Narrator: In Autumn, all souls feel the rot but the rot allows flowers to grow and spring will come again. The war absolutely hollowed out communities but also there was jam. Nonnatus house had nuns in it but they were cool nuns. As the weather turned, those in need were ever more vulnerable and we did what we could.
Trixie: I cannot fix this with rouge, Matthew *perky hair toss*
Sister Monica Joan: Aristotle had heard of glaucoma, why won't anybody listen to me, also I've sat on the swiss roll.
Sister Julienne: Nonnatus house may be repossessed/ demolished/ infested with weevils. Our future is uncertain, but damnit the women of Poplar need us.
The Irish One: I love coloured tights but also I've done the autoclave
Harrowing music begins as we watch an unwed teen mother/ man addicted to meth/ victim of some sort of domestic horror/ woman with pre-ecclampsia
Nurse Crane: There you go lass
Harrowing storyline is briefly featured again but also there's a pregnant dog in Nonnatus House.
Dr Turner: Let's give her Pethidine, also I'm progressive about (insert topical issue here)
Sister Julienne: Nonnatus House is a metaphor for the morals of this country and that's why we're going to the dogs
Random Nurse: Actually sister Julienne I think we should teach teenagers about contraception
Sister Monica Joan: We simply must have compline now
Compline and the harrowing storyline (which has now reached its apex through either a harrowing birth scene or some other medical procedure) are now interspersed in a way that is troublingly close to saying suffering is fine actually because Jesus.
Sheelagh: Oh Patrick
The harrowing storyline is now resolved, often with some more voiceover that references the vagaries of the turning world
Trixie: Matthew, I have solved it. And I have put on rouge. I can have it all except a consistent haircut.
Fred: The dog's had puppies, and this will save Nonnatus house.
Narrator: In the worst and dank places, in the creeping dread of the dark soil and the night loam, even as the rotting leaves seep in, there too is love and life. Also someone had a revelation. The end.
Me and Teacups were having a bit of a blether about stuff that cheered us up like certain songs, books etc. Which led us to ask the question which episode of Call the Midwife do we go to raise our spirits? This wasn't any easy ask. Certain scenes maybe, but they were often balanced out by trauma.
We would like to know what you think is the most cheery episode of Call the Midwife?
We had real fun with this, please all join in especially you shy bairns, there is no right answer.
Ooh this is interesting. The fact that most if not all episodes contains at least one quite heavy storyline makes it difficult to find a purely uplifting episode.
I did add a “Cheer me up” selection in the Randomiser but that’s not recently updated and I’m not sure I could justify every choice or exclusion. Mostly it’s based purely on one or maybe two of the storylines, even though there almost certainly is a not so cheery one in there as well.
Some might even be based on individual scenes; I have almost certainly marked S5E7 based on SrE’s return, and S7E6 based on SrMJ putting on her glasses.
I have a feeling that the Christmas specials are a bit cheerier over all, even though some of them certainly go pretty dark as well (2014 and 2017 spring to mind).
So I don’t think there’s a formula, it’s probably very individual which episodes lifts your spirit the most. So here for the sake of it I’m going to list my top 3 go-to cheer me up episodes. List incoming!
First, some honourable mentions:
S2E8 - Because not even I am immune to the foggy road.
S6E8 - Phyllis and Barbara, Shulienne, singing through the door, carousel - what more need I say?
S6E8 - Phyllis and Barbara, Shulienne, singing through the door, carousel - what more need I say?
2019 Christmas Special - This wasn’t originally on the list but it has become one of my most rewatched episodes. The music for this one is amazing and the little scenes of comfort between Val and Lucille, and Phyllis and Trixie are just so good. Plus the chain at the end, it’s just perfect, cheers me right up.
Alright, top 3:
3. S9E5
Hmm, it’s difficult for me to explain this one but basically for a few reasons it holds a very special place in my heart. It’s the only one of my favourite episodes which is not written by Heidi, and in a strange way I regard it as a perfect episode. Perhaps not in general, but it’s perfect to me, if that makes sense. I just love absolutely everything about it from start to finish. I felt that the first time I watched it, and I’ve felt it every time I’ve watched it since. Watching it fills me with joy.
2. 2016 Christmas Special
This was the first episode of CtM I ever saw. The next day I started binge-watching from the beginning, and for days I would watch the older episodes during the day, and then when I went to bed I’d start playing this episode on my phone and watch it all the way through before I fell asleep. I did this for quite a long time. It became my comfort-episode within my comfort-show, before I’d even caught up and knew who all the characters were, I would just watch it and watch it, and it still holds a very special place in my heart.
1. 2015 Christmas Special
Okay, we’ve had the “perfect” episode and the comfort episode, yet neither can claim the top spot. Because when I’m feeling down and need cheering up, this is the one I’m immediately drawn to. Again I don’t think I can properly explain it; it’s just a feeling. A feeling of warmth and joy and comfort that somehow surpasses both of the two previously mentioned episodes, and indeed all the rest of them as well. It has to do with the episode as a whole in one sense, but there are two specific scenes I’d like to highlight.
The first one is when Iris gives birth. Let’s face it, there are a lot of births on this show. But this one stands out to me, I just love the whole story so much. The glances Patrick and Shelagh share between them when they know, before Iris knows. Patrick summoning Sister Julienne, and her then appearing like an angel with her “Everything will be alright, Iris. I promise you”. And the whole birth scene is so beautiful, something about the way it’s lit and filmed stands out to me. And then she names the baby Joy, and I melt.
Also I know not everyone is too keen on Vi, but her rigging the raffle is amazing.
Now for the second scene. I love the entire Sister Monica Joan storyline. There’s such drama there between her and Sister Evangelina, but as they say, they’re family. And there’s just something about that scene at the very end which fills my heart with joy. They have a television and Sister Monica Joan is excitedly watching it, but every other person in the room is just happy that she’s back. And everyone (except for Patrick??) looks over to check on her at least once in that final scene. (Did I watch the scene over and over, focusing on a new person and their eye-line every time? Indeed I did.)
I don’t know, there’s just something about that relief and joy after a frightening event, when you’re scared something bad will happen or has happened but then everything turns out alright in the end and you can finally relax. Which is what has just happened to them when Sister Monica Joan is finally found and returns. And for a brief moment the only thing that really matters is just being together, like they are there at the end. I really love that.
I’m sure there are people who think either or both of these storylines are too cheesy or schmaltzy but I am not one of them. They cheer me up, they give me hope, they bring me joy. I love’em!
May I ask you to refrain from speaking to, or about, Sister Monica Joan in this way. She is a senior midwife and deserves your respect, not your anger.
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