Call The Midwife Series 13 Part 2

[PinkFrogss]

Or Call Saint Turner, as the show has really turned into.

Re this episode being rushed, I can see how that's how it felt for some but for me it made the last episode really powerful and gripping, for packing all the surprises, one after the other, in one go. I loved it and it was worth the wait. I would love though that next series they find that magic again to sprinkle across more of the episodes.

I absolutely agree with you. I adore Joyce and wish she was my friend, she certainly wouldn't put up with my flakiness 🤣
I like to imagine the characters in 2024. So Joyce and Nancy are now in their 70s and those lovely neighbours you love to have a chat with as they give you all the gossip and sage advice 😍

I was confused by the time line. When she was telling the agency how concerned she was about the Turners’ A&E visits, she must have been a pregnant prostitute again. And no one told the agency despite all this contact and it wasn’t relevant at all? This entire storyline really strains credulity on every level.

She must have been heavily pregnant around the time of the beach incident?

Presumably. It’s all just so silly.

At least that takes the saint away from the Saint Turners, I find it more interesting now...;-)
How does Esther Tang not speak English if she is a nanny to a British family?

I love Millicent! Even more now than before. "In the end, I was there for his first breath and his last". I think that is close to CTM's best moments in the beginning.
And what a friend Phyllis is, doing that lovely "photoshow".

I also really like how everyone is so properly dressed. Everywhere I go nowadays, people wear sweatpants.
But why was Violet wearing a pirate (?) costume at the Mother of the Year show? What did I miss?

Was this really the finale? It seemed (pleasantly) unspectacular for that.

While I agree the series has gone downhill, I still find it much better than most other (period dramas).

Violet was wearing her Mayoral garb @Undulat

Violet was wearing her mayoral robes!
One thing I have really liked about this series is the friendship between Nurse Crane and Miss Higgins. I have liked the way they have grown over the past few series. At first I thought Miss Higgins was going to be annoying but she's become very likeable. It's really good to see older ladies on tv portrayed as strong characters. I'm struggling to think of another series that has that.
We didn't see enough of Sister Julienne this series. There's a serenity about her that I love.

I've how much Nancy has grown from that scatty student midwife into a no nonsense, get things done competent nurse and midwife.

I’ve seen some criticism that Miss Higgins’ storyline was rushed and should have been over the series. Personally I think having it all happen so quickly just increased the sadness of it - she hardly had any time with him to build a relationship or get to know him.

She knew him for moments at the very start of his life, and moments at the very end of his life.

Is anyone else planning on going right back to the beginning and rewatching? I watched the very first two episodes last night and am shocked by just how much it has changed.

Oh I also adore Millicent and Phyllis. They really do share a bond. Two moments that made me chuckle this episode:

Miss Higgins throwing Nurse Crane out of the house when Mrs Chopra arrived, Nurse Crane says 'has something untoward happened?' 🤣

Jeffrey talking about Sister Winifred 'we keep a very lively correspondence' 🤣

@PinkFrogss I have started from the beginning.

It was so brilliant. I loved some of the touches like the Nuns singing and complain. There were 8-10 spare nuns singing as well. they have given up bothering with any of that. Lots more taking place in Nonnatus house. think now there are so many side characters and locations it dilutes it too much.

Storylines fantastic, touching and very midwife driven. The midwives-Jenny, Trixie, Cynthia and Chummy brilliant and their friendships all really nice.
Sister Evangelina a treasure and Sister Julienne so much more active and involved. And Sister MJ was already on deaths door in season one!!

I love the story of Sister Bernadette becoming Shelagh-so poignant.

It is a very stark reminder that despite the recent season finale which had glimmers of promise that it has really changed into a Poplar soap opera.

I didn't mind this series that much but do find myself wondering what Sister Julienne would want with an electric washing machine.

@104c I'm not sure if the nuns habits will be machine washable... but the midwives will definitely find it useful! I presume Nonnatus house probably has a cleaner who deals with that sort of stuff

I'd have thought that Nonnatus house must already have a washing machine. The maternity home would have had one. A struggling parent should have won it!

Absolutely loved the non-judgmental friendship between Phylis and Millicent 🥰
Same @Netaporter I loved that Millicent could ask her friend to leave so abruptly and Phyllis knew something was up so waited in her car. Such a bittersweet storyline though.

I really liked Sundays episode, but was also confused by bonfire night at the start and then Mothers Day at the end without Christmas in between. Maybe it wasn't bonfire night🤔

I thought Trixie was going to drink the meths too. Her utter fear about being on fire though I really felt. I'm glad she is going over to NY, but I hope she doesn't just become Jontys nanny and not continue some sort of medical role. Maybe next series she ends up coming home alone as Matthews lost his last bit of money.

I love Joyce and am glad she has, hopefully, got rid of her good for nothing husband. I hope she stays for a good while, but other characters I've loved haven't stayed for long (Patsy to name one) so I have probably jinxed her time now.

Where did the pub landlady come midwife go? I can't remember how her story ended up. I know her gran was a backstreet abortionist.

I am glad we get another Christmas episode and a new series next year. Even though it's not as good as it was at the start, in a way that's something I am glad of. Some episodes back then I could almost smell the scenes and they made me feel sick.

I was confused by the time line. When she was telling the agency how concerned she was about the Turners’ A&E visits, she must have been a pregnant prostitute again. And no one told the agency despite all this contact and it wasn’t relevant at all? This entire storyline really strains credulity on every level.

I too wondered about the timeline.

Absolutely nothing to do with the thread, but your username has intrigued me. How on earth did it come about?

😆😆

Not as bad as Jessica Raine. She was so wooden.

I loved Jessica Raine-thought she was a bit posh and buttoned up but I always liked her-unlike my DD 😂 who didn't

edited for clarification-it seemed as though I didn't like my DD

@PuttingDownRoots @Toddlerteaplease 's post is what I was angling at! And I would've assumed there would be a cleaning rota at Nonnatus, probably with more weight on the younger midwives than a cleaner as they are very budget restricted.

I've just finished watching Sunday's episode.

It was all a bit crazy, wasn't it?

Millicent finds her long lost son but loses him all in the same episode! Whatever happened to developing a story?

Someone really has it in for Trixie - iirc her character was subjected to drug addiction, setting herself on fire and then a reconciliation with wooden Matthew. But she was still smiling serenely at the 'Celebration of Mothers' ceremony.

May's mother has very conveniently reverted to prostitution and had a baby boy, thus removing any threat to May's fostering/adoption arrangement with the Turners.

Meanwhile, the elephant in the room is Lucille.

Also, Nancy would never have said, "Hell's bells". It's not an Irish expression.

Things I did like:-

The hapless bus conductor holding the baby of the mother in labour

Georgie Glen's acting - so understated but so effective

Phyllis playing the quietly supportive friend to perfection. Putting together the slide show is exactly the sort of thing she would do.

I was sure we'd be 'treated' to a celebration of Shelagh Turner's all around smugness wonderfulness as a mother, but thankfully we were spared that and instead Reggie stole the show with his tribute to his two mothers.

Right, off to make a cuppa and I'll be back for a read of your comments.

confused by bonfire night at the start and then Mothers Day at the end without Christmas in between. Maybe it wasn't bonfire night🤔

It was bonfire night, but not Mother's Day I think - just a Nonspecific Celebration Of Mothers For No Particilar Reason party.

Not to mention how she was therefore affording the international calls!