Call the Midwife season 12 spoilers also follow.
Poor Lucille (Leonie Elliott) had a brutal start to season 12 of Call the Midwife. Nonnatus' once spritely district nurse was hit with depression so severe that it sparked a shock early exit. Episode two saw Lucille in the thick of her struggle with mental illness. Enoch Powell's opposition to immigrants stoked nationwide discontent, making the Jamaican-born nurse feel unwelcome in Poplar. But those weren't the only troubles plaguing Lucille.
Her tragic miscarriage and struggles to conceive were compounded by her homesickness pushing her to the edge. Lucille began to grapple with suicidal thoughts as she tottered at the curb of a busy road. The overwhelming grief was enough to compel her to finally accept the help she needs to get better and after being signed off from work, her devoted, loving husband Cyril (Zephryn Taitte) surprised her with an open ticket to Jamaica.
This news went a long way to lifting Lucille's spirits. She had been aching to see her family, most notably her sister, whose recent pregnancy news was bittersweet. However, despite Lucille's joy, fans were gutted to see the beloved character go and were desperate for this not to be the end of her story arc. "Please make Lucille happy again, Call the Midwife. Don't let them leave. I think she is lovely," one viewer wrote.
Following episode two, Leonie took to Twitter to reflect on her character's season 12 journey. "This season was incredibly difficult to film. Thank you for all your kind words. It's my hope for people watching that if they can see good in her, maybe they can extend that to people in real life," she wrote.
"I care about her deeply. Many share her story of miscarriage and depression, and many share her experience of abuse, racial or otherwise. "Many of us face mental health challenges, I hope we can continue to love one another, support and listen to each other. Look after yourselves and each other." Hmmm, this sounds a little like a touching goodbye. Suspicions were raised further when we, like Cyril, were dealt a pretty massive blow in episode five. During the episode, Cyril learnt that Lucille would not be returning to Poplar any time soon.
His phone call to Jamaica revealed that Lucille had taken a job at the town hospital to initially pay her way at her parents' home. However, she had since taken a six-month contract on a maternity ward. This devastating news was further exacerbated after Cyril's brief round trip to see Lucille. Eager to reconnect with his wife, Cyril hopped on a plane to Jamaica. Many had hoped that seeing her husband would have been enough to remind Lucille of some of the cherished things Poplar has to offer, but sadly this was not the case for her.
In the following episode, when Cyril returned, he did so alone and crestfallen, we might add. We get you, Cyril. We feel it too.
When Violet asked how Lucille was, he bravely replied: "Lucille is still in Jamaica. She's fine, she's taken to her new job and it's doing her good to be with her family. She sends her love."
Cyril added: "I have a good job here and some good friends. This is my home."
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