Mercy Street on PBS Cancelled After Season 2

Annoyed. Agitated. Disappointed. I feel all this and more at the recent news that Mercy Street--PBS’ Civil War-era medical drama--has been cancelled after just two seasons. In this world of reality television, Mercy Street was a breathe of fresh air: drama, romance, and an exploration into a tumultuous time in our country's history. Giving both equal time to those inside and outside of Mansion House Hospital, this period drama captivated me from the start.

Josh Radnor as Dr. Jedediah Foster and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Mary Phinney were just two of the outstanding actors that made the show worth watching. Mercy Street's strength resided in its character development: both in one-episode characters and recurring.

While Season 2 ended powerfully with the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation and the promise of better things to come, there are so many stories left unwritten. Will Emma Green and Chaplain Hopkins be able to get beyond what happened at the creek? How will the death of her only living son impact Hospital Matron Brannan? Will Silas Bullen continue on the straight and narrow? Can James Green Jr. ever meet up to his family's expectations?

There is a #SaveMercyStreet campaign and a petition to sign. As of right now, I am adding Mercy Street to my list of reasons I hate getting caught up in shows only to see them cancelled. This list includes: Dawson's Creek, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Cedar Cove.

Mailbox Monday - Feb 22

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

How is it possible that February is coming to a close? Not much in the way of snow this year. We had a couple of snow days this month, but it's been a non-eventful winter overall.

The children were on vacation this past week, so I took some time off from real estate to spend with them. We didn't go far, but at least we were together.

As far as books goes, it was slow around here. I am thankful for that, as I am just beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel for books I promised to read and review.

The following book I pre-ordered from Amazon because I'm totally hooked on the PBS series, Mercy Street. This is my favorite time period to read about and I've actually taken a college course that studied the American Civil War. The show is a bit gory for my tastes, but I never miss it.

The true stories of the real nurses on the PBS show Mercy Street

The nurses of the Civil War ushered in a new era for medicine in the midst of tremendous hardship. While the country was at war, these women not only learned to advocate and care for patients in hostile settings, saved countless lives, and changed the profession forever, they regularly fell ill with no one to nurse them in return, seethed in anger at the indifference and inefficiency that left wounded men on the battlefield without care, and all too often mourned for those they could not rescue.

Heroines of Mercy Street tells the true stories of the nurses at Mansion House, the Alexandria, Virginia, hotel turned wartime hospital and setting for the PBS show Mercy Street. Women like Dorothea Dix, Mary Phinney, Anne Reading, and more rushed to be of service to their country during the war, meeting challenges that would discourage less determined souls every step of the way. They saw casualties on a scale Americans had never seen before; diseases like typhoid and dysentery were rampant; and working conditions-both physically and emotionally--were abysmal.

Drawing on the diaries, letters, and books written by these nursing pioneers, Pamela D. Toler, PhD, has written a fascinating portrait of true heroines, shining a light on their personal contributions during one of our country's most turbulent periods.

What do you receive last week?

Mercy Street on PBS

I have found myself totally captivated by Mercy Street on PBS. Based on real events, this six-part series follows the lives of nurse volunteers on opposite sides of the Civil War conflict. This medical drama is set at the Mansion House Hospital in Union-occupied Alexandria, Virginia.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Mary Phinney, a New England widow who is sent by Dorothea Dix to be the Head Nurse at Mansion House. Her arrival upsets Nurse Anne Hastings (Tara Summers) who worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War and has much more field experience than Phinney. To suddenly find herself reporting to this newcomer does not sit well. It also doesn't sit well with Dr. Byron Hale (Norbert Leo Butz), an egotistical yet insecure Army surgeon who is intimidated by civilian contract surgeon, Dr. Jedediah Foster (Josh Radnor), with whom Phinney seems to get along well.

Emma Green, played by newcomer Hannah James, is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Alexandria. That changes with the war. She finds her family's luxurious hotel turned into a hospital and the family business and home occupied by the Union Army.

Appalled by the treatment of Confederate soldiers at Mansion House, Emma becomes a volunteer and rallies strongly for their needs to be met. She and Phinney are at odds, but they seem to admire each other for their desire to help people.

Samuel Diggs (McKinley Belcher) is a free laborer employed by Dr. Summers. Since he's lived with a doctor he's picked up some medical knowledge and ability that is unknown to most of the residents of Mansion House. He cares for Aurelia Johnson (Shalita Grant), who is a contraband working as a laundress at the hospital. Aurelia is eager to keep him at arm's length, as her mind is on someone else important to her.

This exciting cast of fictional and historical characters draws you into their world and the conflict that divided a nation. Through triumphs and tragedies these people deliver day in and day out; they give when they don't seem to have anything left to give.

With a 21st century lens we can see how wrong slavery is; but in the 1860s this was a way of life for Southerners, who saw Yankees as interfering where they didn't belong. The issues Mercy Street depicts are many--some that plague us til this day. It also deals with the difficulty of so many diverse personalities living and working together under one roof.

One thing I believe is true for most of the characters is that they are stumbling around trying to figure out where they belong. What happens to Emma and her younger sister Alice will change them forever--just like it did in real life. Mary Phinney has lost a husband and now finds purpose as a nurse at Mansion House, but most men don't want her there--especially the Chief Surgeon.

My one and only complaint about this excellent series is that it is so gory. Mercy Street captures the horrors of war and all the blood and gore that goes with it. If they would have curbed that back, it would be perfect.

I look forward to the final two episodes. If you have Amazon Prime you can watch the past episodes for free. The show is also available on DVD.