As the fifth episode of Maternal begins, Catherine (Lara Pulver) rushes outside to talk to Professor Thomas about the consultant interviews. He complains about her being late while it seems Jack’s interview was much better. When Catherine gets into her car, Lars calls to say the flight is on time. When Helen (Lisa McGrillis) gets up in the morning, she throws away several empty alcohol bottles. Guy (Oliver Chris) enters with the girls after returning from grandma’s house later. She asks him for a quick chat. Dr. Maryam Afridi (Parminder Nagra) goes to the mosque. Raz (Abhin Galeya) asks if she has slept.

She accuses him of trying to go in to fix her. They argue about Maryam’s decision to go to work. Raz believes she is punishing herself for what happened to Edward. He wants an answer about the baby. Maryam gets upset and walks away without giving him an answer though. Helen confronts Guy about his drinking. She knows that his mother can’t drink because she is on warfarin. Helen argues that he wasn’t fit to be on call. She pleads with him to talk to her because he needs help. Guy breaks a glass before denying that he needs help. Catherine meets Lars and Elis at the airport. She is confident she is going to smash it tomorrow.

Elis ends up keeping her awake throughout the night. Dr. Susan Fisher (Julie Graham) gives Maryam the pager for the labor ward, but Maryam says she can’t do this tonight. Susan says the only other option is Mae (Naomi Yang) and she suspects it is too much responsibility for her. When Helen tells Jack about Guy, she is urged to tell someone because he is putting people at risk. Helen is worried they won’t be able to pay the mortgage if her husband gets suspended. She isn’t sure what to do. Catherine struggles to get Elis to go to sleep. She calls Maryam and tells her about Elis’s temperature. Maryam reminds her it is RSV, but invites her to bring the baby in.

After the call, Maryam and Simon check on Layla who yells for the staff to stop touching her. Simon says his management plan is to let NICU know to expect a premmie with prenatal drug use and suspected NAS. Maryam mentions that they should start antibiotics as well. Once the baby is delivered, Simon tries oxygen. As they continue to work, Layla yells at Maryam to tell her she will never forgive her. As Maryam leaves the room, he tells Simon to get the NAS scores. He asks if he should go with her now or wait 72 hours, but Maryam walks off without saying. He follows her to get answers. She rushes into the bathroom and panics.

Simon follows her and finds her on the ground in the stall. Laura (Yazzmin Newell) calls Catherine to say she has squeezed in an appendicectomy at nine. Catherine reminds her that she requested the day off as a holiday. She soon finds that she didn’t send the request, but she can’t work because she has the interview today. Laura tells her she’ll be done by three so she should still be able to make the interview. Catherine ends up having to take Elis with her because the baby has a temperature. She hands Elis to Laura while trying to call her mom on the phone. Helen talks to Callum (Tareq Al-Jeddal) about going to the funeral place. He suggests burning her.

He also wants to contact their father although Helen doesn’t want him there and Debbie wouldn’t have either. Helen insists Debbie was like that because of the way their dad was. Catherine checks on Jessica who is supposed to get married in 60 hours. Jessica learns the surgery will be expensive and she’ll have a small scar. Catherine tells her she’ll get her out of there tomorrow with painkillers. Maryam lies in bed and thinks about Simon checking on her in the bathroom. She pleaded with him not to say anything to anyone. She receives a letter about the investigation and sees Catherine’s name on it.

When she tries to call Catherine, she only gets her voicemail. Catherine tries to call her mom before Laura gives Elis back to her. She tells Catherine good luck because it’d be nice to have more women in charge. Elis throws up all over Catherine who frantically rushes to clean up the mess. Jack tells Guy that he just had his interview for the consultant position. He says he is sorry for his loss, but Guy doesn’t know what he is talking about. Catherine asks Laura to take the baby until her mom arrives. Maryam asks Catherine why she’d do something so stupid and join the panel. Catherine says she is just trying to help although she doesn’t think she has anything to worry about.

Maryam says she just needs this to stop. As Catherine comforts her, Professor Thomas calls her name. Maryam asks her to take her name off the panel, but Catherine says it is too late. Helen decides to report that her consultant has been drinking on call. A panicked Maryam runs out of the hospital and nearly gets hit by an ambulance. During Catherine’s interview, she hears a baby crying. As she continues, she admits her academics and career haven’t left much room for distractions or hobbies. Then, the conversation turns to the baby she delivered after a gall bladder removal.

Professor Thomas asks if the procedure actuated labor. Catherine isn’t sure, but the baby was fine when she handed it over to the obstetrician. Thomas suggests it was to the pediatrician. Since that wasn’t a complication, Catherine tells them about a VTE in a 40-year-old male. Once the interview ends, Catherine walks into the hallway and sees her mom with the baby. Guy tells Louise (Elizabeth Dulau) that he has been suspended. She questions whether it was their relationship and if Helen found out. Guy says he told Helen almost immediately because it was the biggest mistake of his life. Catherine checks on Jessica. She overhears her telling someone how amazing she was.

Helen reads to her child at home as Guy leaves the hospital. Maryam calls to ask about baby Kalpar only for Simon to tell her that she is scoring fives and sixes. He insists he isn’t going to say anything about last night, but he thinks she needs to. Catherine’s mom helps her deal with a sick Elis. Guy comes home to argue with Helen who is waiting for him. She tells him about her sister dying. He asks how Jack knows. Helen tells him that she slept with Jack and he now knows how it feels. Maryam hears an alarm. She catches up with Simon who says a 5-week-old came in 30 minutes ago in respiratory distress.

He is told to put out a RESUS call even though Maryam is there. Maryam continues zoning out until she leaves the room. Simon pulls the alarm. Maryam rushes over to Susan to ask her to do it since she cannot. They go back. Simon and Susan help the baby while Maryam watches. In private, Maryam tells Susan that she knew what to do and what the baby needs, but her body wouldn’t let her do it. She believes her body is telling her she won’t survive if she treats another child and it dies. Susan learns about the panic attacks. Maryam tells her how she felt when they got Sami and Xavi was born.

Maryam pleads with Susan not to sign her off until the investigation concludes. Jack calls Catherine to tell her he just got an offer. After the call, she questions what she is going to do now. Helen rushes to get the kids out of the house while Guy sits angrily nearby. Catherine gets flowers for Laura to thank her for taking care of Elis. She also asks Jack to give her a rota sneak preview. He asks her to check in with Helen. Maryam gets a call from Clare who is with the adoption team at social services. They have an update on Sami’s sister. She was born very prematurely the night before last and is currently in the neonatal intensive care unit at City General. They are going to need to know what she wants to do.

Helen apologizes to Guy for telling him about Debbie and Jack like that. She thinks he needs to talk to someone about how he got there. When she pleads with him to take the help, he says he is done. Raz tells Maryam that Clare just called again. She asks him to just let her get through today. He offers to come with her, but she says she’ll be fine. Helen takes the kids out again. Maggie pleads with her to go back home and get her swimming kit. Helen says she’ll drop it off at reception before leaving. She tries to call Guy but he doesn’t answer. She goes home and finds a letter with her name on it.

Helen rushes upstairs and finds Guy passed out on the bed. It looks like he has been taking pills. She calls for help and tries to resuscitate Guy.

 

Maternal Review

The fifth episode of Maternal did a good job of setting up several interesting storylines for the finale including the overdose of Guy. Maryam was finally forced to come clean about her panic attacks and now waits for the conclusion of the investigation. Although it may depend on viewer preference, the soundtrack isn’t to my liking and doesn’t really suit the mood most of the time.

The episode was watchable and mostly enjoyable, but there is no emotional attachment to the characters. It may have been the decision to juggle three characters with several problems of their own at once, but the emotional connection isn’t there for me personally. Most of the characters are likable and their storylines are compelling though.

The show is at its best when it is focusing on the patients and the doctors trying to help them since the personal dramas have been covered in so many other shows. The performances from the three lead actresses are topnotch though. The episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Maternal are available on Reel Mockery here.

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