Did anyone else notice that Aunt Joan's clock was on the mantle behind Louisa in the breakfast scene (in the consulting room) in E7? Seems an interesting decision, since we have only ever seen the clock open and being worked on. Does this mean he has finished the repair of the clock? Knowing this show, there has to be some meaning there. I also thought it odd that Martin mentioned to his mother that the clock could be valuable - the only thing of value that Aunt Joan had. (We know there was an estimate a bit ago of her farm being worth £600,000)

What if Martin throws mummie dearest out and she decides to steal the clock? Hmmmmmmmmmmm

I guess I must be a fanatic........but we all know that already!

Earlier I suggested that Sheldon Cooper (from The Big Bang Theory) was Doc Martin, but I was wrong. I now think he's a distant relative and here are the reasons why:

He does not socialize well with others.
He usually insults them.
He doesn't seem that interested in sex (not as much as Amy is anyway.)
He's very neat and organized, and has to have things a certain way.
He believes people should knock before entering (Penny? Knock-knock, Penny? Knock-knock...)

Wow....what an evil suggestion. I noticed that clock, too, but didn't register that it was Joan's clock. So he got that going....? He got what was valuable of Joan's going again and gives it to Mummy or Mummy steals it from him? I love this program...sometimes we all crack me up!!! Good going Shop Girl. I am wondering how the money issue will be settled. I don't imagine his cash reserve is as healthy after Christopher's "endowment". Not that he couldn't afford to give his Mum money, I just hate to see him doing it at a loss to himself.

You left off one "Penny?" (Knock-knock.) Always in threes!

Northerly, I agree about his being too harsh and had the same feeling about the award ceremony. I think I'd like a little restraint, his pulling back 10-20% when he totally goes manic. I think it would be less caricaturish and still communicate that he's agitated and anguished. The corollary was that hotel baby-searching scene in S5E8 where he's physically untethered and snaps at everyone. Regarding Penhale, where did Maggie's policeman go?

Hah, no, afraid I didn't spend time doing a search. I had previously gone back to the very beginning of the forum just out of curiosity, to see what kinds of things people were saying back in the earlier days of DM. I noticed that there were some who disliked On the Edge and Series 3 and you have a memorable screen name. I took a look this morning and saw that my memory was correct. That's all. Not stalking or anything.

Yes, the Christmas special, "On the Edge", was the one with the choughs.

No, I didn't notice, but must (of course) now re-watch that scene. I think you're right, that there must be a meaning. Not sure what it is though.

Cruella stealing the clock? Anything is possible. AR gave us the new information that Margaret was a thief when she was a girl. Or maybe when she asks Martin for money, he will hand her the valuable clock and tell her to get lost.

Paperchase, all good points, well put. What's amazing to me is that we learned in S2 how horrid his parents were and I thought there couldn't be a more awful mother, but now we're learning more. She's even worse than we thought!

The scenes shared by Ruth and Margaret were quite powerful and informative, I thought. My favorite line in E7: "Did you kill him?" It's news that Ruth and Margaret knew each other as schoolgirls. I now figure Chris and Margaret probably met via Ruth. Ruth was concerned not only about the damage Margaret did to Martin when he was younger, but also about her doing further damage!

Powerful observations, paperchase. Thank you for taking the time to spell them out.

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I think anyone with any expertise must be driven mad by the naive/uninformed/unknowing person's comments at times. But that expertise enriches the conversation for me. It's just that sometimes we don't know the expertise of the speaker. (Part of what frustrates the Doc so much is his expertise and it not being followed or heeded. DM mirrors so much of real life, I swear.)

Now, don't get me started about what people think a teacher or librarian's job life looks like.....

And thank you, Mona, for your medical expertise that I find interesting as well. Mofromco, too.

My thoughts, too, Shop Girl.

I didn't pick up on this either - makes the episode all the more enjoyable

And to Shop Girl:
That clock belonged to DM's grandfather (S5 E6) and was found in the trunk at Joan's along with those sad pictures of him as a little boy. And DM seemed to treasure it, and it was his grandfather who gave him something to dissect when he was 5 as well. So not Joan's sort of.

Anyhow, has anyone wondered whether Margaret E. was telling the truth when she said that she and his father had gotten back together? She said it very fast and it made me wonder if she was fibbing.

You could be on the right track, at least the villa, maybe, or not. Havenhurst is out of the picture, I think.

someone on another site suggested something very interesting about Louisa/s motivations for leaving, which at first I pooh-poohed and then I thought about some more. (I am not naming this person b/c of privacy, however, they should feel free to come forward and take credit!)

So, the theory was, suppose Louisa was unhappy and felt she had to leave b/c she believed Martin didn't love her anymore. That made her unhappy, and her assumption about his unhappiness is that it is because of her. Are we seeing the priest/pig farmer's warning playing out Can I make him happy? No, it seems not, and that makes me miserable.



There are several bits that added together make me wonder if there isn't something to this theory. First, there's her very evident disappointment when he blew off the "two week anniversary." Then there was the "but I'm your wife" line, which I thought was delivered with some hurt and disappointment. Finally, the scene where she asks him if his problems are "because of me" and is not convinced by his answer. He's not confided in her, or responded to her, and probably, if he's as depressed as he seems, been privately (i.e. bedroom) affectionate either.

Now, not saying all those bits are entirely convincing --- but I wonder if they weren't meant to be? We know, or we think we know that she's pretty insecure; it would be no wonder if she attributed his current state to something she did, or tofalling out of love with her -- not looking beyond it more generally to what could be the matter. And, we remember, that she only agreed to come back to him in S5, when he was able to express his love to her.

We, the audience, know that she couldn't be more wrong. So now, we (or most of us, certainly not all) want to shout at him, go after her, man! Try to tell her that what's wrong has nothing to do with her and in fact is infinitely worse by her leaving and taking James, that in fact he needs her. As he does.

I doubt it will play out quite that romantically, but I'd love to see it.

Yes I agree that they are (trying ) to show you need to get (have) A before you get B.

I'm also enjoying S6 for what I see as a natural ( for some -lol ... it would appear ), progression of a fictional show, although I have noticed (for the first time) there are a lot of repeated (medical and more) themes which for me is just a bit lazy for the powers that be!! Just hope they're not getting a bit complacent!!

Looking forward to the final episode but keep thinking that they might just kill Mrs E off They wouldn't do that? Would they?????

RubyRedi, I am banking on MC's statement in an interview that they hadn't even decided whether or not they would "stay married" -- in response to a question as to whether they would allow foreign versions to get ahead of them with a second child, e.g. So to me it seems that the issue will be whether or not they stay together, and in the end -- perhaps the end of S7 -- how could they not? But if they killed her off at the end of S6, then the decision is basically made for them as to whether they stay married.

But here's a cheerful (not)addenda to that thought, which I'm putt]ing in spoilers b/c some haven't seen the trailer or read the press release:



Certainly not everyone feels this way, but I agree with those that feel that Louisa's demise would also be the demise of the series, though it might drag on for season as a pale shadow of its former self.

Wouldn't your spoiler be --- gasp -- too soap opera????

This isn't a soap opera?

They might kill Mrs T or Aunt Ruth. I always fear they are going to kill Louisa but after the headline in a newspaper said
"Will Louisa die?" I began to rest easy.

Aunt Ruth enlightens Martin and gives him the strength to face his demons and then has a heart attack in her home. Martin doesn't know this as he saving Louisa at the airport. Next series starts with Aunt Ruth's funeral.

Mrs T was a little wobbly, so if she stops taking her meds she could go, too.

Yes, I do very much agree - to me Louisa is very much what makes the show work (IMO CC is very much under rated).... but the Doc as a single parent would (surely) have a whole new remit and give the powers that be a whole new road x