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Designated Survivor: Pilot (2016)
A bit thin
The premise of the whole show is a bit thin on the reality aspect. It seems outrageous to me that a building as complex as Capitol Hill could be as devastatingly obliterated as they had it. I'm no engineer but I guess one would need to put a charge on a whole lot of foundation columns to bring the entire building down like that. Even a half-blind security guard could see that much explosives coming inside what's supposed to be one of the most secure buildings in the country. But, of course, there won't be a tv show without suspending reality just a little bit.
Sutherland's acting hasn't convinced me yet that he is this out-of-his-depths underdog whose genuine heart always saves the day. For me Jack Bauer is in there somewhere trying to wake up this torture-induced dream so he can escape the Russian imprisonment he was politically traded for.
I will continue watching this though because I obviously still have a 24 hangover. I keep yelling at Sutherland, 'What are you doing in a suit inside an office when you should be on the ground hunting down these terrorists?' And after he told the Iranian ambassador, "Three hours, Mr. Ambassador," I totally expected the screen to split and hear the 24-clock start pounding the countdown.
Doc Martin: Dry Your Tears (2011)
Family Resemblance
Today we see Portwenn say goodbye to Joan. Ruth arrives and like Martin, she's curt and dismissive. When she speaks to Louisa, Ruth is so properly English or Englishly proper. She reminded me of Agatha Christie characters who almost certainly ended up dead. It's a bit puzzling to me though because all this time I thought Joan and Martin's father were the only siblings now comes a previously unrevealed sibling. Apparently, she's the oft forgotten middle child.
I never saw the resemblance between Martin's clinical and brusque personality and Joan's warmth and kindness. Martin's father is a charming ladies' man. Although his mother was totally indifferent she wasn't abrupt and rude like Martin. She could cut up his heart into a million pieces with hurtful words but she delivered it ever so mildly like she was talking about quilting or whatever it is elderly women do. But Ruth -- now there's the family resemblance. She's sharp and cutting to everyone in Portwenn and showed no signs of humanity until Martin tells her she's not dying from lupus but from a curable dehydrating syndrome. Here she hugs Martin and he doesn't resist. Another similarity between Martin and Ruth was that Joan had been wanting them both to leave London and stay in Portwenn, which seems now she succeeded albeit from beyond the grave.
Martin was miffed because the undertakers were late. After insisting to be one of the pallbearers, the younger undertaker drops his end almost causing the coffin to tip over on the mourners in the church. While Martin delivered his eulogy, which sounded like a medical lecture on heart attacks and obesity, his baby was antsy and so Louisa had to take him outside. Then Penhale's phone radio and phone went off. So it's a typical Portwenn event catered by Large.
Because of Joan's death, Martin had to stay in Portwenn two more weeks to settle her affairs but Imperial Hospital couldn't get a replacement for just two weeks. The shortest stint they could book was for two months. And so the Doc has to stay for another couple of months.
In the meantime, Pauline wasn't even in Portwenn any more. Al and Burt were talking about her not being given time off by her new boss to attend Joan's funeral. So Louisa pinch hits as practice receptionist. We meet Morwenna again as the chemist's assistant but she was fired so she ended up at the surgery asking to babysit Louisa's baby. But Louisa had a better idea -- hire Morwenna as the Doc's receptionist.
I'm surprised why they had to go through having Morwenna jump from one job to another -- the baker, the chemist, etc - when the Doc could've just ask Louisa about her, she was Pauline's replacement after all when Pauline studied to be a phlebotomist. It's as though the Doc and Louisa were meeting Morwenna for the first time and vice versa. I guess the continuity editor is has been replaced too.
Doc Martin: The Wrong Goodbye (2009)
It's in the blood
For four seasons we had the pleasure of watching Doc Martin navigate the satirical social situations of Portwenn all because this top surgeon suddenly developed a "thing" for blood. That became the operative focus point for the first three seasons until the doc's old fling showed up and shook things around. "I helped you get over your blood thing. I can help you beat this too" -- meaning his supposed fear of intimacy. She did overbearingly help him get over his hemophobia for a couple of episodes lulling us all (the Doc included) into believing that he'll be on his way back to surgical theater in London. For all her overbearing ways, Dr. Montgomery got her tell off when the Doc said, "I just didn't want to be with you."
On his last day of treating patients, Pauline suddenly got all efficient, performing triage and good practice management sense. The parade of patients ensued. There was woman who wanted her prescription filled even though she wasn't taking the meds, then the taxi driver with incessant headaches, a woman with infection on her hands which she got from her husband's best friend, a man using a cricket ball to support his hernia, and the mover with a ganglion the Doc got rid by striking it with book.
It took four years but socially inept Doc was finally getting a clue by giving Louisa something for their baby. Of course it was a clinical breakdown of projected expenditure and postdated checks but for me it's what that represented: he cared about her and their baby that he's taking care of them his way -- financially.
Things took the Portwenn turn when Louisa's co-teacher started showing signs of dizziness and headaches much like the taxi driver patient. It turned out that they were a married couple who used recycled cooking oil to fuel their taxi. Unknowingly they were inhaling the methanol by-product of burning cooking oil making them both sick and possibly dying.
The Doc was on his way out of Portwenn for good when he saw the teacher pass out in front of the festival goers. He gave her an alcohol drip and had Pauline call an ambulance. Joan told him that Louisa might have taken the husband's methanol cab on her way to hospital. Sure enough, Louisa was on the ill-fated cab. When the Doc got to them, the cab had already hit the rocks and the cabbie was unconscious. Once again, the Doc turned to Pauline to find out where the nearest pub was and to call an ambulance. The Doc unknowingly kept the phone connection on so the rest of Portwenn heard what was going on all the way to the birth of the Doc and Louisa's son. Then the Doc rushes out to throw up because their baby was all bloody.
The Doc was emotional held his son in his arms and -- as he always does when uncomfortable -- he launches into his encyclopedic spiel saying that the baby's head was deformed because of the pressure of the birth canal. I hope Louisa finally got this -- that the Doc was only reverting to his comfort zone when confronted by happy feelings to detach himself from his discomfort but not from her and now their son.
I guess we can conclude that the hemophobia is back and London is out. I can't wait for the next season.
Doc Martin: Driving Mr McLynn (2009)
The One Where No One Wanted to Get Treated
This is a good example of frustration comedy. The Doc kept getting patients who didn't want to get treated. First was Louisa, of course. Aunt Joan called the Doc because she saw Louisa winded after moving furniture in her new home. Then the McLynns who wanted him to sign for their PWD parking application but did not want to be evaluated. After that was the school secretary who was so obviously ill but insisted it was only hay fever. Lastly, it was the Doc himself who frustrated Edith for not confronting his hemophobia head on. In the end everything resolved itself. Louisa got to have her cake and eat it too. The McLynns were given the right diagnosis so they were on their way to getting proper treatment. Hay fever lady got antibiotics. And the Doc finally agreed to see a therapist.
Edith smirked at Louisa at the end perhaps thinking she won this round. She thinks she's a step closer to getting the Doc back to London, back to surgery, and them back together as a power couple all because the Doc agreed to see a therapist.
I know the back and forth bickering between the Doc and Louisa in the past was the customary vehicle used to push the romantic angle. If this was a Hollywood flick, some extra would be saying, "Get a room." But this time, their repartee rubbed me the wrong way. I can't believe the Doc would be so narrow-minded to think that women can't raise children and have a job at the same time. I know it's supposed to be his "concern" for Louisa and his child but he just came off backward and misogynistic. Then there were the "fat" and "obese" bombs from Al and Pauline. I'm not really hardcore politically correct but putting those together just got my goat.
Doc Martin: Perish Together as Fools (2009)
You had it in you all this time
PC Penhale's older brother, Sam, is in town. From the get-go it's obvious that Port Wenn's lone police officer idolizes his brother thinking Sam's the hero while he's the zero. Then the Doc started noticing Sam has symptoms of a neurologic condition that could be genetic, PC Penhale went into a hypochondric overdrive.
Speaking of hypochondria, Mr. Routledge had been pestering the Doc with boy-who-cried-wolf medical complaints to get him to be referred to a nursing home. Louisa gets involved and it looks like Mr. Routledge will get his wish after all.
Louisa is also getting paranoid about her pregnancy, first believing the baby has not moved, and then, prompted by Dr. Montgomery's "findings" thinking that there's something wrong with the baby because it was small for its age. On both incidents the Doc reassures her that their baby was progressing along normally.
Last among the paranoids, because of Burt's meddling, Al thinks Pauline is breaking up with him because he was clingy, boring, unromantic and he follows her around like a lamb.
The moral of the episode, each one of them had it in themselves all this time but they were too busy looking outside for validation. PC Penhale proved to be the better person than his crook of a brother. Al had more "nice bits" that Pauline loves than the little irritating quirks she complains about. Louisa had Martin's assurance that their baby was healthy all along.
On a side note, I think Dr. Montgomery is steadily making herself a third party in the Louisa-Martin romance. She's actively pursuing the Doc and coming down hard on Louisa. But Louisa has an edge - the Doc is definitely falling in love with their baby.
Doc Martin: The Holly Bears a Prickle (2007)
Louisa on the Cobb
The Doc and Louisa finally went on an uninterrupted date. Inspired by the Doc's romantic gesture of holding her hand, Louisa drew him into the trees and they shared a kiss. True to form, the Doc went on his usual encyclopedic spiel about her perfume and how it's smells urine-like albeit only slightly. At the end of the date, Louisa told him that their relationship wasn't going anywhere and so she's giving up on them. I think she means that just when they get serious, the Doc downplays the moment with some awful trivia. However, I think the Doc, believing he is socially inept, covers up his discomfort by spitting out intellectual mambo-jumbo as much Friends' Chandler makes jokes when his uncomfortable.
I was surprised that the Doc was so heartbroken that he didn't sleep and then spent the next day pining for Louisa. He even did his version of ding-dong-ditch. As he watched Louisa and her college friend, Holly walk along the pier, I was reminded of Louisa Musgrove from Austen's Persuasion. And a fall did happen but it was Holly not Louisa who fell from the steps. To parallel the famous novel, the protagonists had to work closely together to restore the patient back to health.
Because of Louisa's earlier decision, the Doc realized what he truly needed and he went for it. In so far as this episode is concerned, I think the Doc is more emotionally evolved than he is being given credit for. Being a highly logical person, the Doc knew what he needed and set out to get it instead of falling into the errors like inhibiting his emotions or leading people on or dillydallying with decisions, which are common fare in romantic comedies.
If these two are ever going to make a successful go at it, I think Louisa should realize that the Doc's comfort zone is his intellect and that is where he reverts to when he's feeling awkward and uncomfortable. When he is intellectualizing things, he is not detaching himself from the person or the situation but from his own feeling of discomfort.
Doc Martin: Nowt So Queer (2007)
Queer indeed
I only watch a handful of British programs but between Doc Martin and Midsomer Murders I'd say there's a lot of crazy people in the far-off towns of UK. Basically, this episode is about rumors and the way they spread like disease. Dave the postman sees the Doc coming out of Louisa's house early in the morning and spread the news all over town. By midday, the whole of Portwenn knew they are engaged. But apart from spreading news, Dave was also inadvertently spreading bronchial fungus. In this show, usually, particularly cooky rumors are just exaggerations of the truth. However, Pauline's seemingly outrageous tale about a disgraced scientist proved to be pretty close to the truth.
I've also noticed that in series 3, the Doc has been saying 'Yes' to everything Louisa says. It's kind of uncharacteristic but I guess that's his version of being head-over-heels in love.
Doc Martin: The Family Way (2005)
This episode is heart-rending
I've loved his show for its funny yet subtle story lines but this time the feels just got to me. The Doc's heart was rent by everyone he cared about. First by his dad who came after Joan. Then by Joan who didn't bother to hear his explanation. Then by Louisa's rekindling romance with Danny. But worst of all by his mother. Claire Bloom who portrayed the Doc's mom was so great she left me hating her by the end of the episode. She was so poignantly indifferent you wanted to throw her off the moor just get a reaction from her. I'm sure by the end the Doc realized blood didn't matter, family are those who love you. In that sense, Port Wenn is more family to him than his parents that's why he finally decided to break free from his past.
Doc Martin: Of All the Harbours in All the Towns (2004)
This should have been their Valentine's episode
I love this series because the actors look like real people and the characters are written so realistically. I particularly love Joan's story. This series shows that a true love story does not need characters who look like Ken and Barbie just real people with genuine emotion. And that scenery! It's a character in itself. It really broke my heart when Martin and Joan stood at the cliff watching John's yacht sail off in the distance. We didn't need to hear how Martin told his aunt the truth about John her reaction was enough. At that moment Joan was like Portwenn, seemingly strong and hardy, formidable and weather-battered but gentle and tender and beautiful.
Doc Martin (2004)
More real than reality tv
I love this show. I used to watch this on Hallmark but until our cable provider stopped airing Hallmark. Anyway, I love this show because the actors look like real people. The setting is awesome. The stories are simple yet not superficial. The description said Doc Martin was a socially inept doctor but when you watch this you realize he really isn't. From the get-go he gets involved with more that his patient's illness but the cause of it which, of course, is the patient's personal life.
I love that the characters look like real people -- they fall in love, get heartbroken, go crazy -- young, old, man, woman, and child. I love their first season Valentine's episode because instead of pushing the Martin-Louisa love story, they gave the episode to Joan, Al, and Melanie. I especially love Joan's story.