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Dances With Nurses
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Shirley Redmond gives birth to her first child, a daughter. Shirley and her husband are obviously overjoyed, and I manage to stay dry-eyed. This episode is off to a good start! Shirley's last baby was stillborn, and Shirley dealt with postpartum depression afterwards. She (and her husband, I am sure) are delighted with their new daughter, and Shirley's mental state is excellent. Since we keep seeing her and everything is fine, it's no surprise to see that someone is watching them. Someone with curly hair, who we might remember from the previous episode. That's right, it's poor, postpartum, lost-her-mind Mary, she of the adopted out baby and the bound breasts.
Mary kidnaps the baby girl, panicking the parents and throwing the neighborhood into a tizzy, with many people assuming Shirley harmed her baby, since she suffered severe depression after her last pregnancy ended in stillbirth. Luckily, Constable Noakes and Nurse Jennie ferret out Mary with the baby, and Jennie manages to talk poor Mary into handing the baby over. While ecstatic over being reunited with their daughter, the parents are understandably angry with Mary. Nurse Jennie pleads with them to not press charges, so that Mary will wind up in a mental hospital instead of prison. Jennie wisely appeals to the mother, pointing out that Mary is going through something similar to what Shirley went through after the stillbirth. Shirley agrees to request leniency, providing Mary with the help she needs.
Margaret Jones and her husband are moving into a new flat. Margaret is pregnant, and the couple seems excited about not only their new, bigger home, but also about each other. At this point in the series, I find myself trying to figure out early in each episode which family will have the more dramatic storyline for the episode. I have been wrong almost every time. Margaret isn't feeling well, but brushes off her husband's concerns repeatedly until he finally takes her to the doctor. Margaret's refusal to seek help earlier proves deadly for her baby and herself, suffering a seizure on the way to the doctor due to eclampsia. The baby is delivered early and does not survive, and Margaret dies soon after.
We’re treated to a look at the ladies of Nonnatus House being silly when Nurse Jennie receives a call from Jimmy. Chummy and Trixie escort Jennie to the phone, where Chummy states that some privacy is in order and leaves, while Trixie hilariously stands next to Jennie waiting for Jennie to begin her conversation. Jennie runs Trixie off, but Trixie just walks around the corner to eavesdrop with Cynthia. Jennie realizes they are eavesdropping, and pretends to be scheduling a scandalous weekend alone with Jimmy, but Trixie doesn't fall for it for a minute. I'm liking Trixie more and more! Jennie and Jimmy go on a couple of dates; it would be nice to see Jennie let go of whatever unrequited love she's holding on to and give Jimmy a chance.
Is it just me, or does Chummy remind anyone else of the character Amy Farrah Fowler on "The Big Bang Theory"? She seems to have that awkward yet endearing quality. Seeing her giggling with the other women while they had their post-date breakdown was a fun moment. I think my favorite moment was watching then nurses getting ready for the big dance, listening to music, drinking, and smoking (at least until someone knocked at the door, then everything was hidden). Trixie gave some hilarious advice about luring a man into one's web, but Chummy was too smart to follow it. The nurses enjoy the dance, and Chummy even dances with her beau. Hopefully we'll see a progression of Chummy's romance.