Call the Midwife
Sunday 11 Feb, 8.00pm BBC1 Drama
Fears grow for Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) this week, when Fred (Cliff Parisi) discovers the nun has secretly been using a strong magnifying glass to aid with her reading. Worried that Sister Monica Joan’s eyesight is worse than anyone thought, Sister Julienne (Jenny Agutter) arranges for her to see Dr Turner (Stephen McGann), who diagnoses cataracts and sends her to a specialist. Without an operation, Sister Monica Joan will most certainly go blind…
When she relapses into alcoholism, the nurse decides to seek help away from Nonnatus House
Confronted by past demons, Nurse Trixie Franklin is forced to make a tough decision about her future in this week’s Call the Midwife.
Not wanting to cause a rift between her boyfriend, Christopher, and his daughter, Alexandra, Trixie reluctantly split from the dashing dentist last week. Unable to cope with her heartbreak, however, recovering alcoholic Trixie was soon driven to drink...
Caught out
‘It didn’t feel right to forget the alcoholism because it’s an on-going struggle,’ says Helen George, who plays Trixie. ‘Sister Julienne and Nurse Crane know about Trixie’s alcoholism, but it’s a problem that’s easier for Trixie not to face up to.’
After a local woman gives birth to a baby girl, midwife Trixie gladly accepts a ‘tipple’ from the new mum’s husband to welcome the new arrival. But Nurse Crane finds out and confronts Trixie.
As Trixie vows to return to her AA meetings, Nurse Crane promises not to report her. Later, though, Trixie realises that, if she’s to get well again, she needs to do it on her own away from Poplar.
‘It becomes a natural conclusion for Trixie to take time out,’ says
Helen, who went on maternity leave from the show to have her own daughter.
‘It was odd not being there while everyone else was still having fun,’ she admits. ‘I did miss them.’