I rewatched "Born with a Shotgun," the third episode of Season 5. While there is a certain amount of tension between Martin and Louisa -- when he asks her to keep the baby quiet and she snaps at him -- overall, that is the kind of snappish conversation any parents of a young infant would have.
But in this episode, the two seem to have settled into a rhythm that is working for them. Louisa is feeling comfortable enough that she agrees to move to London. Martin is relaxed enough to agree to take care of JH (still unnamed) while Louisa goes out for the evening -- and wait for it -- even makes a little joke about having some medical training!
And then, of course, there is the closing scene with Louisa when she secretly sees Martin read aloud a medical journal to the baby and the baby gives his Dad all kinds of smiles and chortles. For that moment, Louisa knows she has made the right decision to move to London, to keep the family together.
And then of course, episodes 4 ,5, 6, 7, and 8 happen
I still don't get why she really said yes to London (i've read everyones views before but i'd personally need something concrete from DM) other than keeping the family together - no overt overtures of desire/need by DM. I loved that scene with JH but felt let down that it sort of led nowhere - no understanding between DM and LG. DM missed the opportunity to say something nice when LG went out dressed up. Whole ep left me sad overall and then ep 4, 5 etc.
Liked AR in that ep. Would have called it "shiny things"!
I still don't get why she really said yes to London (i've read everyones views before but i'd personally need something concrete from DM) other than keeping the family together - no overt overtures of desire/need by DM. I loved that scene with JH but felt let down that it sort of led nowhere - no understanding between DM and LG. DM missed the opportunity to say something nice when LG went out dressed up. Whole ep left me sad overall and then ep 4, 5 etc.
Liked AR in that ep. Would have called it "shiny things"!
It's probably been said before, but I do think that Louisa wants JH to have the kind of family she never had. Martin has stepped up as the kind of father she would want for her son -- even if he doesn't seem to be much husband material at that point
And then of course, things go downhill -- fast.
And yes, Aunt Ruth is delightful. In fact, she too, in those early episodes, seem less dire in her predictions about Martin and Louisa. Maybe she hasn't seen them together much? I loved her line "Not ideal, but we can work with that." She's much more practical and droll than her nephew.
I have a question -- if we are to see parallels in the storylines -- how does the mother/son duo of arsenic wallpaper story parallel Martin and Louisa (if it does?)?
New poll up on www.docmartinonline.net - In Season 1, Episode 2, when Mrs Walker (the matchmaker) asks Doc Martin whether he's a breast or a leg man, what do you think goes through his mind?
To be honest, I didn't like any of the answers. I think he thought "breasts". We know LG on top of him in a nightie is a lusty dream he has....
Why do we love Martin and Louisa? Why do we chat and dream up new stories about them?
I think it is because of the human relationship and all the ups and downs. Without that, it might as well be a static cartoon pinned to the wall.
Those who know me know why I say this, today. Tomorrow I have to say goodbye to someone very dear. She loved Doc Martin and I do too.
Robspace, so sorry for your sadness and the difficult thing you have to do today. Ups and downs are all read backwards from the end. Hope yours was a comedy, rather than a tragedy. Sounds like it was.
Liked AR in that ep. Would have called it "shiny things"!
"Boho with a shotgun" is certainly one of the weirder episode titles. During the Spring of 2011 when S5 was being filmed, there was a limited release Canadian film called "Hobo with a Shotgun" starring Rutger Hauer. I haven't seen it (doesn't sound like my cup of tea at all), but it got some quite good critical reviews, and is described online as having attaining "cult status" since its release on netflix. One review called it a "down and dirty, hyper-violent, fully demented, all severed heads and limbs salute to 1970s Grindhouse" which describes its flavour. "Boho" is short for Bohemian. It's a style in clothing -- all peasant blouses and ratty crinkle cotton skirts, maybe even crocheted bits and pieces with feathers hanging -- which sort of fits with the aesthetic of Michael's hub-cap-and-chicken-feather art. The darkness brought to the episode by the shotgun and the suspicion of a son poisioning his mother with weed-killer, also by the allusions to a somewhat oedipal relationship between Michael and Shirley, might be a reference to a more violent sort of film genre, for which "Hobo with a Shotgun" was the current poster-boy at the time of filming. The fact that "Hobo" is dyslexically spelled "Boho" might also fit with the kind of off-beat humour of this episode and the way Cornwall is portrayed in it as a kind of off-beat place generally. If all of that is involved in the title, it's really quite clever, though a bit recherche -- too much of an in-joke for cult-film followers for the casual viewer to be expected to decode.
"Boho with a shotgun" is certainly one of the weirder episode titles. During the Spring of 2011 when S5 was being filmed, there was a limited release Canadian film called "Hobo with a Shotgun" starring Rutger Hauer. I haven't seen it (doesn't sound like my cup of tea at all), but it got some quite good critical reviews, and is described online as having attaining "cult status" since its release on netflix. One review called it a "down and dirty, hyper-violent, fully demented, all severed heads and limbs salute to 1970s Grindhouse" which describes its flavour. "Boho" is short for Bohemian. It's a style in clothing -- all peasant blouses and ratty crinkle cotton skirts, maybe even crocheted bits and pieces with feathers hanging -- which sort of fits with the aesthetic of Michael's hub-cap-and-chicken-feather art. The darkness brought to the episode by the shotgun and the suspicion of a son poisioning his mother with weed-killer, also by the allusions to a somewhat oedipal relationship between Michael and Shirley, might be a reference to a more violent sort of film genre, for which "Hobo with a Shotgun" was the current poster-boy at the time of filming. The fact that "Hobo" is dyslexically spelled "Boho" might also fit with the kind of off-beat humour of this episode and the way Cornwall is portrayed in it as a kind of off-beat place generally. If all of that is involved in the title, it's really quite clever, though a bit recherche -- too much of an in-joke for cult-film followers for the casual viewer to be expected to decode.
I think the writer of that episode, Jack Lothian (?) did actually say that the title was a take-off on "Hobo with a Shotgun and admitted that the reference was probably too esoteric in that no-one got it.
I think there's a lot "recherche" and in-joke stuff buried in DM, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes not. My favorite example is when Holly asks DM if he knows "Johnny Bamford." The fabled onions are probably another example -- Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader.
Yeah, I would agree that the answer to this week's poll is "none of the above." I think what's running through his head is something like: "Intrusive, ill-bred woman! Are there no boundaries in this place? Is it to be borne?"
I think the writer of that episode, Jack Lothian (?) did actually say that the title was a take-off on "Hobo with a Shotgun and admitted that the reference was probably too esoteric in that no-one got it.
I think there's a lot "recherche" and in-joke stuff buried in DM, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes not. My favorite example is when Holly asks DM if he knows "Johnny Bamford." The fabled onions are probably another example -- Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader.
So remote a link that they didn't even bother using the same episode title in the North American DVD's, in which they exchanged "Boho" with "Born". I knew the UK title was "Boho With A Shotgun" and admit I had to look up the word. I had never heard of boho. I guess that's why they changed it. It isn't a word commonly used in the US, at least not where I come from.
That said, they weren't exactly creative in the renaming of the episode, were they?
I agree that there are lots of little in-jokes and references scattered through the episodes. Some we can latch onto, such as the ones you mentioned, but I bet there are many we know nothing about. I did notice that one of the recurring characters, Mrs. Poustie, is named after associate producer Sandy Poustie. And doesn't Dominic Minghella have a daughter named Louisa?
I think the writer of that episode, Jack Lothian (?) did actually say that the title was a take-off on "Hobo with a Shotgun and admitted that the reference was probably too esoteric in that no-one got it.
I think there's a lot "recherche" and in-joke stuff buried in DM, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes not. My favorite example is when Holly asks DM if he knows "Johnny Bamford." The fabled onions are probably another example -- Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader.
Yes, JL did let me know the correct title was 'Boho' and not 'Born' With a Shotgun. He contacted me via YouTube after I had uploaded that ep. He said it was in reference to the Hobo film mentioned above. He was hoping that people liked it. I guess YT was a good source for audience response and the comments for him. Also, many of the UK sites listed the title as 'Born'? which is why I originally posted it that way.
Yes, JL did let me know the correct title was 'Boho' and not 'Born' With a Shotgun. He contacted me via YouTube after I had uploaded that ep. He said it was in reference to the Hobo film mentioned above. He was hoping that people liked it. I guess YT was a good source for audience response and the comments for him. Also, many of the UK sites listed the title as 'Born'? which is why I originally posted it that way.
My DVD lists "Born With a Shotgun", which is pretty goofy, IMO.
So remote a link that they didn't even bother using the same episode title in the North American DVD's, in which they exchanged "Boho" with "Born". I knew the UK title was "Boho With A Shotgun" and admit I had to look up the word. I had never heard of boho. I guess that's why they changed it. It isn't a word commonly used in the US, at least not where I come from.
I agree. I've never heard or read the term "Boho" anywhere in the States. Had no idea what it meant, and also felt "Born with a Shotgun" was a bizarre title.
That is odd that JL used that nasty, violent film as a reference when our episode is not nasty or violent at all. I've never heard of "Hobo with a Shotgun" either being no Rutger Hauer fan at all. What's the point of connecting the two?
It is funny how folks "on the moor" are frequently seen as a bunch of nutcakes, and/or "white trashy"--the Flints, the spinster sisters, this mother/son in S5. No wonder the Larges wondered if Joan was losing it when she locked Theo Wenn in the chicken coop; apparently, "going Bodmin" is a bit of a reality out there in Cornwall.
I think the writer of that episode, Jack Lothian (?) did actually say that the title was a take-off on "Hobo with a Shotgun and admitted that the reference was probably too esoteric in that no-one got it.
I think there's a lot "recherche" and in-joke stuff buried in DM, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes not. My favorite example is when Holly asks DM if he knows "Johnny Bamford." The fabled onions are probably another example -- Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader.
So remote a link that they didn't even bother using the same episode title in the North American DVD's, in which they exchanged "Boho" with "Born". I knew the UK title was "Boho With A Shotgun" and admit I had to look up the word. I had never heard of boho. I guess that's why they changed it. It isn't a word commonly used in the US, at least not where I come from.
That said, they weren't exactly creative in the renaming of the episode, were they?
I agree that there are lots of little in-jokes and references scattered through the episodes. Some we can latch onto, such as the ones you mentioned, but I bet there are many we know nothing about. I did notice that one of the recurring characters, Mrs. Poustie, is named after associate producer Sandy Poustie. And doesn't Dominic Minghella have a daughter named Louisa?
Yes, JL did let me know the correct title was 'Boho' and not 'Born' With a Shotgun. He contacted me via YouTube after I had uploaded that ep. He said it was in reference to the Hobo film mentioned above. He was hoping that people liked it. I guess YT was a good source for audience response and the comments for him. Also, many of the UK sites listed the title as 'Born'? which is why I originally posted it that way.
That's interesting. I didn't see the youtube exchange between Connie and Jack Lothian, and was thinking myself so clever at having worked out the reference! Good to have it confirmed. Johnny Bamford is the guy who scouts out film locations for them in Cornwall, isn't he? His name has been in the credits since the 2 Sky Pictures movies, though I'd always heard Holly to say "Joly Bamford" (Jolyon being one of those hyper Brit names like Pippa or Geoffrey spelled with a G). I don't get the Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader reference at all NewPark, please explain. I've always thought the 6 foot squirrel (Ant) may have been a reference to Dominic Minghella's screen-writing brother Anthony. According to the lovely obituary which Dominic wrote for Anthony they called each other "Dom" and "Ant." S1E4 was before Anthony's untimely death. I think if he had already passed away, we would have seen a less jocular tribute. Thanks Biffpup -- I've often wondered how they decided on the name, Louisa.
That's interesting. I didn't see the youtube exchange between Connie and Jack Lothian, and was thinking myself so clever at having worked out the reference! Good to have it confirmed. Johnny Bamford is the guy who scouts out film locations for them in Cornwall, isn't he? His name has been in the credits since the 2 Sky Pictures movies, though I'd always heard Holly to say "Joly Bamford" (Jolyon being one of those hyper Brit names like Pippa or Geoffrey spelled with a G). I don't get the Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader reference at all NewPark, please explain. I've always thought the 6 foot squirrel (Ant) may have been a reference to Dominic Minghella's screen-writing brother Anthony. According to the lovely obituary which Dominic wrote for Anthony they called each other "Dom" and "Ant." S1E4 was before Anthony's untimely death. I think if he had already passed away, we would have seen a less jocular tribute. Thanks Biffpup -- I've often wondered how they decided on the name, Louisa.
Way down in the credits, there is a Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader. That is a chief honcho on the camera crew, apparently. That's why I think the onions here and there are a shout-out to him.
Isn't Bamford also the last name of Doc Martin in the earlier films?
That's interesting. I didn't see the youtube exchange between Connie and Jack Lothian, and was thinking myself so clever at having worked out the reference! Good to have it confirmed. Johnny Bamford is the guy who scouts out film locations for them in Cornwall, isn't he? His name has been in the credits since the 2 Sky Pictures movies, though I'd always heard Holly to say "Joly Bamford" (Jolyon being one of those hyper Brit names like Pippa or Geoffrey spelled with a G). I don't get the Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader reference at all NewPark, please explain. I've always thought the 6 foot squirrel (Ant) may have been a reference to Dominic Minghella's screen-writing brother Anthony. According to the lovely obituary which Dominic wrote for Anthony they called each other "Dom" and "Ant." S1E4 was before Anthony's untimely death. I think if he had already passed away, we would have seen a less jocular tribute. Thanks Biffpup -- I've often wondered how they decided on the name, Louisa.
I think it is common knowledge that "Ellingham" was chosen because it is an anagram of "Minghella".
I wondered if they chose the name for the hotel owner "Carrie Wilson" as a tribute to Carre Hilton since "Hilton" is a famous hotel chain?
I looked up Johnny Bamford and found this interesting article from when they were filming the Doc Martin movies (prequels to Saving Grace):
I didn't use the word evil. And I probably reserve that for Charles Manson and his ilk. But, imo, this is not an otherwise "normal" adolescent whose poor impulse control failed him. Is he redeemable? Maybe. Verdict has to be out for an adolescent. We don't know enough about the kid and history.
Sorry to wade in so late, but this discussion has really been fascinating. . .
You know, the popular thinking for some time - in education - has been that there are no bad kids, just kids that sometimes do bad things. Or, even more politically correct, kids that do things you would prefer they didn't do (because "bad" is so subjective.) I'm not about demonizing people, but I'm wondering if this value neutral approach essentially abrogates people of their responsibility for their actions. But, going to the other end of the continuum (of course I'm not a religious scholar and I don't mean to offend folks here) is the concept of original sin and that people are essentially born bad.
Can anyone explain what parallel storylines are in Born with a Shotgun aka Boho with a Shotgun? Thanks.
I thiink the Dunnages are the only family that could legitimately be called bohos, but what if we took that word as a sort of loose synonym for crazy, out of kilter etc. In this episode there are three additional subplots: 1. Bert with his positional vertigo, 2. Morwenna, her grandfather and the energy pills. and 3. the ongoing one with Martin, Louisa and JH as they try to work out how to be a family. Everybody in this episode, except perhaps Ruth and Al, are a bit out of kilter: Bert, literally off balance, Morwenna speeding around the Doc's kitchen, and Martin and Louisa being driven a little stir-crazy by the constantly crying JH. All the craziness is resolved by the end of the episode, Mrs. Dunnage getting proper medical treatment, Morwenna getting another chance at the surgery, Bert presumably mastering the Epley maneover, and JH going from an unsoothable crier in the opening scene of the episode ("stir the baby, stir the baby") to a li'l darling, listening so attentively to Dr. Wolfstein's article from the medical journal. I do agree that although there is sparring between M&L here, they are finding their rhythm as a couple and as parents, all of which is destroyed by the arrival of Eleanor in the next episode.
Thanks for the answer to my question about John Coleman and Carrie Hilton, and about Roger Onions. The Carrie Wilson reference seems plausible.
Re: original sin, (sorry, can't help rising to this) it's not quite the idea that people are essentially bad. That would be Manicheeism, a heresy which Christianity rejected. The Christian view is that people are created in the image of God, an image which became marred by sin, but not eradicated, in a narrative that predates our individual birth. Each human person then is now born into a dual inheritance: the image of God (some understand this as a purpose or calling, others as a set of faculties that make human beings uniquely able to respond to God), and original sin (understood as corruption in every faculty, so that neither our mind nor will are able to lead us back to God without assistance). This Christian anthropology critiques two modern ideologies: first, the Neitzschean one that seems to prevail in the school system statesidefan describes, where good and evil are seen as subjective and all people, regardless of action, are deemed essentially good. Second, it critiques the notion that those who perpetrate heinous crimes are monsters and fall into some category other than human. Original sin means that the "heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17.9). Jews and Christians are never surprised at the human capacity for wrong-doing, but this is a capacity deemed to be within everyone, so there is also no surprise at finding scintillations of the image of God -- evidence of a common humanity -- there.
When I say that Jamie is bad, I don't mean that he is ontologically bad (mis-wired somehow so that he never had a chance to be anything else). He is existentially bad (morally self-mutilated through consistently choosing the bad rather than the good). He has habituated himself to vice with each and every action we see him taking in the course of that 2 hour show. Now at 14, or whatever he is, he's a bad kid, the product of what his actions have made him. It's the image of God, present in the conscience, that allows him to recognise that about himself. Too bad his mother can't. Recognising it means he's in a far more likely condition to get the help he needs and embark on a course of true metanoia (repentance/life-change).
Comments
I still don't get why she really said yes to London (i've read everyones views before but i'd personally need something concrete from DM) other than keeping the family together - no overt overtures of desire/need by DM. I loved that scene with JH but felt let down that it sort of led nowhere - no understanding between DM and LG. DM missed the opportunity to say something nice when LG went out dressed up. Whole ep left me sad overall and then ep 4, 5 etc.
Liked AR in that ep. Would have called it "shiny things"!
It's probably been said before, but I do think that Louisa wants JH to have the kind of family she never had. Martin has stepped up as the kind of father she would want for her son -- even if he doesn't seem to be much husband material at that point
And then of course, things go downhill -- fast.
And yes, Aunt Ruth is delightful. In fact, she too, in those early episodes, seem less dire in her predictions about Martin and Louisa. Maybe she hasn't seen them together much? I loved her line "Not ideal, but we can work with that." She's much more practical and droll than her nephew.
I have a question -- if we are to see parallels in the storylines -- how does the mother/son duo of arsenic wallpaper story parallel Martin and Louisa (if it does?)?
To be honest, I didn't like any of the answers. I think he thought "breasts". We know LG on top of him in a nightie is a lusty dream he has....
Is that too risque on the list?
We're all grown-ups here....:D
Robspace, i'm so grateful for your poetic spirit in all your sharing. So sorry for your loss.
Robspace, so sorry for your sadness and the difficult thing you have to do today. Ups and downs are all read backwards from the end. Hope yours was a comedy, rather than a tragedy. Sounds like it was.
"Boho with a shotgun" is certainly one of the weirder episode titles. During the Spring of 2011 when S5 was being filmed, there was a limited release Canadian film called "Hobo with a Shotgun" starring Rutger Hauer. I haven't seen it (doesn't sound like my cup of tea at all), but it got some quite good critical reviews, and is described online as having attaining "cult status" since its release on netflix. One review called it a "down and dirty, hyper-violent, fully demented, all severed heads and limbs salute to 1970s Grindhouse" which describes its flavour. "Boho" is short for Bohemian. It's a style in clothing -- all peasant blouses and ratty crinkle cotton skirts, maybe even crocheted bits and pieces with feathers hanging -- which sort of fits with the aesthetic of Michael's hub-cap-and-chicken-feather art. The darkness brought to the episode by the shotgun and the suspicion of a son poisioning his mother with weed-killer, also by the allusions to a somewhat oedipal relationship between Michael and Shirley, might be a reference to a more violent sort of film genre, for which "Hobo with a Shotgun" was the current poster-boy at the time of filming. The fact that "Hobo" is dyslexically spelled "Boho" might also fit with the kind of off-beat humour of this episode and the way Cornwall is portrayed in it as a kind of off-beat place generally. If all of that is involved in the title, it's really quite clever, though a bit recherche -- too much of an in-joke for cult-film followers for the casual viewer to be expected to decode.
I think the writer of that episode, Jack Lothian (?) did actually say that the title was a take-off on "Hobo with a Shotgun and admitted that the reference was probably too esoteric in that no-one got it.
I think there's a lot "recherche" and in-joke stuff buried in DM, sometimes in plain sight, sometimes not. My favorite example is when Holly asks DM if he knows "Johnny Bamford." The fabled onions are probably another example -- Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader.
It isn't too risque for me! Or for the Doc's dreamworld.
Yeah, I would agree that the answer to this week's poll is "none of the above." I think what's running through his head is something like: "Intrusive, ill-bred woman! Are there no boundaries in this place? Is it to be borne?"
So remote a link that they didn't even bother using the same episode title in the North American DVD's, in which they exchanged "Boho" with "Born". I knew the UK title was "Boho With A Shotgun" and admit I had to look up the word. I had never heard of boho. I guess that's why they changed it. It isn't a word commonly used in the US, at least not where I come from.
That said, they weren't exactly creative in the renaming of the episode, were they?
I agree that there are lots of little in-jokes and references scattered through the episodes. Some we can latch onto, such as the ones you mentioned, but I bet there are many we know nothing about. I did notice that one of the recurring characters, Mrs. Poustie, is named after associate producer Sandy Poustie. And doesn't Dominic Minghella have a daughter named Louisa?
Yes, JL did let me know the correct title was 'Boho' and not 'Born' With a Shotgun. He contacted me via YouTube after I had uploaded that ep. He said it was in reference to the Hobo film mentioned above. He was hoping that people liked it. I guess YT was a good source for audience response and the comments for him. Also, many of the UK sites listed the title as 'Born'? which is why I originally posted it that way.
My DVD lists "Born With a Shotgun", which is pretty goofy, IMO.
I agree. I've never heard or read the term "Boho" anywhere in the States. Had no idea what it meant, and also felt "Born with a Shotgun" was a bizarre title.
That is odd that JL used that nasty, violent film as a reference when our episode is not nasty or violent at all. I've never heard of "Hobo with a Shotgun" either being no Rutger Hauer fan at all. What's the point of connecting the two?
It is funny how folks "on the moor" are frequently seen as a bunch of nutcakes, and/or "white trashy"--the Flints, the spinster sisters, this mother/son in S5. No wonder the Larges wondered if Joan was losing it when she locked Theo Wenn in the chicken coop; apparently, "going Bodmin" is a bit of a reality out there in Cornwall.
That's interesting. I didn't see the youtube exchange between Connie and Jack Lothian, and was thinking myself so clever at having worked out the reference! Good to have it confirmed. Johnny Bamford is the guy who scouts out film locations for them in Cornwall, isn't he? His name has been in the credits since the 2 Sky Pictures movies, though I'd always heard Holly to say "Joly Bamford" (Jolyon being one of those hyper Brit names like Pippa or Geoffrey spelled with a G). I don't get the Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader reference at all NewPark, please explain. I've always thought the 6 foot squirrel (Ant) may have been a reference to Dominic Minghella's screen-writing brother Anthony. According to the lovely obituary which Dominic wrote for Anthony they called each other "Dom" and "Ant." S1E4 was before Anthony's untimely death. I think if he had already passed away, we would have seen a less jocular tribute. Thanks Biffpup -- I've often wondered how they decided on the name, Louisa.
Way down in the credits, there is a Roger Onions, Clapper-Loader. That is a chief honcho on the camera crew, apparently. That's why I think the onions here and there are a shout-out to him.
Isn't Bamford also the last name of Doc Martin in the earlier films?
I believe that John Coleman was a crew member who fell to his death from one of the cliffs around Port Isaac. Don't know about Carrie Hilton.
Its available on Netflix but I haven't watched it yet.
Carrie Hilton was a casting director: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0385231/ who died from cancer in 2007.
I think it is common knowledge that "Ellingham" was chosen because it is an anagram of "Minghella".
I wondered if they chose the name for the hotel owner "Carrie Wilson" as a tribute to Carre Hilton since "Hilton" is a famous hotel chain?
I looked up Johnny Bamford and found this interesting article from when they were filming the Doc Martin movies (prequels to Saving Grace):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1329291/Villagers-revolt-at-invasion-of-film-makers.html
Carrie Hilton was Casting Director on the earlier episodes I believe
Sorry to wade in so late, but this discussion has really been fascinating. . .
You know, the popular thinking for some time - in education - has been that there are no bad kids, just kids that sometimes do bad things. Or, even more politically correct, kids that do things you would prefer they didn't do (because "bad" is so subjective.) I'm not about demonizing people, but I'm wondering if this value neutral approach essentially abrogates people of their responsibility for their actions. But, going to the other end of the continuum (of course I'm not a religious scholar and I don't mean to offend folks here) is the concept of original sin and that people are essentially born bad.
I thiink the Dunnages are the only family that could legitimately be called bohos, but what if we took that word as a sort of loose synonym for crazy, out of kilter etc. In this episode there are three additional subplots: 1. Bert with his positional vertigo, 2. Morwenna, her grandfather and the energy pills. and 3. the ongoing one with Martin, Louisa and JH as they try to work out how to be a family. Everybody in this episode, except perhaps Ruth and Al, are a bit out of kilter: Bert, literally off balance, Morwenna speeding around the Doc's kitchen, and Martin and Louisa being driven a little stir-crazy by the constantly crying JH. All the craziness is resolved by the end of the episode, Mrs. Dunnage getting proper medical treatment, Morwenna getting another chance at the surgery, Bert presumably mastering the Epley maneover, and JH going from an unsoothable crier in the opening scene of the episode ("stir the baby, stir the baby") to a li'l darling, listening so attentively to Dr. Wolfstein's article from the medical journal. I do agree that although there is sparring between M&L here, they are finding their rhythm as a couple and as parents, all of which is destroyed by the arrival of Eleanor in the next episode.
Thanks for the answer to my question about John Coleman and Carrie Hilton, and about Roger Onions. The Carrie Wilson reference seems plausible.
Re: original sin, (sorry, can't help rising to this) it's not quite the idea that people are essentially bad. That would be Manicheeism, a heresy which Christianity rejected. The Christian view is that people are created in the image of God, an image which became marred by sin, but not eradicated, in a narrative that predates our individual birth. Each human person then is now born into a dual inheritance: the image of God (some understand this as a purpose or calling, others as a set of faculties that make human beings uniquely able to respond to God), and original sin (understood as corruption in every faculty, so that neither our mind nor will are able to lead us back to God without assistance). This Christian anthropology critiques two modern ideologies: first, the Neitzschean one that seems to prevail in the school system statesidefan describes, where good and evil are seen as subjective and all people, regardless of action, are deemed essentially good. Second, it critiques the notion that those who perpetrate heinous crimes are monsters and fall into some category other than human. Original sin means that the "heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17.9). Jews and Christians are never surprised at the human capacity for wrong-doing, but this is a capacity deemed to be within everyone, so there is also no surprise at finding scintillations of the image of God -- evidence of a common humanity -- there.
When I say that Jamie is bad, I don't mean that he is ontologically bad (mis-wired somehow so that he never had a chance to be anything else). He is existentially bad (morally self-mutilated through consistently choosing the bad rather than the good). He has habituated himself to vice with each and every action we see him taking in the course of that 2 hour show. Now at 14, or whatever he is, he's a bad kid, the product of what his actions have made him. It's the image of God, present in the conscience, that allows him to recognise that about himself. Too bad his mother can't. Recognising it means he's in a far more likely condition to get the help he needs and embark on a course of true metanoia (repentance/life-change).