Latest / Podcast Portwenn: Doc Martin & Best Medicine / Best Medicine Season 2 Preview: A Gen Z Fan's Hot Takes on Martin, Louisa & the New Love Pentagon
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- speaker-0: You know, we never really know what happened to Mark's father, do we? speaker-1: Mark's father. Yeah. so this is the where my group of young fans comes in. 'cause we do talk about that a lot. we kind of had this headcanon jokingly, but also like maybe that the writer of There Might Be Blood might be his father. Because it was like I think the timeline was like 40 something years ago, and I was like, that lines up. Chesla Wechsler: Welcome to Podcast Portwenn, where we discuss all things Doc Martin and Best Medicine. I'm your host, Chesla Wechsler. Podcast Portwenn has a healthy little community out on YouTube, and that's where I met Gabriela She's joining me later tonight to talk about Best Medicine, the major plot arcs in season one, and where we think things are going in season two. We might even sneak in a few of our own hopes and dreams. If you haven't already, please subscribe to Podcast Port When and let your friends know about it if they like Doc Martin or Best Medicine. Consider joining the discussion on YouTube. Who knows? Maybe you'll be on the podcast someday. speaker-0: Gabriela come through and welcome to Podcast Portwenn. speaker-1: Glad to be here. And finally, nice to meet you. speaker-0: Yes, nice to meet you too. So we met on YouTube and from what I understand, You've got a group that you discuss this on Discord, you're in Gen Z, you enjoy Best Medicine, you've watched at least some, maybe maybe all of Doc Martin. why don't you tell us a little bit about how you discovered Best Medicine and the things that you like about it? speaker-1: Sure. I discovered Best Medicine on Hulu. I I think I read the description of a doctor with a blood phobia and I was like, okay, that sounds interesting. and then watched it live on Fox. And yeah, after that. I started watching Doc Martin to kind of see where it originally came from. And yeah. speaker-0: Did the people that you talk on Discord with did they also watch Doc Martin or no? speaker-1: they didn't when they first discovered Best Medicine, but I think now one of them for sure has, I know, and the rest I think they still I think they're still like waiting to watch it. speaker-0: Okay, now that's fine. so where do you think things go for season two here? speaker-1: I think there's a lot of different plot lines that are gonna come back from first season and then we'll probably see some new stuff come along. But definitely Martin, Eden Mark and apparently someone else which will be interesting. And having a baby that which would be complicated and Martin and the medical board and his blood phobia and how that's all gonna work itself out. Elaine and Al, where their relationship goes, speaker-0: I read somewhere that Liz Tucillo, who's the showrunner for the for Best Medicine, had said that letting people know that Martin has the blood phobia is one of the things that's gonna happen in season two. So instead of just the small select group of people knowing it sounds like it's gonna be a more widespread piece of information. speaker-1: He kind of looked like he was telling people about it. I won't and I wonder if that's gonna be his own choice or if something's gonna happen that kind of forces him to do that. so yeah, that'll be interesting to see how that like why that happens, how that happened. speaker-0: Yeah. I agree. Do you think Al and Elaine both stay in Port Wenn, or do you think one or the other or both end up s you know, scooting into the big city or anything? speaker-1: I think they'll both stay. I think Al could go to college somewhere else, but I think he does like being in Port Wenn. Like there's there's not really been an indication that he doesn't that he wants to leave, like Elaine has. I think he's pretty content staying there. I think he's pretty content staying anywhere that Elaine is. and yeah. speaker-0: What do you think of that just from you know a Gen Z perspective? I mean he's here's this guy who's got perfect SATs, he's got a million places he can go to school, and he's got this, you know, sort of on again, off again, maybe developing girlfriend, who was r who was, ready to pick up and head to New York City on him. do you think, do you think he should go to school? I mean, d regardless of the T V show. speaker-1: I think, yeah, I I would even if I was Elaine, I would encourage him to go to school. I mean he has perfect SAT scores. He could be a doctor, a lawyer, anything that he wanted to be. Yeah. major in anything that he wanted to be. and then be more than a handyman or someone that fixes a Wi Fi router. so he can always go and come back. He doesn't it's not like he has to leave forever. But I think personally he should go. Like I think he should go do something, find his own career. and I think Elaine would be sad about it, but she would be supportive about it. eventually. speaker-0: I mean NYU is one of the schools he got into. I mean, that's just an incredibly competitive school. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. It's a big big school accomplishment. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, we never really know who what happened to Mark's father, do we? speaker-1: Mark's father. Yeah. so this is the where my group of young fans comes in. 'cause we do talk about that a lot. we kind of had this headcanon jokingly, but also like maybe that the writer of There Might Be Blood might be his father. Because it was like I think the timeline was like 40 something years ago, and I was like, that lines up. Like it would make sense if that was him. speaker-0: Yeah, we talked about that on the podcast. Yeah, I think that was I think that was Erica's idea. speaker-1: yeah, I think it was now that I think about it. Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah, 'cause I I hadn't they're like, I wonder, it just it really does line up and it sounds like Mark's mom sort of got around. speaker-1: Yeah, it does yeah, but we always talk about that in our little group chat. It seems possible. speaker-0: Yeah, it'd be fun to have that guy back. So speaker-1: At all. speaker-0: do you think it sounds like Robert at least comes back. We don't know if Vanessa comes back. speaker-1: Right. speaker-0: Do you think they're still together? speaker-1: That's a good question. I think the fact that we don't know if Vanessa, the actress, is coming back, maybe be hinting that they aren't together or maybe they're separated. Mm, I don't know. I can see it either way. 'cause they do like each other and they've like been I mean, they've been together for a long time. and they got through Rosemary. So I could see them getting through a gambling addiction. speaker-0: And she's a therapist. I mean, you would think that somebody who's a therapist would have a bit of understanding towards somebody who has an addiction. speaker-1: Yeah. And she's a she's a psychiatrist, right? so yeah, even more so. The Yeah, I think a little I think they'll be together, but I think maybe she'll just not be in the show with Martin Clunes as Robert. speaker-0: Maybe he just comes back by himself or something like that and she's she's still in the picture but just not in the season perhaps. Yeah. I like I like both of I like both characters, so I I hope they're both back. speaker-1: Yeah, me too. I find them interesting. I find their relationship interesting, but I also find their dynamic with Martin interesting. Yeah. And and Aunt Sarah. speaker-0: Yeah. I thought that Vanessa told Elaine some stuff she really needed to hear. speaker-1: Yeah, I remember watching that the first time and I was like, that's kind of harsh, but also kind of true. 'cause I think Elaine does have this like genuine dream of being an influencer. And it could happen because TikTok and YouTube and everything is very big right now. It's pretty easy to become an influencer. but yeah, I think There's also other things that she could be doing, or at least have a plan B. being an influencer could be a side thing and so yeah. It was harsh, but her thing was what was speaker-0: You're cute, but you're not as cute as you think you are. speaker-1: Yeah, but Vanessa's like philosophy. speaker-0: radical honesty. speaker-1: Yeah, radical honesty. So speaker-0: It's harsh. By its very name. Yeah. speaker-1: Yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. I get this I mean, the the big the big villain in Best Medicine so far, other than people from outside, like the Norwegians, right? The big villain is Glendon. Right. Right. He seems sort of universally disliked. somebody who always thought the town was they were all entitled to him or or They owed him something, right? 'Cause he always threw the bean dinner and all that other kind of stuff. But he he throws Martin under the bus and you know, what's gonna happen with the whole ph phlebotomy Elaine thing? speaker-1: Yeah. I find Glendon's character interesting because like right off the bat, he's just like a jerk to Martin. And like this is a guy he hasn't seen in like all these years and just like he just like one look at him, it's like I'm gonna be a jerk to him, just like for no reason. And speaker-0: Because he was sad as a child. speaker-1: Yeah. But even like now that he's returned all these years later, it's like, why are you being a jerk to him now? Yeah. Like what do he ever do to you? speaker-0: Some people never grow up, you know. They just have that they're bullies and they're always bullies. speaker-1: Yeah. but yeah, I think his character is interesting because every time we see him, it's just like I think it's kind of like a macho thing, like Martin Best kind of becomes the new like the big man in town. Like people start going they start looking to him for everything. well he's a doctor, but also they just like like him. And I think Glendon feels like his like territory is being Ooh, trampled on. that's what I kind of get the sense. 'cause every time we see a scene with him, he's like I don't know, he just the way he acts just feels like he's like insecure about that. speaker-0: Well, he was the big guy in town, right? He was the rich guy, the rich developer. You know, he you know, everybody owes him something and this wouldn't exist without him and he's the only one who knows what's good for the town. So he brings in the Norwegians, you know. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I also think like even in the supper episode, I like he's caught off guard by Martin actually standing up to him. which I don't think anyone else does if yeah that if they were confronted by him. He's like, you know, I don't I donated all these beans and Martin's like, You donated beans, not a hospital wing. and so like yeah, I think that like really really got him going and also just like, I don't know. I think his character is interesting. It adds to the plot. but yeah, I don't think anybody likes him. But I think that's what his purpose is. Yeah. speaker-0: Now we have to make some progress with Martin and Louisa. Right? We have to. But where do you think things end up? I mean speaker-1: I think it's so complicated because they ended the season with like a bunch of misunderstandings. and I think to begin the season Eden and Mar Martin will be kind of the thing that's going on. And we don't know what's going on with Louisa and Mark if that if she said yes to his question. and like what's going on there. But I think there'll be like some jealousy arcs maybe, or yeah, I don't know. I think like halfway through the season there'll be more development with the relationship. And then by the end of the season they'll have I think they'll be together by the end of the season, but that's just my opinion. Yeah. speaker-0: Why not? Well we also have a love pentagon here with this Parker guy, right, who has to come observe Martin. speaker-1: Yeah. Yeah, he's the monitor for Martin, one of the monitors. and yeah, I think he has it's they said they had he has sparks with Louisa, which I think is interesting because I don't know. I've talked to like people online and they kind of are mad about that because why would a Louisa just move on from Martin like that? Yeah. but I'm also like Martin is kind of with Eden because he thinks he doesn't have a chance with Louisa. And so Louisa's gonna think she doesn't have a chance with Martin because she's with Eden. So it's like this whole thing. but I'm interested in it. I think it'll I think it'll push them closer together, so I'm not worried about that. speaker-0: Yes. speaking of pushing people closer together, how would you put Robert and Martin together so that they could actually make a little bit of progress on this whole accident talking about Rosemary speaker-1: I think I think my original like idea was to like have them stuck in a room together or something. and just like they're forced to talk. but I don't know, it can go so many ways. I think I think I don't know. It's just so complicated between the two of them. I think it's hard for them to talk about it in general, especially with one another, especially since we don't know what happened. Right. like was Robert driving? Was Vanessa there? Like did Martin do something to cause the accident? Like we don't know any of that. So I think that kind of information can be talked can is like what's gonna be brought up between the two of them. But I don't know really how I don't know how I I would put them together. speaker-0: Yeah. I'm not I'm not sure how I would put them together, but they have to have at least we have to learn more. We just have to. And my my opinion of of Robert is that he just he's just gonna fall apart if he has to crack that open again. speaker-1: Yeah, me too. I think he's I think he's like there's definitely a lot of grief still there for the whole family. and the fact that they don't talk about it is just like making it worse. Yeah. so I think if they do ever finally talk about it, the Martin for sure is already, you know, feeling it. and I think he'll just like they'll all have kind of this like breakdown of Just like all the grief that's just built up over the years. yeah. But yeah. speaker-0: Did you in the in season one of the podcast I put in like a little personal reflection on something that happened with my family with respect to a car accident? did you happen to see that? speaker-1: I think I did, yeah. speaker-0: Yeah. I mean it's it's just if if you have that reaction where somebody, the adult especially, just says we're just gonna put this in a box, put it on the shelf, and never talk about it again. It's rem I mean, kids don't know how to deal with that. You know, they they've got all these emotions that, you know, mom was here and then mom was gone, or Rosemary was here and then Rosemary was gone. And, you know, looking at somebody like me who had nothing to do with it, I wasn't even born at the time. And you get this like generational trauma. Imagine if you were in the first people. I just can't imagine how how Martin would would process that as a six year old. speaker-1: Yeah. And I think that's like part of the r well, the majority of the reason why he's turned out the way he is. I think he's just like I think I've explained it before, but head canon that he just got back from Aunt Sarah's w at the end of the summer and his parents seem to have like move on moved on and he's still stuck because no one's just no one's explained anything to him. No one's talked to him about it. He's he he's ha he hasn't been able to grieve correctly. Yeah. And so that just that builds up over time, and I think that's why him developing a blood phobia makes so much sense to me. Yeah. later in life versus like right then because then and there he didn't know what was happening. He's had all this se all these years pass by. And it all just like comes crashing in on him at once. And so speaker-0: Yeah, no, that makes perfect sense. It's like that that little girl just brought back that image of his sister. speaker-1: Mm-hmm. speaker-0: And just wow. Just crazy. Do you think we get a baby in season two or at least a pregnancy? speaker-1: not a baby, but I think it'll more be them exploring Louisa having a baby, like her journey to having a baby, if that's even possible for her and how that works out for her, who's gonna be the dad. maybe she'll adopt, you know, there's so many ways that could go. but I don't think there will be a baby. But I think by the end of season two, she'll be pregnant. Or have a plan to adopt a kid or something. speaker-0: Okay, cool. That'll be fun. So it sounds like you watch an episode, you watch it again, you talk to your friends on Discord. Mm-hmm and then if I'm very lucky, you'll come back and give me all those hot takes. speaker-1: Yes. speaker-0: Does that sound like a plan? speaker-1: Sounds like a plan. Awesome. speaker-0: Hey, listen, I really appreciate your time, especially with all the glitches that we had for persevering. folks, I hope that you will press the like button, you'll subscribe to the feed. If you know somebody who likes Doc Martin or Best Medicine, let them know about the podcast. And we do have a nice little community on YouTube where we get into some discussions here. And so hopefully you can join that. thanks again, Gabriela, I really appreciate it. speaker-1: Glad to be here. It was fun. speaker-0: Yes, good.