Call the Midwife viewers left 'heartbroken' by Matthew's farewell

What did you miss?

This series of Call the Midwife has seen financial troubles inject turmoil into the relationship between Trixie (Helen George) and Matthew (Olly Rix). With heavy rumours suggesting Rix is due to leave the show, fans have been braced for Matthew's storyline to end in tragedy.

This week, there was another twist in the tale. Matthew apparently got himself a lifeline for his money problems in the shape of a property deal in New York City. However, Trixie was unsure whether to go with him.

Who, what and why?

In this episode, Matthew learned that New York warehouses he had purchased from his friend Chester were potentially soaring in value. He proudly told Trixie that he was heading out to America for several months, with a view to making the move permanent. Trixie, though, was not as enthusiastic.

"You're failing to trust me to listen and to try to help you," she said. "And you're failing to think that I might want a choice."

Later in the episode, Matthew told Trixie that "I need to do this", to which Trixie replied: "I know you do, but I need time. And there'll be an ocean between us."

At the conclusion of the episode, they both apologised to each other and, even when Matthew begged her a final time, she decided to stay. They declared their love for each other as he left, leaving viewers in tears.

Matthew's financial woes and the strain this has put on his marriage have been a divisive storyline throughout this series of Call the Midwife, with fans criticising the story as "out of character" for Matthew. They are now pondering whether Rix will appear again in the series finale or whether this is the final part of his story.

Viewers also saw Trixie begin to take sleeping pills to help her with insomnia. Given Trixie's history of alcoholism, this could spell even more trouble for the character as her life gets thrown even further away from her previously happy marriage.

What else happened on Call the Midwife?

Elsewhere, it was a harrowing episode of Call the Midwife, focusing on a young woman who had fallen pregnant despite being deemed too "innocent" to have had sex. It was later revealed that she had been the victim of sexual abuse by her stepfather, who had passed on syphilis to her and the baby.

Next week, the 13th series of Call the Midwife comes to an end, which means the fate of Matthew and Trixie will finally be revealed, along with the future of Nonnatus House.

Call the Midwife concludes on Sunday 3 March at 8pm on BBC One.

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