'Call the Midwife' Recap: Season 11 Episode 5

It may be Easter Sunday for us, but our Poplar friends are already into late summer/early autumn on Call the Midwife. Just seven short days ago, our midwives were doing what they do- helping a struggling new mother with her distressing nursing woes and finding a way for a traumatized Holocaust survivor to reconnect with his faith. There was a lighthearted story about popsicles. Most heartwarming was how love (and families) were blossoming for our very own midwives. Check out last week’s recap here before we dive into some rather heavy tales ahead.

Let’s discuss the Packer family situation first. Gordon Packer (Doc Butler) took a fall off a crane which has left him a paraplegic. His wife Glenda (Natalie Klamar) is a proud woman sneers at the offer of social workers, etc. despite how poorly her family is coping with Gordon’s life-altering injury. We’ve met plenty of proud folks in Poplar, but Mrs. Packer’s hesitance to have help in her house turns out to be something quite dark.

After Sister Frances and Nurse Corrigan’s facts of life talk at the school, the Packer’s daughter, Deborah (Amelie Bea Smith) takes advantage of the anonymity of the question box to ask for help. At the same time, Nurse Franklin is fit to be tied about the council’s failures concerning Mr. Packer’s care: Gordon has sustained significant bruising on his back from an alleged fall from his wheelchair.

Once Sister Hilda, Dr. Turner and Trixie compare notes, it becomes apparent that domestic abuse is happening in the Packer home and Glenda is the perpetrator. Soon Nurse Franklin is at the door with a WPC and Mrs. Packer realizes she’s been found out. Grabbing for the dog lead, she rounds on her cowering son, calls her daughter a liar and mocks her husband saying he was grateful that she civilized him.

After admitting that she “smacks” her kids like everyone else, the questioning was moved to the station where Mrs. Packer assures the WPC that Gordon will change his story because “love runs very deep in our house.” Glenda has to be one of the creepiest characters on the show in recent years, right?

All indications are that Gordon is going to do whatever’s necessary to keep his kids safe, even if that means pressing charges against his wife. He vows Glenda will not be coming back. Dr. Turner promises to get the family all the practical and medical resources necessary to give the Packers a new start.

Now for the stories a little closer to home -three of our four secular midwives had an unexpected event happen to them this episode. They were a mixture of good and bad that demonstrated just how quickly our lives can be changed.

We’ll start with Nurse Crane (Linda Bassett) who had me in tears several times during this episode. Her reaction to the letter that she’d won £5000 on the premium bonds her mother purchased was a tour de force performance,  I loved when she talked about scraping by all her life and just now finding out she didn’t have to worry.  It obviously ticked her off greatly.

But her good friend, Miss Higgins, has convinced Phyllis to adjust to her new situation. It would seem that Nurse Crane will be leaving us for a few episodes at least. She’s taking a 6-week coach trip around Europe to visit all the places she never dreamed she’d see. Those Spanish lessons she took back in season 5 sure will come in handy.