SERIES 6, EPISODE 8
Please feel free to comment on my review.
Here we are on the season finale for Series 6 of ‘Call the Midwife’! I like how the season ends, especially on a happy note, as a wedding takes place. But despite happiness, there is also sadness. 😦
In the episode, a family contraceptive clinic opens in the Poplar area. A mum of three children, Olivia Darnley as Wilma Goddens, uses the clinic to put herself on the pill without her husband knowing. 😐
The contraceptive pill was something introduced in Series 5, Episode 7 where its ethical implications were in question. A wife using the pill could avoid having pregnancies in making love to their husbands.
That’s something Wilma Goddens wants whilst her husband, Matthew Wilson as Trevor, wishes for them to have a son. Wilma is confident about taking the pills, but she uses them about every day. 😮
Why couldn’t she have used the pills for short periods of time e.g. once a week rather than have it every day? Mind you, the conceptive pill was brand-new and it probably wasn’t tried out properly. 😐
The pills sadly have tragic side-effects on Wilma as it causes her to have problems in breathing and getting blood clots. It’s tragic as Wilma sadly dies from having the pills, leaving her husband and kids.
It’s sad to see that happen in the episode and it’s put into question on how effective the contraceptive pill is. Not sure how the contraceptive pill is effective in being used by today’s standards.
Whilst that happens, Laura Main as Shelagh finally goes into labour. It’s been up and down with Shelagh in Series 6 as to whether she was going to have a baby or not. Thankfully she does have it. 🙂
Shelagh has a home delivery with Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne being her midwife. It was quite hard-going for Shelagh as she was going through labour. She was scared things wouldn’t be smooth.
Thankfully Sister Julienne is there to support Shelagh, knowing her strength very well from the days since she was Sister Bernadette. Stephen McGann as Dr. Turner eventually comes in to support her.
Shelagh thankfully has a son once delivered by Sister Julienne. I was amazed and pleased to see that, thinking that things would not run so smoothly for Shelagh and that it would all end up in tears here.
Meanwhile, Charlotte Ritchie as Barbara and Jack Ashton as Tom bring their wedding plans forward to allow Barbara’s father, who is a clergyman, to marry them both before he leaves for New Guinea.
I believe this is the first time we see Barbara’s father in ‘Call the Midwife’. Simon Chandler guest stars as Canon Gilbert, Barbara’s father. He’s also been in 1994’s BBC adaptation of ‘Middlemarch’. 🙂
Barbara’s father is meant to do some missionary work in New Guinea. I’m thankful he came to Poplar to marry Barbara and Tom off and I’m so glad that the wedding turned out to be a happy one.
It’s clear how much Barbara and Tom love each other before and after they’re married. I’m currently looking forward to how Barbara and Tom’s marriage fares in Series 7 and whether it’ll be successful.
It was also nice to see the scene between Tom and Helen George as Trixie as they reconcile the past love they once had for each other. I believe Helen George and Jack Ashton were dating at the time. 🙂
Trixie also gets to meet Jack Hawkins as Christopher Dockerill’s daughter, Tipper Seifert-Cleveland as Alexandra. Trixie and Alexandra seem to get on well with each other. Trixie has her way with kids. 😀
I also like how Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane, despite being put-out about not being Shelagh’s midwife instead of Sister Julienne, is happy to be chosen to be Barbara’s bridesmaid at the wedding.
It’s nice that Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle and Annabelle Apsion as Violet got to have Daniel Laurie as Reggie Jackson back in their lives at the episode’s end. Apparently, Violet has been missing Reggie. 🙂
Kate Lamb as Delia also gets a nice surprise as Emerald Fennell as Patsy Mount returns from abroad. Patsy is determined not to leave for anywhere without Delia joining her. They both share a kiss here.
This episode is Patsy and Delia’s last one apparently. Overall, Series 6, Episode 8 has been a satisfying conclusion to the season. It’s a shame about some sad moments, but it did end on a happy note.
The DVD special features for Series 6 of ‘Call the Midwife’ are as follows. On Disc 3, there are behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast and crew.
‘Series 6, Episode 8’ rating – 8/10
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