06/11/2025
The Call the Midwife 2019 Christmas Special, set in December 1964, sees a nasty bout of influenza sweep through Nonnatus House and the Turner family, putting most of the team out of action just before Christmas. Mother Mildred, convinced by what she believes is a divine calling, suggests the recovering midwives travel to the remote Outer Hebrides in Scotland for a period of convalescence and to provide temporary medical assistance, as the local population is facing a nursing shortage. A smaller group, including Sister Hilda, Sister Frances, and Sister Monica Joan, is left to manage things in Poplar, with Sister Hilda struggling to maintain control of Nonnatus House in Mother Mildred's absence.
Upon arrival, the Nonnatus team, which includes Dr. Turner and Fred Buckle, finds themselves in an incredibly rural area with poor weather, a drafty stone convent as their base, and unreliable electricity. They quickly immerse themselves in the local community, which presents unique challenges, including a woman giving birth in a truck with complications and the treatment of a young girl's severe burns after her nightgown catches fire. Nurse Crane, Trixie, and Dr. Turner work tirelessly, even performing an emergency procedure by the light of a single lamp. Meanwhile, Fred, wanting to bring some festive cheer to the isolated village, attempts to put up a Christmas tree, which is initially rejected by a local matriarch for being "pagan," but she later softens her stance.
The special also delves into personal storylines, notably the troubled teenager Effie, whose mother had her out of wedlock with a visiting sailor. Trixie and Nurse Crane help Effie's aunt with her injured daughter, Isla, and eventually find Effie drinking alone on the moor. Trixie, a recovering alcoholic, shares an unspoken understanding of Effie's pain. The trip proves bittersweet for Mother Mildred, as her hopes of establishing a permanent chapter house in the predominantly Presbyterian region are dashed by the local council. The episode ends on a high note when the team returns to Poplar just in time for Christmas, and the community is united by Miss Higgins' heartfelt effort to get Reggie a mention in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest paper chain, a feat she organized with the whole of Poplar after hearing Reggie's wish.
