Call the Midwife season 13's Trixie and Matthew Aylward are heading for choppy waters as the period drama continues.
The caring midwife and the dashing businessman tied the knot at the end of Call the Midwife season 12 and life seemed blissful for the newlyweds. But in recent weeks, trouble has been brewing as Trixie (Helen George) has been torn between her work and her home life, while Matthew (Olly Rix) has been struggling to run Aylward Estates, the property company he inherited from his late father. Now, as the extent of Matthew’s secret financial difficulties is emerging, what will the future hold?
Here, Helen George and Olly Rix reveal what to expect as Call the Midwife’s best-loved couple face a crisis …
Call the Midwife loves to throw a curveball into the mix! Were you shocked when you learnt that the Aylwards would have money troubles?
Helen George: “It was a complete surprise. Because of the time period, Matthew feels the pressure and the need to take fiscal responsibility without including her. But Trixie wants to be involved in the decisions and has a modern outlook on a relationship so that's hard for her.”
Olly Rix: “He enjoys giving things to her as well, because he’s a man of that time, and it's punishing for him to not be able to do that. I’m fond of Matthew, he’s a good man. He's always dealing with something heavy, it's not an easy ride! And now there are major complications. They’ve had this fairytale wedding, but now comes the total frustration and ruination of that fairytale.”
Will this show a new side to Trixie?
Helen George: “Trixie enjoys the title of Lady Aylward and at first glance, she’s all about dresses, fun, frivolity and money. But that's a misconception and this now unearths the truth behind their relationship. Matthew maybe thinks that [the money] is what she's in love with, and not him. Trixie sets about proving that to be a myth. It’s wonderful to discover her true love for him. But he can’t hear it. There are some cracking scenes about how they can carry on in their relationship – or can't…”
Can they work things out?
Olly Rix: “There’s miscommunication and misunderstanding. If you were watching somebody's marriage doing this, you'd be saying, ‘Talk it through, you can save it.’ But no matter how often they’re trying to get things together, they keep missing each other. They're both sympathetic, there's no villain, but they just diverge. Every well-meaning attempt they make somehow makes it worse…”
What has it been like to shoot this storyline?
Olly Rix: “It's heartbreaking, moving and emotionally exhausting to film. The walls felt like they were closing in. It was tough to get through. Everybody was wiped out by the end of each filming day. I don’t think it'll be fun to watch but it will be affecting if we’ve done it to the standard I think we have.”
Helen George: “Yes, we needed air by the end of it! The scenes were hard to work on and they feel different because they almost could be modern – the marital relationship is pretty much the same, whether it’s 50 years ago or today. It’s like a kitchen sink drama and so visceral.”
Finally, there have been lighter moments this year for the Aylwards, particularly when Matthew tried to teach Trixie to drive. Was that fun to film?
Helen George: “Yes! Luckily, the car is an automatic, but I only passed my test in real life a couple of years ago, after I had my second baby [Lark], and I haven't really driven since, so the car is sometimes towed for those scenes. They don't quite trust me with a 1960s vehicle!”
Call the Midwife continues on Sunday, February 11 on BBC One at 9pm and will air in the US from Sunday March 17 on PBS Masterpiece.
