I think that's partly down to how her father behaves.he's a got a very strong and assertive personality.I imagine he's been quite controlling and overbearing with his children. We've also seen him being very overprotective so it would make sense that she becomes child like.

I agree.

I think it has more to ddo with the type of person Austin is and the lack of a Mother figure when she was growing up which causes her to regress around her father. I suspect there has been that dochotomy of Austin expecting his children to excel because he is so successful and strong but also expecting them to defer to him and infanticising them to a certain extent.

I agree that I've never really seen the chemistry between Digby and Morven and whilst I don't think the relationship came out of nowhere as it seemed clear that she liked him right from her joining, his recipricotating did seem to come from nowhere, especially as it went from kissing her to declaring his love within about a week.

As with Ollie and Tara, i think it is a case of them having to keep a couple together because the 'end game' of the romance and plotline is decided from the start rather than the writers reviewing how it plays out (do the actors have chemistry which comes across on screen, are the viewers enjoying it and shipping the couple or finding it tiresome) and deciding whether to go for it long term or end it sooner than perhaps originally planned and put them with somebody else. As examples, I remember Thomson saying the writers were seeing how things went with Jonny and Jac so would probably have had their first split in Autumn 12 be permanent if they hadn't been proving popular, Ollie and Zosia have gone ongterm (indeed Anderson's contract extended) because of how they worked together and I suspect Harry was originally meant to be Gemma's serious love interest with MC just a short term complication bit of course Gemma went (Earlier than planned I'm positive) and Harry and MC actually worked well together so they went back to it.

If, as with Tollie, it is planned from the start that a character will fall completely in love only for the girlfriend/wife to tragically die leaving them heartbroken they really can't change that.

It has also been made clear that Morven has at least two brothers, and I think it's safe to assume she doesn't have a sister. You hear about that happening to girls who grow up in all-male households, it's a competitiveness thing. I didn't actually think she was immature on that assault course, just really highly competitive, and I think she'd be like that on any sort of organised contest. Just how she's grown up and learned to be.

The way they are doing the racism sl is quite clever. Sir Dennis is not being overtly racist, just making comments that could be taken either way. If you were not attuned to them they would go straight over your head. Mo is now attuned to them and so she is seeing racism in what he says. I'm inclined to believe she is right, mainly because he is only a temporary character and so expendable.

I don't like Mo but his remarks are snide and downright nasty really. It will all end with her becoming a Consultant and her ego will be bigger than ever, unfortunately.

Re Arthur I agree that there is little or no chemistry between him and Morven; unlike his infatuation with Chantelle, his fling with Zosia, his relationship with Maria ( and even the other odd girl who flirted with him in one episode but it went nowhere) and of course, his lovely friendship with Dom. He was great with Malik too, back in the day.

Yes, this racism plot reminds me of years ago (about 20) when my immediate boss (who had also become a friend), who was black, said that she felt that the company we worked for had some institutional racism at work. Now I was really shocked as I'd never seen any indication of it and it did make me wonder whether I was missing things, or had different subconscious criteria as to what was or wasn't okay simply because I was White so maybe part of the institution. Which was a really uncomfortable and horrible idea as I detest bigotry and discrimination of any kind and would hope that I would be the first person to stand up against it.

So, it can become a case of - are some people (usually the ones being discriminated against) more attuned and picking up on Racism which others miss or are they seeing things which perhaps aren't there as the history of discrimination is such that they have become paranoid.

Really interesting topic and I'm quite glad they are addressing it.

I'm sure that Mo will be proved correct for the same reasons as Collins. Perhaps Sir Dennis will be shown to have some kind of problem with Adele, Morven or more likely Ric as well, thus making others more suspicious of his true outlook.

Yes, i nearly mentioned the older brothers which will also have had an effect re having to be as strong as them but also possibly cossetted or protected somewhat.

Who says it will end with her becoming a consultant? Her post wouldn't necessarily be a done deal if Sir Dennis left. For ages, we had Serena wanting to be CEO when Hanssen left, and it never worked out - Hanssen was first replaced by Imelda, and later by Guy, and now he's back. They'll probably return to it if Serena is still around when he eventually exits for good, but you can't be sure that there won't be a better person for the job. It's the same situation with Mo.


I completely get where you're coming from there, as I've had similar experiences. I try to adopt a really positive and progressive stance and in the past I've resented being labelled as 'part of the problem' so to speak, but there have also been occasions that I've had to accept that regardless of intention, there are occasions where I simply don't notice more subtle forms of discrimination. It's a really difficult thing to accept, I think.

The way the sl is unfolding I think it is very likely that Mo will end up a Consultant. She has been a senior registrar for some time now and has shown herself to be a capable surgeon. It is the "chip on her shoulder" that has prevented her from progressing, if we are to believe Hanssen. When she is proved right about Sir Dennis the path could be clear for her to be promoted to Consultant. It is only guesswork on my part, pure supposition. I have no objection to her becoming a Consultant, it is only her attitude towards Jac that turns me off her.

I also believe this storyline will end with Mo getting the Consultants position.

It seemed to be implied that she would have got it this time if the 'better' candidate of Sir Dennis hadn't also applied. Hansenn said she'd interviewed well, nobody had any doubts she was capable of doing the job, Jac's feedback was glwoing. He didn't say the chip on her shoulder had stopped them from offering it to her, just that it was the only negative and i took that as him gently advising her to let any resentment about not getting the job go - that things like allowing colleagues to draw up petitions to get the new person fired and her hired was just going to make her look worse and go against promotion prospects in the future.

Now of course a better qualified, external candidate could apply if and when Dennis goes so she might lose out again. But if it is the same pool of candidates, as it was very much implied she was second choice, there is every reason to presume she would be successful.

I think it is being set up as a development storyline for her - how she deals with this situation will prove that she is mature enough for the position so be 'rewarded' by getting it.

They've had two consultants in CT for over 10 years now, I can't see that changing so unless they are introducing a new character of which we are unaware, The logical thing is to move Mo up - more storyline potential with her and Jac competiting as equals that way.

Also, whilst not set in stone, Mo is wearing smart, personal clothes rather than scrubs in the new cast photo and generally they only do that with the Consultants.

If Mo were promoted she would still be junior to Jac in both tenure and the fact that Jac is department head.
I agree with everything that has been said about the Racism storyline and accept that as a white person I am not as attuned to certain thing as a minority person can be. However in my work experience I have also encountered the opposite with minority employees expecting preferential treatment and seeing normal everyday encounters as racism . One in particular I can remember in particular was a colleague being interviewed for promotion, On hearing another candidate was chosen was convinced it was discrimination and it was very difficult for them to accept the feedback that they did not have the required skills

Yes, of course, Jac would still be clinical lead so senior just as Elliot was to her most of the time and Ric is to Sacha on Kellar. But they seem to be talking about it as though it would be equal and it would certainly be more so than now.

Again, I agree. There will be people in a minority that are either just genuinely paranoid or deliberately try to use allegations of discrimination to their advantage. "Playing the Race card" as it is often referred to and i have met a couple of people that certainly did that. I have also met a few women that do the same, automatically assuming they must have lost out on promotions because of their gender, rather than considering the idea that somebody else (male or female) might just have been better qualified, had more relevent experience.

That's why it is an interesting subject to tackle.

With Mo, as annoying and difficult I sometimes find her, I think it has been established that any feelings of insecurity or persecution she might feel come more from her personal issues (having felt unloved and not 'good enough' for her Mother for example) rather than having a chip on her shoulder due to her race. She's often mentioned that she doesn't believe Jac likes her and isn't supporting her for example but has never suggested that she thinks that Jac is racist. Because i'd say she clearly isn't and Mo is aware enough to recognise that. I also seem to recall her saying that although she didn't like Imelda, she didn't think she was Racist when Malick suggested it as a possibility because of the way she seemed to be persecuting Ric.

It's interesting, isn't it, that both Jac and Mo have have had insecurities and self esteem issues because of their relationships with their mothers.

Jac is certainly not racist and has been supportive of Mo but Mo can't see it half the time. I wonder is it because of Jonny that her opinion of Jac is so blinkered or is it paranoia. Mo, like Jonny before her, takes Jac at face value and if there is a negative way to interpret Jac's actions or comments she will go for that option rather than the positive one, or at least the non-aggressive one. What I loved about Joseph was that he could see through Jac's tough guy act to the caring person beneath. Hanssen gets this about her too but Elliot didn't always. Sacha does too.

I feel for Mo in that this is the first time _that we know of) that she has encountered racism in the work place and it is clear that she is both bewildered and frustrated by it and does not know what to do about it. By turning Jac, Ollie and Zoshia against her by her actions she is a bit isolated now. I think she and Cara get friendly when Cara moves to Darwin so that might help. If Sir Dennis starts making "pigs in the parlour" type remarks to Cara because she is Irish then we will know for sure that he is racist.

Whilst I appreciate that certain minority people may have a sense of paranoia and assume that being passed over will have something to do with race, I feel that one does have to question how many times someone would have to go through that for real to make that assumption. I also think that a lot of racism is very subconscious - someone may discriminate against someone without realising it, would act differently if someone pointed out the double-standard.

I agree with this in terms of all the other characters mentioned. They had time to access reactions to those relationships and then either elongate a plot as with Ollie and Zosia, or alternatively change course as in with Harry, MC and Gemma. Whereas with Ollie and Tara and Digby and Morven, they didn't have the luxury of time to change tack following audience reactions.

However, I don't think that Morven was brought in for the purposes of Digby's leaving storyline. I actually think that what tptb had meant for that storyline was a longer will they/won't they plot post Digby recovering from his anxiety disorder with Digby taking longer to recover, then gradually realising he liked Morven and being on AAU for a longer period.

My thoughts are that Ostlere then told them he was planning to leave and they had to speed them getting together up quickly, well in advance of his departure, and before they had the opportunity to gauge audience reactions to the pairing. It was clear from the outset that Morven had a thing for Digby from the outset, but his reciprocation did seem to come from nowhere. It seemed that he realised he liked her, kissed her and professed his love for her over the space of two episodes over Christmas. I think this was due to them having to wrap it up quickly to develop his departure storyline instead of the original plan.

I think the swift unbelievable move back to Keller the episode after the get together was also telling of a quick change of plans. They'd resolved Digby and Morven as a couple, and then they needed to quickly get him back to Keller for more Don scenes.

Another thing that makes me think that they changed tack at relatively short notice was Digby's anxiety storyline taking place so close to his cancer storyline. I think that if there had been any long term plan to kill him off like this they wouldn't have had two set of illness storylines for the same character in such close proximity.

Is Arthur definitely leaving or are people just assuming?

People are assuming/speculating - there has been no official announcement but it does seem very likely given certain clues such as Ostiere not being on the recently released cast photo, what seems like a memorial ceremony in the Spring trailer and the Cancer diagnosis.

It is just speculation rather than a definitive spoiler though which is why people aren't hiding their theories.

Thanks for the answer.

Which one is that? The official one and the cast mucking around have included him but not Jessie and Adele. I posted about those pictures ages ago so is there a new one.

From memory I think that he actually is in the cast photo and it's just Jesse and Adele who are absent from that.

I had originally thought it due to

Also the recent touching scenes of the trio and a few other things have hinted towards it. The quick move back to Keller and the quick get together with Morven also made me think something was brewing. Also, there was an interview with a producer on DS months ago talking about a big touching storyline which would draw all three wards together.

Oh I agree it's all leading towards 'Problems' for Digby. But I'm still not sure if . I was just wondering if there was anything new picture wise because he's I new he was in both pictures. (BTW the 3 amigos are taking a long weekend together )
Last edited by EVIL-MONKEY : 28-03-2016 at 17:48

You're right Evil Monkey, I'm mistaken about the photo. Must have had a brain freeze! It was him being missing in the 'memorial' type scene in the trailer I was thinking of. I'm sure there is another 'clue' I"ve forgotten.

But as I say, it is speculation rather than a spoiler in the same way as 3 years ago there were several clues leading us to believe Jing Luisi had left so Tara would die and last year we were speculating that Jonny, Harry and Marie Claire were leaving even though it hadn't been announced.

There was a second cast photo which was quickly swapped on the bbc website. Here's here it is more than just Don and Petra missing

https://mobile.twitter.com/Pinkcolli...46605097406465

Ah thanks, I hadn't imagined it then. I thought there had been discussion about a photo he wasn't on but then Thought I must have been mistaken.

It being taken down soon after appearing does make it seem even more suspicious - like the tweet from a crew member referencing Michael Thomson's leaving party last January which quickly disappeared.

So, Cara might be leaving too.

I don't think the scene in the trailer is a memorial for Arthur although they could be dedicating something to him while he is battling cancer. Robs CV online says he finishes filming in March (I'm pretty sure he's already left though) and the trailer was released a while ago so he would have still been filming. Although, of course they film out of order and it could still be one but I think its a separate thing.

I'm pretty sure he is going to die though and agree with those who think they had a long-term plan for Arthur and Morven until Rob told them he wanted to leave.