Call the Midwife season 8: Should Jack Ashton return as Tom?

Alas, there is no new episode of Call the Midwife airing on the BBC tonight — to make matters worse, there is also not going to be any from now until Christmas Day. (If you’re in America, you’re actually going to get a chance to check out season 7 starting next week! Stay tuned for more coverage there.)

For the sake of this article, know that there are some season 7 spoilers ahead as we talk about the future for Tom…

When you think about Call the Midwife in general, one thing at this point feels like pretty much a sure thing: There is going to be change and there are going to be actors who eventually decide to depart the series. You saw this with Jessica Raine, you saw this with Emerald Fennell last year, and you just saw this with Charlotte Ritchie and her character of Barbara. Granted, Barbara’s exit was a bit more dramatic given that she died, but for the character of Tom he is now put in a difficult spot.

We know from some of Tom’s final words with Barbara that living in Poplar isn’t necessarily his endgame — after all, he fashions himself a dreamer who gets to live out in the countryside and start a new life. Yet, he also lives to serve people who need him, and his job will take him wherever he is required. With Barbara gone he is not so attached to Poplar. As a matter of fact, you could argue that he would want to get away in order to escape some of his grief.

There are clear reasons for Jack Ashlton’s character to depart the series creatively, but what are the reasons to stay? Personally, Ashton is attached to the series given that his significant other Helen George also works there and we like to hope that she will also return for an eighth season — after all, Trixie is one of the longest-tenured characters and she did not have much of a farewell. Beyond just that, we do think that it would be important for show viewers to see that the Tom character is doing okay and will be able to recover from this horrible tragedy. Seeing him move forward could be a great inspiration to others out there who have lost someone they cared about in their lives.

Related – Should Call the Midwife have longer seasons?

Do you want to see more of Jack Ashton as Tom on Call the Midwife season 8? Be sure to share right now in the comments!

Meanwhile, be sure to like CarterMatt on Facebook to get some other insight on the series. (Photo: BBC.)