Is there trouble lying ahead for Joyce?
The penultimate episode of Call the Midwife saw a number of revelations come to light, including that of Joyce Highland (Renee Bailey).
During last night’s episode, viewers saw Sylvester Warren arrive in Poplar and tell the others he was Joyce’s cousin, but the truth was soon revealed that he is, in fact, her husband.
Viewers found out that Joyce came to England to escape abuse and changed her name to avoid being found, but now, Sylvester is threatening to expose her.
In an interview with Digital Spy, the actress revealed that the series will explore Joyce’s relationship with religion, with some drama to follow.
“I think, for her, religion has always been a form of control and not a form of love or any of the positive parts of religion,” Bailey told the publication.
“People have used it to control her in the past and I feel like, for her, that’s probably why she’s like, ‘No, we’re not going down this path again.’”
As for Joyce’s past creeping into Poplar, Bailey explained viewers will begin to see a different side to Joyce, noting that “different environments and different people that bring that out of her from her past”.
“It’s still Joyce, but it’s a very different side of Joyce,” she said. “It’s nice to see her when she’s not quite as put together and she’s caught off-guard.”
Bailey joined the 13th series earlier this year and previously told Radio Times magazine what her character is really like.
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“Joyce is a force,” said Bailey of her character, “She is driven and knows what she wants. She’s come to England from Trinidad and was training in Birmingham before London.
“I’ve tried to bring in a little more softness as well as qualities that I love in Black women generally. I don’t want her to just be this stereotypical idea of what a strong black woman looks like. She has a lot of tenderness.”
The Call the Midwife season 13 finale airs on Sunday 3rd March at 8pm on BBC One. All past 12 seasons are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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