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.
Review of The Wrong Goodbye
