Call The Midwife #2

[Libbylulu]

There is a story in the Mail stating the character of Matthew has been written out... odd as the big storyline last season was him marrying Trixie
Then again thinking about it they do have a history of marrying characters off and then writing them out of the show, Chummie and Barbara come to mind.

I’m beginning to think Heidi Thomas doesn’t want any male character to be bigger than her husband - so writes them out

 

[Kattykat10]

I’m bored with Nancy and Collette

 

[50sGirl]

The thing that annoys me now about CTM is that previous storylines are never mentioned again.
In a much earlier series Fred had an adult daughter who wasn’t happy when he married Violet.
Why wasn’t she shown visiting her critically ill father? She wasn’t even mentioned. Poor writing.

 

[Marilyn345]

I can’t get over them just standing up and shelagh saying let’s get changed and go the wedding after witnessing a woman die and hero turner performing a c section in the fucking street like please

Loved it that they had a spare set of wedding finery to hand too ..
There’s a real pile-on to the Turners on here, just to say I’m quite ancient and originally from an inner London community and there were plenty Shelagh’s around then. And yes the street caesarean was ridiculous .. maybe next series the good doctor will physically walk across the Thames

 

[Tea Cosy]

I couldn't help but notice in the Christmas special just how much Vanessa Redgrave's voice is deteriorating. Her voiceovers are getting more croaky with each series.

 

[50sGirl]

Maybe they wrote him off to stop gossip about him and Helen George breaking up with their partners around the same time. By getting rid of him, the attention stays on the series

Rumour has it that he was written out because the rest of the cast were fed up with getting splinters from his wooden acting!
I’ll get my coat…

 

[Rippedjeanmaybe]

I really preferred the old series when it was more focused on what happened with the nurses/nuns.
I miss Sister Evangelina as well.

For me I enjoyed the 50’s period. When it focused on hardship & poverty and the nurses would go out dancing etc.

I used to really like sister Julienne, but I think she’s turned into a bit of a narky cow recently.

 

[nicalibres]

The guy who plays Trixie’s husband is a shocking actor but he’s a babe so I can overlook it

 

[Lizzie Mintdrop]

Dr Turner didn't annoy me at all last night!

He annoyed me, his concerned face just gets me going. I was surprised he didn't discover HIV or Covid last night

 

[nicalibres]

The writing is just shocking at this point. Going from the sickly sweet, bad comedy routine for the first 50 minutes to Lizzie dying in a car crash was so jarring and unnecessary. Was it just so Dr Turner could play the hero? It made absolutely no sense. Only Trixie’s brother, Phylis and Ms Higgins made it watchable.

Agree with others about storylines being rushed. They have zero depth and it really makes for a much poorer show.

 

[fallenwinchester5]

It doesn’t make sense for mature Jenny to narrate anymore as they ran out of memoirs to base the episodes on! So it’s not even about her life anymore anyway…

 

[50sGirl]

I still remember Doctor Turner’s attitude to the lad who was gay that was working in a hotel. Compare that to the doctors on It’s a Sin in the 80’s are we supposed to believe attitudes regressed in twenty years.

I agree. There is no way he’d have reacted like that in the 1960s. If the writers made Timothy gay, no doubt Dr Turner would throw him a coming out party and invite the nuns!

 

[nicalibres]

I’ve finally caught up with the last 2 episodes and I’m enjoying this series more than the last few. It doesn’t quite connect the way the early series do though.

I hate that Cyrill is sad and was nearly stabbed to death but at least he’s more than a background character now so swings and roundabouts. I have been enjoying Dr St Turner taking a backseat but I feel like Trixie’s sexy but wooden husband to be is now filling his role; swooping in to save the day in situations he’s clearly not qualified to handle but it inexplicably all works out anyway.

Does anyone else think there really missing the friendship aspect of the older series? Like between the nurses. I first noticed when they filmed during covid but thought it must be due social distancing, but a lot of the relationships still feel very surface level.

 

[petitspois]

Yes, and then Patrick would take out his medical books and mansplain everything to her.

‘It’s called bisexuality Sheilagh!’

 

[Aussie]

When Reggie ran out to give his coat and scarf to the pregnant lady

I love Reggie, he's an absolute sweetheart

 

[50sGirl]

I think I only watch out of habit now, it's a shadow of the show that it used to be. I don't know if I can watch another series. The final straw for me was the sickeningly twee nativity scene where Trixie was illuminated by the light from the manger

Yes and why would you choose the only person with peroxide blonde hair to play the Virgin Mary?

Dr Turner donned his SuperDoc cape again - he didn’t give the mum the medication after 3 babies just in case there was a fourth!
I’m surprised when he was talking to Mr Shah he didn’t say “you have PTSD. It’s little known, but I’ve been researching it and will show my findings to the Medical Council!”

It is so unrealistic for the era now.
The Sisters would not have allowed an unmarried woman and her illegitimate daughter to live under their roof.
Baby Mark, being bi-racial, would have been frowned upon.
Would the lady have really happily given water to her non-white neighbour who was squatting in the room next door?

Was the dementia/absent mindedness that Sister Monica Joan appeared to have a few series ago explained as being caused by something else? For example a UTI? It’s no longer mentioned and her memory seems fine now. Dementia cannot be cured so did I miss the explanation?

 

[CBP]

If I hear Sister MJ do a speech in riddles one more Bloody Sunday, I’m gonna tear my hair out of my head! Anytime she speaks I think “piss off” and that’s very unholy of me but what can I say?! And Timmy Turners lights are on but nobody’s home gaping mouth face anytime anything happens can piss off as well. The programme makes me ashamed to be an east Londoner, I tell you!

 

[Shesaidwhat?]

Why is mature Jenny narrating how perfect Trixie’s wedding was? She wasn’t even there, it would of been a nice touch for her to come back.

 

[Tea Cosy]

Spoiler

For me, the magic of the Christmas specials has gone. Cyril never mentioned his wife Lucille, Shelagh getting in a flap about the present from Hong Kong and Nurse Crane was very under utilised. It was set in 1968 but with the social values of 2023 - no one batted an eyelid at the mixed race baby's birth and Nancy (a single unmarried mother) permitted to live in her place of employment with her illegitimate daughter! As ever, the endless background music is a distraction.

 

[Miss Begotten]

She's certainly going through the Call the Midwife cast now, are we thinking Dr Turner or Fred next?

Ugh. She should have gone for Cyril. He’s lovely AND he has his own sidecar.