Why Call the Midwife’s Sister Monica Joan’s exit feels inevitable – and now makes sense for the show

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Call the Midwife spoilers follow.

Dear Heidi Thomas, creator of Call the Midwife, we, as dedicated fans, are requesting a weekly support group after each episode. Honestly, if you watch the show regularly, Sundays have likely become a time for tears! The most recent episode of season 15 was especially emotional.

Fans were deeply worried this week when Sister Monica Joan’s health took a turn for the worse on the show. The episode made us consider what Call the Midwife would even be like without her, which is a truly difficult thought to accept.

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Sister Julienne is the strong foundation of Nonnatus House, but Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) truly brings it to life. That’s likely why viewers like us haven’t noticed the hints about her declining health – they’ve been present since the beginning of the season, but we’ve overlooked them, charmed by her spirited, loving personality.

As we’ve seen before, the show has hinted at this character leaving multiple times – both in previous seasons and during last year’s Christmas special. This character’s health has been consistently unstable throughout the series.

After leading viewers to believe she might leave, the character, who admitted to feeling completely exhausted, surprisingly showed up at Trixie and Matthew’s wedding in the season finale.

Her character has been doing well, but rumors of her leaving have persisted. Although her recent appearances have been strong and meaningful, the very latest episodes have left fans of the character most concerned about her future.

Beyond simply declining a strawberry scone, Sister Julienne’s worried discussion with Dr. Turner about a colleague’s possible kidney failure was truly alarming.

Sister Julienne, clearly upset, remarked that this outcome was inevitable. Dr. Turner, with a heavy heart, agreed, comparing the feeling of it happening to the profound sense of loss when the ravens leave the Tower of London – like the end of everything familiar.

Losing this character would be devastating for fans, as she’s been a central part of the show for so long. However, if Sister Joan were to leave Call the Midwife, now would be the most logical time, considering where the story is in its overall arc.

Okay, so I just heard that the new Call the Midwife prequel is going to focus on the stories of Sister Monica Joan, Sister Julienne, and Sister Evangelina – you know, the characters Pam Ferris played. Apparently, it’s going to take us way back in time! And get this – it’s actually replacing this year’s Christmas special. That means the season 15 finale is going to be huge – I’m expecting a lot of drama and cliffhangers before the prequel drops!

With the new spin-off series planned, it’s likely Sister Monica Joan will leave in the season finale, opening up possibilities for her story to continue elsewhere within the Call the Midwife world. This would allow the character to remain part of the franchise, just in a different capacity.

This is just a guess, considering the way the story is unfolding. However, it seems likely that Sister Monica Joan will say goodbye – at least on the regular show – as things progress.

One thing’s clear: we’re not finished yet. If we’re going to keep going, we’ll need Thomas to get that support group started.

Call the Midwife airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.

Read more Call the Midwife news on our dedicated homepage

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2026-02-09 00:19