SERIES 7, EPISODE 1
Please feel free to comment on my review.
It’s time for Series 7 of ‘Call the Midwife’! My parents and I were planning to watch Series 7 on BBC One in early 2018. However church commitments took over and we didn’t get the chance to see it. 😦
This was before we got into the habit of watching ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Call the Midwife’ on BBC iPlayer on Sunday evenings after church. Thankfully my parents and I soon purchased the Series 7 DVD.
My parents did see one or two episodes of Series 7 on DVD, but didn’t get a chance to watch the rest of it. This is a ‘Call the Midwife’ season my parents and I knew the least about. We hoped to enjoy it.
In the first episode of Series 7, the Big Freeze of 1963 continues. It’s surreal how it’s still snowing in Poplar after we saw the 2017 Christmas Special. It could’ve easily been another Christmas Special. 😀
Despite the continuing winter, it doesn’t stop the Nonnatus House team from carrying out their duties. They also welcome their new midwife to their team – Leonie Elliot as Nurse Lucile Anderson.
It does take a while for Nurse Lucile to appear in the episode since she’s delayed coming into Poplar by bad weather. Thankfully she does arrive during the middle of power cut as Valerie welcomes her.
I like Lucile as a character. What’s clearly noticeable about her is that she’s a Jamaican. But she’s also a devoted Christian, as demonstrated when she prays at the foot of her bed before going to sleep. 🙂
The Nonnatus House team do welcome Lucille warmly after a difficult journey, including the likes of Jennifer Kirby as Valerie and Helen George as Trixie. But there are concerns with Lucille Anderson. 😐
Victoria Yeates as Sister Winifred points out her fear that Lucille may experience racism. This is fair considering that this is still 1963 and racism’s still a prominent thing for many people to cope with. 😐
Hopefully Lucille will be able to cope with that hazard in her midwifery job. She clearly seems to be competent when helping Trixie deal with a woman who’s had a breach in the delivery of her baby. 🙂
And this is after Lucille had to recover from being ill when Valerie had to go out and help Jenny Agutter as Sister Julienne attend a difficult case. It will be intriguing how Lucille fares out in her role.
Whilst that’s going on, Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane becomes concerned for elderly cancer patient Julie Legrand as Ruth Gelin. It’s clear that Ruth isn’t going to last long and refuses to leave her home.
This is difficult when Ruth and her family home is about to face eviction. Nurse Crane is determined to support Ruth and her family before her house is about to be demolished within the selected area.
She has the support of Stephen McGann as Dr. Turner, but has to win over Trevor Cooper as Sgt. Woolf to grant Ruth’s wish. I knew the tension between Nurse Crane and Sgt. Woolf wouldn’t be over.
Thankfully, Sgt. Woolf adheres to Nurse Crane’s request, allowing Ruth to die peacefully in her bed with her family nearby. It’s sad Ruth’s son in America (I think) didn’t get to say goodbye to her mum.
This is followed by a funeral which takes place outside in the snow. I believe Ruth’s family is Jewish, considering her husband is said to have once been to a synagogue and there’s a rabbi at the funeral.
Going back to Lucille helping Trixie deliver a single mother’s baby during a breach, this mother happens to be Tamla Kari as Nadine Mulvaney. Nadine was a former stripper at a seedy strip-club. 😐
It’s fascinating how Nadine loses her job being pregnant and has the support of Trixie to help deliver her baby compared to the mistreatment from her boss at the strip-club. And her boss is a woman. 😐
After Nadine has her baby delivered, she receives help from Trixie to plan for the future for herself and her child. Thankfully Nadine doesn’t return to the strip-club and gains a different, better career.
There is the subplot where Sister Winifred continues to learn driving for her driving test in the freezing cold snow. It gets all too much for Sister Winifred at points when driving in snow is difficult.
I enjoyed the subplot Trixie had with her boyfriend Jack Hawkins as Christopher Dockerill in the episode. She also reunites with Tripper Siefert-Cleveland as Alexandra, Christopher’s daughter here.
We do get a name-check on what’s happening with Patsy and Delia lately in the episode. No name-check on what’s happening with Barbara and Tom though. I hope we’ll get to see those two again. 🙂
Series 7, Episode 1 of ‘Call the Midwife’ is a good season opener. I can’t say it’s a great season opener considering some of the sadness in the subplots, but Lucille’s introduction here is very good.
On Disc 1 of the Series 7 DVD of ‘Call the Midwife’, there’s the behind-the-scenes featurette ‘House Clearances & A New Midwife’ to check out with cast and crew interviews.
‘Series 7, Episode 1’ rating – 7/10
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