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“Call the Midwife” recap (4.3): Creatures Great and Small

Call the Midwife continues its trend of breaking my heart this week, with an episode that focuses on the closeted husband of a pregnant woman. We open with said husband, the young and handsome Tony, who is a member of the volunteer Citizens Defense Corps. The volunteers are setting up underground shelters in the event of a nuclear attack, when a rat scuttles by. Tony takes Sgt. Noakes’s billy club and kills the rat.

Speaking of rats, Fred has set out poison in Nonnatus House to rid them of their rodent problem, but Sister Monica Joan is appalled. She tries to pick up the poison, but Phyllis stops her. MJ is shocked that Phyllis, a vegetarian of all people, is fine with casual rat murder, but Phyllis reminds MJ that they carry filth and disease.

We jump to a car repair shop, where Tony works with his father-in-law. His very pregnant wife, Marie, stops by to see him. Tony is loving and affectionate with his wife, and excited about their baby.

Over at the clinic, Shelagh (who I keep calling Bernadatte, but apparently that’s her nun name and now that she’s a civilian, she’s Shelagh. This Jew is learning SO much about Catholicism from this show) discovers an outbreak of dysentery and Phyllis says they must be vigilant before an epidemic breaks out. The ladies give a lecture on hygiene and distribute soap to the mums. Mrs. McAvoy, a pregnant mum with two sons, declines taking the soap, and the other women trash her for being Irish.

Patsy checks in on Marie, and they sit in her parlor room, which Tony decorated himself. He also collects art and wants to learn how to play the piano. What do we call foreshadowing for a character’s queerness? Lavender shadowing? That’s what this is.

Tom visits Trixie at the clinic and tells her that, due to an injury, he is now in charge of the Rose Queen parade. He begs Trixie to help him, and she agrees, because flowers trump enemas any day of the week. Phyllis examines Mrs. McAvoy, who is ashamed that her shoes are lined with newspaper and her skirt is a burlap sack. She is also filthy and covered with fleas. Phyllis assures her things will be okay and plans to follow up with her.

Tony and his dad-in-law have some pints at the local pub. Tony expresses his anxiety about being a dad, but the future granddad assures him he’ll get the hang of it. He tells him to stop worrying and let nature take its course.

The women of Nonnatus house all chip in to help with the Rose Queen, and Sister MJ has made a shoebox hotel for the rats. We find out that Marie was last year’s queen, and she’ll be in the processional this year to crown the new girl.

Mrs. McAvoy goes to church and meets with her husband, who gives her some money. He’s working hard to support the family, but it means living apart, and they miss each other. They light a candle together and pray for better times ahead.

Tony locks of the shop, but instead of going home, he finds himself going to the underground men’s lavatory. A handsome man is in there, and Tony starts making out with him. The man pushes him off and sounds a whistle. It’s a honey trap. Tony is arrested for gross indecency.

Trixie is measuring Marie for her dress when Noakes arrives to tell her about the arrest. Marie is shocked and panicked. Tony waits in a cell, devastated. Noakes tells Trixie and Patsy that the police have been setting up honey traps in men’s public restrooms all over town. Patsy asks Trixie if she could ever forgive her husband for the same offense, and Trixie tells her that she’s not bothered the homosexuality, but by the cheating.

She then tells Patsy that she used to beard for a young gay doctor to protect his rep. She calls is “diversionary cover,” which might be my new favorite term for bearding. Trixie and Patsy recall how, during training, they were warned about “keeping dark secrets,” which is now my new fav slang term for lesbian sex. They laugh, but we can see how deeply it affects Patsy.

Tony is released on bail, and his dad-in-law fires him. His trial is set for next week, and he needs someone to be a witness for his good moral character.

Shelagh is investigating the dysentery outbreak by using a map to pinpoint the locations. She tells her husband that she wants to be the Watson to his Holmes, and it’s adorable.

Phyllis goes to visit Mrs. McAvoy, but she’s given a fake address. Most people won’t rent to Irish tenants, which leaves her with limited options. Phyllis checks with Shelagh, and she confirms it. We see Mrs. McAvoy in a tunnel, hiding out with her boys until the local hostel opens. She prays for strength.

Patsy goes to check on Marie, who is devastated by her husband’s arrest. Patsy says that she can talk to her, but Marie is heavily in denial and convinced that she couldn’t be married to a gay man.

Barbara is working on sewing banners, and turns down Trixie’s bribe of cake. Girl, take the cake, what are you doing? Tom visits Trixie and tells her he loves her. Meanwhile, Sister MJ is upset when she sees Fred prepping Nonnatus House for nuclear fallout. She wonders why all their efforts can’t be spent on peace, and wants to know who will be purged next.

Tony visits Dr. Turner and begs him to be a character witness. Turner agrees, and assures Tony that he’s not a bad man. Tony is devastated that he can never have what he wants, and that sometimes pretending is too much. Turner urges him to hold onto his family.

Over dinner, the midwives discuss Tony’s dilemma. Trixie thinks it’s fascist persecution, and MJ reminds them that fornication used to punishable by stoning. Sister Winifred is shocked and reminds them that sodomy is a sin. Patsy remains quiet during the debate.

Dr. Turner and Shelagh have the same conversation, and talk about how for men like Tony, there is no other way to be. They must conform to society’s expectations. Turner talks about encountering gay men during the war, where he “met all types.” He talks about Kinsey’s book and how many men have had homosexual thoughts. Turner believes in live and let live, and Shelagh agrees. Across town in bed, Marie asks Tony if it was just a one-time thing. He doesn’t answer.

Phyllis gets a call from a boarding house/hostel and she and Trixie go to visit. They find Mrs. McAvoy in labor, in a filthy and disgusting environment. Phyllis finds out she is sick with dysentery and sets about arranging a clean birth. The mean manager of the boarding house begrudgingly helps them prepare. Mrs. McAvoy gives birth surrounded by filth and cockroaches, and delivers a healthy baby girl. They track down the father, and quarantine the infant so she doesn’t get sick.

Tony goes before the judge and pleads guilty. Dr. Turner gives a passionate defense of his character, despite being talked down to by the judge. He tells the judge that treatments and therapy are available to “cure” Tony, and the judge agrees to let him off on probation, but he must receive the treatments.

Tony and Marie go to Turner’s office and he prescribes him estrogen, which will effectively neuter him. Tony balks at the side effects (impotence/hair loss/loss of muscle), but Marie doesn’t care, since she’s already pregnant. Turner assures him that, compared to electric shock and aversion therapy, the pills are the safer bet. Poor Tony. He doesn’t want to take the pills, but Marie (and the government) says he must.

Trixie and Phyllis are quarantined together, and Trixie tests Phyllis on her Spanish. Phyllis comments on Trixie’s drinking, but Trixie tells her to butt out.

Everyone is preparing for the Rose Queen parade, when the newspapers come in. Tony’s case is in the papers, and now everyone knows he’s gay. The women turn on poor Marie and yell at her, and she runs away. Patsy defends her and says that the church is no place for small mindedness. Marie is humiliated. Meanwhile, Tony tries to go to his CDC meeting, but he’s turned away. He and Marie have a huge fight at home, and Marie says that her mum always thought he was too clean. Marie feels betrayed and ruined, and Tony hates himself for ruining their lives. He wants to run away, but she tells him, in no uncertain terms, that he cannot abandon her. It’s heartbreaking.

Later that night, Patsy asks Trixie if she’s the only person alive that doesn’t hate queers. Trixie says she isn’t, but tells her it’s not their battle. Patsy asks who will fight for them. Trixie just wants the Rose Queen parade to go well, and asks Patsy why she cares so much. Patsy tells her that, like Sister MJ, she doesn’t hold with culls.

Dr. Turner and Phyllis go to see the medical officer about shutting down the filthy boarding house. The officer doesn’t seem swayed, until Phyllis guilts him into fogging and quarantining the house. Nobody says no to Phyllis Crane, y’all.

Marie walks home to find “queer” painted across her doorway. She goes into labor attempting to clean it. Patsy arrives to help her with the delivery. Meanwhile, Tony has reached the end of his rope, and sets about committing suicide in the garage. We cut back and forth between the birth and Tony’s suicide. Marie’s dad sees her give birth to a baby girl, and runs out to find Tony. He finds him in the car and quickly pulls him out, hugging him. He tells Tony that he can’t live without Marie, and she can’t live without him, so he must go on. Tony meets his baby girl and cries with joy, promising to always be there for her. He’ll have to keep living to be around for the both of them.

Phyllis continues to pressure the medical officer about the boarding house, and he agrees to help the McAvoys. They move into their clean, new subsidized apartment. At least someone gets a happy ending.

Shelagh has found the source of the dysentery outbreak in a community kitchen. Looks like she’s more Holmes than Watson.

Tony shows up at the Rose Queen prep, and the housewives insult him. He says that Marie deserves to be in the parade, and Trixie defends him. She reminds the community that Jesus loved everyone, especially sinners. The parade goes as planned, with Marie in her rightful place. Sister MJ stops some boys from killing a rat, and she says that all of God’s creatures are worthy of love. #metaphor. When the new Rose Queen is crowned, no one claps for Marie, but Tony starts, and he is soon joined by the midwives and eventually everyone.

Did this episode give you all the feels? Tweet me all about it @chelseaprocrast

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