Acts of rebellion are all around

It’s not all acts of civil obedience for the good people of the Scotland, though. In the midst of the wild, rugged terrain, we see a red-headed girl, Effie, staging a very Hebridean teenage rebellion. In other words, storming out of singing practice and lighting up a cigarette instead. Later on, she’s scolded by a pregnant motherly relative, who warns that if she plays up again, the minister could be paying a visit to the house! “The psalms make my head ache,” Effie offers by way of an explanation for her behaviour, which seems like a sound defence to us.

Meanwhile, back home in Poplar, Sister Monica Joan is hatching a plan of her own. With a picture of harmless naivety playing upon her face, she goes to visit Sister Hilda and asks her if she thinks her “mental faculties are diminished” because of her age. Understandably, Sister Hilda cannot hurt Sister Monica Joan’s feelings, because that would a) confirm that she was left out from the grand excursion because of her frailty and frequent state of confusion and b) be tantamount to kicking a puppy. She reassures her, saying that she thinks she is of completely sound mind.

Now that she’s extracted that declaration from Sister Hilda, Sister Monica Joan guilt trips her one step further, explaining that senior Sisters’ used to be allowed to draw from the petty cash for assistance, although Mother Mildred has since forbidden it. Mother Mildred isn’t around though to put her foot down, and with a look of hurt still on Sister Monica Joan’s face, Sister Hilda emphatically tells her that she too is permitted to draw some funds from the petty cash for her personal use.

With a glint in her eye, Sister Monica Joan sneaks out of Nonnatus House with her suitcase, leaving a letter behind on the doormat for the nuns to find. Needless to say, Sister Hilda is pretty angry when she discovers Sister Monica Joan has tricked her, and announces her intention to call the police to track her down. Sister Monica Joan doesn’t care though - she’s off in pursuit of finding a hallowed white stag in the Hebrides!

Call the Midwife Christmas special 2019 recap: everything we learnt from the magical Scottish adventure