Latest / Podcast Portwenn: Doc Martin & Best Medicine / Doc Martin Season 5 Newbie Reaction: New Aunt, New Baby, and a Pharmacist's Breakdown
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- Patty V: And the episode where they're having her funeral and He says something like, Well, she was overweight, she refused to exercise and had a poor diet. Okay, Martin Exactly what Chesla Wechsler: Yes, yes. Patty V: you should say. All true, but exactly what you should say at a funeral, okay. Chesla Wechsler: Today's episode focuses on newbie Patty's viewing of Doc Martin Season 5. Patty, come through and welcome back to Podcast Portwenn. It is good to see you. Patty V: Hi everyone. Glad to be here. Chesla Wechsler: First off, I actually wanted to start with some some kudos and comments from our viewers on YouTube. Landree C commented that she can't wait to hear your impression of season five because it's one of her favorites. Becky is commenting on how much she enjoys coming along for the ride with the two of us as we as we show things through our eyes. Pauline, she gave us great info on the responsibilities of that Clive would have on the oil rigs. So we've got some good information. Clive would be a competent and responsible, intelligent guy, definitely somebody who Mrs. Tishell would go after. yeah, so some good stuff there. I've got a couple more later, but why don't we get started with season five? lots going on. New people, Patty V: Lot. Chesla Wechsler: lack of old people. What did you think? Patty V: It was probably my favorite season so far. there I was a little you know I know it's the way of T V shows and not real life, but I was a little disappointed in the characters that disappear. Like, we were just getting to know you and like you and then you're gone. And so Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, yeah. Patty V: yeah so you know Pauline being gone was I I I thought that was a negative 'cause she, she added some interest to the show. And Auntie Joan, wow, that that was that was a big deal because she, you know, meant something to him and she was kinder to him than his parents were and so forth. So that was, quite a shock. And the episode where they're having her funeral and He says something like, Well, she was overweight, she refused to exercise and had a poor diet. Okay, Martin Exactly what Chesla Wechsler: Yes, yes. Patty V: you should say. All true, but exactly what you should say at a funeral, okay. so Chesla Wechsler: Do you think that's sort of his coping style basically? I mean, clearly, like you said, she was important to him, so what is he doing here? Patty V: Yeah, I think that, I mean that's the way he thinks and it is true. I don't think Martin ever says something that isn't true. And so, he you know, I don't think he's real good at discerning what would be the polite thing to say versus not, even if it's true. And when under stress because this person was so important to him died, I think that was probably amplified. So yeah, he he just rattled off what was comfortable to him and and that would be the doctor thing of you know, you didn't eat right or exercise right. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, yeah. I kinda think he's it's just an another example of him sort of I'm not gonna talk about anything emotional. I'm just gonna talk about pragmatics. Patty V: Yeah. Well, that's all he n knows. I mean, it gradually is changing and with Louisa in his life I think that'll cr and and a a baby, I think that'll creep in more and more. But up to that point he was able to just shut out anything emotional and only deal with the pragmatic and going forward he can't do that if he wants to still have Louisa. Chesla Wechsler: This is true. I'm trying to remember, did they s did season five start with they come home from the hospital and Joe Penhale comes in and says there's been an accident? I mean, do we learn about Auntie Joan. Patty V: Yeah. There's they're well, they come home from the hospital and half the village is there and yeah, it wasn't very long before he came he came running in and said, how that there's some accident. I wrote down something. This is this is just England versus US or the part of the US that I live in. there I guess maybe it was summer and the half door There's no screen. So I was like, Birds could fly in, bugs could fly in So Chesla Wechsler: You know, having just gotten back from from England on Saturday night, today is Tuesday, you know, we had the windows open all the time. And it was amazing. I I just loved the lack of mosquitoes. I mean, there's no air conditioning. There's no air conditioning Patty V: So they don't have mosquitoes. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: and there's no screens, and so you you whip open the windows and you hope for the best and we had I think we had two daddy long legs one night. that we caught early, so one one died Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: and one got back out based on Chris as being a bit more compassionate than I am when I see something that has all those legs that just get squashed. yeah, it it was great Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Anyway, yes, no screens. Yeah. Patty V: No screens because I I like my air conditioning. I I only learned this summer how little of Europe has it. and so I would not want to live there in the summer. But when it's cooler out, I have no problem turning off the air conditioning, opening the windows, but I want my screens. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: So but yeah. So we see Joe Penhale come in and he is certainly not wanting to give this news. And you could just Tell everyone's heartbroken. Patty V: Right, and I don't remember exactly but I'm pretty sure Martin was busy and not wanting you know, they they didn't want him to interrupt or whatever, so it was hard it was extra hard for him to get the the news out, I think. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, 'cause I think that he had just Al I think had been smart enough to notice that Martin and Louisa had just wanted to be left alone. Patty V: Right. Chesla Wechsler: and so he got everybody out of there, but yeah, Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: yeah. Did you have any hint that there was no Aunt Joan there? Like did you notice she wasn't in the crowd or? Patty V: no, but I had a spoiler from looking something up in season Chesla Wechsler: Stop doing that. Patty V: two or three or something. about I just wanted to see how old the c actress who played Aunt Joan was and whether she was still alive and I accidentally saw why did I can't remember her name leave Doc Martin. I was like, Chesla Wechsler: Stephanie Cole. Yep. I know, I know. Patty V: I I don't think I knew I knew she was gonna leave, I didn't know which season. So Chesla Wechsler: Right. Right. Yeah. I have to admit, I noticed that her name was not in the credits when the season opened. And I told Chris, I didn't know what happened, but I was like, how there's only really one explanation for why Auntie you know, Stephanie Cole would not be in the credits. Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: yeah. But all right, so we've got Pauline left. Auntie Jones gone, but Aunt Ruth comes comes in, and we have Patty V: No, I could not remember. Did they mention her in like when his parents came to visit? Or was this just like a sister that they had to invent at that time because they wanted that kind of character? I don't remember hearing. Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: I don't know the answer to that, you know I don't know the answer to that for sure, but she I do not believe she was previously mentioned. Yeah, yeah. But you could tell yeah, and Patty V: Yeah, okay. 'Cause that that I I didn't notice it if she was. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: and you could kind of see that like Aunt Joan and Aunt Ruth don't seem like they would have a lot of stuff in common, right? Patty V: No, but Martin and Aunt Ruth do. Chesla Wechsler: Yes, yes, absolutely. Patty V: She was interesting. I mean, she seems more caring than his parents, but she's not Aunt Joan, so Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, yeah. What does she say about herself? She's either awkward or she overshares. Patty V: Yeah. She said I either say nothing I I forget what she said. I either do this or I overshare it. I just thought that was interesting. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, like now. Yeah, yeah. So and then we have we see a lot more Joe Penhale in the season and we get Morwenna, Patty V: Yes. Chesla Wechsler: who's been popping around from job to job and all of a sudden we we Patty V: Ready. Chesla Wechsler: she she just gets hauled in, right? Patty V: Yeah. I I found the whole thing with Joe I found that interesting, you know, seeing his I didn't know he had an ex-wife. again, I don't know if that was alluded to before or not. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, it was. Patty V: Yeah. and I had more affection for him because it just seems so sad because You know, she shows up, she thinks they're still together, he would love to still be together, but he knows they're not, and he knows she left him and and he was so torn between, Ooh, can I just keep this new person that thinks I'm, you know, okay, or do I have to tell her the truth and and that we, you know, weren't together and and so forth. And so I I found myself you know, feeling some empathy for him and yeah, that was that was that was sad and touching, you know. Chesla Wechsler: Yes. Yes. Yeah, it I think it's alluded to when we first meet Joe in season th three, I guess, where he says he was kicked by a horse and it caused like mood swings and all this other stuff and and Patty V: I remember that, yeah. Chesla Wechsler: I th I think, you know, he got divorced because he had ch his personality had changed. but don't you kinda have a sense that Patty V: so didn't used to be that way. I I kinda thought that, I I had forgotten that part that maybe he didn't used to be this way. And and I just thought that, you know, he's a he's annoying, but he's a decent guy. And that woman needed more excitement. She didn't seem to appreciate him and So she went with some other guy that we don't see, but it seems like he cheated on you know, they were supposed to get married and he cheated on her and Joe would never do that and you don't but that wasn't enough for her, you know. So clearly Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: she he's he it feels sad and I'm sure he doesn't feel this way, but he's better off without her because she doesn't realize what's good about him. So I don't know if there's any woman out there that does Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. And they're a mismatch, right? Patty V: that will, but yeah, so Chesla Wechsler: I mean you get a sense what what does it's Mags, right? Maggie. Patty V: Rags. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: when he starts doing things that are a bit more assertive and standing up for himself, you know, slight slightly more just Patty V: Yeah. Right. Chesla Wechsler: st sticking up for people, like not even too much, right? she Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: starts thinking I could be attracted to this again. Like that was the thing that might have been missing was that he was just Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: sort of wimpy and had all of these insecurities like going up a ladder and all this. So Patty V: A Patsy. Yeah. Yeah. But that whole I didn't like that ladder sequence. That that bothered me because okay, so Martin's already up there trying to get the guy to come down and she's encouraging him to go up. Why would three people on the ladder be good? That made no sense. And Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: so I didn't I didn't like that that whole thing. but anyway. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. The only explanation I could see to it was you've got a guy up there who's having a medical problem and you've got a medical doctor up there who's who just went up because he has to treat the medicine, but do you have sort of a safety person up there who's gonna just help with the situation, but Patty V: Yeah. But by the time that might have made sense at the beginning, but by the time he started doing that, they were already trying to come down. And so he was in their way. I mean, it just Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, yeah. Yes. Patty V: yeah. I I'm annoying like that when I watch a T V show I'm a realist and I look you know there's there's a coup actually that was something in the first episode that I wanted to comment on. I don't know if this is different in England or or not, but when they were getting leaving the h hospital to come home and he was saying you gotta put a a baby in a car seat I'm just gonna hold him. Okay, so this is like two thousand eleven or somewhere around there. You couldn't do that in the US when I had my kids in the eighties and nineties, you they would not release the baby if it was not going into a car seat. And so no you can't I mean I I suppose you can drive away, take the baby out of the car seat and then hold but you cannot leave the hospital in the United States without putting that baby in a car seat, even in the eighties and nineties. So I Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: wondered how realistic that was if they would just let them drive off, you know, small town, different ho kinda hospital, or if England has different rules or what. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, I don't know if they would actually check that you are putting the child in a car seat, but Joe certainly said, if you just held him then he would have to arrest her, right? Because, she was not doing something. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. I was with Joe this time. That was my first thing. Like, I'm with you, Joe. another thing about Joe, when that why I liked him a little bit more, there was a flash of competency when he was talking to the loan sharks and trying to get them to leave and saying, If you come back here, that car, do you have the correct insurance? Do you have the correct licensing? Do you and I'm going to be after you d every single day. I mean that was interesting to me because I would have thought somebody would have to have fed fed him those lines for him to say them. But he came up with it on his own. He said it very convincingly and I was like, wow, we're gonna see a little bit more of, competent Joe. But then when we got to the last episode and he was climbing on the castle and and, it was like, Okay, same old Joe but Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. And you know, if if Maggie had seen him stand up to the Lone Sharks, she would have been attracted to him again. But when she saw him bumble it around at the end Patty V: Yeah. Maybe. And and that wasn't forced. That was him really doing it. It wasn't like he was pret like saying, Hey Bert, pretend like you're doing this so I can come in and save the day. It it Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: wasn't like that. It was something he actually, did. and so I I was impressed with that. I wouldn't mind seeing more of that in a season to come, but I'm not holding my breath. Chesla Wechsler: And Joe seems to have real compassion too, which to me is is all is like Mark. Mark had a lot of compassion for people. So so Joe is going to arrest Mrs. Dingley for breaking the rear window of the car. But then when she cries and says she can't afford to pay for the window, he's kinda like we will say no nothing more about it. So you kinda get the sense that it's just gonna be, vagrants and it's not gonna get blamed on her. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He sh he definitely showed some compassion there and yeah. Chesla Wechsler: And then but he's gonna arrest Mrs. Tishell for for kidnapping a minor, but he lets himself get talked out of it by the physician saying no, she's had a, psychotic break, so this is not a crime. Patty V: Yeah. We got the bab yeah. We got the baby back, it's all good and she's getting she needs treatment and go get it. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Right. And you know, she needs treatment in theory, from what we're hearing from the two medical professionals, because she's been taking these medications. No, I get that. So yeah, so Joe can be competent. Patty V: Yeah, yeah. I h I hope we get to see a a little bit of competence again because that was nice. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. One thing that somebody had noted I think it might have actually been Pauline I think she pointed out that there are a number of sort of good health things about Doc Martin because, you know, they they recommend the car seat. They're definitely pro vaccine. Like there's Patty V: Yeah. Well the the vaccine thing, while we talked about that when it happened, I was really surprised at that 'cause that was much more current that they had you know, said, this British guy said that it causes autism, but it doesn't, it doesn't, it doesn't, you know. And Chesla Wechsler: Right, right. Patty V: Yeah, so th the but the car seat, that's not that wouldn't have been current at all in the US. That had been for years that you know, they would have been p pushing that. But anyway. the Chesla Wechsler: Right, right. No, that's true. Patty V: other thing that I I I wonder what is viewed as the healthy way in England or if it's You know, some people think this and some people think that and there's no agreement. They didn't Martin didn't want him to use a dummy and I'm like, What's a dummy? Is that a pacifier? I looked Chesla Wechsler: Mm. Yes. Yes. Patty V: it up and and it is. And when I had my kids I think pacifiers have been the pendulum has swung, you know, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. I don't think that's as in the US I don't think that's as universally that doctors have only one opinion like they do for car seats. but I Chesla Wechsler: Right. Patty V: I'm not sure. I my grandkids I think I think it was the same as with my kids. They didn't, you know, if they couldn't get go to sleep and they knew they weren't hungry and were fed, they tried it and the babies just didn't really take it. So I I don't think pacifiers are necessarily a bad thing, but I didn't know in England if if they are considered that or not. Chesla Wechsler: I don't know. We'll have to we'll have to find out. But don't cut Patty V: L yeah, maybe your your British people can chime in and say if i if it's like Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: half feel this way and half feel that way. or Chesla Wechsler: Yep. But But then you've got this this baby who's crying all the time and keeping people awake and they're getting edgy and there's very different opinions on, do not cuddle that baby and it's a thin end Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: of the wedge, Louisa. Patty V: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was interesting. And again, me with me the realist, it's like, okay, how old is this baby supposed to be? And I was let's see, in one the the episode, I don't know what it was, five or so? At some point When Martin starts saying, Well, he should go to this prep school. and she said he's eight weeks old. And I was like, Okay, he's only eight weeks old. So there were times when Martin and even Louisa were holding the baby in earlier episodes that you've got to they can't hold their head up until l after eight weeks old. You're still holding their head at at eight weeks old. And so and you know it's because England probably has rules like the US does about how much babies can be on camera and newborns are never newborns in TV shows and movies and so forth. But still I felt like they should have been pretending. Like Mar you can't carry a a baby that's a couple weeks old like that. But anyway. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, I d I do rem I just s I just binged the last three episodes just to try to be a little current here. and I Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: do remember Louisa running around with the baby's head, you know, held. Patty V: One time she was, but other times it seemed like they weren't it they weren't consistent about that, I didn't think. so Chesla Wechsler: Okay. Yeah. I know they had six babies. Patty V: Pardon? With six six different babies? Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: They had th they had six different babies, two s I think two sets of twins and then two individuals. And Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: because I th not only do they have limited hours, but I I saw an interview with Martin Clunes one time where he's like, This one's broken, we need a new one. Like they they need a crying baby right now, right? So is who is yeah, it's not like you're gonna Patty V: So you need one that's crying. Hand me the one that's crying. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: nudge it and make it cry, right? Patty V: Yeah, yeah, no, right. Chesla Wechsler: We need a sleeping one right now. Okay, this one's sleeping. Patty V: Yeah. that's interesting. I never thought about that, but that makes a of sense. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, like well let's not torture the child to get the reaction that we want. Ruth has some pretty f fun lines. What did you think of Aunt Ruth? Patty V: you know, she said she's a psychiatrist. So I found that interesting. because she's so like she should be understanding people and have some of that empathy or compassion or something that Martin seems to lack, to be a psychiatrist. So like what kind of psychiatrist is she? And again, I don't know if what mental health services are like in England, but in the United States, it's possible that psychiatrists don't do that much therapy because they only psychiatrists can dispense medicine. So if the patient needs medicine in addition to therapy, they have to go to a psychiatrist for that. But a lot of people go to people that have a Chesla Wechsler: A psychologist. Patty V: psychology or licensed clinical social worker background. So, you know, maybe in the US you would find a psychiatrist that I I wouldn't want to go to her for therapy. But Chesla Wechsler: Well Patty V: maybe you'd find psychiatrists like that in the US as well and you just go get your med prescription and leave. I don't know, but I would have really liked to have seen a psychiatrist that had more social skills. Chesla Wechsler: This this this is hinted at it would have been known to everyone in England, but not here in the United States. She's a psychiatrist at at Broadmoor. Patty V: she did mention that at one point, yeah. And so she's not dealing with Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. So it's like this is like the Hannibal Lecters. Patty V: patients that are just trying to, you know, get over their anxiety about flying or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So I guess that makes more Chesla Wechsler: Correct, correct, yeah. These are the handible lectors. Patty V: sense. And she probably maybe she hopefully she couldn't get that kind of job. Hopefully. Yeah. But Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, yeah. Patty V: you know, but she does have I think she's a little ahead of Martin maybe with Some of her observations and cues she can she can pick up a few more social cues than he can, but yeah, she c she definitely comes out with some zingers. And but it was interesting that she came there because she you know, she thought she was just coming there to die, and she didn't have the disease that she thought was gonna kill her, and I guess the Sjogren's disease is something easier to deal with, so that was a quote a better diagnosis, but some of that kinda made more sense. That some of her behavior I thought might have been like because she thought this is it. I don't know. Chesla Wechsler: And she really didn't intend to stay in Portwenn. She was going to go home right away, and then she found out that Joan left her the farm. That bloody woman. Patty V: Yeah. Farm. Right, right, right. And and it it was interesting to see her the relationship developed with Al being the caretaker for the farm and helping her out and and and so forth. it was very interesting to see that that happen. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: And So she you could see there was a heart in there somewhere. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. She sees something in Al because I mean, Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: he he basically uses her money to try Patty V: Right. Chesla Wechsler: to pay off the the loan shark was not gonna tell her Patty V: Right. Chesla Wechsler: and she still keeps him. Patty V: Right, right. Well at first she didn't 'cause when he came back and said, Okay, I've got a plan for paying you back and he said, I'm gonna sell my moped, I'm gonna s do this and she said, Well, if you sell your moped, how are you gonna get to the farm? And he was like, Well, I didn't think I had that job anymore And so I and she said, You didn't but now you do or something like that So that was Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. At first you didn't. Patty V: Yeah. If and so I don't know that Martin would have had that insight that this is basically a good guy that thought he had no other choice and he would have paid her back. Yeah, no, he shouldn't have done what he did, but I don't I I don't think he was like gonna continuously steal from her. I think he was gonna he was gonna be hard pressed, like how would he pay her back? But Yeah, and and the whole loan shark thing put a little bit of different you know, once she thought about that, I think that it but but her initial reaction I think would be anybody's reaction. Hey, you took my eight hundred pounds or whatever it was and you know, spent it on you spent every single cent on something else. You didn't even spend any of it on the fence, it's you know. So Chesla Wechsler: Right. Yeah. Martin I think has a soft spot for Al too, because in an early season we see him fully capable of taking care of his own computer, but then like undoing the fix he did and hiring Al, right, to do tech support. Patty V: At the Yeah. And but they haven't really gone any further. I don't know what's in the s seasons to come, but Al is still either helping his dad at the restaurant or fixing things and not, you know, getting any kind of like job out of his computer skills. So I'm Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: curious to see if they if he ever goes back to that. but there was something I think he has Martin has more affection for Al than maybe for Bert, 'cause Bert still there was something that where he said, I can't remember what episode, but something like, Well, I guess this is it, Doc and then he didn't like shake his hand or Bert Bert just he just like left. You know, there were there there's still still kind of an issue between th those two. Chesla Wechsler: This is probably the season where I start not liking Bert as much. We well just poor Al Patty V: really? 'Cause I thought you thought I was too tough on before. I said, you know, that's not when we were talking about teasing and I didn't really think that was I thought across the line. And so that's interesting. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Yeah, I mean he really just here's Al, you know, like you said, he he had these goals to not be a plumber, to be maybe do computer repair. He had the knack for it. Then his father gets this restaurant and he ends up getting sort of roped into helping out with that after he gets back from his little trip that didn't work out very well. so now he's like roped into that because he's had to bail his dad out and kind of Patty V: A bunch of times, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: bunch of times and a and Bert never really seems to be grateful to him. It's just Patty V: No, I I I there the episode in a prior season where he basically th there were a couple of where Bert seemed more like tender towards his son, like w are is he really his son that that thing and then does he have these computer skills and does he w want to follow with that instead of being a plumber and he seemed like he was gonna be supportive and you know he bails him out with these loan sharks and like you said he didn't seem to be that grateful. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And it's like, you know, you've gotta help me. You know, you've gotta help me get out of this thing that I got myself into. And Patty V: Great. Chesla Wechsler: and Al's like no, you gotta do it and yet s Al still tries, right? Patty V: Right. He said no but then he went and yeah. He just couldn't resist when he saw a wild you know. Is that common in England? She gave him so much cash in an envelope. Like in the US you would write a check or you know, even in that day you would y you would you would probably still write a check in that day. Or credit card, but not not cash. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, I don't know. I mean certainly she accep she expected a receipt, right? Because she even asked for it like she needed it for the VAT. Yeah. Yep. So it wasn't Patty V: Yeah, she said I needed I need the invoice for it. Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: it wasn't like an under the table off the books kind of thing. It was just Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: she paid cash for it. Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: yeah. So what else what else were you were your reactions to it? Patty V: Well there okay, so Not that it was perfect, but I would expect a absolutely nothing in terms of parenting out of Martin. And I thought he did a little more than might be expected from him. And even when Louisa wanted to like it's one thing if she had to do something at the school, 'cause that was her job, but one of the times it was just to go to the restaurant. Now, granted, she asked him, Do you want to come with me? And he and he said, No, which you knew you he would say. But I thought he was pretty accepting of okay, sometimes I have to take care of this baby. Now th like in any marriage when you have two careers and some kids, sometimes your childcare goes awry and you have to argue whose is more important and who's gonna, you know, put aside their thing and and take care of the the baby, and who's gonna get to go do their thing. But he was if he had the free time he didn't act like this is your job to take care of this baby. If he had the free time, he took care of the baby. He i it was and and I loved when I think it was when she went to that party and he didn't want to go and she said he likes the such and such book and so he didn't read him that book but he you know he's reading him the medical journal because that's him and that's what he knows and so it was nice that she you saw her catch him. I think that was the end of the episode. She and she smiled, you know, just caught him doing that. Chesla Wechsler: Mm. Yeah. I love the fact that he had obviously been watching her technique in reading, right? Because he shows like shows the baby the picture of the author. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. And there was another time where I think it's start beginning of an episode, he's asleep in the car with a baby and it's like, boy. This is something that most pediatricians would tell you, don't do that, don't get in that trap but when you just cannot get this kid to go to sleep and they d you know they sleep well in the car, you just do it. And so, yeah, I mean Grant a good thing that he pulled over and fell asleep, but there's probably lots of lots and lots of parents out there that have put the crying baby in the car seat, gone for a ride, gotten the baby to sleep that way. so it's Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Yeah, you can tell these two are they're at wit's end with the with the crying, you know. Patty V: Yeah, yeah. But but he did it, not her. So, you know, and so I I felt like sometimes I felt like Louisa wasn't quite giving him enough credit. I mean, maybe it wasn't where she wanted it to be, but she in what they show, you know, in the episodes, it was more like She would yell at him for not doing something there was no like talking or s that they showed sitting down and figuring this out and you do this, I'll do that. There was and it you could expect him not to tr to initiate that, but you would think she would. I would think she would. And once again, when it gets tough and he's not doing what she would like, and even if she's right. Her response is to, Okay, I can't take this, I'm going to live with my awful mother So Your awful mother's better Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. and Eleanor. Patty V: than him? I don't know. Mhm. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Eleanor shows her true stripes, doesn't she, all throughout the episode? Patty V: Yeah, yeah. It was interesting when the fisherman wasn't her, wasn't a date, if it was a an attempt at a business transaction, 'cause that had me fooled. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Yes. Well I think she was fooling him. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah, maybe. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Which is yeah, sort of manipulative. She seems kind of manipulative no matter what, right? She wants what she wants. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah, and and anything that she did, she didn't want to anything. Like she left. She left when this and you should get over that, you know. Like, whoa, just like that. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Well I mean but also I mean she just came in one day to Louisa and said, Here, you need to take the baby. I had this business meeting with the shellfish guy. Right? And then she hired Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: out Angie Grappy, girl with the ankle bracelet? Patty V: Yeah, not only just outsourced it but to apparently a terrible person that that not just Martin thought was terrible, but so did Louisa. So yeah. Chesla Wechsler: So did law enforcement. Patty V: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. A criminal. A felon teenager, yeah. She didn't Chesla Wechsler: I mean she she comes to him because she's wearing an ankle tag, right? Yes. Patty V: even look to know the ankle tag. Yeah, that yeah, that was yeah, world's worst grandmother, yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, yeah. Although I don't know Patty V: I was actually surprised that she let her watch him for more than like an hour anyway, but Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: yeah. Chesla Wechsler: But at first she was successful in getting the baby to settle down, right? Patty V: Yeah. Is that yeah, with alcohol. But to her credit, maybe she didn't know it was alcohol. I mean s she says she didn't, but I don't really trust her. But is that actress that played her mom, is she at all famous? Have you seen her in other British shows? Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: I've seen her in other things, yes, yes. Patty V: Because I didn't think she looked anything like Louisa and it was a little hard to genetically think this is her mother but I wondered if it was because sometimes they pair up, you know, they want we want this actress 'cause she's really Chesla Wechsler: Right. Well, I if we look at that and we have to compare I forget what season one of the earlier seasons we see Martin bringing little child Martin bringing a butterfly to his father and he enters the office without knocking and the person who plays Martin's father is Martin Clunes in that. And then later on we see Christopher Ellingham and he's, you know, this this sort of very different looking person. so not that consistent with that. Patty V: Looking guy, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But you know. Chesla Wechsler: let me go back to one point on what you said about Martin taking on, you know, decent parenting stuff. He certainly makes a pretty major assumption that Louisa is just gonna stay home with the baby in London. Patty V: Yes, that was not that was not good. But but again, that could be discussed, not just like, I'm not doing that. you go to you know, go ahead. I'm staying here. Yeah, and and that was a big one. setting up a date for the christening without checking with her because it was the only date possible. Like why would I check with you? It was the only date possible. That Chesla Wechsler: Right. Patty V: but I think I think that's when she left, because she he didn't think to ask her. And I don't think it was that thing. It was like a straw that broke the camel's back kind of thing. It was probably Chesla Wechsler: Mm-hmm. Patty V: more the you think I'm gonna give up my career and stay home with a baby. and so yeah, that that wasn't good. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. And also the you know, we're gonna send the kid to boarding school, like we didn't even discuss his education and you're already putting him on a list. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. I I was actually a little surprised at that because well, maybe not. I g I take that back. Some kids wouldn't like to be just sent away to boarding school, but his parents were so bad that maybe he viewed it as boarding school was better, but didn't he want to be the kind of parent that the kid wouldn't want to escape from, you know, certainly Louisa would. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. I also think that he just has a very poor opinion of Portwenn Primary. Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: I mean the kids lick the floor. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know I I'm Chesla Wechsler: The floor licker. what else do we have? we hear that Martin was what does he talk about? Something that of the b leave the baby by itself? Like it didn't do Martin any harm to just be left alone to cry himself to sleep? Patty V: Yeah, yeah. I turned out okay. That was there was something Chesla Wechsler: And then we got Patty V: else where something about being stuck at home with baby and you in a good way. this this was one of my favorite lines. He was Joe came in asking questions about memory loss and he was actually asking for Mags but he didn't admit that and when he was getting up to leave to go back to work he said, Thanks doc, I won't waste your time again and he said, I very much doubt that. That was like vintage vintage Martin. Chesla Wechsler: Yes. Yes. Yeah. I I do en I do enjoy the writers of this show. Patty V: Yeah. so I don't know, are we ready to go to the last episode? 'Cause that was my favorite. Not yet. Okay. Chesla Wechsler: We've got bu Not yet, not yet. We've we've got yeah. We've got Buddy. Patty V: Well, that actually surprised me. Here we are in season five, and Martin has not warmed up to that dog. And not that Aunt Ruth seems really like a dog person either, but yeah, I kinda thought that he he would he would warm up by now. I'm curious Chesla Wechsler: Not yet. Patty V: to see if he ever does in the what is it, ten seasons? Ten seasons, Chesla Wechsler: Ten seasons, yep. Yep. Patty V: yeah. I'm curious to see if he ever does. Chesla Wechsler: Yep. there is the whole naming of the baby thing, right? Where Patty V: Yeah, that was interesting 'cause that was dragging on and on and on. I mean a lot of people leave the hospital with, you know, no baby name, but I'm trying to remember when they commented that he was eight weeks old. He didn't have a name yet, did he? Chesla Wechsler: I think he I think he had a name by then. I think he had a name Yes. Patty V: But it was it was definitely this kid was definitely several weeks old before he had a name. And that Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: was something that I didn't think Louisa gave enough credit to him for that because they were discussing and they both liked James and Henry. She wanted James Henry and he wanted Henry James. And, you know, she was saying later that Well, we need to we need to settle this because we have to send that paper and he said I already sent it in and then she was starting to get mad and he sent it in with the order she wanted. So Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: that was pretty nice. I mean, okay he made an assumption, but at least he was going with what she had already said she wanted. And Chesla Wechsler: Right. Patty V: that so he was noticing something. He noticed and and he valued her opinion and he, you know, took it. So Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. And I I I don't know about you, but like if you're trying to trying to come up with a date for the christening and he checks the calendar, yeah, he probably should have said, I look at your calendar and the t twenty second or whatever seems to be okay with you. Is that a good date? That's the Patty V: that's w of course that's what he should have said, but he doesn't see any difference between that and he looked at her calendar, saw that it was open and he made it. Yeah. So that that's that's what he still has to learn. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Right. Yeah. 'Cause his calendar that's right, he he needs to learn these human dynamic things. So we learn that he Patty V: And all of us Chesla Wechsler: Good. Patty V: make that mistake from time to time. He just makes it all the time. So far. He'll learn. He'll get better. He'll never be great, but he'll get better is my prediction. Chesla Wechsler: Yes. Yeah. Yeah, his he'll we hope. We he'll I thought he was getting ruder in this season and I don't know if that was like lack of sleep or or just his how he felt things were going with Louisa. Patty V: I don't know about ruder, but I think that I guess I kind of expected a little more progress by now than I feel like we've had. So he yeah. He hasn't he's anything that he's better at is only with her. Like I I have not seen improvement, with other people. Like he Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. No, I I think I Patty V: He totally wastes i i if they come in with something that he doesn't think is much of a medical complaint, next patient, next patient, you know, he totally dismisses them. And Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: that doesn't seem to have changed. and of course it goes the other way too, where he just sees somebody and I think you have such and such you know, like out of the nowhere. But he's always right. He's never been like interrupting somebody and they didn't have anything wrong. Chesla Wechsler: That's true. I mean, early on, in early seasons Patty V: They always need some trouble. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: he is wrong with diagnoses several times, right? Because he Patty V: With diagnoses, but not that there was nothing wrong. He's never gone up to somebody that has nothing wrong and said, You need to, you know, go get that checked out. They w they do. So So he's that Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. No, that's true. That's true. Patty V: good of a doctor that if he thinks something's wrong, something is. It may not be the first thing he thinks it is, but it is something. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, no that is true. What else? Patty V: There's Florence, the Dingley, the the lady with hat. Chesla Wechsler: Mrs. Dingley? Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, I learned a new term on that one with comes a cropper. When she f when she falls down in Bert's restaurant, he comes out. It's Mrs. Dingley, she comes a cropper. Like, hm, what does that mean? Yeah. Patty V: That's what he said, yeah. Chesla Wechsler: I thought it was interesting where we hear Ruth tell Louisa that people don't change. And she says they k they Patty V: I I was like, whoa, what are you saying here? Like, don't marry him because he's always gonna be like this, don't change, you know. I would have thought I was like, She's a psychiatrist, shouldn't she be saying something different from that? I don't know. Chesla Wechsler: Was she in psychiatrist mode or was she in aunt mode and just knowing Martin? Patty V: I yeah, I don't know. Chesla Wechsler: 'Cause Louisa's like, you know, they can if they want to. Patty V: Yes. Yes. Yes. I liked that attitude. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. I and there's always this discussion around is Martin on the spectrum? Right? Does Martin have some level of autism or Asperger's or something like that? And, if she says, you can't people don't change and maybe she's just talking about Martin, you might think that that was she's seeing something that This is inherent in him. Or she could just be seeing that he's a product of his horrible upbringing and also, you Patty V: Right. Chesla Wechsler: know, Patty V: not a medical professional so I would not be qualified to judge anyway but I am I would say that I'm not sure because we've seen so much of his upbringing that he was just never taught any compassion or empathy or so he might be or he might not be but i it it feels like he is Like some of the effect on the people around him might be the same. And the the question is whether he, you know and and even people with autism have different abilities and it's it it's it's a spectrum, it's not if you're have autism, you're this way. and they can be at least some of the can be taught skills or questions to ask like, I think this, but maybe these people around me don't I should ask or something like that. And so you Chesla Wechsler: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Patty V: feel like Martin is at least in that category if he is on the spectrum. I don't know. Chesla Wechsler: I think I I'm with kind of where I think you were heading there. I personally just think he's a product of his upbringing. Patty V: Yeah, I well I like I said, I'm not sure and I i initially when I started watching the show I thought Spectrum and now that I see all this other all this background, I'm thinking maybe not. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. 'Cause I think his background, what you hear about his upbringing and stuff, it explains everything to me. It it it just I don't I don't find anything and I'm I'm now speaking like through the whole thing. I don't find anything that would make me feel like there's nothing that's unexplained about him. But like it you Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. And there was a a T V show on in the in the US. I don't know if it was shown in England where the doctor from day one you know he does have autism It's a British guy who plays him too. The good doc. Yeah, Chesla Wechsler: I know what you're talking Is it like the good doctor or something like that? Yeah. Patty V: the good doc and and He clearly was and I have no idea, you know, he ended up marrying a quote neurotypical woman and and and being happy and so forth, but they would have arguments and she would he would do things that and she'd say, But Sean, that's rude and sometimes she couldn't just use it as a teaching experience 'cause he would say something and she'd be hurt and she'd have to deal with her hurt before she could try and say, Okay, here's why it was rude. Don't you know, don't say that in this situation or whatever. But they made it clear from day one that he was, supposed to be on the spectrum and of course a brilliant doctor. so I but I I never knew how realistic that portrayal was. actually the more I think about the good doctor The more it makes me think Martin is maybe not. And it Chesla Wechsler: Okay. Patty V: is it is his upbringing. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. That's I've not watched The Good Doctor, but I've known people who had like Asperger's diagnoses and autism diagnoses and stuff and and I just I don't see the parallels but like I'm not their parents neither am I a medical professional or someone who has lived with someone with autism or ha been autistic, right? So har hard to say. all right, we can jump to where you want to jump to. Patty V: No the The last episode I just thought was well, part of it. I I thought the ending, you know, was very well written and I really liked it. The Mrs. Tishell thing I was a little bit confused about because okay, we find that she's taking these two medications, and that they shouldn't be taken together, and that, you know, was all of her behavior from that. Has she been doing this the whole five seasons? Because she's always had kind kind of a crush on him and was probably disappointed when it was unrequited and you know, he was getting deeper and deeper with Louisa, but that all seemed kind of like normal, crush like, well, I lost kind of kind of thing. And boy, if Louisa ever leaves him I'd be interested kind of thing. But Chesla Wechsler: Mm-hmm. Patty V: not I think I am his wife. I think this is my baby. And so I was a little confused as to whether that medication was supposed to be like just now or all along. And I'm curious to see if she's in season what are we on five six. I if she's back and if she like just where she is with her husband and w and and Martin and how all that plays out. I'm very curious, about that. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Yeah. My I mean, we don't see her popping pills until this season, right? Yeah. Patty V: No, right. Chesla Wechsler: But we like you said, she's always had this attraction to him. I think one of the earlier seasons doesn't she say something like I could eat him with a spoon Patty V: And and which seems so funny because he's just so weird. You know, I was just like Chesla Wechsler: Ha ha ha. Patty V: Wow, how did he get somebody you know, even Louisa doesn't say that. Louisa sees something in him that other people don't see, but I don't know. It was just that the the whole way she was about him, I thought it was the comic relief, you know? Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: And didn't necessarily think it was that she was, totally crazy. In fact she seemed like a competent chemist at different times, in different episodes. So I'm I'm interested to see where that goes. Chesla Wechsler: Interestingly, we kind of see that both Louisa and Sally Tishell really seem drawn to Martin's competence. Patty V: Yes. And in some ways, Sally is also in a medical field, so you could see that maybe even more of of a connection. But Louisa often when she ends up in a situation with Martin where she has to be his helper or she has to go get help, or even if she's just watching him, go into that kind of mode. and sometimes he goes into that mode with like that person could have just insulted him or just done something wrong and Martin is able to just block all that out and be a doctor and do what's required right now. And I would think that might be hard for some doctors 'cause you know, to to do life saving surgery on a criminal or whatever. and that is what you're supposed to do and Martin could do that. You would Martin's exactly the doctor you want in that kind of situation. And so I think Louisa sees not just his competence but but that, that he he does the right thing. He does and and she talked in prior when she was gonna get married and she had her bridesmaid who had never met Martin and she was and maybe still hadn't met Martin at that point, and said, what she saw in him, Well, he's so honest and and he is. He is brutally honest. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Yeah. Patty V: and so Yeah, she appreciates that about him, even though sometimes it drives her nuts because he s says things out loud that maybe don't need to be said or don't need to be said that way Chesla Wechsler: So Clive comes back and he declares that he is going to retire and wants Sally to too. Patty V: Right. Right. Right. So that that was before she got I'm gonna s use the word nutty with the baby and left. And so I was thinking, okay, is this push coming to shove here? Is she gonna say, Go away, I love somebody else or what you know, just what's what's gonna happen here? Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: And so we I don't think that wasn't really answered. Chesla Wechsler: No. Although you know, I like how Clive is Patty V: In that episode. Chesla Wechsler: when when they're looking at the note from Sally that and Clive's Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: like, Doc, you'd better explain what's going on here. Like he he thinks maybe something's been happening, right? Patty V: Right. Exactly. Exactly. What are you doing? Yeah, 'cause yeah and and Doc Martin's like, I don't know what this crazy lady's doing. I have no idea what this is. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So we get Ruth, Penhale, Louisa and Martin trying to f now find Mrs. Patty V: All going to find yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Tishell with the baby. Patty V: Right, right. yeah, that was interesting. And again, Joe was kind of the comic relief of stealthily climbing on and dr you know, really doing nothing useful. and the it was interesting the dialogue between Both Ruth and Louisa were trying to tell Martin what to say to, you know, her to get her to bring the baby down so they could get the baby back. And I was on Louisa's side. I was like, you know, the it it was as if Ruth was saying, don't humor her delusions. we've gotta get her out of these delusions, so don't don't say and Louisa was like, No, say that. Make her feel comfortable, make her feel like you want her, so she'll come down and then we can get the baby. And I was with Louisa the whole way. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. I actually thought Ruth in Ruth's heart was in the same place of we want to get the child out safely and so how do you treat a patient who's having a psychotic breakdown? You try to treat them properly so that you can get them to kind of like snap out of it in essence and see what they're doing, and that's going to be good for the safety of the baby. And Louisa's just like get her to come down. I don't care how you do it. Patty V: Can't you come down any which way you can and then we'll do what you wanna do, you know, then you can do whatever you want, Aunt Ruth. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Right. Patty V: yeah, but I just loved how the authors wrote this dialogue for Martin and he's looking up at Sally Tishell, but you know that Chesla Wechsler: Mm-hmm. Patty V: he's really saying it to Louisa, and I just thought that Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: was so that was so cool and so well done. And Chesla Wechsler: Yes. Patty V: yeah, and not predictable by me, you know. I did not really Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. I love the I love the head and eye position stuff there, right? 'Cause you've got him looking up Patty V: Yeah, but yeah. Chesla Wechsler: and then talking to Louisa. And looking up and talking to Louisa and Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. It's in the reason. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: But I I do love Tell her you're a difficult person. I'm a difficult person. And I I took Patty V: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I'm a difficult person. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: so long to tell you that I loved you because I'm an idiot. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And she didn't s sh she didn't he he came up with that on his own and and that was good. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just I Chesla Wechsler: Well just as her her look is like you're an idiot. That's great. Patty V: I thought that was just so well done. I Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: I Chesla Wechsler: I think my one of my favorite lines in the whole episode and potentially in the in the whole show is when Mrs. Tishell sums up the entire five seasons of the show in one run-on sentence. Right? Do you remember that? Like first you're here, then you're gone, then you're gonna get married, and then you don't, then you're going to London, and then you're back. Patty V: yeah. Then you're not yes, yes. Yeah. And then you're right right. Right. And then you're so how what am I supposed to do? How am I yeah, yeah. That that was Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. It was it was a great summary. Patty V: that yeah, that was another ex like great writing. I just Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Patty V: I thought that was good. Chesla Wechsler: And another another thing of great acting, I really just was was amazed when Ruth is talking to Martin about having lupus, this is like throwing back real quick, and she's Patty V: Early early in the season, yeah. Chesla Wechsler: crying without crying. And you're like, she's crying and he notices she's not producing tears. We don't notice it until he points it out because she is so obviously crying. Patty V: Right. And but the Sjogrin's disease you don't have yeah. Chesla Wechsler: And like from a th just the standpoint of like trying to you know, stepping out of the fact that as far as I'm concerned, these are real people and it's a documentary, just the acting of being able to like you know Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Anytime an actor does something like, you know, they cry, you figure they're they're pulling on some emotion, right? And and that they Patty V: Right. Right. Chesla Wechsler: can use in order to affect something. But here's Patty V: Right. Chesla Wechsler: but you're you're preventing what would happen. Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: So you're just pulling it off with pure facial technique and the way you speak and it's just dame Dame Eileen, well done. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, she did do a good job. Well, even when I didn't like what she was saying at the end, it's still good acting, you know. I I yeah, I wanted to go with what Louisa was doing and and Martin chose Louisa's technique. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, yeah. But just Yeah. Yeah, and it worked. Patty V: Yeah. Well I thought it would. Chesla Wechsler: I like an it Patty V: I mean, yeah. Chesla Wechsler: and I forget what what Ruth is telling Martin, you're the handsome prince or whatever and and and Ruth is like, and you're the married pharmacist who has been taking an overdose of prescription drugs and is having a psychotic episode. early Patty V: Yeah. The married pharmacy. Yeah. Yeah. That sounded like something Martin would say if he was not involved in it directly, you know, if he was observing. Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Well but he did say that. Like he he what's one of the first things he tells her from the window is you're having a you've taken a prescription drugs and you're having a psychotic episode. Patty V: Yeah. Right. yeah. Chesla Wechsler: She has some earlier lines, I think when she meets Bert, or she says something like, I'm always on the lookout for a psychological disorder or something like that. Like implying that, you know, Bert's Bert's got some level of psychological d he's probably codependent on Al, I don't know, but so You know, at the end of this we've got Mrs. Tishell being hauled off Martin declaring his love for Louisa and that nothing matters, right? Patty V: That was yeah, and but said I love you twice in the talk with that was in theory to Mrs. Tishell. And then she s when she said say it again, he's like, I already said it twice. Why why do I have to say it the third time? Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. That's right. And and and it's that stupid Penhale, because you can tell he's just about to say, I will always love you. Did you notice that? Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. Like I will always and then Joe's in, I'm fine. Lost my radio. Patty V: Yeah. Right. Nobody cares. No Chesla Wechsler: Exactly, exactly. And that drone shot when they're they're backing off at the very end you see just the two of them walking and they just get further and further. Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: my gosh, it's just so beautiful there. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Chris and I went for a hike over by that that building. 'Cause it's yeah, it's owned by the National Trust. It's called Doyden Castle. And you have to like park you park in a little National Trust lot and you walk up the twisty narrow roads and you climb over like a stile through a field. Patty V: Now was that castle supposed to be only two people would stay there in the whole castle? Chesla Wechsler: It's a one bedroom I forget what they called it. It it's like a Patty V: Okay. So when the the honeymoon couple were staying there, they were the only ones there. I didn't realize Chesla Wechsler: Correct. Patty V: that. I don't know if I was supposed to have, if they gave enough clues that that's what it was. So when when they got there and they were look I was like, don't they have to know what room she's staying in? Or did sh you know? And so it was like, Okay, I guess they don't. Chesla Wechsler: Yeah, no, it's it's it's a one bedroom place that was built in like the eighteen hundreds or something for a person to have parties at. Yeah. Patty V: Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: But and also you've got this whole idea of it the castle, the castle hotel, the first place that they go to, is actually Patty V: Right. Right. Right. Chesla Wechsler: an existing hotel called the Camelot Castle Hotel. And it Patty V: Right, right. Chesla Wechsler: very much looks like a castle. And we stayed there one night. Yeah. Yeah. Patty V: That would be more like what I was expecting. Like you have to find out what room she's staying in, yeah. Chesla Wechsler: We ended when we stayed there in our in our Port Isaac trip, I didn't even I didn't try to do this or anything, but we ended up in room one nineteen and she was in one seventeen, so we we were in or the Ms. Smith or whatever was in room one seventeen, so we were very very close to where that was. I recognized the hallways as they went through. I like, We would have gone left and they went away. Patty V: Ha ha ha Chesla Wechsler: It's funny to have been there living in the set. So what do you think happens Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: next? Patty V: I would think this time they I mean, I don't think it's gonna be Peachy Keen, but I would think they would either get married or stay together, you know, living together and you know, stay in Portwenn. and like I said, I'm I'm eager to see what happens with the pharmacist or chemist. and yeah, I don't know beyond that. Chesla Wechsler: Th the two of them have such difficulties cohabitating. Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: And maybe maybe they needed just this threat to their child, right, to kind of clarify things. Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Gonna keep watching? Patty V: yes, definitely. Chesla Wechsler: I tried to you know, I obviously c I couldn't rush back from England, but I was like I'm definitely gonna have to Patty V: Right. Chesla Wechsler: contact Patty immediately 'cause I'm sure she wants to move on. You know. Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: But that's good. That's awesome. Did you see any Best Medicine parallels or commonalities or any Best Medicine comments that you'd think were important to make? Patty V: I'm finding I don't remember a lot of the Plots of Best Medicine, but what I did d two things to compare that I think are different. I felt like Martin Best was warming up to the dog even in season one, by the end of season one, and I don't see that here. and I also feel like I don't know that he's that far along with Louisa, but I feel like He's picking up on social cues sooner than Martin is. Like I feel like Chesla Wechsler: Mm-hmm. Patty V: Martin only is adjusting his behavior or trying to learn only because he loves Louisa and not I I I think he still treats everybody else kind of the the the same way. They the rest of the Portwenn has not benefited, from an improved Martin. And I feel like in the Best Medicine he's changed a little bit more even at the end of season one. I don't know. interesting to see where that one where that one goes. and I don't know if that's because, hey, it's twenty twenty six and not twenty eleven and so it's a little different. If they think that American audiences want something different or they just didn't want to be a complete carbon copy. I I don't know, you know, what of any of those. Chesla Wechsler: Well, since you know, you've watched all of all that exists of Best Medicine and you've watched half really of Doc Martin at this point, we know that Doc Martin has an American audience. There was certainly a group of people who you know, maybe it's the group of people who like British T V shows or there's people who have never heard of it, right? So maybe they would like it if they tried it, right? But I believe what I've read about Best Medicine is the impression is is the large US audience would not put up with Doc Martin. Like he's just too harsh and too mean and too rude. Patty V: So so it the the Best Medicine Martin Best is a little more watered down, so to speak. maybe. Chesla Wechsler: Well, I'm I'm wondering what your opinion is. That's that's what I have read as Patty V: I you know, I feel like I'd have to see more episodes, but I felt like he was a little bit more aware or it wasn't it it I almost feel like Martin Best is aware and he doesn't feel like doing it. and so maybe he got himself to, be a little bit more polite occasionally, more often than Martin Martin Ellingham. I wanna say Ellingham, but Ellingham. Chesla Wechsler: Ellingham. Yep. Ellingham. Yes. Definitely Ellingham. Or you'll you'll get you'll get counseled by my by the commenters on YouTube. It's Ellingham. Patty V: Ellingham. Yes, Martin Ellingham. Chesla Wechsler: Yes, yes. Patty V: he so I feel like I definitely see a difference and I wanna see what they do in season two. W I'm I'm curious I would say I probably like Doc Martin better than Best Medicine, but I'm curious enough to go back and watch Best Medicine to see what they do and you know, with all these characters leaving, are are they gonna go with whatever the actor like keep Aunt is it Sarah? What is she medicine? Yeah. Are they gonna keep her as long as that actress is willing to do the part? Or are they gonna, you know, kill her off in a car accident as well? Or Chesla Wechsler: Right. Patty V: I think from what I read, is before Pauline. Elaine? Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Elaine. Patty V: The character in Best Medicine Elaine, that character is coming back for Chesla Wechsler: Mm-hmm. Patty V: season two, but whether she stays the whole time or and we already talked about a little bit about how she seems to be a little bit of a blend of Elaine and Pauline, 'cause she seems more competent than Ela Elaine and Doc Martin did. Chesla Wechsler: Right. Patty V: so that I'm I'm just ki now I'm curious to see what else they do with those characters. Chesla Wechsler: Best Medicine. When I think about Elaine in Best Medicine, I think of her as sort of immature and self-centered, but you find out that she's got a warmth and a kindness to her and she's Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: able to learn how to do, you know, the the blood work, those sorts of things and and is generally fond of and helpful to Martin Best. in Doc Patty V: Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: Martin you've got the first Elaine who brings to us the narcissistic sort of selfish thing, but she doesn't Patty V: Yeah. Right. Chesla Wechsler: have any of the other dimensions that Best Medicine Elaine has. Then you get Pauline, Patty V: Right. Right. Chesla Wechsler: who is less narcissistic and self centered and can learn the medical stuff, and now Patty V: Right. Chesla Wechsler: we have Morwenna, who we've had for a season, Patty V: Yeah. She's not narcissistic but she's yeah, she's kinda in between. She's she's not super competent, but she's not totally incompetent. she was not the best ma like Pauline would have been better assisting him than Morwenna. Morwena did better than she thought she was gonna do, but Chesla Wechsler: Mm-hmm. Patty V: you don't see Mor Morwenna going to phlebotomy school, I don't think, but I could be wrong. Chesla Wechsler: Al although she she she has a problem with needles, right? So that probably is not gonna happen. Patty V: Yeah, right. Right. Maybe not with blood but with needles, yeah, yeah. and that's Chesla Wechsler: Yeah. But she does you know, she's willing to she tells Martin, Did you want me to close up? I could probably do it if you talk me She's got a lot of confidence, Patty V: Yeah. I could say probably I that was funny. Yeah. Yeah. Chesla Wechsler: so we'll see what happens with that. what else did I read anything else about Best Medicine? It's coming out on September twenty second. I'll be doing an episode with the new Best Medicine Unspoiled panel, towards the end of August to get ourselves ready for the ready for the season. And I'll do a I'm gonna do a Buckham Fair short to fill people in on what that was all about and thank folks for sh show some pictures, those kinds of things. Folks, if you are enjoying the Podcast Portwenn, I hope you will subscribe to it and like the episodes, tell your friends about it, continue to comment. as I said, we've got some, you know, gabs twenty ten reinforced that we're all in agreement that there is a lot more to learn about the accident, which we talked about last time, and And that will likely get that'll likely give us more info on the phobia. So yeah, so continue to comment. I'm always gonna get back to you, especially when I'm not traveling to England and and jet lagged and all that. And Patty, as always, I appreciate the time you spend on this stuff and sharing your inputs. Awesome. Thanks. Patty V: It's my pleasure.