Maybe you're right -- tossed off the word too easily. Although a major share of the plot was dedicated to something I at least found more than usually implausible. And I found the treatment of the bipolar guy rather distasteful, knowing at least one such sufferer very well. I don't find bipolar psychosis amusing in the slightest, nor did he did a very convincing imitation of a manic episode, if that's what it was supposed to be. Suffice to say, that whole subplot for me was tiresome.

I did though, like the episode of Stewart the ranger and his squirrel buddy, Anthony. It wasn't very plausible either, I suppose, and in real life we could debate the virtue of giving him vitamins as placebo, as opposed to anti-psychotics. Perhaps it was just better written. It was quite wry, I think, and that's more my kind of humor.

NewPark, you hit the nail on the head for me. I just wasn't figuring out how to express it. "Tiresome" is a good word. And after watching The IT Crowd for many episodes, I'm just not too keen on Chris O'Dowd as an actor. He seems rather "one note" to me, especially compared to MC.

The rest of the episode (Lou's dad, the "friend", etc.) were all good.

As apprehensive as I am to chime in, I thought the episode degenerated into the "Chris O'Dowd Show" and I wanted someone to find the off switch. He was tiresome and that was part of the reason. That's a fascinating question...can you have a character who is so annoying....like DM...and have it survive without some redeeming characteristics? Probably not. If I had to continue watching Chris O'Dowd in that character I would have to turn it off.

Chris O''Dowd has been nominated for a Tony Award and has his own show on HBO. He has done very well for himself. It's funny how some very successful actors can rub some people the wrong way. It's been interesting to see how his career has progressed.

When Jonathan had destroyed the room in the B&B I thought Terry handled it pretty well. Terry is a crook so he is not going to be that nice, but he does seem to understand Jonathan's mental illness.

I agree, New Park, it is unfortunate how schizophrenic and bipolar sufferers are portrayed in tv, movies, etc. The words are thrown around a lot and aren't respectful of how painful the conditions are to the people who have them. There was a little of that in this episode, but I felt it was better than many portrayals.

The Doc redeems himself with his medical abilities. If he didn't have that characteristic I don't think he would be a sympathetic character. When I use the term "sympathetic" character, I don't mean the character himself is a sympathetic person. I mean he is a character with whom the audience empathizes and can relate to the emotions he is feeling and the situations he is in.

Wasn't he nominated for playing Lenny in "Of Mice and Men"? Nice casting in a physical sense and I bet he hit the mark dramatically. Good for him. Martin could have pulled that role off when he was younger, but now that he's so famous I don't think an audience would buy him as such a simple man.

This week's episode thrown out of the surgery:

S4E3 Perish Together as Fools


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Chris O D is a very fine actor. Different from MC but good all the same. Don't know that MC could have 'pulled it off' as a young actor cos at that stage in MCs career he really didn't have options? Just IMO!! Don't get the 'NOW that he's so famous' bit (He's not Hollywood and never will be) he's the perfect example of a fine actor who had a good time, worked hard and is now reaping the benefits - good for him (as you say!) lol To me Chris O D has much of the same qualities x

I am aware of some of Chris O'D's other work, and will give it a try as time permits. Maybe his IT Crowd character was too much like the DM role, so I haven't seen other sides of his acting. He's in Moone Boy on hulu.com, too, and will give it a try. And I know it isn't just the actor but the scripts, etc. that have to be quality, too.

Someone on FB posted the idea that Edith and Martin's mother were quite similar in many ways. Dare we open that can of worms for discussion?

Wow, I have to say I disagree strongly about "one note" O'Dowd. I just read an article about him in the States stating he is one of the best actors around. He was fantastic in "Bridesmaids" and now has his own "Moone Boy" show which is really highly-rated. He is also doing well in a play on Broadway, "Of Mice And Men", playing the mentally slow Lennie character. Just those roles alone show his broad range as an actor, I think.

You know, bipolar patients often do not want to be treated when they are in a manic phase--they are alive, energetic, with vivid thoughts, and "the real world" seems very grey and flat to them. Jonathan not taking his medicine when he was entering a manic phase is a not uncommon medical reality. They do not like the depths of their depressions, but the manic phases can be enjoyable to them, although with grandiose thoughts and spending money it can of course get them into trouble, and for some, even take them into psychosis.

I'm not sure we should pick on bipolar disease as the only disease DM has made fun of --as I said, sadomasochism, obesity, adultery, Cushing's/insecurity/incompetence, long term grief, and Stewart's severe anxieties and delusions, off the top of my head, oh, and OCD, have all been made fun of. Including DM's endless blood phobia.

It's not a medical documentary, it's a comedy/drama TV show. I thought "On The Edge" dealt with untreated bipolar disease in a fair fashion, equal to how it has historically done with multiple other Mental/Emotional conditions.

[quote=mmDerdekea;72512446]You know, bipolar patients often do not want to be treated when they are in a manic phase--they are alive, energetic, with vivid thoughts, and "the real world" seems very grey and flat to them. Jonathan not taking his medicine when he was entering a manic phase is a not uncommon medical reality. They do not like the depths of their depressions, but the manic phases can be enjoyable to them, although with grandiose thoughts and spending money it can of course get them into trouble, and for some, even take them into psychosis.

I'm not sure we should pick on bipolar disease as the only disease DM has made fun of --as I said, sadomasochism, obesity, adultery, Cushing's/insecurity/incompetence, long term grief, and Stewart's severe anxieties and delusions, off the top of my head, oh, and OCD, have all been made fun of. Including DM's endless blood phobia.

It's not a medical documentary, it's a comedy/drama TV show. I thought "On The Edge" dealt with untreated bipolar disease in a fair fashion, equal to how it has historically done with multiple other Mental/


I still wanted to hit him with a stick.

Believe me, I'm fully aware of what happens when people diagnosed with Bipolar disorder go off meds and get into a manic state --- it feels very good to many, at least until they get really frenetic. It doesn't feel so good to those around them, usually.

It's just my particular issue that I don't find the treatment of bpd very amusing. Your mileage may vary, as they say.

Do you think they made fun of Trish's OCD? Actually, I don't see them as poking fun at these disorders per se, but perhaps more at Martin's reaction to them? or at the situations their disorders got them in, as when Caroline was thought to be drunk? It's an interesting point, that I'll have to think about some more.

No, I did not think they made fun of Trisha's OCD, but I don't think they made fun of Jonathan's bipolar, either. They showed what happens when UNtreated people are suffering from OCD (Trisha and Pruddy), grief (dressing in wife's clothes), PTSD, etc. It didn't show what treated people are like, and then make fun of them. DM shows what happens to the sad individuals with a mental/emotional condition, who are not receiving proper medical care, which helps exemplify the commitment to excellent medical care that DM represents.

Jonathan's mania was actually much more realistic, to me, as a physician, than Stewart imagining some 6 foot tall invisible squirrel, (or even a man dressing in his wife's clothes and wig), yet people adore Stewart and find judgment with Jonathan. I'm not honestly sure why. One can only conclude that bipolar disease, for some reason, pushes a reactive button in society more than PTSD, or OCD, or relentless grief, etc.

Since I watch DM for fun and enjoyment, On The Edge did not push any buttons for me, but as you say, mileage varies.

I guess the short answer for me is that I found Jonathan annoying and Stewart rather appealing, although I do grant you that untreated mania is a far, far more likely circumstance than the psychotic delusion that one is living with a giant squirrel (an imaginary anything, really). And also that untreated mania can in fact be VERY annoying to those around the person, although often, as you say, very enjoyable to the one experiencing it. (Although Jonathan didn't seem to be having much fun).

BTW, I wonder what happened to the idea that Martin Clunes was going to be in a production of Harvey sometime in the fall of 2014? (Speaking of giant imaginary creatures). I suppose there's plenty of time for that to come to fruition and we'll hear more about it later.

This has some details

http://www.broadwayworld.com/westend...7#.U2rVWChBob8

I think that must have fallen through. I looked at the website for Chichester a couple of months ago and their calendar through spring was posted with no mention of Harvey.

That's probably why he was able to sign up for the Doyle role. Or maybe the Doyle role came along and he told Chichester he couldn't do Harvey.

Yes, Shop Girl,or it may have been the new documentary "Man and Beasts" which is going to take some time in the near future. Was It just me, or does anyone get vibes that being in the theatre wasn't MC's favorite thing? He was so funny when he talked about coming back home at night and everyone being in bed and having to watch late night car crash shows until he was able to sleep. I also wondered about all that time in London....

Too bad.

Someone has suggested that the whole Stewart the Park Ranger and Anthony the squirrel gag was kind of an homage to Jimmy Stewart and his invisible pal, Harvey.

It now occurs to me to wonder about the name Anthony. I think Dominic Minghella wrote this one, and he had a brother named Anthony (I think Anthony died after the first season of DM).

Of course......Stewart's full name was Stewart James. I read something recently that MC has played Elwood P. Dowd.......Harvey's friend...a number of times before when he was doing contemporary theater in Liverpool years ago, so it wouldn't be new to him and he probably wouldn't have to work as hard to memorize lines. The article also said that they did a number of modern works so he's done his share of theater. I bet they did "Neville's Island" as a play prior to making it for TV. Now that was an interesting piece of work...totally took me by surprise.

Like I said earlier, I think they handled his bi-polar pretty well in On the Edge. It also showed me that Chris O'Dowd is an excellent actor.

Shows often fall back on the stereotype that people with bpd force themselves to take their meds because they really want to go into the manic state because it feels so great. It's sort of an efficient explanation of a character's behavior. Nonetheless, I think it was done pretty well in this DM episode, and certainly better than most shows/movies of the mid-2000's.

Over the past few years I have grown to know a lot of Doc Martin fans. They are not the kind of people who like mean-spirited humor that delights in the misfortunes of others. I think you are spot on with your analysis about that.

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I wonder if he was able to talk them into pushing it back a year or two. By then Emily might be in school more and he and Philippa could spend a few months in London?

Reading this discussion of bipolar and OCD, I read a really interesting article recently about an actor on Coronation Street (my long time guilty pleasure). He plays a burly, sometimes aggressive builder (Owen for anyone who watches the show). He told the reporter all about his OCD, which sounds much worse than any case I have ever heard of. He says that the set is just a minefield for him. One thing that I now watch for when I watch him on the screen is if I see that he is about to sit down. He has this fear that if he sits down too fast that he will break his tailbone. So, he sometimes has to jump into his truck and drive away - and he talks about how difficult this can be for him, but that everyone on the set is very helpful to him. Really interesting reading if anyone is inclined:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/c...davies-3340970

Point of information: Anthony Minghella, Dominic's brother, died in 2008.