Archive

“Call the Midwife” recap (4.6): Do Si Doh

Welcome to this week’s recap of Call the Midwife, where Delia makes her triumphant return to square dance with Patsy.

We open with Sister Mary Cynthia still adjusting to life as a nun/wearing that wimple. Sister Evangelina is back at Nonnatus house, and is immediately butting heads with Phyllis Crane. Phyllis goes out to her car to find her hubcaps have been stolen, right under Fred and Sgt. Noakes’s noses. Noakes thinks they were stolen by gypsies, who have set up a nearby camp.

Phyllis goes to visit Paulette, a 17-year-old diabetic with a contentious relationship with her mother. Phyllis wants to teach her to inject herself with insulin, but Paulette is hesitant about jabbing herself. Phyllis tells her to get over it and makes fun of her frou-frou house coat.

Noakes goes to the gypsy camp to investigate the hubcap theft, and one of the locals tells him that his kids aren’t criminals. He sees a newborn baby, and tells the midwives that their services may be needed at the camp.

Patsy is putting up posters for a charity square dance to raise money so the scouts can go to the jamboree. Delia shows up and teases her for being so devoted to the scouts. These two are adorable. They are interrupted by Evangelina, who storms in eager to get back to work.

Paulette waits for her mum to leave, and goes out to meet with her secret boyfriend, Vaughn. Vaughn is on probation, but he wants to move on and get a proper job. They’re young and in love, which means something bad is going to happen.

It’s dinnertime at Nonnatus house, and Phyllis has made a cheese tart for Evangelina, as she needs something simple in her system. Evangelina rejects the tart, calling it a quiche, as if that’s some sort of insult. Um, quiches are delicious, sister. Slow your roll.

Vaughn sees his little brother playing with the stolen hubcaps, and quickly confiscates them from the kids. Violet joins the citizen corps and flirts with Fred about shoelaces. Shelagh is getting Tim ready for school, and he’s upset because he wants long trousers and is worried the other boys will make fun of him for his shorts. Don’t worry, Tim. They won’t make fun of you for shorts; they’ll make fun of you for being a straight-up nerd.

Trixie and Sister Mary Cynthia go to the gypsy camp in the pouring rain and meet with young mum Rita and her newborn. They also meet Attracta, Rita’s aunt and the resident midwife (who is also Mrs. S on Orphan Black). Attracta is dubious of the midwives’ intentions, but soon welcomes them in. She is pregnant as well.

The midwives are drinking Bournvita and talking about what they’ll wear to the square dance. Patsy recommends checkered shirts, and she has plenty for the girls to borrow. Of course you do, Pats. Phyllis buys a ticket from the girls, who laugh when she tells them of her square dancing prowess.

The next day, Phyllis checks on Paulette, who is fighting with her mother. She pukes, and Phyllis realizes that she might be pregnant. She takes her urine sample and sends it to the lab. Meanwhile, Fred buys some shoelaces from Violet, and they talk about their kids. They’re both widowed, and they shyly continue to flirt.

Sister MC visits the gypsy camp, where she finds Attracta caring for her grandmother Peggy. Peggy is dying, and Attracta tells MC that she was basically a mum to her. MC brings her a tea pot to better feed her tea, and lets Attracta rest while she tends to Peggy herself.

The lab tests confirm that Paulette is pregnant, which means a very high risk and dangerous pregnancy. Her mum is furious and calls Paulette a slut. Dr. Turner explains the complications of a diabetic pregnancy, and recommends a legal hospital abortion. The mum is on board, but Paulette wants to keep her baby. She storms out and tells Vaughn the news, and he wants to marry her.

Back at the gypsy camp, MC examines Attracta, who is due soon. She tries to convince her to give birth at the clinic, but Attracta wants to have the baby at home. She doesn’t want charity, but MC tells her that she is going to need help, as she can’t deliver the baby alone.

Phyllis visits Paulette again, who still doesn’t want the abortion. Since she’s 17, she’s not a legal adult and cannot make her own decisions regarding the pregnancy. Vaughn shows up to ask for Paulette’s hand in marriage, but mum kicks him out of the house. Later, he brings Phyllis her hubcaps and re-installs them for her. He tells her that he wants the baby, and he doesn’t want it to be a bastard. Phyllis informs him that she was born out of wedlock, but she still managed to make something of herself.

Fred asks Violet to accompany him to the square dance and she accepts. Go Fred!

Dr. Turner has admitted Violet to the clinic as a social case, but she’s still upset about the abortion. She asks Phyllis if she would let her keep the baby if she were her mum, and Phyllis isn’t sure what she would do. She’s worried for Paulette.

Shelagh is overwhelmed with work, and she has to stitch labels in all of Tim’s clothes. Dr. Turner tells her to ask for help, so she outsources the stitching to Nonnatus house. Sister MJ refuses to stitch, and offers to loan Tim a Latin dictionary instead. Oh, MJ, never change. Sister Wini and Evangelina discuss the challenges of devoting your life to God, Evangelina says that despite the difficulties, midwifery is always a joy.

Phyllis tells Paulette that her abortion is scheduled, and she’ll be transferred to the hospital. Vaughn visits her and they decide to run away to his aunt’s house.

Sister MC visits the gypsy camp to find the police trying to evict them. Apparently they need a license to camp, and tensions are running high. Attracta is going into labor, and MC yells at everyone to calm the fuck down and stop the eviction because she has work to do. Shockingly, everyone listens to her and lets her help Attracta into her camper. With Rita and MC’s help, Attracta delivers a healthy baby boy. The camp cheers and everyone thanks MC for her help. Everyone is shocked when Peggy gets out of bed, walks to the camper, and holds the baby. Attracta tells her that she was there for her first baby, and now she’s here for her last. The next day, MC visits the camp only to find that Peggy has passed away.

Paulette and Vaughn are camping in the woods, as they’re a day away from his aunts. Paulette’s blood sugar is dropping as Vaughn tries to make a lean-to with some twigs. These kids are NOT prepared for anything.

The midwives dress for the dance, and Delia shows up with a bottle of bourbon, aka American scotch. Phyllis joins them for a cream soda, and says that (just for tonight) they can call her by her first name.

Vaughn realizes that Paulette is in serious danger, so he steals a car and rushes her to the clinic. His probation officer is not going to like that. Evangelina lets them in and sends Vaughn to fetch Dr. Turner from the dance.

At the square dance, the midwives are dancing and having fun. Fred and Violet show up, and the scouts make fun of Fred’s cowboy fringe, which is admittedly ridiculous. Delia tells Patsy that she wants to dance with her. A tango, a foxtrot, it doesn’t matter. She just wants to dance with her girl. Delia wonders if there is somewhere in the world where people wouldn’t care that they dance, and Patsy looks doubtful. In the meantime, they’ll just dance together in their heads. You girls are breaking my heart.

Paulette is taken away in an ambulance, and Vaughn is arrested for stealing the car. He gets one phone call, and he calls Crane to come bail him out. She assures him that he did the right thing, and that she’ll speak up for him in court. He asks her tell Paulette he loves her.

At the gypsy camp, the gypsies light Peggy’s camper on fire and sing a song for her. It’s a bit like a Viking funeral. Rita and Attracta watch the flames, each holding their newborns.

Paulette is in the hospital with her mum, ready to have the abortion. Her mum has come around on Vaughn, who saved her life. She assures her daughter that medicine is always changing, and in a year or two she might be able to carry a child.

Sister MC goes to the gypsy camp, which has cleared out. Rita has stayed behind to thank her for all her help, and gives her Peggy’s tea cup. Shelagh and Dr. Turner see Tim off at school, and he wears his new long trousers that his dad bought him.

What did you think of last night’s episode? Will Delia and Patsy ever find a place to dance? Tweet me your feels @chelseaprocrast

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button