Ok - a little light moment from this episode

When Louisa had the box collapse on her as they were leaving the school, did anyone else recognize the line from the little blonde girl, "Are you OK Miss?"

Looking at the credits at the end of the show I spotted this one (incidentally, NOT showing up in the cast on IMDB):

"Pupil - Lila Absolom"

I'll let you all fill in the blanks. (I LOVE you BP!)

Can't he kiss and cuddle as well as fix her hair? If everyone were satisfied with just having their hair done, the salon business would be skyrocketing and we'd have very few babies.

OOH! Finally! Insider gossip! Can you say who? Can you give us a clue???

(Enjoying reading everyone's take on Season 6, btw. Lots of interesting viewpoints!)
Last edited by SofaBint : 17-10-2013 at 16:40

Also, isn't it a little incongruent and inconsistent to have him do that in the hospital?

He can't talk with her. He can't eat with her. He can't agree on a long weekend with her. He can't help her on the Sports Day podium. He can't stop when she is screeching at the top of her lungs for him to stop when he is walking away. He can't understand why anyone, including her, needs to be happy.

And, yet, there he is putting up her hair into its ponytail. Very sweet, yes, and very considerate, very courteous, very caring. All the stuff DM has NOT been throughout the last episodes of this series, and especially in E7. Why suddenly show us that? We have two options:
1. He is suddenly and mysteriously not focused on himself and is caring, compassionate, courteous to LG (but just for those ten seconds).
2. He is putting her hair in a ponytail in a robotic way, without caring, without any feeling, just to do it, as he prefers doing to feeling.

Which one do people think it was? Again, another moment more confounding then helpful.

I'm with ya! .

Awww!
This reminds me: in the episode with the asbestos/pigeon patient, there is an extra who looks an awful lot like Julie Graham. When he is in the bar getting drunk and obnoxious, there is a young woman and man who leave their booth with somewhat disgusted looks on ther faces. The young woman looks like she could be Julie Graham's daughter. I think we learned that John Marquez is godfather to Julie's daughter? Anybody know if that's who this extra is?

I want to agree with you and others, ShopGirl, and to some extent I am coming around to the view that an ending with at least some grounds for hope is possible. And I think that you and Biffpup are right that the seeds of this were implicit from the beginning -- that in fact, DM had to be shown to go through enough of a crisis for believable character change to happen, and thereby make their continuing relationship also believable.

Except -- we believed in it already at the end of S5, I think, or at least were very willing to suspend disbelief. And also, what happened to the oft-repeated claim (boast?) of Martin Clunes that his character was never going to be fixed or cured? And if he is, doesn't that really violate the basic show premise of "village united in horror against their doctor with appalling manner?" I mean, he can't continue to be rude and abrasive with everyone else but his immediate family, can he? (Although I do think we have seen some slight gentling in his relations with patients in this series.) So maybe, if we get one more season to see him win Louisa back and work out these changes, that will be the last one, and that's fine.

And finally, while I have "suspended disbelief" for a lot of what goes on in the series, there is still some little part of me that says, c'mon now. Is that all that Louisa, who supposedly loves this man so deeply, is willing to do to salvage her marriage, and incidentally, not devastate the man she loves, before bailing once again? Bring him breakfast and invite him to open up to her once or twice? does he not find it within himself to ask her, in the long sleepless night that must have followed, tell me what you need from me, and I'm wiling to work on it, to try to make you happy? Help me, I'm clueless?

It seems to me that they have ramped up the agony way more than real world believable here, and, I can see the heart-string pulling machinery working. That doesn't mean it isn't still very effective for me, though!

Thanks for the "Listen With Mother" information. I always wondered about that Moody Blues song, "Are You Sitting Comfortablly?" I thought it was a just a very queer "Britishism". I love learning something new. It makes E8 more intriguing with the fairy tale reference. Cool.

Well said, ShopGirl. I trust BP to give us a memorable series this time as much as all the others. And none of the previous series have been all totally enjoyable either. There have been episodes or bits that bored me or I didn't find interesting or funny, though I know other folks did. But the overall story of Doc and Louisa has provided hours, weeks, months, and literally now, years of interesting entertainment, whether from the story itself or everything we've played with and learned along the way.

Never mind. Julie Graham's kids are too young!

Actually, yes, I think he can continue to be "Doc" --rude and abrasive sometimes, and gentler at other times as he's always been (e.g. girl wanting tits). The balance of that behavior might change or ameliorate (and I think it already has very subtly in this series 6) but I expect to always see him with a professional demeanor with a rough/brusque edge at times. The relationship with Louisa and James has become more intimate and normal life but still is realistic that they don't always see eye to eye or have disagreements.

Regarding the second bold part, I see these episodes more like snapshots of a moment in time--a freeze frame of a given day, conversation, or action. And we all know that life continues before and after. These snapshots allow us to fill in the befores and afters, that LE has dealt with it in other ways as well, just as Doc has continued to try to work, cope, and worry. In other words, if I tried to tell you what led to the breakup of my marriage, I'd give you maybe 3 key points, but there would be oh, so much that also happened and contributed that I wouldn't have time to tell you. Those 3 key points (metaphorically speaking) are the snapshots we get in the show, not every little detail. Just the major key points. This is not a defense or blasting of Louisa -- just the way I see the construction of the episodes.

Finally, his depression is crippling and doesn't allow him to ask for help, at least not yet anyhow.

I find the LWM title very interesting, Zarwen.

It occurred to me as I climbed into bed last night, that it is almost a Siren's song, i.e. come to me, sit with me, mother knows best, are you comfy, all will be well, (no matter what the story brings or brought because that's the story of their relationship even if DM is now an adult--I'm having a hard time expressing this part well).

But happily ever after--with Martin's mother????--no way!

Unless there is resolution, redemption, or enlightenment for DM--very much possible.
Could that be where Aunt Ruth comes in to facilitate it?

I wait in much anticipation for episode 8.

(my bolding)
I like your post, but totally agree with bolded part - that they are not doing a great job this series so far as the relationship between DM and Louisa goes. Really, who wants to have to decipher a show that is supposed to entertain?

I agree. For people who are regular viewers of the show and not fans of MC and or for looking out for the minutiae of nuances in a 'light' TV drama, I feel the show is well past its best now. The narrative and the characterisation have disjointed and inconsistent for a couple of series now but it is more apparent as the series nears its end.

I understand how you feel, and I truly dont expect people to agree with my take on this. I just feel now that it's gotten over the top, and the only thing that prepares us really, for Louisa walking out, is that this appears to be her modus operandi. And, I definitely admit to being sentimental here, but he's obviously in a very bad way (his behavior at Sports Day was nothing short of bizarre), and she's leaving him to cope alone. It hurts to watch, (I've seen the trailer for the last episode, by the way, and that's where this is coming from) and, this is just me, but I can't, can not, put myself in her shoes, in this instance. Although I think it is clear that I am usually one of her staunchest defenders.

I feel like "I'm not happy, you're not happy" is the FIRST step in a very necessary discussion, not the last shot before taking off. And yet, it's clear, that he had never heard this message from her in the last few months.

Perhaps this is true...but this program has been around a very long time in the UK. People have seen it from the very beginning and it seems most who know the show know that this is not a simple program about a funny doctor in Cornwall. People watch Corrie, people watch Emmerdale...people watch Downton Abbey. The viewing public knows they aren't watching a variety show with tap dancing and acrobats. I has a history that many understand.

Yeah, I kind of have to go along with this. I have been a loyal viewer of the show and a fan of MC since it aired way back when. As I've said before on here, I was disappointed with both Series 4 and 5 and this series has been no different for me. I appreciate that others have viewed this series differently but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Whilst I've loved the entertainment, humour, storylines, characters and settings which the show has given us, I can see no end to the current series that I would be satisfied with as a fan.

That's just my view.

Well said. Me too.

If Martin is going into the salon business for Louisa, couldn't he at least give her a "happy ending"?

I am really going to be a smartass here:
Then don't watch it anymore.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

I am in the UK and have watched it since the beginning so I'm not sure of your point and what 'history' there is to 'understand' that I have obviously missed. Maybe the history of the characters and the story set in Cornwall? Well, yes, I do and I also understand that this was once a 'light' (and rather intriguingly enjoyable) comedy drama. Quite obviously one that doesn't involve "tap dancing and acrobats" but should at least credit viewers with a modicum of intelligence for story arcs and characterisation.

Just voicing an opinion as others have.

My point is exactly the opposite. The viewers know the history of the show and have entirely enough intelligence to understand that the program has evolved over the many years. They've watched it and seen it change and because they know the characters they continue to watch. The program itself has demonstrated that it is not the "light" entertainment it once was but the audiences still watch because they want to know what happens to the characters. It's not like Series 6 followed Series 2. The series has changed it thrust and there is nothing that can be done about it at this point. If you like the show and the characters, watch it. Remember, this is debate and not argument and has nothing to do with being from the US or UK.