selenak

In which we had multiple subplots, and I am suddenly very worried for one of the midwives in particular.

To wit, Phyllis. I mean, after eight seasons, I know the procedure. If one of the actresses wants to leave or the character gets written out for some other reason, they ease us into this by introducing another character with a roughly similar plot function ahead of time so that for a while we have both, see Sister Evangelina & Phyllis Crane, but also Jenny & Barbara & Valerie, Barbara & Lucille. (That, or the character’s temporary, explained by plot as temporary absence becomes a permanent one, see most recently Patsy.) So Phyllis‘ bad back and hospital stint on its own would not have made me distrustful, but in combination with the arrival of Mother Mildred as a temporary replacement, it does indeed. Don’t go, Phyllis!

This being said, I think Mother Mildred works far better than Sister Ursula last season. She makes mistakes, mostly due to thoughtlessness and privilege, but also shows herself willing to rectify them once she realises what she’s done, and at the same time, the episode gives us her strengths as well as her weaknesses, so it’s believable this is a woman who’s been in charge of a part of the order for a while. Her not being content with dealing with the illnesses troubling the men of the dockworker family per se but going to the social injustice at the root of them bodes very well. Otoh she’s technically Sister Julienne’s superior, and I can see that causing trouble in the future without either party meaning it to, simply because a distant boss living elsewhere is not the same as one living in your house and assuming a position of someone who works for you.

Elaine as one of the cases of the week was also one of the rare examples where the show’s solution isn’t reconciliation within the estranged family/friends/partners but separation and support for Elaine’s determination to making it on her own, by Lucille, who is one of the most traditional oriented of the non-nun midwives, which makes it more rewarding than if, say, Trixie had been the midwife helping Elaine. Lucille also has her continuing relationship subplot with Cyril, and this second installment helped me over my unease from the last episode. I mean, we got the traditional „misunderstanding causes trouble“ from romantic storylines, but the fib causing the trouble was in character for Sister Monica Joan, and Cyril and Lucille talking, in a quiet, understated way, about how they miss living somewhere where most people look like them also reassured me re: the writers‘ ways of dealing with race.

Lastly: Violet rocks. It bears mentioning every now and then.