Call The Midwife- Season 10, Episode 4

By: Ellie Yates

England are through to the Quarter Final of the World Cup! This is 1966, of course, and World Cup fever has hit Poplar! The Buckles have decorated the shop and the shopkeepers are seeing their sales shoot up. After some persuasion from Barney (Paul Putner), Fred (Cliff Parisi) has placed an accumulator, finishing with Germany to beat England in the final, which would earn him £1,000. Meanwhile, the midwives are taking part in their own sweepstake. Even Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt), who can’t get excited about “cohorts of men from assorted climes careering around a field in pursuit of a bladder filled with air,” has a go.

Shelagh (Laura Main) and Nurse Crane (Linda Bassett) are discussing the new midwives who will be training at Nonnatus. Nurse Crane says they need to maximize the trainees’ practical time, but Shelagh points out there’s exams to plan for as she is the scheme’s co-ordinator after all. Speaking of exams, Cyril (Zephryn Taitte) has passed his civil engineering exam and has been awarded a prize of twenty-five guineas! He’s thinking of using this, his savings and a loan from the bank to become partner with his current boss of a bigger garage. Instead, he ends up buying a snazzy new radiogram. Lucille (Leonie Elliot) is disappointed that Cyril didn’t discuss this first.

Pupil midwife Anne Corrigan (Megan Cusack) has arrived early at Nonnatus with her previous employers keen to leave her there. Anne was brought up in an orphanage in Cork after her mother died when she was seven years old. Whilst settling into her room, Anne unpacks to reveal some very bright, very groovy 60’s outfits. She has no qualms in turning up to the dinner table in a bright pink and yellow dress, full face of make-up and bangs on point! She tells the others that she’s formally Anne, but every one calls her Nancy – like Nancy Sinatra.

The next day the other pupil midwives are ready to ride around Poplar, but not before having their photograph taken by Nurse Crane. Trixie (Helen George) seems to have her hands full with Nancy, who tells one expectant mother she’d get less time for murder than she spent in St Cuthbert’s. Trixie explains that Nancy needs to listen to patients more, considering she’s ended up scaring expectant mother Beryl (Lizzie Aaryn-Stanton) out of a home birth, but Nancy says she’s on “high-speed mode” and challenges Trixie to a race to the bike shed.

Matthew Aylward (Olly Rix) calls Nonnatus to speak to Trixie. He’s hoping that Trixie will come to Jonathan’s christening. Trixie accepts and tells him that Fiona was a wonderful woman. When Trixie attends the christening Matthew reveals that he never read the letter from Fiona as he can’t bring himself to hear her voice. He asks Trixie if she has any advice and she offers him a bit on looking after Jonathan before leaving. Something tells me this won’t be the last these two see of each other.

Seventeen year-old Michael (Jack Archer), who is working as a bell boy at a hotel in London, is paying a visit home. His mum Rita (Rebecca Lacey) notices that he’s not sitting properly, but Michael says his back is hurting from carrying luggage up and down. However, it turns out that Michael isn’t well at all and when he comes down with a temperature Rita rings Dr Turner (Stephen McGann), despite Michael telling her he needs to go back to work. Dr Turner examines Michael and explains to Rita he has a pilonidal cyst – where an ingrowing hair at the bottom of the spine causes an egg sized cyst, so he’s sending him to the hospital to have it drained.

Once he’s back home Nurse Crane sees to dressing Michael’s cyst. He asks if it will leave a scar, but Nurse Crane says it’s right at the top of his buttocks so no-one will see it. Michael looks sheepish as Nurse Crane reads his discharge letter from the hospital. She takes it with her and tells him to expect a call from Dr Turner. The call is regarding Michael having genital warts around his anus. Dr Turner and Nurse Crane conclude that Michael is gay and his cyst got so out of hand because he was afraid to tell anyone, in case it was related. Dr Turner tells Michael that they need to arrange treatment for the warts and he will try and speed this up for him. Michael gets upset and tells Dr Turner that he doesn’t want to want men. Dr Turner explains to Michael that there’s nothing wrong with being gay, prompting Michael to ask why it’s against the law. Dr Turner shares the law needs to change. And this is why we love Dr Turner! Michael admits that he has sex with men for money, which will always be a crime.

Nurse Crane tells Michael that he’s putting himself in grave danger continuing with prostitution. Michael says that he needs to as his parents are proud of him for working with famous people in the West End. Nurse Crane points out that his parents won’t want him putting himself in danger just to boast. Thinking on Nurse Crane’s advice, Michael tells his parents that he’s not going back to the hotel. Trying to understand why they ask if he’s got a girl pregnant. He comes clean and tells them there’s no chance of that happening, seeing as he is gay. Michael shuts himself in his room as his mother bangs on his door wailing, telling him that he’s got it wrong. He begs his dad (Michael Gould) to take her away.

The next morning Michael slips out leaving his parents a note. This prompts them to call Nurse Crane. Rita tells her that she has considered suicide because of how she dealt with Michael coming out. She knows she needs to do better and accept him. Heartbreakingly, Michael’s note says that he’s sorry for being who he is and if he can’t make himself into the son they love, he wants them to remember him as the son they thought they had. Later, Rita finds a business card for a “queer doctor” and after Miss Higgins (Georgie Glen) calls the number, it transpires that the licensed psychiatrist offers conversion therapy. The Turners are fuming and Shelagh urges Patrick to do something so he and Nurse Crane head off to find Michael. Michael has signed an agreement to see no friends or family whilst at the clinic. Dr Turner gets stern and threatens the charge nurse (John Mackay) with an inquest before being let in to Michael’s room. They find Michael undressed, sweating and vomiting. Dr Turner gives him some medication to help and Michael says he doesn’t want to be there.

Meanwhile, Beryl is about to give birth halfway through the World Cup final! Her husband (George Whitehead) tells her he’ll take her to the hospital when the final whistle blows. Not able to wait any longer, especially as the game goes to extra-time, Beryl makes her way through the empty streets to Nonnatus House. She’ll have to make do with Nancy who kicks Sister Monica Joan out of her bed so that she can use it for Beryl. Sister Monica Joan helps Nancy deliver the baby and declares it a miracle. Perhaps it is the miracle of birth or the fact that Nancy successfully delivered a baby – either way, her faith is restored! She sees God’s handiwork and love again.

Speaking of love, Michael has returned home and his dad tells him that he’s proud of him for everything he has achieved so far and for being brave enough to face the truth and come out. His mum is equally proud and tells him the only thing that’s her business is his happiness and she hopes he finds someone who loves him for a very long time, or they’ll have her to answer to!

Lucille pays a visit to the flat to gift Cyril a new record, but notices that the radiogram is no longer there. That’s because Cyril has sold it so he can buy an engagement ring and propose! Of course, she says yes! Oh, and England win the World Cup!

So, there’s wins all round! Except for Fred. Imagine how much he would have won if he had bet on England!