Call the Midwife Issues Update After Fans Left Sobbing Over Emotional Episode
Call the Midwife viewers were left deeply emotional during Sunday night's instalment of the hit BBC One period medical drama, prompting the show to issue an official update to its devoted fanbase on Monday. The beloved series, which returned for its fifteenth series last month, delivered a heart-wrenching episode that has sparked widespread concern and discussion among its audience.
Series Fifteen Takes a Darker Turn
The new series of Call the Midwife features eight hour-long episodes that promise to tackle a range of significant issues and themes. These include the Women's Liberation Movement, premature birth, placenta previa, kidney cancer, tuberculosis, and slavery. Actress Jenny Agutter, who portrays Sister Julienne, has previously hinted that this forthcoming series will take a notably darker turn compared to previous seasons, setting the stage for more intense and dramatic storylines.
Sister Monica Joan's Health Crisis Unfolds
During Sunday's episode, viewers were left emotional and deeply concerned for Sister Monica Joan, played by the esteemed actress Judy Parfitt. Sister Monica Joan has been a staple character since the show's very first episode aired in 2012, and actress Judy Parfitt celebrated her 90th birthday in November. In the latest instalment, Sister Monica Joan lost her appetite, even refusing pudding, which sparked immediate concern at Nonnatus House. This worry intensified when Sister Julienne, portrayed by Jenny Agutter, noticed that Sister Monica Joan's feet were swollen.
Dr. Turner, played by Stephen McGann, made a house call to examine Sister Monica Joan. During this visit, he revealed the devastating diagnosis: she is suffering from kidney failure. Dr. Turner added that further tests would be necessary to reveal more details about her condition. In a poignant exchange, Sister Julienne told Dr. Turner, "This was always going to come, wasn’t it? In one form or other." Dr. Turner sadly replied, "And, when it does, it’s going to feel like the Ravens leaving the Tower of London. The end of the known world."
Viewer Reactions and Social Media Outpouring
Fans were left utterly devastated following these emotional scenes, taking to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts and reactions. One viewer expressed, "okay this was such an emotional episode i’m crying and ahhh the preview for next week! #callthemidwife". Another account stated, "Well that was a very upsetting episode of #callthemidwife tonight", while a different viewer added, "This episode should have sadness warning it's very sad in Poplar tonight!! @CallTheMidwife1 #callthemidwife."
Official Behind-the-Scenes Update from the Show
In response to the overwhelming fan reaction, Call the Midwife took to its official Instagram page to share a special update following the episode. The show penned, "Behind the scenes on Episode 5. We thought we'd raid our photo cupboard to bring you these behind the scenes pics of our cast during filming for last night's moving episode. As you can see, our team refuse to let all of that on-screen emotion get to them.... ! Have you seen the episode yet? If not, catch up now on @bbciplayer xx Call the Midwife continues Sunday on BBC1 xx."
Fans quickly responded in the comments section, with one person saying, "Don’t think I stopped crying last night. Everyone was superb". Another wrote, "Absolutely heartbreaking but wonderful episode", while a different account added, "This was a very tough episode" accompanied by crying emojis.
Call the Midwife continues to air on Sundays at 8pm on BBC One, with fans eagerly awaiting the next developments in Sister Monica Joan's storyline and the other compelling narratives of series fifteen.
