‘Call the Midwife’ season 5 Christmas Special review: (Somewhat) happier tidings
Great news for all fans of “Call the Midwife“: No one important died on the Christmas Special this year! If there is a drama series on the BBC with a knack for turning its viewers into piles of tears, this show is it.
Yet, not only did the show abandon the principle of killing characters off in the special, but they also did a rare thing and have someone return from Death’s Door! We’re specifically specifically of Delia, who we assumed was likely going to die following the season 4 finale. The great news is that she is starting to recover from her brain injuries. The bad news? She’s far from the condition she needs to be in order to travel back to Poplar, and there’s no guarantee that she ever will be. It’s too much of a stretch for “Call the Midwife” to give us a happy ending where all loose ends are tied together; however, the series allowing us hope for the future, while mixed with melancholy, is far more in its standard operating procedure.
The heartwarming story of Patsy was nice enough to help us forget the cheap fake-out the show tried to pull, making us think as thought Sister Monica Joan died after departing Nonnatus only to learn later that she had traveled “home” to Christmas. This story was a little messy all around, since there were mixed-messages based on which character was at the center of the spotlight. For Monica Joan in particular, we appreciate much of what was given. We just wish that we had more of Barbara and Trixie lining up some of those messages and applying them into their own life.
“Call the Midwife” has always been somewhat inconsistent when it comes to the patient-of-the-week plots, not often giving us key updates and forcing us to assume things turn out all right for these characters we barely know. They did some of that here, as well. Luckily, the Christmas celebrations at the end of the episode, coupled with the hope and festivity of the season, keep us from being too great of a Grinch to this episode. While imperfect, it did a worthy job of giving us hope that season 5 won’t be a deep-dive into a tissue box. Grade: B-.
Want to get some other updates right away when it comes to “Call the Midwife,” including a further look at the future of the series? Then be sure to head over to the link here, or sign up now to secure some other updates on all we cover, sent right over to you via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo: BBC.)