#turnadette through the seasons

[miss-ute]

As we enter season 13 (!) What are your top 5 fav episodes to return to again and again? And what are your top 5 fav Turnadette moments of all time?

hello!

5 favourite episodes I return to again and again are (in no particular order):

s05e09 Christmas Special: this episode is just 😍😍 it is so different from the CSs we are used to and...I don't know #loveit

s07e01: I'm not much of a crier but this: "If I never said I was grateful to you. I say it now. If I never said I was proud of the home that you kept, I say it now. If I didn’t tell you that you were beautiful, when your face grew lined…when you didn’t have a new blouse from one summer’s end to the next, I say it now. And if I didn’t tell you that I loved you…I say it now. Missing you…I will talk about tomorrow." (Arnold Gelin), made me sob!

s05e06: I mean...there is so much going on - Sister MC's brutal attack, Sister MJ giving her a bath, Patrick's outfit, Turner's (chaotic) camping trip, Turnadette being all sexy in their tent!, AND that uterine inversion scene! (it made me, apart from 'Nancy pulling Bernard's foot off' scene in s11e03, go 🤢🤢🤢)

s08e09 Christmas Special: I love Scotland...that is it!

s06e08: do I even have to tell you why? THEY WERE SINGING TO EACH OTHER THROUGH THE DOOR!! I know some people did not like that scene BUT! it was everything to me! It made me fall in love with Turnadette all over again! I mean, she was A NUN! okay?! A freaking nun, and there she is in labour with him pacing up and down out in the hall all nervous and worried like a sad little puppy! Not to mention the fact you can see how desperately he wants to be in there with her, but she asked him not to, so he is staying out!...it is like s02e05 all over again! #respect "Once I had a secret love, that lived within the heart of me. All too soon my secret love, became impatient to be free..." (DR PATRICK TURNER WAS HER SECRET LOVE! OKAY?! SHE WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM WHILE STILL BEING A NUN! A NUN! (the way his face went all soft when he realized she was singing about him! #myovariesexploded) and IT BECAME IMPATIENT TO BE FREE!!!!!!!!! HER LOVE FOR HIM BECAME IMPATIENT TO BE FREE!!!!!! SHE LEFT THE ORDER FOR HIM! CAN YOU IMAGINE! IN THOSE DAYS!?! AND SHE TRIED TO TELL SISTER JULIENNE SO MANY TIMES BUT COULD NOT! AND THE FACT SISTER J IS THERE WITH THEM WHILE SINGING IT IS JUST...#full circle moment!) Sorry to say this but if you don't find this scene nothing but perfect, you don't get Turnadette the way I do haha #Ilovethemsomuch (I could go and go but...I won't)

5 favourite Turnadette moments of all time

just 5? no, no, no... so far, I have 28! -> here

ask! really, anything!?

[karin-gespenst]

me, scrolling through season 6 of CtM, trying to find happy and heartwarming episode and settling on episode 8. We have Barbara’s wedding and the preparations, Phyllis being everyone’s brick, happy Trixie, excellent Shulienne and Turnadette scenes, Patsy’s return and the long awaited Pupcake kiss -- and then the story of Wilma Goddens who just wanted to take charge of her own body and died because of the dangerous side effects of the contraceptive pill.

[mammamias]

TURNADETTE THROUGH THE SEASONS | season five

[h4t08]

I am a diehard Turnadette fan (it’s what attracted me to this fandom) however this season has been awful when it comes to their storyline. (It’s been up and down the past few years, but it’s completely tanked this season.)

First of all, for a show about the struggles women go through when it comes to having families, they paint Shelagh as some sort of saint who is able to be a mom to 3 young children, a full time nurse in a needy area, and an all-around eager-beaver when it comes to community events ALL AT THE SAME TIME.

That is just not possible, not without something giving.

Second of all, the chemistry between Shelagh and Patrick (Laura and Stephen, respectively) is practically non existent. It used to be fun and flirty between them, but their scenes are extremely formal, almost as if they are two cardboard cutouts.

The scene between them in S11e04, shows this so painfully well. They are not talking as if they are husband and wife, but more along the lines of teacher and pupil.

“Every patient is a whole person; past, present, and future, all wrapped in the vessel we call the body.”

Who talks like this to their spouse?? I understand if they wanted to show the angst Doctor Turner is feeling when it comes to his patient, but this conversation should have been between him and Sister Hilda with that line, not with Shelagh.

Please understand, I’m not expecting unrealistic drama between them, but at least showcase the struggles of a marriage between two full time working adults! Show arguments and comforting words and stress and meal time conversations. But most importantly, give them their chemistry back!

And please, for the love of god, stop blaming the obvious lack of physical touch on distancing protocols. It’s not believable when the actors are partying it up with each other.

[songbookff]

For the ship thing: "In a crowd of thousands." Turnadette from Call the Midwife or something about Thomas Barrow?

(ok, so I know this is going to be heard to believe, but I have never seen Call the Midwife. I just never had time to watch it. However, writing Barrow is perfect for what I am trying to do right now, so thank you.)

After all these years in service, Thomas Barrow had to admit that hosting a large event such as one of this magnitude brought him great satisfaction. Of course, to everyone else, it was the Grantham's who was hosting the event. But a grand garden party of such sophistication was only accomplished by dedicated and well trained staff.

And Mr. Barrow had the best of the best.

As he slipped through the crowds, keeping a close eye on his staff and the guests, he allowed himself the smallest of smiles. Oh yes, he had really pulled it off. It was one of his finer moments, if he did say so himself. And yet...

...there was the tiny voice in the back of his head wondering if this was as happy as he would ever be. Certainly, it was as happy as he had ever been. His job was fulfilling and he had the respect of his employer and his peers. And if he was being honest, more than one friend. But it almost felt like something was missing.

Lady Grantham was suddenly in front of him, showering him with praise to a host of four other ladies, all of whom included their own compliments as well. One even inquired if they could send their young butler to train under the esteemed Mr. Barrow. As he met their praise with the dignity of his station, something caught his eye across the garden.

At first, Thomas was certain he had imagined the man. After all, they were a long way from London in the middle of the season. He turned his attention back to Lady Grantham and her friends long enough to be excused from the conversation.

He knew his eyes were playing tricks on him...but still, he searched the crowd for the familiar face. Thomas knew it was foolish to wish; after all, why would he, of all people he here? Of course he had written about how important this garden party was in several of his letters. After all, it had been planned months in advance.

And then, across the garden, Thomas saw him again. He felt as if his heart stopped beating in his chest as he stared at the face he had been longing to see for months. The crowd faded away and it was as if it was just the two of them.

And Richard smiled at him and Thomas's heart soared.

[my-little-yellowbird]

I was tagged by @gabolange (months ago!!) to do the one-shot fic writer meme, and why not!                                                        

list your five longest one-shot fics on AO3 (not chaptered works or series) with the word count, fandom, year, and comments/kudos/bookmarks. one-shots are the short stories to fandom’s books and a distinctly different process in my experience.

OK, so here’s the thing.  I’ve written over 120 Call the Midwife fics on My-Little-Yellowbird.com, most of them multi-chapter.. Only 8 are posted on ao3 and 30 or so CtM fics are on ff.net--it’s where I got my start.  I’ve always felt funny cross-posting my fics to different platforms, but that’s silly.  Writers that get paid to write don’t hesitate to promote their own stuff. Why shouldn’t fic writers??  I mean, we do this for FREE.  If a reader sees my stuff they can always scroll past.  the best person to promote your stuff is you. So maybe one day I’ll post them all to both fan sites.

Oh, and aside from a ridiculous there’s-only-one-bed-but-the-floor-is-made-of-lava Blake fic and a silly shout-out to Mary Poppins, it’s all Call the Midwife.

1. Dearest Friend -- 3,252 words, Turnadette, 2014, original publication 2017 on ao3. 32 kudos, 3 comments, 3 bookmarks.  This is an early tale written during the hiatus after s3.  I love eponymous stories, and we all have imaginings of what Patrick wrote to Shelagh during those long months in the sanatorium.  My head canon is built on the idea that both Sister Bernadette and Patrick adhered to a strict honor code.  Patrick would never put Sister Bernadette in the position where she would be asked to renounce her vows.   I will admit to almost having him push the envelope a bit, if you’ll excuse the pun, in a hidden letter.  In the end, I worked very not to say too much, or not enough.

2. His Safety Net -- 2242 words, Turnadette, 2015 - 33 kudos - 6 comments - 3 bookmarks. 2015 original pub, 2017 ao3.  When asked about my favorite fics, this one always comes to mind.  Again, so much of what makes the Shelagh / Patrick relationship work is their ability to say so much with so few words.  I wanted to get that across with physical gestures that speak to their level of emotional intimacy.  I also wanted to deal with the idea of commitment.  They’ve just weathered another storm partly brought about by the fact that while they do communicate, there are still secrets between them.  Has Patrick learned to trust her?  Will he ever?  In the end, it doesn’t matter, because they are bound together by more than romance.

3. How the Brownies Saved Christmas -- 1986 words, Turnadette 11 kudos - 3 comments - 0 bookmarks. 2018,  This one might have been a bit passive aggressive.  The holiday season is ridiculously stressfull for mothers of young kids (I blame Martha Stewart and Pinterest). This is one of my complaints about Shelagh, as well. W never really see HOW SHE DOES IT.  So I gave her helpers. 

4. Losing Her Breath --1,514 words, Sister Bernadette, 2009 (orig pub) - 14 kudos - 3 comments - 0 bookmarks). 2017.  Breathing is a thread through Turnadette (I know that sounds dumb, but bear with me).  TB, polio, smoking are all obviously big ticket items, but many of the most wonderful Turnadette moments have no words.  We just feel them breathe each other.  So I used the idea for this fic, set during the time when they were just starting.  Sister Bernadette is indeed losing her breath, as the TB is already growing within her, just as Patrick takes her breath away.

5. A Moment’s Peace -- 7,464 words, Turnadette 2019, 1 kudos - 18 comments, 1 bookmark. 2019  This was my first “commuter fic,” written onboard the train to Grand Central. My new job was pretty miserable, and the four hours on the train every day were near unbearable.   My betas gently encouraged me to try and redirect my new anxieties into classic Turnadette.  Hence--a coffee shop fic!

Funny thing is, I’m sure there are newer Nonnatuns that are just now learning that I have ever written a fic. I wrote most of my stuff before I went back to work, and all the kids were in school all day. Believe me, I’m trying!

[bethanyactually]

Top 5 shows you want to watch but haven't yet. And top 5 ships that you've seen on your dash, but haven't watched the shows they're from :D

Top 5 shows I want to watch but haven’t yet

I’ve recently knocked Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries and Schitt’s Creek (I’m most of the way through S1) off my list, so let me see if I can think of five more.

1. Miranda (this one’s been on my list for ages and I don’t know why I haven’t watched it yet)

2. Altered Carbon (maybe? I go back and forth on this one)

3. Fresh Off the Boat (I actually watched about half of S1, got distracted, and haven’t gone back to it yet)

4. The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell (I’ve watched the first episode thanks to @pepperf and intend to watch the rest, I just haven’t yet) 

5. The Legend of Korra (yet another show of which I’ve seen part of S1 and just haven’t watched the rest yet, though I definitely intend to)

~~~~~

Top 5 ships I’ve seen on my dash but haven’t consumed the media

1. Janeway/Chakotay from Star Trek Voyager

2. Karolina/Nico from the TV show Runaways

3. Turnadette from Call the Midwife (this is cheating, a little, because I’ve seen the first few seasons of CtM but I think I stopped watching before they actually got together)

...that’s all I’ve got. I generally block the tags of shows that I have no interest in, or shows that I might watch someday but haven’t yet, especially if they cross my dash a lot. So I actually don’t see that many ships that I don’t already know cross my dash. :)

Thanks, Kate! :)

Ask me my Top 5 Anything!

[turnt4turnadette]

A Turnadette Thought

I have been thinking about how many of us ship Turnadette and how their marriage is Patrick’s second marriage, which leads me to think about another fandom and how they reacted over a character trying to find love again after a spouse died.

For those of you that don’t know, in the show Grey’s Anatomy, Meredith and Derek is a popular ship on the show. Although they were on again off again from the beginning of the show until Season 4, they became one of the most stable and loved couple in the show and were together until the near end of Season 11 when Derek died. In season 13, Meredith starts dating another guy, Nathan and a lot of fans got mad because they think that Derek is the only guy for her and no other love story including Meredith will ever be the same and she should stay single forever. I shipped Meredith and Nathan because I knew how special second loves can be through shipping Turnadette.

That leads me to this question, do you think that Turnadette would have been just as popular and loved as it is now by CtM fans if the show went back far enough to see Patrick and Marianne’s love story play out from beginning to end in the show? Or do you think people would have had a negative reaction like in Grey’s Anatomy?

[ramblingviolinist]

Tags!!!

So... Basically I’m a terrible person and people have tagged me in a lot of things and I haven’t done any of them so here we go... Apologies that it’s so so late!!! (Also sorry if I miss a tag.) Thanks for the tags!

@ohpatreek, @eatapinkwafer, and @tangledupinmist tagged me in the “Get to Know Meme”

Name: Karen

Nickname: Kare, Kare-Kare, Kare Bear when I was little

Height: 5′1″ 

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Favorite Color: Blue

Time Right Now: 2:16 PM

Average Hours of Sleep: 6-8 

Lucky Number: 13

Last thing I googled: Klein Bottle (a math thing)

Number of blankets i sleep under: 2 in the summer, 4-5 in the winter

Favorite fictional character or favorite real life “famous” person: Shelagh Turner, Lucille Anderson, Leslie Knope, and the March sisters for fictional characters and Laura Main, Julie Andrews, Amy Poehler, and Angela Kinsey for famous people

Favorite Book : The Mozart Season

Favorite Bands/Artists: AJR, Rend Collective, Mumford and Sons, Adele

Hair/Eye Color: Black/Brown

Dream job: I’m not even sure, but something to do with music

Quote that inspires you: “Do not walk behind me; I may not lead. Do not walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend” -Albert Camus

10 Facts About me (tagged by @ohpatreek, @bbcshipper, and @tangledupinmist) I’m quite a boring person so this is a bit of a struggle.

1. My favorite number is 13.

2. I can solve a 3x3 Rubik’s Cube.

3. I know the names of all the American presidents in order.

4. I’m a violinist (if you couldn’t tell by my username), and I’m getting a university degree in music.

5. I’ve never been on a date.

6. My favorite animal is the giraffe.

7. I can lick my elbow.

8. I have the cutest dog named Fred. Seriously, he’s the cutest.

9. My favorite movie is The Sound of Music. I know A LOT about the true story and the movie and could probably quote the entire thing. 

10. One of my goals is to run a marathon.

RULES: We’re snooping on your playlist. Set your entire music library on shuffle and report the first 10 songs that pop up. Then choose 10 victims. ( @tangledupinmist and @ohpatreek tagged me )

It’s Time-- Imagine Dragons

Build Your Kingdom Here-- Rend Collective

Budapest-- George Ezra

Honey, Honey-- ABBA (from Mamma Mia)

Perfect-- Ed Sheeran

Someone Like You-- Adele

Mamma Mia-- ABBA

Awake My Soul-- Mumford and Sons

This is Amazing Grace-- Phil Wickham

Some Nights-- Fun. 

10 female characters

List 10 of your favourite female characters from 10 different fandoms (tagged by @tangledupinmist)

Shelagh Turner- Call the Midwife

April Ludgate-Dwyer- Parks and Rec 

Elsie Hughes/Carson- Downton Abbey

Phoebe Buffay- Friends

Paris Geller- Gilmore Girls

Maria von Trapp- The Sound of Music (does it count if they were real too?)

Karen Brockman- Outnumbered

Lucy Pevensie- The Chronicles of Narnia

Anne Shirley- Anne of Green Gables

The March Sisters- Little Women

Random questions from @eatapinkwafer (There were a lot so I’ll just choose some.) 

1. How much do your real life friends/family know about your fandom life?

I try to keep it on the down low because I go crazy when I’m in a fandom. They don’t know how much I get into shows. 

2. What’s a recurring theme of fanfictions of you OTP that you find annoying/dislike?

My OTP is Turnadette. I’ll probably get a lot of hate for this but I don’t like how people write Angela’s adoption and Teddy’s birth. Quite a few people often make it sound like they love Teddy more than Angela because he was “actually their child” and they just had to “settle” with Angela before they had Teddy. I love Teddy a lot and I’m so glad they had him, but the complexity of it all is often written strangely. 

3. What’s the meaning behind your tumblr name?

I talk a lot and I play the violin.

4. Have you ever written fanfic?

Yes. 

5. What was your first fandom?

Downton Abbey

6. Where would you like to see your OTP vacation and why?

Most anywhere in America because I live here and I’d love to see their impressions of everything.

7. Who are you most like personality wise in your favourite fandom?

Sister Winnifred, I love her cheekiness and sense of humor 

8. What’s something you’d never thought you’d do but have because of a fandom?

Read a mystery thriller ;) 

9. What scene first got you hooked to your OTP?

Shelagh helping Patrick through his breakdown in Season 4 (I first watched CtM sometimes with my parents and just saw random episodes before I watched it from the beginning.)

I’d be really surprised if you read all of this, but there’s a bit about me haha

[mg-bsl381]

Taking Tea

This was inspired by one of @loverofturnerfamily‘s Turnadette calendar posts.

This dips the teeniest of toes into AU but hopefully stays true to the characters.

I hope you like it.

Taking Tea

 Patrick felt weary. He was tired and that wasn’t just about lack of sleep or not enough hours in the day.  He was tired from sadness having just pronounced the death of a baby.  A new life barely begun and now extinguished.  He needed to get his head straight and collate his and Nurse Miller’s notes so he could write his report for the coroner.  He rubbed a hand across his face trying to revive himself.  

 He was making a start on his own notes when he heard the tap of feet on the stone floor. Sister Bernadette with a sheaf of papers that consisted of Nurse Miller’s notes.  Good, now he could crack on and get his report written.  She placed a tea cup on the desk and offered him a welcome at the Nonnatus dinner table.  Patrick was tempted.  Home cooked food and not fish and chips again would be wonderful but eating would delay his report writing and it was best to get it written while it was still fresh in the memory.

 Sister Bernadette’s next offer gave him pause for thought.  What else could she get him that would help him in his current state of mind?  Faith, maybe? Something he had once had but was lost somewhere amidst the carnage of an Italian battlefield hospital.  He mentioned his lack of faith, as a way of explaining the circumstances that led up to the report that was clamouring for his attention.  Her response astounded him.  

 She spoke of the fact that it didn’t make a difference to the present.  Faith or no faith, Thomas Kelly was no longer alive and nothing would alter that dreadful reality.  Patrick caught Sister Bernadette’s gaze for a mere moment before she averted her eyes.  He felt a sinking feeling that he couldn’t quite explain at that lost connection between them.  He wanted to prolong the moment.  She was busy apologising and was about to leave him to his work.

 ‘Stay, take tea with me?’  he offered.

 She looked startled by his offer and he realised that it was an inappropriate thing to ask a nun. She absented herself saying that she was expected in the dining room.  He heard her footsteps once again on the stone floor but this time he stayed watching the empty doorway until their sound could no longer be heard.

 Patrick was engrossed in reading through Nurse Miller’s notes when he heard a sound that surprised him. Footsteps on the stone floor.  He looked up wondering who it could be.  Not Sister Evangelina as the footsteps sounded light.  To his delight Sister Bernadette walked into the room carrying a tea cup which she placed on the table next to his.  He looked at the young nun for an explanation for her presence.  She explained that as dinner was not for a little while she had decided to help him with his report.  A second pair of eyes could be useful in these situations.

 She scurried off again but this time when she returned she was carrying another chair.   She sat beside him at the desk and asked him to talk her through what had happened.  He told her of his part in the events and then together they read Nurse Miller’s notes.  Every so often one of them would take a sip of tea.  It was strange, he thought, whoever picked up their cup first the other one of them invariably followed shortly after.  It was almost as if they were involved in some kind of dance of tea cups.  Patrick felt the sadness begin to ease as he started to enjoy being in Sister Bernadette’s presence.  She asked him questions that showed her considerable medical knowledge.  She mentioned other cases trying to find the right pieces of the puzzle.  She too seemed to be enjoying herself.  He realised how well they worked together.  It was something he had known for years but never really thought about but now he realised he liked it and he wanted to spend more time with her.  It was impossible, he thought.  The most interesting and intelligent woman he knew and wanted to spend more time with was a nun.

 Patrick’s reverie was broken by a voice.  He heard Sister Julienne calling Sister Bernadette.  The young woman started and hurriedly pushed back her chair.  She looked embarrassed as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t.  She blurted her apologies and began stacking the cups and saucers. Patrick didn’t want Sister Bernadette to leave but knew he had to let her go.  She turned to pick up the cups and in a moment of madness he grasped her hand. She looked at him in surprise.  He gently squeezed her hand speaking in a low and gentle voice.

 ‘Thank you. You’ve been a great help.’

 He quickly let go of her hand and before she hurried away clutching the cups against her, he noticed her cheeks wore a gentle blush and a small smile graced her mouth.  Once again he watched the empty doorway and heard her light footsteps disappear out of hearing down the corridor.

 Patrick gathered up his notes and replaced Sister Bernadette’s chair.  He left the desk tidy as if he had never been there. Patrick let himself out of Nonnatus and went home to finish collating the notes.  He wrote his report and got it ready for the coroner.  He would await their verdict.

 Patrick’s mind tumbled over itself replaying the conversations he and Sister Bernadette had shared on that day.  It was about a month later when he recognised those feelings for what they were. Summer was at its height when he rashly declared his true feelings for Sister Bernadette.  Autumn followed and a season of heartache not knowing whether the woman he loved would live or die.  On a cold misty morning, they found each other once more but this time there was no need to keep their feelings hidden.  

 When they next took tea together they lingered for several hours, talking, laughing and holding hands.

[cooldoyouhaveaflag]

Prompt 43: “Walk out that door and we’re through” is up! It is kind of the companion to Prompt 11 “I missed something, didn’t I?”, but it can stand on its own. :) 

Actually not angsty despite the prompt implication! 

Takes place during a Season 3 AU where Shelagh got pregnant early on in her marriage. 

Hope you enjoy! 

[bbcshipper]

@sincerelygeertje and @cooldoyouhaveaflag tagged me. I must say, I’m really enjoying reading everyone’s responses on these  :-)

@sincerelygeertje‘s Questions:

1. What activity in the fandom do you enjoy the most (the discussions, making gifs, writing/ reading fic, etc.)?

This is a difficult one… I have really loved diving headfirst into the world of fanfiction  writing, which is not something I would have ever thought possible of myself even a few months ago and now I can’t seem to stop having ideas, it’s like an entirely different world has opened up.

I have also really loved the discussion on the episodes, although I came in to the fandom here so late in the last series that I missed a lot of it, but I look forward to it in the future.  And I’m obsessed with gifs/screenshots/irl pics of my OTP, though I horribly stink at making gifs, but I adore seeing their faces show up in front of me, haha.

2. Do you prefer to be part of a small, middle-sized, or large fandom, and why?

Well, I’ve never participated in a fandom prior to CtM, not really anyway, and so it’s hard to say. But I am loving this fandom, you all are amazing and I’m just so mad at myself I didn’t venture into this world sooner!

3. Have you ever met someone in your fandom in real life? If not, would you like to?

Not yet, I just showed up recently, but I think it would be fun to get to talk to people in person that love this show as much as I do and I’d really love to get to binge watch some seasons with someone! I am a strange blend of an introverted extrovert, so I get super nervous interacting with new people, but I think meeting some of you irl would be such fun!

@cooldoyouhaveaflag‘s Questions:

1. If you’ve written fanfiction, do people in your real life read it? Would you want them to if they don’t?

Simply because I have anxiety about making a complete fool of myself (and, apparently, a complete inability to not tell him practically everything because I suck at secrets), I often read my fics to my husband. However, I read them to him because I feel the need to not let him read anything even remotely steamy I might write... I skip over anything that hints at anything more than a hug, haha. I’m not sure what this says about our relationship, but oh well! My ship is mine! hahaha

2. Are you usually active in your fandoms? If yes, how long before you join in, if no, why not? (No right or wrong answer, I just think it’s interesting!)

I’ve never been active in a fandom before, I had a Tumblr for a long while before I ever posted anything really and now I kick myself for waiting so long. Like I said before, I get nervous/anxious about new people so it was hard to make the plunge into active participation, but I’m so glad I did! In the end, I just couldn’t handle all the feels Turnadette was giving me all by my lonesome and no one I live near watches CtM.

3. What is your dream fic about your OTP? (no restrictions, it can be anything from a cannon one-shot to a 200,000 word multi chap space alien AU)

I don’t know if I have a dream fic... I’ve loved almost every single one I’ve read, even though in the beginning I really didn’t think I’d like AU stuff. I’m still trying to read through all the Turnadette fic I’ve missed over the last 7 years, but it’s taking a while! But I will say, I’m a sucker for Shimothy and Shulienne as well, and could ALWAYS go for some good Turnadette smut...

I’m not sure that there’s anyone who has not been tagged in these yet, so I’ll just let you tag yourself if you’ve been missed!  :-)

[sincerelybluevase]

My top ten favourite fictional female characters

I was tagged by @swearronchanel​, thank you! These are in random order (also this was really hard). I’ve put it under a cut because it became very long haha.

1 Shelagh Turner from ‘Call the Midwife’

The bae to best all beas. She is cool, calm, collected, and professional, but also adorable and intelligent and kind. I saw the second season of CTM a few weeks before I turned 16, and let me tell you that Shelagh’s storyline hit me like a brick in the face. I’d never understood everybody’s romantic swooning over Twilight. In fact, I’d never cared about romance at all. All of this changed with Turnadette, and I realised it’s not romance I don’t like, it’s badly written romance. Shelagh offers a lot more than mere romance, of couse. I adore how she manages to navigate the rather strict gender roles of the 1late 950′s and early 1960′s yet always remains true to herself.

2 Matilda Wormwood from ‘Matilda’

I read this book when I was about seven years old, meaning that Matilda and I were very close in age (a large part of the book takes place when she is five years old). I think she was one of the first characters I could identify with. I mean, I’ve had a very happy childhood that was nothing like hers and, sadly, I also lack her awesome powers, but I could understand that she often felt misunderstood because she had unusual interests. Like her, I am a bookworm. I also like how incredibly courageous she is; she is absolutely determined to help Miss Honey and does so by devising a brilliant plan that she executes to perfection, all by herself. Basically, Matilda is Hermione Granger before Hermione even existed.

3 ‘I’ from ‘Rebecca’

The ‘I’ in ‘Rebecca’ is such a wonderful character. I mainly like her because she is so relatable; she is very shy and often feels stupid and awkward in situations that involve other people, even when other people don’t get that impression of her at all. She also has a huge imagination, which is what gets her into trouble more than once, but she has some good characteristics, too: she is extremely friendly and tries to make those around her happy. Ultimately, I find her to be quite compelling. 

4 Elphaba from ‘Wicked’

Elphaba is a smart bookworm with a lot of ideas about the world. She also isn’t afraid to stand by these ideas and her own morals, even if this makes her a social outcast and unloved; she simply has to do what she feels is right. She is, therefore, smart and courageous and loyal to herself (I’m starting to see a pattern here…) Also, in the musical at least, she is quite awkward and pretty funny at times, which is always interesting to read about.

5 Miss Honey from ‘Matilda’

As a child, I really identified with Matilda and often hoped for a teacher to come along who was just like Miss Honey. After a recent reread as an adult, I have come to appreciate her character even more. She is the only one in the book to really understand that Matilda is exceptional and does her best to help this little girl by giving her extra material to keep her incredible mind occupied. She also tries to reason with Matilda’s parents and even goes as far as meeting the abusive headmistress to try and improve things for Matilda (which, when you know her backstory, is actually very courageous). She also refuses to be broken by her past (even though she thinks of herself as cowardly and weak, there is enough evidence in the text to show us that she really isn’t). There are quite a lot of parallels between her and Cinderella; both had a past of abuse (similar abuse, even) but still stayed empathetic and compassionate. Also, both get saved in the end by someone else, though Miss Honey partly provides Matilda with the means to do so (and, ultimately, she gets to do some saving on her own+ she did her utmost best to save herself and it wasn’t her fault that she couldn’t accomplish that goal, unlike Cinderella who tried very little). So, in short, Miss Honey is intelligent, sensitive and very kind.

6 Hermione Granger from the ‘Harry Potter’-series

She fits right into the pattern of my other favourite female fictional characters, I’d say: she is smart, kind and courageous. She also has strong morals and isn’t afraid to stand by those. Then there’s the fact that she is incredibly talented witch, saves her friends countless of times, solves riddles that were meant to detain adults when she is just eleven, uses a time-turner without creating paradoxes just to be able to attend more lessons…

7 Anna from Downton Abbey

I know I said that Turnadette made me realise that I do really really like romance, but Anna and Bates from Downton Abbey sure helped soften me up. I love how Anna remains true to her feelings and is steadfast. She’s also kind and remains kind despite the nasty things she goes through and despite not always being surrounded by the kindest of people.

8 Joan Livesey from ‘The Crimson Field’

I watched this series during the hiatus of Call the Midwife (and because Tumblr said it was awesome). Got punched right in the feels! Another romantic couple that has to fight to be together (great romance!). Joan is just the best. She does what she has to do to get information about her fiance, plus she gives no shits about gender roles and gleefully rides a bigass motorbike (and that hair!). She’s also a great nurse. What’s there not to like?

9 Rachel Bailey from ‘Scott and Bailey’

Rachel has her flaws (a great many of them) but she has a good heart. She’s a bit unconventional in her methods, but she is also a great detective and a good friend. 

10 Vanessa Ives from ‘Penny Dreadful’

Vanessa is dark and mysterious and interesting (it doesn’t hurt that Eva Green plays her, I do confess). She has made mistakes in the past, but she does her best to atone for them. She’s brave, charismatic, and intelligent. Plenty to like about her!

I tag (if you guys want to do it) @kienova66, @alice1nwond3rland, @lovetheturners, @like-an-officer-and-a-sergeant @turnt4turnadette!

[mammamias]

TURNADETTE THROUGH THE SEASONS | season two

[h4t08]

After having looked through your blog, I'd say "Call the Midwife" for the TV show ask game. ;)

@captain-sassy-socks You are too sweet!!

Favorite male character: While I love Patrick’s character, Fred is actually my favorite character! He is hilarious but he is also sweet. I love his back story too!

Favorite female character: With Call the Midwife being a female lead and centered show, this is really hard. I would say that my favorite female character is Sister Bernadette/ Shelagh. I love watching her progression throughout the series.

Least favorite character: I hate to say, but my least favorite character is Jenny Lee. I know... the whole series came about because of her books. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I like her character, but out of all of the regular cast members, she’s me least favorite.

Prettiest character: Tied between Trixie (I love her style and her attitude) and Patsy (Emerald Fennell is so pretty).

Funniest character: SISTER MONICA JOAN!!!! She cracks me up in every single episode.

Favorite season: Season 2 is one that I can watch every single episode in one sitting. Plus, we get to see the formation of Turnadette!!

Favorite episode: Season 4, episode 4 is my absolute favorite, followed closely by season 2, episode 5 and season 6, episode 8.

Favorite romantic ship: Turnadette 🙌🏼 all 🙌🏼 the 🙌🏼 way!!! They are my jam!!

Favorite family ship: The Turner family is a given, however the Buckle family is so sweet!! Reggie is absolutely adorable!!

Favorite friendship ship: The friendships on this show are simply amazing!! I feel like they do a great job at showing what a true friendship would look like with it’s ups and downs. My favorite that I look forward to in every episode is Shelagh and Sister Julienne although I do like all of them.

Worst ship: That’s another hard one (mainly because all ships are great), but my least favorite is whenever they try hooking Trixie up with someone. As a viewer, I would rather watch her advance and succeed in her training as a nurse (or as a doctor) as opposed to her trying to find a man. It’s not cool. Let her be happy where ever she wants to be.

That’s it!! This was a lot harder than it looks but it was great to be able to dissect a show and to choose favorites.

[gabolange]

Turnadette Fic Recs Part 2: Married Turners

Welcome to part two of @gabolange and @pellucidthings recommend fanfic in Call the Midwife Turner / Turnadette fandom: Married Turners (Part One: Season 2 is here).

We split this up in this way because pellucid thinks the slow burn is the exciting part, and I just can’t wait to see them together.  Established relationships are my thing.  Oh, so my thing.

This I sort of have to break into categories…

General

The challenge of writing established relationships is well known because it was made famous by the Moonlighting Curse.  The idea that once the leads get together, the story becomes uninteresting is well-socialized and--to this die-hard fan of established relationships--utterly preposterous.  It drives me crazy when a couple gets together on TV only to face the stupidest challenges (I’m looking at you, Castle)...I would much rather see what we have with the Turners, which is a couple for whom the challenges are primarily external, rather than internal.  Happy Turners vs. the World...well, to say that I am Here For This is to understate my affection considerably.

But it is hard to do this well in fic, which is why I think that so much good fic fic lives in series two (and to a certain extent, series three), when the internal challenges are so pronounced.  What exactly do you do when you’re falling in love with a nun, anyway?  What do you do if you’re a nun falling in love with a man?  How does this whole marriage and communication thing work and how do we get better at it?  Many S4+ stories that I don’t like rely on manufactured conflict, and many that I do are slices of life--which I love as a genre but don’t really demonstrate the potential of this wonderful medium of ours.

So the stories that manage to transcend these challenges are few and far between and absolutely excellent.  

The best of the bunch is Mission of Hope, by @my-little-yellowbird (rated PG).  

This story takes a premise from the show--everybody goes to South Africa!--and pushes the setting as the primary external conflict (in ways that ended up being very different and sometimes more successful than the actual show).  What does it mean to operate in an environment of deep racism and poverty while you’re white and relatively privileged?  What the heck do you do with your children in a place like that?  Yellowbird lets these questions create friction between Patrick and Shelagh while never losing sight of the fact that these characters are utterly great together--and so it is not so much the Turners vs. the World as the Turners figure out the world together, even if they don’t always come at things from the same perspective.  The characters are sharp, the setting is well-realized, the conflicts are fascinating...this isn’t a perfect story, but it is an excellent one.

Another established relationship piece that I adore is Cigarettes & Bruises, by alittlebreathlessness / @sincerelyrobink (rated T).   And it is just an absolutely excellent look at the intimate relationship between these characters that relies on their shared experience, deep love, and the sort of mishaps that befall us all.  The conflict is small and quotidian--Patrick falls off a ladder, annoying his wife and disrupting their plans for the day--and in that everyday challenge we get a stellar perspective on who these characters are together when they are alone, with all the intimacy years of marriage brings.  I love portraits like this.

(A story that does something similar and also very well is by @my-little-yellowbird too: His Safety Net, set immediately after 4x05. Rated T).

Family Fic

One of the very best parts of the Turners in S3 and beyond is their relationships with their children, and the way parenting is very much a part of their relationship.  There are actually a great many stories that handle this well, so here are just a couple of my favorites:

Three Kisses, by This Unruly Heart (rated PG). Set in early S3, this story is Shelagh and Patrick through Tim’s eyes as he grows to understand their relationship with each other and with him.  It is gentle and beautifully done.  

The Terror of Squirrel Nutkin by Writergal85 / @superfluousbananas (rated G).  We mostly see Patrick with Tim on the show (for many sensible reasons), but I love this story because it is Patrick and Angela in a great small moment.  Shelagh is working overnight and Patrick reads Angela a bedtime story--which, of course, does not go well because of the squirrels.  It’s a slice of life story that can’t be beat--and it always makes me fall just a little more in love with Patrick Turner.

Wedding Night Fic

Mavournin by Equestrienne Dreams (rated M).  This story may have been the first wedding night story, and it is also the best-- beautifully written, pretty darn hot, and granting a lovely look in on these characters.  Shelagh’s line about knowing what happened between men and women but not knowing why until this moment provides wonderful insight into the character, and I love it.

That being said: I think this story originated a certain perspective on how the Turners’ wedding night would go that fandom hasn’t been able to get away from, though that trope takes different forms with varying levels of success.  Always, Shelagh is the shy, blushing bride who doesn’t know what to do.  Patrick is gentle and patient and willing to wait if she’s not comfortable.  And--you know, I can see it.  It is a version of Shelagh and Patrick that works for me, especially in a story this good.  

But it shouldn’t be the only version, and in almost everything that’s been written since, that’s all we get.  Because here’s the thing--they had to wait an extra three months to get married!  Did they not, in all that time, get to second base on the couch?  Did they not ever talk about this side of their relationship?  This is actually one of the things I love best about Timothy Turner & The Entertainment Badge: that Shelagh and Patrick discuss sex and children and making their bedroom their own.  

Yes, she was a nun and hasn’t done this before.  But she’s also a midwife and a nurse and has never been an innocent, and the tropes that run through all the wedding night stories seem incomplete at best.  So, read the stories out there and love them--I do. But also consider pellucid’s recent comment to me (and this is a direct quote): “She left the convent BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO SLEEP WITH HIM. I mean, other stuff, too. But that was pretty high on the list.”

(FWIW, I think the story that subverts the tropes most successfully though not completely is This Unruly Heart’s The Honeyed Moon, which is sexy and lovely and strikes a wonderful balance between Shelagh’s inexperience and her desire.  Rated M+)

Smut

I can’t quite talk about wedding night stories without looking at the few stories that look at sex with the Turners after they get married.  The person who writes these stories most consistently well is @kienova66 --she’s written the best bri-nylon nightie story (Dela, sondela mama sondela ), the only beachwear story (Surf-Side), and the story that asks, well, what if tent hadn’t fallen down in 5x06 (A Tent Situation). (All rated E)

These stories have various strengths and weaknesses, but I love them because they give me the Turners, happy together, enjoying each other.  Snapshots where this couple we love gets to be in love and totally into each other...yeah, those are basically my favorite thing ever.

I will give you one more of those--so you will have to forgive me for recommending something I wrote, which is uncouth at best.  The World Itself (Rated M+) is the Turners the morning before 6x03. And because it really is weird to recommend your own stuff--even if you like it--I will turn this over to pellucid for a guest rec:

pellucid here! I really adore this window into Patrick and Shelagh’s marriage. These are two people who are ridiculously in love with each other, and they keep growing together as partners, which is, broadly speaking, one of the things I love about the portrayal of their marriage in the show. As much as I looooooove the season 2 unresolved sexual tension and the slow burn falling in love, how fantastic is it that that’s truly just the beginning of their story? And after some beautifully realistic fits and starts, they just keep getting better at all of this, and I can only assume that also means they just keep getting better in bed. This fic is about that couple: comfortable with each other, crazy about each other, navigating this unexpected new pregnancy thing (which has some pleasant side effects, it turns out). Of course this is what put that particular smile on both of their faces in the adorable scene as 6x03 started! And did I mention it’s really hot?!?