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Modern Midwives Blog
With Sister Veronica still away in Hong Kong, the midwives have taken on even more work and responsibilities, most notably Nurse Crane. Nevertheless, there’s no rest for the wicked — and all of the Nonnatus House crew are eager to step up to the plate.
In other news, watch out, Poplar, there’s a new doctor in town! Congratulations are in order for Timothy Turner! After passing his medical examinations with “flying colors,” he’s ready to test the waters of real-life practice. But will he decide to pursue the route of a general practitioner, like his father? Or does he have other plans in mind?
Read on below to find out more about the episode.
It’s another week in Poplar, and it’s business as usual for Fred Buckle and Reggie Jackson. While they set up their inventory in the corner shop, some unexpected trouble comes knocking — or rather, dripping from the ceiling. There’s a water leak from Cyril’s flat!
Fortunately, local plumbers, Ivan Barrowman and his son Paul, are quick to lend Fred and Reggie a hand. Since Cyril still hasn’t returned from his conference in York, Mrs. Wallace swings by to supervise. Ivan concludes that the leak is due to corroded lead pipes. While there’s no quick-fix solution, a complete removal and refitting of the pipes will do the trick.
Right on cue, Cyril and Rosalind appear at the front door, suitcases in hand. Their giddiness from their romantic weekend away is quickly forgotten, thanks to the disapproving look from Mrs. Wallace.
Less messy than leaking pipes but equally disruptive is the issue of the National Health Service’s encroachment on medical care in Poplar. Due to vague, unforeseen circumstances, the Board of Health temporarily relocates the antenatal clinic to the Annex in St. Cuthbert’s. The midwives are frustrated, to say the least.
Then, as Miss Higgins tends to business, checking in patients, she ends up going toe-to-toe with a dour man dressed in a dark suit. The unfriendly visitor — a representative from the National Health Service — is eager to inspect some of the patients’ medical records, much to Miss Higgin’s protestation.
Later, Shelagh airs her worries to Dr. Turner and Sister Julienne. Is it possible the National Health moved the antenatal clinic to St. Cuthbert’s so its employees could breeze in whenever they liked?
Sister Julienne is adamant that the midwives are under no obligation to do everything the National Health requests. However, the Turners detect a sense of doubt creeping over their colleague’s face.
Is Sister Julienne closer to making a decision over Nonnatus House’s future with the National Health Service? And with the way things are going, is it too late to make any real difference?
Meanwhile, Sister Julienne tends to her patient Ruth Khan, who’s expecting her first baby. Ruth is overjoyed to be bringing a newborn into this world with the help of her supportive husband, Dilwar, and even more thrilled with having a planned home birth.
Less exciting for Ruth, however, is the constant presence of her mother-in-law, Aisha. While any outsider could see that Aisha carries nothing but good intentions, Ruth takes issue with Aisha’s seemingly constant mothering.
Later, when Sister Julienne returns to the Khan’s residence, she remarks to Ruth how her flat strikes her as a “home full of love.” But this wasn’t always the case for Ruth. As a child, her mother abandoned her and her siblings, leaving their father to raise them.
Fortunately, Ruth can think optimistically about the future after finding such a supportive partner. And with Sister Julienne’s approval, Ruth finds solace knowing that Dilwar will stay with her as she gives birth.
But conflict arises when Ruth goes into labor and Aisha expresses her wish to be present in the delivery room. To Ruth, the issue is a non-negotiable, and Dilwar insists his mother leave the room.
As things stand now, Ruth and Aisha have yet to find a way to see eye-to-eye.
As the late hours of the night descend upon Poplar, Dr. Turner and Timothy respond to an urgent phone call from the Barrowmans’ household. After a light-hearted tea-time filled with fritters and laughter, all of the Barrowmans, except for the youngest, Suzanne, find themselves ill with a bad case of food poisoning.
Dr. Turner explains that the best way for the family to recover is to get a good night’s sleep and keep themselves warm.
But when Dr. Turner and Timothy return to the flat the next morning, no one responds to their knock. Upon letting themselves in, they stumble across the unthinkable: both Barrowman parents and Suzanne are dead.
Dr. Turner suspects carbon monoxide poisoning as the culprit while an ambulance brings Paul, the only survivor in the household, to the hospital for immediate treatment.
Following the horrifying tragedy, Dr. Turner attempts to make sense of what could have led to such a tragic outcome. Later, when he visits Paul Barrowman in the hospital, he finds the young man also searching for answers.
While the coroner still hasn’t released an official statement yet, Dr. Turner shares his suspicions about carbon monoxide poisoning caused by the house’s new boiler.
Paul, remembering he helped his dad fit the new boiler into the home, begins to spiral. Is he to blame for his parents’ and sister’s death? Was he somehow negligent in all of this?
Dr. Turner tries to calm Paul. Until they receive the coroner’s report, nobody can be certain of anything.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Wallace requests a private tête-à-tête with Cyril to discuss “his conduct and his conscience.” Considering the disapproving look she gave the couple earlier, Rosalind and Cyril suspect the conversation can only be about one thing.
As expected, Mrs. Wallace has some things to get off her chest, specifically Cyril compromising his position in the community — and he’s compromising Rosalind as well.
Cyril tries to assure her that no one from Church is aware of his and Rosalind’s weekend getaway. But Mrs. Wallace insists the issue lies more with the Almighty, who sees everything.
To her, the answer for Cyril is straightforward for “modern people, living in a modern world, and wrestling with modern problems.” Sometimes, “the best way of protecting ourselves and those we love is by being a little bit old-fashioned.”
How will Cyril bring this up to Rosalind? And how will the couple navigate going forward upon hearing this feedback?
As the days continue to wear on without an official report from the coroner, Paul’s grandmother, Hilda Barrowman, reproaches Dr. Turner. She angrily accuses him of criminal negligence. Had he sent her family members to the hospital when they were showing signs of illness, they could still be alive today.
The next day, when Nurse Crane arrives to open up Dr. Turner’s office, she stumbles across a scathing message painted across Dr. Turner’s front door: MURDERER.
Phyllis immediately telephones Miss Higgins, who insists that under no circumstances can their patients see the vandalism.
Dr. Turner also forbids anyone to contact the police. While it’s a clear case of criminality and likely slander, he doesn’t want to inflict any more suffering on the Barrowmans. Instead, he decides to close his office until he receives the results from the coroner.
Timothy tries to push back, but Dr. Turner has made up his mind. As he explains to Timothy, trust is essential between every general practitioner and their patients.
“It's like clean hands. Or a steady hand with a lancet. Like antibiotics. Black coffee on the night shift. Can’t be a GP without it.”
Back at the Khan household, the tension between Ruth and Aisha reaches a near boiling point. Ruth, desperate to maintain her independence, continues to push her mother-in-law away, despite Aisha’s best intentions.
Looking for a moment of fresh air, Ruth decides to take her baby out on a stroll. However, while preparing to leave, Ruth exhibits clear signs of being unwell. Aisha urges Ruth to stay home, but the new mother insists she needs to establish a routine, and the baby needs fresh air.
Worried for her daughter-in-law, Aisha follows Ruth from a cautious distance. Along the way, the young mother shows more and more glaring signs of a problem until she finally starts to collapse. Aisha rushes to her aid and brings her to Dr. Turner’s office.
Despite being closed, Dr. Turner leaps into action, recognizing the signs of postpartum preeclampsia. With crucial minutes ticking away, Dr. Turner treats her and rushes her to the nearby St. Cuthbert’s himself.
Thanks to his quick response, Ruth avoids going into full-blown eclampsia and experiencing any seizures.
Later, in a touching moment at the hospital, Ruth and Aisha make amends, with Ruth thanking Aisha for coming to her rescue and apologizing for pushing her away. A gracious Aisha reminds Ruth that “a mother is always at your shoulder,” to which Ruth says, “I didn’t know what to do with that kind of love… but I do now.”
Following his talk with Mrs. Wallace, Cyril meets with Rosalind, and tensions quickly escalate into a disagreement.
Cyril proposes that they “slow things down” for the time being. After all, he is still not divorced yet, and in the eyes of his community, a pastor should not be seen courting women outside of marriage.
Rosalind counters that they simply can’t “turn back the clock” in regards to morals, nor can they pretend to ignore how having sex has impacted their relationship or her and her body.
While Cyril agrees with Rosalind, he still feels he’s putting her in harm’s way. Perhaps they should wait until he’s in a position to put a ring on Rosalind’s finger and “do things decently.”
But Rosalind is far from impressed by Cyril’s “poorly thought through” marriage proposal. Before they reach a resolution, Rosalind storms off.
Later, they reconcile. Rosalind apologizes for losing her temper while Cyril admits he should have gone about his marriage proposal in a different way. With the two of them on solid terms again, Cyril asks Rosalind if she will give him the chance to give a better proposal next time.
Rosalind eagerly agrees and encourages him to take her away again for a weekend.
In the fallout of the Barrowman family’s tragedy, both Paul and Hilda have struggled to find ways to cope with their grief. They both desperately need answers to help make sense of the unimaginable tragedy.
Fortunately, after days of agonizing silence, Dr. Turner finally has some news to share. According to the coroner’s report, the cause of deaths were linked to a faulty, defective valve on the boiler. Most importantly, what happened to the family was no one’s fault.
And, in other news, all of the tin meat cans from Cash and Carry have been recalled, with the company likely to face prosecution.
While Dr. Turner’s news can’t change their inconceivable loss, at least Paul and Hilda can start moving forward healing.
After accompanying Christopher on his voyage back to Hong Kong, Sister Veronica at long last returns to Poplar with a surprising announcement to share.
In a private moment with Sister Julienne, Sister Veronica finally shares her long-kept secret. She can no longer ignore her deep desire to have a child of her own. While she sorts out her immediate future, the Mother House has granted her a six week leave to decide if she wants to give up her vows and leave the Order.
Before she departs Nonnatus House, Shelagh offers her some words of encouragement. After all, she once stood in Sister Veronica’s very same shoes. Although the road ahead remains uncertain, Sister Veronica knows it’s one that she has to take.
Elsewhere, Dr. Turner and Sister Julienne have some difficult news to discuss.
First, Sister Julienne has observed Sister Monica Joan’s worrying case of edema, or swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in tissue. Dr. Turner confirms that the condition is likely a result of kidney failure, although more testing will provide a clearer picture.
They realize that their Sister Monica Joan’s medical decline is all but inevitable.
And finally, after getting assaulted by an expectant mother living in squalid conditions, Sister Julienne has reached a decision about the future of Nonnatus House.
The experience acted as a powerful reminder that gave her purpose, strength, and reminded her that they are missionaries. Therefore, if the Board does not allow the Order to work in a missionary capacity, she and the midwives will leave Poplar at the end of the year. And that is final.
Only time will tell now what happens going forward….
Forgot how we got here? Catch up on “Call the Midwife” with the Season 15, Episode 4 GIF Recap.
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