Call the Midwife season 14 has reunited us with all our Nonnatus House favorites as we arrive in 1070s Poplar for more twists, turns and, of course, expectant mothers and babies!
The Call the Midwife Christmas specials 2024 kickstarted the new series in style with Trixie returning from New York, Reggie going missing and panic for Nonnatus House as the building's future was thrown into jeopardy. Now we have reached the spring of 1970 and we have a new midwife arriving at Nonnatus House.
Here is everything that happened in Call the Midwife season 14 episode 6...
The sixth episode opens with rubbish piling up around Poplar after the bin men have gone on strike over their pay. A designated rubbish collection point has been made outside Nonnatus House, which Sister Julienne is worried could be a health hazard to their team of midwives, while Doctor Turner is concerned it is too close to the school and market. Doctor Turner tells Sister Julienne he is back on the board of health and will bring up their concerns at the next council meeting.
Trixie and Joyce are running an 'early ambulation' course at the community centre for other healthcare professionals, teaching them that the advice is no longer for new mothers to stay in bed for 10 days but to get up and about as quickly as possible to aid recovery from childbirth.
At the council meeting, Doctor Turner highlights the health impact that having so much rubbish lying around will have on the residents of Poplar, while Violet tells everyone as Mayor that the bin men have the right to strike and this isn't going to be solved easily.
At the maternity home, Bernie Midgely arrives ready to give birth and she has a little girl, however, she is rude to Joyce and another patient and it is clear she is being racist. Soon she has had enough of being on the maternity ward and discharges herself after only two days, much to the horror of Shelagh and Miss Higgins.
Doctor Turner and Sister Veronica visit an elderly patient called Albert Butler, he is very poorly with an infection caused by the rats from all the rubbish and Doctor Turner sends him straight to St Cuthbert's. However, it isn't a happy ending for Albert because it turns out he has Weil's disease and sadly dies.
With the rubbish piling up around Poplar, people are becoming poorly left right, and centre - and Trixie is horrified to find a rat in her bike's saddle bag as she gets ready for her morning rounds. Fred suggests they keep the bikes indoors at Nonnatus House until the rubbish is gone but as he solves one problem another begins when Reggie falls ill with an upset stomach from handling all the rubbish.
Later, Rosalind finds Cyril's cat, Nigel, who has been chasing all the rats, but he doesn't look well. Rosalind takes him back to Cyril's flat and waits for him to get home, but while she is there she starts feeling unwell and worries that she is developing an allergy to his fur. Cyril gets home and thanks Rosalind for looking after Nigel, and there is a moment between them.
Later, Rosalind ends up poorly in bed, running a fever and off her food, while Cyril tries to nurse Nigel back to health through the night, but sadly, he dies in his arms.
As Fred helps Cyril bury Nigel in the community gardens, Cyril tells Fred he is going to miss his friend and that he helped him figure out what he needs to do next, and that is getting a divorce from Lucielle now that he knows she is never coming back.
As they are talking, an ambulance arrives at Nonnatus House for Rosalind, who has taken a turn for the worst in the night. Fred and Cyril worry it is for Sister Monica Joan, but little do they know it is Rosalind being rushed to hospital.
Sister Catherine and Joyce make a house call to see Bernie and while the new mum is pleased to see Sister Catherine, he face drops when she sees Joyce is with her, and she is rude as Joyce does her job of examining her.
Soon, she is grumpy and mean and asks them both to leave. Sister Catherine is shocked by the whole ordeal and asks Joyce what she should write in her notes, and she suggests they usually say 'the mother declined attention' which Sister Catherine says is putting Bernie's rudeness very politely.
At St Cuthbert's the doctors confirm that Rosalind has Weil's disease and also some kidney problems as well. The doctor explains that Rosalind is gravely ill and the next 24 hours are critical. Trixie sits by her bedside and the pair of them pray together for her recovery.
Meanwhile, at Bernie's house, she takes a turn for the worst and wakes up with red legs. But when Joyce gets there to visit her Bernie won't let her anywhere near her to help becasue of the colour of her skin, and poor Joyce has no choice but to leave and ask Doctor Turner to make a house visit in her place.
Doctor Turner discovers Bernie has a blood clot and needs to be in a hospital immediately, but Bernie is more worried about making a formal complaint about Joyce, telling Doctor Turner this is all her fault.
At Nonnatus House, everyone is gravely worried about Rosalind who is still very poorly in hospital. Fred thinks that she got Weil's disease from Nigel, while Cyril arrives and asks about her welfare. He is visibly concerned for her when Trixie tells him how poorly Rosalind is and that he should get checked at the surgery himself as he has been in contact with both Rosalind and Nigel.
Cyril gets an injection from Doctor Turner to stop him from getting ill and is thrilled when Rosalind turns a corner and is allowed visitors again. When he arrives, he brings her grapes but admits that he should have bought her flowers. He sits by her bedside and takes her hand, admitting that Nigel's passing has made him realise that he doesn't want to be alone.
Rosalind reassures him that he has friends, and also reminds him he is married, Cyril admits that he is getting a divorce from Lucille and that while he doesn't know what the future might hold, he knows he doesn't want to navigate it on his own and kisses Rosalind on the cheek - their fledgling romance finally taking off.
Joyce has a meeting with Sister Julienne, who tells her about the official complaint being made by Bernie. Joyce is devastated that someone would deem her incompetent as a midwife but knows that this is more about the colour of her skin than her medical knowledge. Sister Julienne asks if racial prejudice is something that she has experienced before, and Joyce is stunned that she should even ask that - pointing out that this is something that happens every day of her life, leaving Sister Julienne shocked.
As Rosalind is welcomed home to Nonnatus House, now feeling a lot better with the fever gone, Sister Julienne asks Sister Catherine about her experiences with Bernie and Joyce. She also points out Bernie's racial prejudice against Joyce, and Sister Julienne tells her they are going to do everything they can to fight these allegations and protect Joyce.
At the end of the episode, Joyce is drying Rosalind's hair for her and Rosalind asks if she wants to talk about the complaint being made against her. Joyce is honest and says no, because they are going to spend weeks talking about it as it is investigated, and for now, she wants to think about something else. So Rosalind tells her she is going on a date with Cyril, hoping for her friend's blessing.
But instead of being happy for Rosalind, Joyce is worried, telling her some prejudiced people won't like them being together and that they will make things very hard for them both. Rosalind is determined that she wants to get to know Cyril better and Joyce leaves it there, having said her bit.
Will Rosalind take on board Joyce's words of warning?
In the UK Call the Midwife season 14 airs on Sundays on BBC One at 8pm. In the US the series will start in March 2025 on PBS.
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