Call the Midwife 3.04
Feb. 11th, 2014 01:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakThe other day I came across an observation about this show that struck me as very true - that it's charm lay it is about a community, or rather overlapping communities of people helping each other. Most, but by no means all of these are women. It's optimistic, yes, and it's "we're all responsible for each other" ethos and deep affection for its characters is certainly a main reason for me to keep watching with delight.
This episode is the first death to happen to a recurring character since Jane the cleaning woman (and her brother) died back in s1; however, since I never got much of a sense of Alec as a person beyond "nice chap, loves Jenny" (which certainly isn't because he was a love interest: just compare Peter and Patrick Turner, both of whom were distinctly characterized throughout the show beyond their relationships with Chummy and Shelagh respectively), I must admit I don't feel the loss beyond being sad for Jenny. (I also suspect this subplot was mainly done to give Jessica Raine an episode off - maybe that was when she was shooting An Adventure in Time and Space?) Otoh the way everyone reacts in support of her underlines the above mentioned main theme.
As does Shelagh, in distress following the realisation she won't have children, seeking the advice of Sister Julienne, Sister Julienne giving it (their relationship is lovely and I'm glad it survived Bernadette becoming Shelagh and leaving the order) and Shelagh deciding to reorganize and revive the community choir. Along the lines, we also see her and Dr. Turner supporting each other, which relieves the tiny worry I felt that following Shelagh's diagnosis we would get a soap operatic marital enstrangement plot. But no, not on this show.
The main case of the week: I thought it was set up so the mother would defeat her agraphobia when her daughter gets into unexpected labor and she needs to call help, but no, they solved it a bit less predictably, with the mother able the leave the flat in the wake of the safe delivery and happiness about her granddaughter. That she was unable to leave for twelve years as the result of her horrible war experience was a reminder, like the bomb in the Christmas episode, of how the scars of war are still present on this era. Thish plot also offered the first closer look at Sister Winifred, the new arrival, and if here the solution to her confidence issues re: midwifery was the predictable one (i.e. Jenny gets called away, Winifred has to cope with the delivery on her own), it still was well executed. I also liked that while Cynthia noticed Winifred's unease early on and talked with Jenny about it, none of them was patronizing to Winifred or indicated they didn't trust her to do her job.
Trivia: Sisters Monica Joan and Evangelina playing Cluedo with Fred watching was golden. (A mischievous part of me wants a timebending crossover with the BBC Sherlock, in which Sister Monica Joan drives Sherlock to distraction by solving his cases in her, err, unique way. And stealing his cake.) And speaking of Fred, the small scene where he gives Jenny his just prepared meal is another case in point re: the show's mutual support ethos (in matters small and big alike).
This episode is the first death to happen to a recurring character since Jane the cleaning woman (and her brother) died back in s1; however, since I never got much of a sense of Alec as a person beyond "nice chap, loves Jenny" (which certainly isn't because he was a love interest: just compare Peter and Patrick Turner, both of whom were distinctly characterized throughout the show beyond their relationships with Chummy and Shelagh respectively), I must admit I don't feel the loss beyond being sad for Jenny. (I also suspect this subplot was mainly done to give Jessica Raine an episode off - maybe that was when she was shooting An Adventure in Time and Space?) Otoh the way everyone reacts in support of her underlines the above mentioned main theme.
As does Shelagh, in distress following the realisation she won't have children, seeking the advice of Sister Julienne, Sister Julienne giving it (their relationship is lovely and I'm glad it survived Bernadette becoming Shelagh and leaving the order) and Shelagh deciding to reorganize and revive the community choir. Along the lines, we also see her and Dr. Turner supporting each other, which relieves the tiny worry I felt that following Shelagh's diagnosis we would get a soap operatic marital enstrangement plot. But no, not on this show.
The main case of the week: I thought it was set up so the mother would defeat her agraphobia when her daughter gets into unexpected labor and she needs to call help, but no, they solved it a bit less predictably, with the mother able the leave the flat in the wake of the safe delivery and happiness about her granddaughter. That she was unable to leave for twelve years as the result of her horrible war experience was a reminder, like the bomb in the Christmas episode, of how the scars of war are still present on this era. Thish plot also offered the first closer look at Sister Winifred, the new arrival, and if here the solution to her confidence issues re: midwifery was the predictable one (i.e. Jenny gets called away, Winifred has to cope with the delivery on her own), it still was well executed. I also liked that while Cynthia noticed Winifred's unease early on and talked with Jenny about it, none of them was patronizing to Winifred or indicated they didn't trust her to do her job.
Trivia: Sisters Monica Joan and Evangelina playing Cluedo with Fred watching was golden. (A mischievous part of me wants a timebending crossover with the BBC Sherlock, in which Sister Monica Joan drives Sherlock to distraction by solving his cases in her, err, unique way. And stealing his cake.) And speaking of Fred, the small scene where he gives Jenny his just prepared meal is another case in point re: the show's mutual support ethos (in matters small and big alike).
