both leave for very different trips to Europe. Will we see them back before the end of the season? And how will Lucille and Cyril heal from their miscarriage? We’ll just have to come back next week to find out.
Abuse can happen to anyone. If you find yourself in a situation like the Packer family, and you’re ready to leave, you can find more information here or by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800.799.SAFE (7233).
Episode 1 recap: keeping up appearances
Episode 2 recap: oh my god... they were roommates!
Episode 3 recap: build me up buttercup
Episode 4 recap: here comes the sun
