SERIES 6, EPISODE 4
Please feel free to comment on my review.
This ‘Call the Midwife’ episode is quite an emotional one. It deals with a mother who struggles to part with a child she can’t financially support, deciding to give him up to someone who wants to adopt.
The struggling mother in question happens to be Claire Lams as Marnie Wallace. She has two children already but can’t afford to look after a third child since her husband abandoned his family. 😦
Helen George as Trixie takes pity on Marnie and she refers her to Jack Ashton as Tom who may provide some moral support for her. It was intriguing to see Tom’s point of view in this matter here.
It’s revealed that Tom was abandoned once as a child and had to be adopted into another family. He gets to see how a mother ends giving up her child to another person, who is barren but wealthier. 😐
This other person happens to be Marnie’s cousin, Emily Bowker as Dot Spenlow. Unlike Marnie, Dot doesn’t believe in God. She won’t even have a child go through a christening to get the name he needs.
Dot also has a husband, Jason Thorpe as Eugene Spenlow. Eugene refuses to adopt a child from an orphanage as he prefers to have a child from someone he knows. That someone of course is Marnie.
Dot and Eugene offer financial aid to Marnie in exchange to have her third child. It’s a struggle for Marnie to come to terms with, but she does it all for the sake of supporting her other two children. 😦
Tom and Victoria Yeates as Sister Winfred witness the handover of Marnie’s third child once she’s given birth to Dot. They’re saddened by this and it is a very emotional scene to watch in the episode.
Gradually, as the episode reaches its conclusion, Marnie changes her mind and asks for her child back from Dot. I liked how the episode handles Marnie coming to terms with wanting her child back.
It’s also intriguing how Tom experiences this saga and how he respects Marnie in the decisions she makes. Both her and Sister Winifred are unsurprised when Marnie changes her mind in the episode.
Also in the episode, Laura Main as Shelagh is still in hospital, fearing for her unborn child following the events of the previous episode. It’s very worrying how Shelagh ended up in the position she’s in.
Whilst Shelagh is looked after in hospital, she befriends another patient, Katie Lyons as Gloria Venables, who suffers a miscarriage. This happens not to be the first time she’s had a miscarriage. 😦
This is saddening as it was hoped Gloria may be able to give birth to another child. It’s upsetting how Gloria’s condition transpires. Kate Lamb as Nurse Delia Busby witnesses the devastating effects of it.
Interestingly, the episode has a black nurse in charge of things whilst Shelagh’s in hospital – Cecilia Noble as Sister Douglas. I imagine black nurses are lucky to have positions of authority in that period.
It’s nice the Turners’ son, Max Macmillan as Timothy goes to see her mum in hospital when concerned about her. He has a chance to connect more with his dad, Stephen McGann as Dr. Turner.
Back at Nonnatus House, Trixie is still concerned about Sister Mary Cynthia’s whereabouts. But Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne implies that there’s not much they can do with locating her in the series.
The episode also has the midwifery team including Sister Julienne and Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane recruiting a new midwife to their cause. It’s is to fill in the temporary absence of Sister Mary Cynthia.
After a series of applicants who aren’t suitable, Sister Julienne soon looks to Jennifer Kirby as Valerie Dyer, who was previously in Series 6, Episode 2. Valerie was an ex-army nurse and is now a barmaid.
I like how Sister Julienne seeks Valerie out and asks her to work for Nonnatus House. Valerie eagerly agrees and she soon applies for the post. She soon receives a letter of acceptance from Nonnatus. 🙂
Nurse Crane also helps out in the ‘scouts’ team for Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle. She does interrupt Annabelle Apison as Violet Buckle with her brownies lot but hopefully Nurse Crane will do just fine. 🙂
Series 6, Episode 4 is a good ‘Call the Midwife’ episode. I like how the struggling mother who gave up her baby and wanted him back was handled. There is also hope for Shelagh having a baby after all. 🙂
‘Series 6, Episode 4’ rating – 8/10
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