SERIES 8, EPISODE 6
Please feel free to comment on my review.
Well, this is another pretty good character-driven and emotionally-charged ‘Call the Midwife’ episode in Series 8. Episode 6 features some pretty good and intriguing story arcs for our main leads.
There are a few story arcs that continue in the build-up to the season finale in two episodes’ finale. I didn’t know what to expect when watching the rest of Series 8 of ‘Call the Midwife’ on BBC iPlayer.
Miriam Margolyes makes a return appearance as Mother Mildred in the series. Since doing the 2018 Christmas Special, Miriam Margolyes has made more appearances in the ‘Call the Midwife’ TV series.
She would go on to appear in the next episode of Series 8 as well as another Christmas Special and the first episode of Series 9. I wonder if Miriam Margolyes is due to return in some more episodes. 🙂
The reason for Mother Mildred’s arrival at Nonnatus House is because Linda Bassett as Nurse Crane put her back out at the start of the episode. Mother Mildred is covering for Nurse Crane’s absence. 🙂
At least Mother Mildred isn’t like Harriet Walter’s character from Series 6. 😀 It’s interesting how Nurse Crane gets hospitalised because of putting her back out. Hopefully it won’t be for very long. 🙂
Mind you, Mother Mildred’s stepping in for Nurse Crane whilst she’s in hospital does cause some unrest amongst the ‘Call the Midwife’ team. Not surprising, considering she’s a formidable presence.
For example, Mother Mildred takes advantage of Cliff Parisi as Fred Buckle who drives on her rounds during the day. Fred Buckle is the kind of man who won’t say “No” to Mother Mildred in the show. 😐
Mother Mildred also unintentionally offends the mother of a docker family when she compares their home to a slum she once visited. The affronted mother is Claire Keelan as Gilda Brittall in the tale. 😐
Thankfully, Mother Mildred learns from her mistakes and she actually goes to Gilda Brittall and apologises for what she said. She also helps when the elderly father-in-law has become terribly ill. 😦
The elderly father-in-law is Dennis Banks as Joe Brittall. It was sad and pretty emotional to see all the Brittall family gathered around Joe Brittall’s bedside when he’s suffering greatly before he sadly dies.
It was nice to see Tim Treloar playing the father of the docker family in the episode – Barney Brittall. Tim Treloar’s character also suffers and becomes ill in the episode since he ends up in the hospital. 😐
Tim Treloar is well-known in ‘Doctor Who’ circles for voicing the Third Doctor on audio in ‘The Third Doctor Adventures’ by Big Finish. I’ve seen Tim Treloar at conventions like ‘Big Finish Day 6’ in January 2015. 🙂
The rest of the family include the sons Frankie Wilson as Ed Brittall and Joe Flynn as John Brittall. Both debate on whether to continue working at the docks since their mother doesn’t want them to.
There’s another nice subplot where Leonie Elliot as Lucille helps an unmarried teenager, Hannah Rae as Elaine Pilkington, to deliver her baby when she goes into labour. Elaine is a troubled young girl.
She’s overjoyed to have her baby and becomes determined to keep her and not lose her. Elaine’s character backstory was interesting. It’s nice how Lucile interacts with her to understand who she is.
It’s interesting how its revealed Elaine had a child once before, but lost it when it was given to another family by her parents. She was heartbroken once her parents forced her to give up her baby.
The same situation occurs again when the parents want Elaine to give up her baby daughter, but she’s determined to keep her. They immediately disown her in the episode. It’s really heartbreaking.
Surprisingly, even for a ‘Call the Midwife’ episode, there’s no reconciliation between Elaine and her parents. I wonder how Elaine would cope being a single mum and it can’t be easy for her afterwards.
I liked the little subplot between Lucille and her potential love interest Zephryn Taitte as Cyril, who was in the previous episode. There was a little bit of tension between the two in their relationship. 😐
We also get to meet Ann Mitchell as Elsie Dyer. She’s the grandmother of Jennifer Kirby as Valerie in the series. I liked seeing Valerie with her granny in the episode. They had some nice scenes together.
There does seem to be uncertainty about what’s going to happen to the Chinese girl May, whom Stephen McGann as Dr. Turner and his wife Laura Main as Shelagh have adopted in the TV series. 😐
Series 8, Episode 6 is overall a very good episode in ‘Call the Midwife’! 😀 I liked the subplots going on in the episode and it’s interesting how Miriam Margolyes’ Mother Mildred has joined the team here. 🙂
‘Series 8, Episode 6’ rating – 8/10
|
Go back to |
Go next to |
| Return to Call the Midwife | |
| Return to Drama |
Bradley's Basement 