“Are you a wife or a midwife?”
Before Call the Midwife season 13 arrived on our screens, we were told that Matthew was going to face financial troubles in the coming episodes, which would severely impact his relationship with Trixie.
“What you see happen is that they communicate a lot, but the comprehension totally breaks down,” said Olly Rix, who plays Matthew.
“No matter how often they’re talking, no matter how much they’re trying to get things together, you’re watching two people just keep missing each other. And it’s heartbreaking.”
And in tonight’s episode (28th January), their marriage entered uncertain territory.
While Trixie was on call with Mrs Stanton, pupil midwife Rosalind unexpectedly turned up with a message for her.
“Your husband telephoned,” she said, an anxious expression splashed across her face. “You need to call him right away.”
Without any further details, Trixie was concerned that something had happened to Matthew’s son Jonty, and she excused herself immediately – even though her patient was in labour.
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But on speaking with Matthew, it became clear that Jonty was right as rain, and it was Matthew who was in a fragile state.
“I had the most tiresome meeting about investment and things not going to plan,” he said. “The business, it’s so stressful. I have the most dreadful headache, and Jonty won’t stop crying for you.”
But Trixie was furious.
“I thought this was an emergency,” she said. “I imagined all sorts of horrors. I can’t believe you called me out for this when I’m on duty.”
When he urged her to consider her “other responsibilities” as a wife, Trixie once again emphasised that she had a woman in labour to attend to and slammed the phone down.
Following the birth, which went to plan after a minor complication, Trixie rushed out of the Stanton household once again to call Matthew, but there was no response, leaving her extremely anxious and distracted.
She was asked to remain with Joyce by Dr Tuner, which she agreed to, albeit somewhat reluctantly, to oversee the afterbirth.
But despite Joyce raising concerns about the state of Mrs Stanton’s placenta, Trixie declared all was at it should be, which gave her the green light to head home.
Yet it later emerged that part of the organ had not been removed from the patient, causing her to bleed heavily. Mrs Stanton was rushed into hospital, where she remained in a critical condition.
And that wasn’t the only issue. By taking her eye off the ball, Trixie had also jeopardised Joyce’s future within the profession.
“She was the senior midwife, I had to follow her lead,” the student said to Rosalind.
“You have to tell someone,” her confidante said of Trixie’s negligence. “This could prevent you from qualifying.”
And that’s exactly what she did.
With support from her colleague and friend, Joyce informed Sister Julienne of her predicament, and Trixie, being a woman of good character, took full responsibility for her error.
“My mistake was making my home life a priority, worrying about a man on the other side of London instead of worrying about a woman three feet away from me,” she said, in floods of tears.
“It’s unprofessional and unforgivable.”
Thankfully, Mrs Stanton regained her health, and Trixie didn’t lose her job, but the incident was a wake-up call for the nurse, and signalled a turning point in her relationship with Matthew.
“I’ve come to a decision, if Sister Julienne agrees, from now on I’ll stay at Nonnatus House for three nights a week,” she said. “That way I can put the patients first when I’m working, and when I’m not I can be at home and be completed devoted to you and Jonty.”
When a frustrated Matthew asked her if she’s “a wife or a midwife”, Trixie looked crestfallen.
“Can’t I be both?” she said.
“Only you can answer that,” he responded, before walking out.
Where do they go from here?
Season 13 of Call the Midwife airs on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide or visit our Drama hub for more news and features.
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