Call the Midwife hasn’t lost its touch with 2016’s Christmas special
Call the Midwife last graced our screens back in early March, so it’s been a while without the show, which has always had a message of kindness and optimism. It may feel like events in the real world have been making our society more angry and more divided since the last time the series aired a new episode, but I’m encouraged by the strength of this year’s Christmas special, in which the midwives help rebuild and run a mission hospital in South Africa.
This is a show that reminds us that when things look bleak, it’s time to get to work. And it also continually argues that there are few divides that can’t be mended with constructive conversation and discussion. It may be set in the past, but the capacity for toughness, determination and sensitivity shown by all the characters should be seen as something that can help guide us as we move into an uncertain future.
The Christmas special is a moving episode that takes the majority of the characters on a trip to South Africa to assist at a tiny hospital with patients in desperate situations. It has the humour and emotion Call the Midwife is known for, and doesn’t shy away from the injustice of apartheid policies in an episode that balances out its happy storylines with ones that are infused with sadness. There are always setbacks, but with teamwork and support there’s also a road forward. “There’s never no hope at all, Patrick,” Shelagh says to her husband. It’s a lesson we’d all do well to learn.
I’ve reviewed the Christmas special for CultBox. For more of my thoughts on what Call the Midwife gets right in this strong instalment, head over here to read the full review.
Subscribe to my weekly newsletter, and head here to follow me on Twitter.
