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Worldly Distractions: Call the Midwife 3.8 - Episode Eight


crazyforkate

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blog-shelagh.jpgshelagh

 

Final episode of the season, with a lot going on. What could possibly come next?

Jenny has just delivered a baby to a Patient of the Week, which gives Old Jenny a chance to narrate about new life for the umpteenth time. However, when Jenny lifts the sheet, she sees the mother (Norma) is hemorrhaging. While they call an ambulance, Jenny helps the mother deliver a chunk of placenta. She heads back to Nonnatus after a hard day's work.

Chummy comes home to her husband and adorable baby, outraged that dying Mater has checked herself out of the hospital when she desperately needs care. Meanwhile, Dr. Turner comes home to find his wife suspiciously happy. Also, apparently Timothy calls her "Mum" now. Turner is grumpy and taciturn.

Tom the priest gets invited to Nonnatus for dinner, being Trixie's significant other. He's started a men's group at the church and wants to have a meeting about pregnancy and birth, so that they have a better understanding of what their wives suffer. He invites a couple of midwives to join him. Patsy and Trixie sign up, though Sister Evangelina harrumphs. Childbirth is Women's Business, dontcha know. Evangelina elaborates on this, saying women should be supported by their mothers, which makes Chummy cry. Nice going, Trunchbull. Sister Monica Joan comforts Chummy most sweetly. She goes home, where Noakes has tracked Mater down. She's living on charity in a special residence. Why cheating Pater can't pony up for his estranged wife's last days is not discussed. Noakes orders Chummy to eat, sleep, and go visit her mother after.

Fred comes in with Sister MJ, who has finally cracked and was wandering the street convinced she was a novice. She doesn't recognize Fred or Sister Julienne and is getting violent. She cries for her stuff and seems really anxious, so Sister Julienne asks Fred to get it. (MJ's original name: Antonia Cavill.) It turns out to be her mother's jewelry, which we learned about in the kleptomania story from last series.

Chummy visits Mummy with a newly mended robe and a package of mints. Mater is still as snippy and whiny as ever. She even refuses Chummy's wedding picture for her bedside table, as Chummy's not in white and Noakes doesn't have the proper suit. Sweet lady, huh?

Cynthia has taken over The Care of Sister Monica Joan, who is freshly grieving her mother's long-ago death. Shelagh continues her ragtag choir, which is interrupted when the men's group bursts in. The choir and men's group (not to mention husband and wife, as Turner is with the guys) have a standoff. Brilliantly, the choir wins by singing them out. They resort to holding the meeting in the Nonnatus dining room. Then it turns out a man named Philip Worth is at the meeting, and oh boy, anyone who knows the real Jenny's story knows where this is going. I have to say, he's freaking handsome. Dr. Turner talks about fertilization, because apparently the dudes of Poplar know nothing about sex. Philip interrupts at this point. He actually wandered into the men's group by accident - he was just looking for some antacids for his pregnant cousin. Oops. Trixie gets him the medicine and asks Jenny to see him out. We find out he's from Edinburgh, and Scotsmen are hot. Seriously, if I lived in Scotland I would instantly turn into the world's biggest slut. Go for it, Jenny.

The Turners are having a bit of a rough marital patch. Tim brings in a letter, which announces that they have been approved for adoption. They're now on a waiting list. Shelagh worries that maybe they don't have a happy home. For heaven's sake, you've been tense for like half an episode. This too shall pass, hey?

Jenny goes to see Mrs. Hepford, who is also Scottish and Philip's cousin. Her husband's away with his job, and Phil is taking charge at the moment. Philip is revealed to be a deep thinker, fond of music and art.

Noakes goes to visit Mater at the residence, where he finds her screaming in pain. The matron tells him that they just aren't equipped, and she should be in hospital. He promptly takes his mother-in-law into his own home. Jenny, Dr. Turner and Chummy arrive to help. The doctor advises to pay close attention to her until she can get a bed at the London. His outside expectations for survival are a few weeks. Mater finally seems to be facing her own fate.

Dr. Turner talks about the possibility of a baby with his wife. He apologizes for not being honest with her about his PTSD past. She claims he did nothing wrong, though why she's been pissy for all this time is left unanswered if that's the case. They kiss and make up.

Sr. MJ has given up knitting and now wanders around being dotty. Everyone is at a loss.

Chummy wakes up to find her mother cuddling Freddy. Jenny approaches Sr. Julienne with the suggestion of a new form for helping terminally ill patients, involving the whole family. Though they can't place her in the cool hospital that offers it, she asks the nun if she can care for Lady Brown. Sr. Julienne points out that she's here to be a midwife, and though it's a great cause, Jenny just can't be spared. Furthermore, Lady Brown has explicitly told everyone that she wants to stay at her daughter's until the end. Jenny is instead put in charge of some student midwives who need to be shown the ropes. None of them can bicycle properly.

Jenny finds an untouched cake in the pantry, and it's revealed that Sr. MJ hasn't had time to graze because she's been over at Chummy's all the time. We see Chummy, Patsy and Sister MJ set up a "dying room" for Lady Brown, where Patsy is inappropriately cheery and Chummy zombie-like. Sr. MJ is a real source of comfort, surprisingly. Noakes carries Lady Brown upstairs, knowing she will never come down alive again.

Shelagh gets a letter from the director of the upcoming choral festival. Their beloved Mozart piece is already being used by another group. They'll have to change repertoire! What ever shall they do?

Jenny goes to look after Philip's cousin, who is very close but not quite in labor. Philip arrives during the examination. They exchange a look I could only describe as smoldering. Meanwhile, Lady Brown and Noakes play endless card games. Lady Brown describes her daughter in ways which sound rude, but which mean love when coming from her. Shelagh goes crazy over the choral competition, and Dr. Turner tries to dance her anxieties away. It doesn't really work.

Lady Brown is near the end, and has a soliloquy about her demise. She remembers how beautiful she was, back when she was married to a rich dude. Sr. Monica Joan is so moved that she goes back to Nonnatus and raids Trixie's stuff, taking skin cream and nail polish.

Shelagh drums up more voices for her choir, while Jenny goes back to Jeanette (Philip's cousin). She's in labor, but it's proving to be a long night. Philip proves adept at solving crossword puzzles. Meanwhile, Chummy won't hear of painting her mother's nails at such a serious time. It's too frivolous. After some pressing, she breaks down and admits she can't touch her mother. Sr. MJ admits that she and her mother never touched either, and after her mother's death she regretted it. So the makeover happens, and it's terribly sad. At the end, Lady Brown reaches up and strokes Chummy's cheek. At the end, they're both in tears.

Jeanette has been in labor all night and is starting to give up on it. Jenny reassures her, and they keep on through the night. By dawn, Lady Brown is on her way out and Jeanette's baby is almost here. Over at the Noakes residence, Chummy and Sister MJ keep vigil. Meanwhile, Jeanette is falling apart. Jenny calls for gas and air, plus a replacement - she, too, is wearing out.

Patsy and Sr. Evangelina show up, where Evangelina flips out because no enema was performed, then take over confidently. Philip offers to walk her back. She admits that she feels like a failure for walking out on the labor. She goes over to Chummy's instead. While there, she spills tea all over her friend and unthinkingly offers her Mater's robe to wear. Chummy pauses, but then agrees to put it on. Once she gets into the robe, she promptly breaks down and cries. She curls up in bed next to her mother, and stays there until the end. It's incredibly well done, at least until Old Jenny has to blare in about death and life.

With moments to go before the choir competition, the Turners get a phone call from the adoption agency. They all hop into the car and go to get their baby The choir is forced to herd themselves. The Turners head to the nursery, fall instantly in love with the baby girl, and it's game over. Everything's happy and good, though I can't help but wonder if the kid was stolen from Philomena.

The choir performs splendidly under Trixie's direction (and eventually win). The reverend plays the piano, which gives them reason to exchange flirty looks. The Turners sign adoption papers, Mater lies in her coffin in the Noakes' living room, and Jenny comes to talk to Sister Julienne. Sister Julienne "Climb Every Mountains" the fuck out of it. Go roam those hills, Jenny darling. (Last of the nun gifs, I promise.)

imdone

 

 

The winning choir walks home in triumph, Trixie and Tom take the opportunity to lock lips. Once everyone is gathered, Jenny takes the opportunity to drop some news - she's leaving to work at a cancer hospital (the Marie Curie Hospital), so she can work with dying people. Everyone is dreadfully disappointed but wishes her luck.

Jeanette is also full of wishes for luck, since her cousin is about to ask Jenny out. He hands her flowers, and BOOM, there's the future. There's a going-away party with all the nuns and nurses and the Turners' new baby. In one touching moment, Sr. Julienne gives Shelagh back the baby dress she had knitted, given away when she first learned of her infertility. The nun had kept it all this time. Philip and Jenny exchanged flirty looks as Old Jenny narrates about what would eventually happen (marriage, babies, etc). Jenny is given a new bicycle and pedals away to a new life.

And, well, I guess that's the end. I mean, this is Jenny's story, based on the real Jenny's books - so it can't go much further than that, can it? Well, it was a splendid last episode full of funny and teary moments. Apparently there's going to be a fourth series, but it's bound to be extremely different, if it happens at all. Jenny was the linchpin, and it's sad that Raine has left to make it in Hollywood (though we all saw it coming, admit it). We shall have to see what comes next, I suppose. In any event, it has been a wonderful adventure. Thank you for joining me along the way.

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