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“Call the Midwife” recap (4.7): Switched at Birth

Dammit, Call the Midwife, stop making it rain all over my face! This week brings another heartbreaker of an episode, and another recapper crying in front of her laptop.

We open at the Poplar clinic, which is full of expectant mothers. Shelagh wonders if the need more help, but Evangelina assures her that if they could deliver babies during the German air raids, they can do anything.

We meet a pair of expectant mothers: Shirley Dent, a happy-go-lucky brunette, and Marion Smith, a reserved blonde. The women were old school chums, but while Shirley is delighted to see her friend, Marion reacts icily. Both women give birth on the same day to baby girls.

Tim is interested in photography, and he shows his father the pictures he’s been taking with his pinhole camera. Dr. Turner encourages his son’s passion by gifting him with his old camera. Meanwhile, Nurse Crane urges Barbara to sell local families on the council’s free laundry service.

Suddenly, there is an explosion, and a fire breaks out in the laundry room of the clinic. The nurses evacuate all the mothers and babies, and the fire is put out with minimal damage. In the confusion, Evangelina mixes up the two newborn girls. Uh oh.

Barbara visits Gertie and Tommy Mills, an elderly couple who are still very much in love. Tommy is bedridden, and Gertie works herself ragged to care for him. She has help from Sister Mary Cynthia, who tends to the man’s bed sores with egg whites, which does not seem hygienic. Barbara tries to sell her on the free laundry service, but Mrs. Mills doesn’t want any help. MC says that sometimes people need to accept help on their own terms.

The Dents and the Smiths head home with each other’s babies, unaware of the accidental switch. Shirley tries to reach out to be friendly, but Marion brushes off her attempts to renew the friendship. What a bitch.

Patsy dresses up for a night out with Delia, and tries to cajole Trixie into coming. Trixie says she’d rather stay in and read the new Vogue, which is code for drinking alone. Patsy and Delia have a date at a coffee shop, and Delia says that she feels like a ghost. They have a relationship, but it’s all ephemeral whispers and dancing in their heads. Delia suggests that they just suck it up and marry men like everyone expects, but Patsy says she couldn’t bear it. A guy tries to buy them some cake, but Delia says, “We don’t like cake!” and storms out of the coffee shop.

Patsy follows her out, and asks if Delia really wants to get married. Delia says she does…but she wants to marry Patsy. Unfortunately, it’s impossible. Delia walks away and poor Patsy looks heartbroken.

Sister Monica Joan and Wini are preparing for the annual Halloween turnip lantern parade, which sounds like a joke but is apparently happening. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about 1960’s England, it’s that children LOVE being in parades. This show runs on parades, you guys. MJ is telling the kids that some people believe the dead come back on Halloween, which inspires a little girl named Glenda to wish to see her dead mother. Best of luck with that one, MJ.

Sister MC asks Fred to visit the Mills, as he is related to them. Fred goes to see Violet and asks her to come with him, as he isn’t very good at small talk. These two have been flirting up a storm, and Fred is falling for her. Barbara helps MC with the Mills, as they try to treat his bedsores. When Fred and Violet visit, we learn that the Mills have been together for 50 years, and were only apart during the war. Violet admires their connection, and recalls how it was with her late husband. We see Fred struggle to measure up to her late husband, despite being a widower himself. Meanwhile, Barbara discovers a lesion on Gertie’s chest and demands she see a doctor.

Dr. Turner examines Debra, Marion’s daughter, and discovers that she has a heart murmur. They take the baby to the hospital, where they find out that she will need heart surgery. The Smiths are devastated and worried for the future of their baby.

Violet invites Fred in for Turkish coffee and a snack, but Fred is put off by the ghost of her dead husband. She tells him that they are too old to dance around the issue, and wants to know whether or not Fred likes her. He does, but he’s intimidated by her marriage. They’re both haunted by their dead spouses.

Speaking of, Tim develops the film from his father’s camera, and sees a family picture of his dead mother. When Dr. Turner asks if there were any photos on the old roll, Tim says they didn’t come out.

Glenda asks MJ about her dead mother, and brings her a letter she wrote to her. Glenda says that her mother died when she was a baby, and that her dad is too preoccupied with his new wife and baby to pay any attention to her. When the girl leaves, Fred tells the nuns that the mum ran off to Liverpool and is very much alive. Wini goes to visit Mr. Severs, Glenda’s dad, and he tells her that he made up the death story to save his daughter the pain of abandonment. He assures Wini he loves his daughter.

Mrs. Mills and Barbara go to the hospital, where they find out that the wound is indicative of breast cancer. The doctor suggests a radical mastectomy, and possible radiation. Gertie is worried about Tommy, and who will care for him during her surgery. She says that she never wanted to die before him, and Barbara assures her that they’ll both be taken care of.

Trixie is going over the birth records, and she comments to Evangelina about the birthmark on the leg of Shirley’s daughter…the same birthmark that Evangelina just saw on Marion’s baby. She looks at the records and realizes that she swapped the babies. She runs to tell Sister Julienne, and they go to check the blood types. Shelagh confirms the baby swap, and the women call in the families to break the news.

Fred gets a pep talk from Tommy, who tells him that he doesn’t have to compete with Violet’s “perfect” husband. He needs to open himself up to love and let Violet in.

Julienne, Shelagh and Evangelina sit down with the Smiths and the Dents. Julienne assures Evangelina that Nonnatus House is a family, and that they will get through this mess together. They break the news to the parents, who are heartbroken and appalled at the mistake. Marion says that Shirley isn’t equipped to deal with a sick child, and storms out.

Tommy and Gertie cuddle in bed, and she says she doesn’t want the operation. He tells her that she must, and that they’ll always be together, no matter what.

The Dents are heartbroken and confused, as they love their baby Jackie so much. They feel like, whatever happens, they will end up losing their daughter. Over at the Smith house, Mr. Smith feels like he’s dodged a bullet, but Marion can’t disconnect from their daughter so easily. He doesn’t want to raise a sick child that isn’t his, but she worries that Shirley can’t care for her.

Evangelina is wracked with guilt over her mistake, and breaks a cup in the kitchen. MJ walks in and tells her that she is irreplaceable, and the house would be lost without her. She gives her a hug, snags a cookie and heads out.

The turnip parade is underway, led by Patsy and Delia. Glenda asks MJ about her mum, but her father is there to cheer her on and assure her he loves her. He tells her that her mother loved her very much, and entrusted him to care for their daughter. Meanwhile, Patsy tells Delia that they won’t be ghosts, and they’ll find a way to be together. Please let it be a lavender marriage.

Fred visits Violet, who is closing down her shop to move to Plymouth with her son. Fred puts a padlock on the shop door, and proposes to Violet. She accepts and the kiss, but there’s no key to the padlock. Guess you guys are living on buttons and ribbon!

At home, Shelagh feels guilty about the baby switch. She couldn’t love Angela more, not even if she’d given birth to her, and she worries about the attachments the parents have already made with the infants. Tim offers her the camera so they can document all the babies to prevent another switcheroo, and he sets up the camera to take a new family portrait.

Shirley and Marion meet in the hospital, where they watch the baby. Marion remains convinced that Shirley isn’t equipped to care for Debra, but she apologizes for what she said. She tells Shirley that she always admired her happiness, and wishes she could be more like her. Both women are devoted to their babies, and the story ends there. We don’t find out what happens with these families, which makes sense. It’s hardly a problem that can be solved in an hour of television.

We see Evangeline praying with Julienne, who promises her they will move forward. And we see Gertie, back from surgery, and reunited with Tommy.

What did you think of this week’s episode? Any expectations for the finale next week? Give me a shout @chelseaprocrast

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