Really? You want more. They're always at it. Little rabbits. LOL

Who expects Martin to turn up his nose at the mention of "sex"?

Now, do you see the importance of a dream sequence! I don't want to see them do anything but I'd like to get inside their thick heads. Their bedrooms scenes have to be the most unappealing that I have ever witnessed onscreen. Seriously.

Bert (BlessEm). I think the actor must enjoy those scenes! Yes, those scenes have got to end but they won't....

I wouldn't object to Mrs. T actually saying that but does in have to be in a dream of Louisa's?? Can't L have a dream about Martin instead - I'd rather watch that.
I need some convincing that she still wants him. (and he, as well)

Agreed, Sarah. With the exception of the one in S3 (which wasn't great either), they have consistently come across like a couple married for 30 years who lost interest in each other long ago. WTF???

On the other hand, maybe that is why the writers felt able to put them in bed together in the S5 premiere after they had spent all of S4 barely speaking a civil word to each other. That one had me totally weirded out!

Weird, agree. The hand motion that (apparently) divided them in the bed. What was that? This is my space - do not attempt to cross. LOL

Yes, remember it well and thinking "who are these people" and where are TheDoc and Louisa? This is after we watched a S4 finale
with him literally on his knees...

Zaren, you said it best...WTF??

Which leads me to another possible headscratcher. There was a discussion awhile back about the OR speech and would Louisa remember any of it. A spoiler was posted (usually ignore) but this one had my attention and it leads me to believe that she will
not. Its not conclusive but it tends to support it:



The writers may conveniently drop the ball again so it may be a non-issue.

Sheesh - I type and post in full sentences using the enter key properly but my messages appear with erratic jumps in mid-sentence. Confusing.

Sorry -- I didn't understand what you were asking. That's what I'd like to happen as part of the plot. Ironic if Mrs. T could help push Louisa back to Martin.


I don't even understand why they don't put them in twin beds, a la Ozzie and Harriet. Might as well. What is this about, on BP's part? Pretty much an absolute refusal to give us any evidence at all that there's any physical attraction. Then what keeps them together, given that they seem to be at loggerheads most of the time?


It's probable that the writers will not touch that particular plot point, but I feel like she probably does remember, and it just doesn't make any difference to her at that point. Much more troubling. What can she possibly mean, "this doesn't change anything" after that speech? If she remembers at all I guess it means that she doesn't believe him, or it's too little, too late.

Response to NP...
The rooting factor was what??? Love? Didn't see it. Romantic attraction? Nope. A couple that chased each other for three seasons had no interest in the other. They were suddenly in close proximity daily, with full access to the other yet neither of them exhibited any interest. No longing looks, no gentle hints, no tension - it wasn't believable. It was plot-driven, $$$ - and a way to extend the series by dismantling the couple. I don't know...??

Three seasons of a romantic "chase" and three seasons of drip, drip, drip, drip...crickets.

Operation deconstruct.

Good question, NP. I hope someone can answer it.

Sorry, dcdmfan...I'm afraid to read spoilers. Well, most of them

My premise has been that this is a soap opera -- a high class soap opera. That is because I don't see the plot developments arising organically, from all that has gone before, but rather as zig-zags in directions that keep the thing moving along by producing crises and cliff-hangers. Like all good soap operas, it's pretty addicting, at least until the audience gets tired of being so obviously played.

Although ----- the executive producer, Mark Crowdy, did say on one of these PBS "behind the scenes" specials, that they felt they "had" to go on because they needed to see or demonstrate what would happen when someone who had no exorcised his inner demons and basically had no self-knowledge, got married. Now, I don't feel they "had to" at all, and I think would rather they had ended at S5. Watching someone's marriage disintegrate just is not fun, and really casts a shadow over all the other subplots. Who cares about Bert and Jenny when Martin and Louisa are falling apart.

But I have been reading about story plots (yes, I have too much time on my hands) and to my surprise, I find there actually is a story line that goes, hero achieves his goal, then can't hold on to it because internally he hasn't changed or developed, hero goes through some internal transformation, basically involving letting go of "dark forces" (Margaret?) and then he is able to achieve his goal, permanently. That's the story line that's playing out here, of course. So maybe the plot line is not so forced and arbitrary as it has seemed to me.

Basically, though I feel that they went on because, why not. We know how to do it, it's remunerative, people are still watching.

Hello, NewPark,

I feel the plot is now very forced, and also repetitive. The first four seasons were good, fine. Seasons 1-3 getting to know DM, the village, the characters, his love interest. S4, he admits openly his love for her. S5, their relationship struggles, and DM commits to being a better husband and father. In my opinion, S6 SHOULD have been their working together in a positive way, like E1, struggling at times to figure things out, but committed to each other, with the show using humor, medical events, frustration, but all light-hearted. That should have been the focus of that series.

I wonder if in reality the premise of the show indeed has its limits, and since to me, the writers, actors and producers are rehashing plots, and are stifled in creativity, going too slowly in having DM/LE back in a strong relationship, it very well might be better to end the series and have MC commit perhaps to a new one.

I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, but clues to S7 are not favorable to me, except DM is at least outside more, and there is some more action.

I would love to see Louisa and James in Spain with her mother. None of the last minute brain surgery garbage that happened at the end of S6. Martin comes to his senses and arrives in Spain only to find Louisa slaving away working for her mother in a bar on the beach, James in the stroller behind the bar, Eleanor flittering around the bar full of hot Spanish men while Louisa is doing all the heavy lifting. She looks sweaty and all worn out. Not the place where a nearly one year old child belongs either. Louisa wants to go home and is grateful for Martin showing up when he did. No gushy reunion stuff between the two of them, just a sense of relief and the realization that running away may not have been the wisest move. Although I don't see them mending the relationship then and there, the scenario sets them up to begin to see what's going on. The three of them head back to PW where they start working through their issues [then insert the remainder of S7 warts and all] finally ending in some sort of resolution at the end of the series.

What I don't want to see: The same repetitive ploys we've seen drag everything down post S3.[/quote]

Lizzie. Now THAT would be great. We have never seen Martin and Louisa together outside of Portwenn or its environs. We all saw how different Martin was in those brief scenes in London. Louisa may be different too

If Elinor's bar is in Benidorm, Julie Graham could make another guest appearance!

I think my plot suggestion provides great starting fodder for a fanfic. I wish I could write....but I'll leave that to the experts on this thread who DO write the fics for us.

There are two you tube videos of MC talking about Arthur & George, one of them is audio only with pictures In one of them the interviewer asks MC about DM going beyond S7. He says that it's up to ITV, but that if it goes on to S8 there will have to be major cast changes to keep it fresh, or some word or words to that effect. Assuming MC will be in S8, I can deal with some changes but NOT LGE or JH. CC is the one cast member who has pulled this series forward and made the love relationship of this couple so addictive to the viewers. However, I don't believe she will ever be given strong enough dialogue to earn her a BAFTA nomination, sad to say. Another cast member I like is wise Aunt Ruth, hoping she will be available if there is a S8.

There is a lot of back story of DM and LG/E that needs to be told, and by their absence leaves blanks, but I don't know if they would go that far.

Marchrand, I've been looking for that interview for weeks now-- I was sure I had remembered reading it somewhere, but maybe this is a different one, saying the same thing. I was sure I remembered that point about their having to be major cast changes, only couldn't substantiate it. I think, in the one I remember, he also said that they would have to have fresh story ideas as well -- that he thought they had run out of steam on the Martin and Louisa love story. Did he say that in the one that you heard, as well?

I totally agree that they have run out of steam on the will they- won't they theme, but I'm not sure there's anything equally compelling/addictive to replace it. If there is a S8, I would worry that they would seriously consider disposing of Louisa somehow, even tho there would be enormous fan outcry. Caroline Catz might well ask for a meatier part that would put her in contention for a BAFTA award as a price for continuing, although she does seem to keep busy outside of DM, and she probably -- hopefully -- is grateful to BP for making her talents much better known.

It's most definitely the writing for her part as Louisa and not CC acting abilities. Especially notable after watching her in other shows of a different genre.

My thought is that other DM characters might be written out, not the main players. The LGE/ME relationship is really the underlying constant storyline of the program and not the majority of what we see from week to week. The constantly changing stories within each episode comprise the majority of what happens. I bet if you count the amount of screen time CC has each episode, it's probably not all that much as we might think and definitely not as much as MC. But nonetheless, this very specific underlying storyline is what makes us all (or most of us) return week to week and year to year.

I also think CC is to the point where she gets to call the shots with her own career, and seeing that she is expanding into other things (like producing, writing and directing) which in turn has led her to become a lot more well known, I would say IF she leaves DM it will be her choice. I hope that isn't the case because without her on the show, it really doesn't have that spark that lights my interest and I'm sure there are others that feel the same way. It's definitely a show that needs both MC and CC together. And to play off the words of the grumpy doc, "we can't bear to be without her!"

Not about removing characters but adding a character in the form of baby #2 for Martin and Louisa. I think it would be disastrous to bring a new baby into their unstable marriage but many people think it is a great idea. What am I missing?

NP - thanks for your reply and yes, I assumed they had a narriative arc or long-range plan. Talented team, no doubt, but there were elements missing from the storytelling. His decline (hero) was compelling but it was a disconnect > they unplugged the couple. I see that as the weak selling point in the whole plot. I wanted to see a struggle of their hearts. Until E8, that was missing.

The audience is growing according to WhoCaresAnyways. Apparently, the discontented (me) are outnumbered by a landslide.
Thanks for your input and I hadn't heard the remarks by the producer. I fear that the Doc/Louisa story mimics the Bert and Al duo
of PW (albeit better dressed). Four misfits going round and round the hill and expecting different results.

Or - are we the misfits? Going around the same hill expecting different results. My expectations are set realistically low for the new season.

Edited: Ha - a plan to dispose of Louisa? I'm so glad I stopped by - not.

Well, at least then we'd know they'd had sex....at least once!

Four misfits.....I believe that is pretty much Einstein's definition of "insanity".

Expections....unfortunately, mine are low as well this season. I remember being sick as a kid and having to stay home from school. You'd get game shows in the morning to watch until noon, and then began the Long Dreary Hours of soap operas noon-3 pm, so the TV was turned off and boredom set in--I always hated those--and then around 3 pm, the Three Stooges Little Rascals hour would be on TV. Yay! Boredom relieved. And, yes, DM is a soap opera for the last two seasons...

I don't feel putting a soap opera label on the DM series is such a bad thing. It's about a GP in a small English fishing village. My feeling is that anything that goes on year after year for more than two or three seasons about people's lives would have to be classified as a soap opera. A documentary is about a certain subject, such as the World Wars I and II, historical figures or many of the PBS subjects depicted. Would you consider the Sherlock Holmes stories or other mystery series as soap operas?

My perception of soap operas is that you only get bits of pieces of a number of storylines that span multiple episodes, with lots of overlap and long-term story arcs, and without a clear protagonist. I really don't see that with DM. In fact, besides the main storyline of M&L's will they/won't they, there is very little overlap of storylines from one episode to the other. For such a small village, there sure are a lot of people we only see once, and who disappear after their medical malady is resolved!

What I do see in DM (in the later seasons) is melodrama - the huge emotional rises and falls, the last-minute declarations of regret and of love, the increasingly ridiculous and harrowing situations requiring ever greater emotional responses (ie kidnapping, car-crashes, etc.) All we need now is an evil twin brother, or someone in a coma with amnesia, or even better, someone who was presumed dead to show up in Portwenn! *cough* *cough* *Christopher*

I can take a bit of melodrama. Some of my favourite scenes are those with the great emotional declarations of love (or as close to it as DM can get...). But I'm not sure how much more BP can get away with, despite my optimistic hopes for S7.