Watch Season 14 with PBS Passport
Modern Midwives Blog
Attention, Poplar! It’s the time of the season for heartfelt reunions, wholesome moments, and most importantly, show-stopping weddings.
That’s right: Nancy and Roger are back in the East End for their much-anticipated ceremony. And with them, the return of some of our other favorite characters – Reggie, Geoffrey, and even Sister Hilda!
And speaking of special occasions, Sister Catherine is expected to finally take her First Vows. Will the young Sister see her religious journey all the way through?
Read on further to find out.
This week, Poplar has a crisis on its hands: a fire has broken out at Arbory House, an institution housing young, expectant mothers and their babies. While rescue and recovery efforts are underway, four of the adolescent mothers are relocated to Nonnatus House.
The midwives rush to comfort their new patients, providing them with warm blankets and shelter. Joyce also welcomes back Paula, a young 14-year-old mother-to-be introduced earlier in the season. Paula is expected to give birth soon, however, at the moment she’s suffering from stomach discomfort.
Dr. Turner arrives to assess Paula, and he suspects that her stomach ache is caused by an infection in her bladder. Additionally, he believes the young patient may have anemia, a condition where one has low iron in their blood. He recommends moving Paula to the maternity home for a few days to treat her symptoms.
Meanwhile, Sister Veronica takes it upon herself to confront Mrs. Cunningham about Paula’s current situation. She explains to the mother that due to the fire, Paula has temporarily moved to Nonnatus House.
Sister Veronica is hopeful that the Cunninghams will take Paula back in, but the mother is resolute – they will only welcome Paula home until after she’s given birth. Until then, she’s under the supervision of council care.
Much to everyone’s delight, Nancy, Colette, and Roger are back in Poplar ahead of their wedding. However, due to the lack of available beds at Nonnatus House, Miss Higgins has offered up her master suite for the bride-to-be.
Of course, a variety of wedding preparations are in order, especially Nancy’s dress fitting. But when Violet goes to take Nancy’s current measurements, the mayor is left scratching her head – Nancy’s gained a good amount of weight since her last fitting, but why?
It turns out Nancy has a secret: she’s seven months pregnant (give or take a few weeks). While Miss Higgins, Violet, and Nurse Crane all rejoice at the news, Nancy can’t help but feel overwhelmed. She was hoping to keep the news of her pregnancy under wraps until after the ceremony.
Fortunately, Nancy’s dear friends promise to keep her condition a secret as long as the mother-to-be promises to report any new symptoms to Nurse Crane.
Unbeknownst to his wife, Mr. Cunningham stops by the maternity ward to check in on his daughter. He promises Paula that he will have her back home before Christmas.
Meanwhile, Rosalind observes the young Paula struggling to cope in the maternity ward. The nurse raises her concerns to Dr. Turner, who agrees that Paula is better off resting elsewhere. With few options at their disposal, Dr. Turner recommends they relocate Paula to the Mother House as it is also a registered orphanage.
Later, Shelagh and Dr. Turner discuss their concerns surrounding Paula’s situation. With cases of adolescent pregnancy, young mothers are at risk of developing more health complications, such as preeclampsia and anemia – not to mention what it could do to their minds. Hopefully, Paula will avoid such issues….
Of the many surprises in this episode, we can’t hold back our glee at seeing Sister Hilda again! The ever-humorous, gregarious nun welcomes Sister Julienne, Sister Catherine, Rosalind, and Paula – and Paula’s hamsters – to St. Raymond’s Nonnatus with open arms.
Sister Hilda also has some news to share: Sister Elizabeth, a postulant like Sister Catherine, has recently left the Order. This means that Sister Catherine will make her vows alone – a remarkable first in the history of the Order. But on the bright side, the young Sister will have her first pick of wedding dresses.
So, that’s something to celebrate, no?
After weighing various pros and cons, Nancy and Roger decide to delicately break the news of their pregnancy to Colette. To execute their plan to perfection, they recruit Miss Higgins for assistance.
As expected, the long-thought-out master plan experiences its own share of unexpected bumps. However, once Colette finally learns she is going to be a big, older sister, she’s absolutely thrilled.
With that hurdle out of the way, Nancy can turn her full attention to finalizing her wedding details. But as Joyce and Miss Higgins soon discover, Nancy is not exactly the most organized of planners. Fortunately, she has her close friends for much-needed back-up, and one thing’s for certain: if Miss Higgins has any say over the matter, Nancy’s wedding will be nothing short of spectacular.
After collecting his packaged vase, Reggie wanders home, eager to show off his wedding gift for Roger and Nancy.
However, while en route, a group of boys starts to chase Reggie, mocking and taunting him. In his attempt to get away from the bullies, Reggie trips on the stairs to Nonnatus House, and in the process, breaks his vase. Fortunately, Geoffrey arrives in the nick of time to disperse the boys and comfort his friend.
Once inside, Joyce and Trixie console Reggie, who is a bit shaken up from the interaction. The nurses learn Geoffrey is back in Poplar to help with catering the wedding. That’s right – no one helps throw a party like Geoffrey!
Meanwhile, after spending more time with Paula, Rosalind discovers just how much fear the teenager has about giving birth. While on a walk together, Paula shares her hope to be put to sleep during her delivery, like “when getting her tonsils out.”
Back in Poplar, Mr. Cunningham stops by the maternity ward only to learn Paula has been brought to the Mother House. Upset, he calls Cyril to express his concerns. However, Cyril reminds Mr. Cunningham that the council is obligated to make the best decision on behalf of Paula.
When Mr. Cunningham brings up the subject with his wife later on, Mrs. Cunningham’s demeanor turns sorrowful. She feels an enormous amount of guilt for her “failings” in raising Paula. However, she remains insistent on only welcoming her daughter back home after she gives birth.
Mr. Cunningham exclaims that Paula is still their daughter who needs them more than ever now – however, Mrs. Cunningham refuses to see things any other way.
In some happier news, Sister Catherine is at long last reunited with her beloved sister, Ellen. The two siblings haven’t seen each other in quite some time, yet they manage to pick up right where they left off.
Sister Catherine is also touched to learn that their father paid for Ellen’s train ticket to the Mother House. Although he continues struggling with Catherine’s decision to join the Church, he still wants her to have family with her when she takes her vows, even if it isn’t him.
Later, the two sisters share a blissful moment on the beach dancing to Cliff Richard, just like they used to at home growing up. There’s nothing quite like the care-free time spent with your siblings.
Later, Sister Julienne and Sister Hilda turn their attention to more serious matters – the financial stresses the Order is currently facing.
Sister Hilda explains that Nonnatus House isn’t the only one struggling with finances. With councils continuing to withdraw funds, Mother Mildred has turned to creative ways to secure money. In fact, she recently sold off the Mother House’s orchard and kitchen gardens to property developers.
What will the future of the Order look like? Will it revolve around missionary programs abroad, like Sister Hilda suspects? And for younger nuns like Sister Catherine, what of their futures?
For now, there are no answers – only uncertainty.
Following Nancy’s curry-themed hen night, she wakes up the next morning with discomfort in her stomach. Out of an abundance of caution, Miss Higgins calls for Nurse Crane, who is suddenly dubious that her friend is only seven months pregnant.
Nurse Crane promises to check on Nancy again later in the day, and when she does, she discovers the mother is in labor. The two women, accompanied by a nervous Roger, rush into the ambulance.
While en route to the hospital, Nurse Crane realizes Nancy will have to deliver her child in the ambulance. Nancy is scared, but Nurse Crane’s encouraging, confident words provide the strength she needs to deliver her baby.
And just like that, Roger and Nancy welcome their newborn girl, Melinda, into the world. When the staff at Nonnatus House hear the happy news, everyone is overjoyed by the couple’s newest addition to their family.
After all of her hard work and studying, Sister Catherine is ready to take her First Vows. And, as a last minute-surprise, Sister Monica Joan shows up to Sister Catherine’s ceremony.
With a warm smile, the wise, older Sister encourages Sister Catherine to embrace the new life she is about to enter.
Meanwhile, over at Raymond Nonnatus, Paula begins her labor. Fortunately, Dr. Turner is on-site to assist with her delivery.
Afterward, Paula calls her parents on the phone, but the 14-year-old is so distressed (and understandably so), she can only let out cries.
Later, Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham drive up to the Mother House to see Paula. Mrs. Cunningham, overcome with remorse, pulls Paula into a big hug, relieved her daughter is okay.
The road ahead for the family will be a bumpy one, but for now, they all can at least celebrate being together once again.
Flowers? Check. Sparklers? Check. A well-catered buffet provided by none other than Geoffrey Franklin? You bet.
The excellent vibes are permeating all around. Sure, there’s a little bit of rain in Poplar’s forecast, but that’s not stopping anyone from indulging in epic celebrations. The moment for love, for cheer, for glee is at last here. Nancy, now back on her feet after giving birth, looks chic in her perfectly tailored, autumnal-inspired dress.
Poplar sure knows how to throw a party – and it’s fair to say this wedding will be remembered for a good time to come.
That’s all for now. We’ll see ya next season.
Forgot how we got here? Catch up on “Call the Midwife” with the Season 14, Episode 7 Recap.
