For some reason the old Midwife thread has been closed. But in any case, for those who still watch the show you might be interested to see footage of the Olympic race Sister Monica Joan was cheering for last week.
This is the finals of the women’s 800m race in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games won by Ann Packer:
In 1964 800 meters (about a half mile) was the longest track race in the Olympics for women. No 1500m, no 5000m, no 10K, and certainly no marathon. Back then women were considered too weak and delicate to handle those longer races.
I somehow missed the Christmas show this year. It has finally been added to Netflix. It introduced a few new nuns and while I’ve been able to sort them out, it’s easier after watching the Christmas episode.
I keep thinking that I am going to stop liking this show as they continuously shed characters I like. But it turns out that as long as they continue to show at least one baby being born per week, I will continue to watch it (and to cry when the babies are born).
What happened to Jessica Raine? I was sure she was going to have a great career when she left the show and . . . practically nothing. Apart from a relatively small part in Wolf Hall, I don’t think I have seen her at all.
Trixie has become my favorite. Her character has really grown. I’m also very fond of Dr. Turner and Sister Julienne. I think this season has been hard, but probably the best so far because of the overall story arc.
One of the delights of having this series programmed on my dvr is that it automatically picks up the Christmas episode without me having to remember to add it. It is easy to miss that one-off at such a busy time of year.
I’m with @JHS - I keep thinking the show will lose its appeal, but maybe the revolving door of characters keep it interesting and realistic.
I so enjoy the show’s pacing and gentleness. Love how the fashions and social topics are evolving, and appreciate that characters seem like real people - their flats look lived in and a little messy, moms are tired, not every character looks like a movie star.
IMO the show manages to present people of different ages, races, religions, opinions in a very respectful way.
I really enjoy this show although this season I didn’t the story lines all that engaging. The ending was indeed sweet! As usual it brought a tear to my eye
I too like the show, but got the book from the library and really didn’t like it at all. I’m usually the other way and like the book and hate the movie/show, but just couldn’t get into the book.
One of my favorite shows. I often tear up during an episode. I haven’t watched the last two because I’m saving them to watch on a flight I’m taking tomorrow.
They have pretty much exhausted the entire supply of medical and social emergencies that can possibly befall a pregnant woman, some of them twice over - with nearly all of them happily resolved. So I’ve sort of lost interest in the birth stories. But I do find the portrayal of the British life in the 50s and 60s interesting - especially the colloquialisms of speech and brand names of products that no longer exist.
I suppose the one thing that doesn’t quite ring true about the show is that social ills are almost always resolved in a way designed to appeal to us living in the 21st century rather than in what would actually happen to Brits living in the mid 20th century. Episodes about crime, racism, homosexuality, wife beating, abortion, marital infidelity, child abuse, poverty, and so on all end with the our heroes of Nonatus House taking actions, expressing attitudes, and giving advice that usually very neatly align with what is seen as virtuous and sensible today rather than what would more likely be expressed in London in the 1950s and 60s.
@Scipio, I’m sure what you are saying is true about what doesn’t ring true but I love the show nonetheless. Teared up on the plane yesterday as I watched the most recent two. And, yes, that was it for the season. At the end of episode 8, it was noted that the next season will come out spring 2020. Hopefully we’ll have a Christmas special before then.
Well put. Although I love the show, this aspect makes me uncomfortable. Particularly in areas where social opinion has changed a lot, it bothers me that these 1950s women believe the way I do. Heck, in the 1970s I didn’t believe the way I do now about abortion and homosexuality.
At the same time, I found the story lines about abortion in the last several episodes of the season an interesting parallel to what has been happening in the U.S. 55 years later.