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S2E9
On the Edge
Literary Reference - Possibly from an 2001 Irish Film of the same name.  The main character is a young man
named Jonathan who ends up in a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Much of the story takes place on the cliffs.  Several relationships are in a state of flux and on the edge of moving
to a new level or breaking apart.  Various events of the days have people on the edge.
The chough birds build their nests on the cliff faces, so they are actually "on the edge".  They also had
disappeared from Cornwall in the 1970s and began returning to Cornwall in 2001, so they would still be considered
on the edge as far as the rare nesting pairs.
Jonathan is on the edge of his sanity.
Martin and Louisa are on the edge of moving their relationship to the next level.  Although Louisa is upset over the
way things ended the day after the kiss over the kitchen table, Martin is trying to redeem himself by giving her a
birthday card and inviting her to dinner.  Louisa also tells him that she doesn't want him to leave Portwenn.
Louisa is on the edge with her relationship with her father.  She has always been loyal to him but now realizes that
he betrayed her and the rest of the village.
Pauline and Al's relationship is also on the edge.  Al wants to take it further by inviting Pauline to move in with him,
but Pauline has bigger plans for her life.  She is very upset with him over the mailing of the application, but does
seem to forgive him for his heroics on the sea and on the cliffs.
Martin is on the edge of losing his job in Portwenn.
The baker is on the edge financially, and then on the edge with a life-threatening injury.
Terry is on the edge of being caught in his life of petty crime.
The baker literally falls off the edge of the cliff and Martin has to drop himself off the edge of the cliff to save him.
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Portwenn Online
A Magical Cornish Village
Doc Martin is IN
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S2E7
Out of the Woods
Literary Reference - The closest guess is that it refers to the stage musical "Into the Woods".  This musical is
about a group of fairy tale characters and one of the main set of characters is a baker and his wife who are
infertile. (The episode after this one has a storyline about Mark's infertility and the episode after that has a main
character who is referred to only as "The Baker". ???)

Although the creative team behind Doc Martin has dismissed any fairy tale aspects to this show, fairy tales come
up over and over again.  In fairy tales there are often children getting lost in the woods (Mark, Al, Stewart, Martin),
getting into all sorts of trouble (snake bite, lost, falling down a hill, poacher trap), and eventually being reunited
with their waiting families (Louisa, Pauline & Julie waiting on the surgery porch).
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Louisa and Martin's relationship looks to be starting to come out of the woods.  Louisa is very worried about Martin
while he is gone, tells him that when he returns and he is taken aback by that revelation.
"Out of the Woods" seems mostly to be a phrase used in medicine.  It means a patient has been to the brink, but
now the outcome is likely to be good.  Mark's condition after the snakebite was certainly grave, but Martin got to
him in time and he was now out of the woods.
Mark especially, but also Al and later on Martin and Stewart were able to make it out of the woods - literally.
Doc is out of the woods about having to be Mark's Best Man when Al agrees to take the position (although Martin
wasn't out of the woods with Louisa about his refusal until he redeemed himself by saving Mark's life)
Julie's true feelings about Mark come out of the woods in her behaviour during the time that Mark is in danger.
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S1E5
Of All the Harbours
in All the Towns
Literary Reference - from the epic movie "Casablanca".  After his old love, accompanied by her husband, visits
his club, Rick is sitting in the dark closed club drinking alone.  His pianist, Sam, walks in and he utters the famous
line, "Of all the gin joins in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
The storylines in this episode all relate to the episode title because they are all about various types of love
triangles.
The main story, of course, is about Aunt Joan and John Slater and how their story echoes Rick Blaine and Ilsa
Lund.  An old love shows up, and while it looks like they might rekindle the flame, one of the pair lies to the other
because a sense of unselfish nobility kicks in.  In the movie, Rick lies to Ilsa to send her off with her husband
because it is the best thing for her and for the cause for which Rick has always seemed mostly ambivalent. In this
episode, although John wanted to be with Joan once he found out she was free, when he discovers his dire
medical condition he lies to her so that she won't be stuck nursing him for the time they have left together.  

In this storyline the love triangle between Aunt Joan, her late husband, Phil, and John was actually in the past.  
The present day triangle is really between Aunt Joan, John and his medical diagnosis.
At the end of the movie we see Rick and Renault standing watching the plane leave with Ilsa onboard.  At the end
of this episode we see Aunt Joan and Martin standing watching the boat leave with John onboard.
Another triangle is between Martin and John vying for Aunt Joan's affection.  Martin finally admits to her that he
was feeling "displaced".
Al, Elaine and the mysterious Greg are also in a love triangle.  Poor Al doesn't realize that he is just the stopgap
while they are arguing long distance.  
Another "love" triangle is between Martin, Melanie and Melanie's father.  Melanie's father has been seeing his little
girl growing away from him and it seems she has transferred her affections to Martin after he fixed her shoulder.
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S5E3
Born With
a Shotgun
Literary Reference  This episode was originally titled "Boho With a Shotgun."  It was not just changed for the US
DVDs (as were the episodes in S3) but also for episodes shown in the UK.  Jack Lothian (the writer) confirmed that
it relates to the cult film "Hobo With a Shotgun", a very violent movie.  "Boho" would be an anagram for "Hobo" and
is slang for "Bohemian".  Shirley and Michael could certainly be considered living a Bohemian lifestyle.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
There aren't many good, solid ways to connect the episode title(s) with the storylines, but in 2012, "poorrichard54"
posted some really good ideas on the Digital Spy forum. Here are her suggestions:
Boho is short for Bohemian and, among other things, is a style of clothing.  It's all peasant blouses and ratty crinkle
cotton skirts, maybe even crocheted bits and pieces with feathers hanging.  This fits with the aesthetic of Michael's
hub-cap-and-chicken-feather art.  Both Shirley & Michael could be considered "Bohemian".
The fact that "Hobo" is dyslexically spelled "Boho" might refer to the off-kilter way that several of the characters act
in this episode:
  • Shirley Dunwich with her confusion, paranoia and intestinal problems.
  • Bert with his positional vertigo.  
  • Morwenna with her grandfather's "energy pills".
  • Martin, Louisa & the baby as they struggle with the baby constantly crying and trying to settle in as a family.
All are settled by the end of the episode:
  • Shirley has been diagnosed and take to hospital
  • Bert did his Epley Maneuver and was given a prescription for his vertigo
  • Morwenna found out what was in the energy pills and looks to have her job back
  • Martin found that the baby settled by reading to him and Louisa looks on with love
Of course, the shotgun plays an important role in the episode.  Michael is shooting at things in his yard and makes
him appear threatening to Aunt Ruth, Shirley uses the gun to take everyone hostage for awhile, Penhale proves
that he doesn't understand how to handle a gun.
The new title, "Born with a Shotgun" could relate to a song by Bad Company "Five Finger Death Punch".
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Episode Titles
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S2E3
Blood is Thicker
Literary Reference  - From the saying "Blood is Thicker Than Water".  In modern days, we take this phrase to
mean that your blood ties (family) are stronger than the ties you have with others outside your family.  Actually,
when the phrase was first used centuries ago, it meant that soldiers, who shed blood together on the battlefield,
form stronger ties than the ties formed by sharing a womb (water).  This actually works both ways in the different
storylines in this episode.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
The main story is about the Flynt family.  The boys have such ties to each other and their father that they keep the
secret of his mental health issues for years.  Even people who knew their mother don't know what happened to her
because they also keep her desertion of the family a secret.  Only the courage of Wallace going to see Martin
about his health issues save his brother Paddy, who was so ill that he may not have survived the illness without
Martin's intervention.  Finally allowing the family secret to come to light (due to Wallace's call to Martin and Martin's
persistence) should allow the whole family to live more peacefully in the future.  The Flynt family lived by the
modern version of this saying.
Bert and Al are also dealing with a "Blood is Thicker" situation when Al starts to question both Bert's reluctance to
produce his birth certificate and Pauline's insistence that two brown eyed people cannot have a blue eyed child.  It
turns out that Al may not be Bert's biological son - although the answer is never made clear.  But what they both
realize (with Aunt Joan's help) is that blood doesn't matter.  Al is Bert's son whether or not they share the same
DNA because of the bond that they have formed in all the years that Bert has been raising Al.  So the Large family
now live by the original meaning of the phrase.
Mark's sister has breezed into town and ensconced herself in Mark's home. In the short time she is there, she
continually embarrasses Mark and has no sense of boundaries in his home, his feelings or his personal life.  Mark
finally has enough and throws her out.  In this case, there is no close relationship between the siblings and Mark
feels no compunction to put up with her garbage just because she is family.
There is also a "Nature vs Nurture" thread that runs in all of the various villagers thinking that Sandra's natural
cures are better for them because they are "natural".  Mr Flynt, The Butcher, The mother of the hyperactive boy,
Louisa, all trust Sandra's cures because her potions are labeled as "natural".
S5E7
Cats & Sharks
Literary Reference  - "Cats and Sharks" is a combination of two popular phrases.  "Cats and Dogs" (used in
many different ways, including "raining cats and dogs") and "Jets and Sharks" (the two warring gangs from "West
Side Story").  Of course, for this episode they put the two phrases together because of the two main storylines:
Mrs. Dingley and her cat shelter and the loan sharks who were terrorizing Bert, Al and Mrs Dingley.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Mrs Dingley runs a cat shelter and spends a lot of the episode talking about how she needs more funds to be able
to properly run the shelter.  She gives one of her kittens to Norman and he develops a rash from flea bites.
The sharks, of course, are the loan sharks.  Alastair Tonken and his son Norman have set up shop in a local
harbour in what appears to be a flea market.  They have loaned money to both Bert and Mrs Dingley and cause a
lot of trouble and intimidation ("repercussions" and "consequences") to both of them.  
Mrs Tishell could also be lumped into the "shark" category.  She knows that Louisa and Martin have separated and
she looks a bit like a circling shark.
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S3E3
City Slickers
Literary Reference  - City Slickers is the title of a 1991 film starring Billy Crystal about a group of New York City
friends who go on a cattle drive in the western US to be "cowboys" for a couple of weeks.  The Urban Dictionary
describes a "City Slicker":  A person raised in the city and accustomed to life there.  This often leads to naivety in
certain matters, and sometimes unusual prejudices.  Of course, this describes Louisa's new neighbors quite well.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Of course, the Oakwood family is a classic example of a "city slicker" family moving to a small, rural village.  They
think nothing of (as strangers) barging into the next door neighbor's home at dinner time and inviting themselves
to share in the meal.  This is probably not something they would do in London, but they assume that in a small
village this is perfectably acceptable.  They have decidedly "big city" ideas about child-rearing.  They seem to
have a sense of superiority over the villagers - including Dr Ellingham.  They also don't see anything wrong with
burning a dead animal on their patio when there are neighbors nearby.  This might have been acceptable if they
lived out in the country on a large piece of land, but certainly not in a crowded village.  They are unaware of the
rural concerns about wild animals and the diseases that they carry.
Mr Elliot sees Martin as a city slicker even though he has been living in the village for a time now.  When Martin
says that the ailment that their son has is "common", Mr Elliot sees that as an insult to a villager from their big-city
doctor.  Martin has no clue that he has insulted Mr Elliot, but Louisa, as a lifelong villager, understands his reaction
and attempts to defuse the situation.  
Penhale's agoraphobia and narcolepsy are seen by Martin as reasons to sack him - or at least take him off the job
while he is being treated.  As a city slicker, he thinks there will be a whole line of people waiting to take his place,
but the reality is that in such a remote area they may find that they have to do without any coverage for a time.  
Also, in a small village such as Portwenn, solutions are often found to help their neighbor.  Aunt Joan understands
these concepts, but she needs to spell them out to Martin (and in very personal terms) to make him understand.
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S1E3
Sh*t Happens
Literary Reference - This is a common slang phrase that generally means that life is full of imperfections and
unpredictable events.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
The main story, of course, is another take on the title.  Many of the residents of the village are down with severe
stomach and bowel issues and Martin goes through a couple of possible causes (leisure center pool, village's
water supply) before discovering that it is actually Bert's bottled spring water that has caused the problem.
Bert's plans for Al to work alongside him as a plumber (and maybe even inventing a new stopcock!) are not
working out the way he hoped.  Al wants a career in computers and Bert is finally realizing his hopes are in vain.
Bert's plans to provide a nest egg for Al's future are dashed when Martin tells him that he has to stop bottling his
spring water because it is the cause of the illness sweeping the village.
Mrs Tishell's plan for her first meeting with the new GP includes a cake, tea and a long chat about current medical
news.  But Martin is all business when he finally visits the chemists and not interested in anything she proposes.
Martin plans to redeem himself in the eyes of the village by giving the local reporter an interview assuring him that
the water supply is safe.  This plan is completely turned upside down when he demonstrates the safety of the tap
water by taking a drink of it and immediately becomes ill.
The Water Treatment Plant Official thinks that he will be receiving a nice donation to the Christmas Fund after
Martin requests testing of the water supply.  He has a rude awakening when he delivers the results of the test and
Martin refuses to pay what he sees as extortion.
Roger Fenn's plan to apply for his pension looks to be unsuccessful because it seems that there is no way to
prove that his health problems had already begun when he lost his job.  In the end, it looks like he has resigned
himself to going back to work.
Martin's date with Louisa is hijacked by Mark Mylow who grabs him to talk about his emotional health.
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S2E5
Always on My Mind
Literary Reference - An American country music song recorded by many different individuals and groups, but
most notably Willie Nelson.  The lyrics are about a person who has been neglecting his partner but insists that the
partner has always been on his mind.  The singer also pleads with the partner to give him one more chance.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
The storylines in this episode don't really tie in too well to the song, but essentially just into just the title, "Always on
My Mind."
Phil's Pratt's deceased wife is on his mind because he feels guilty about her death.  It seems that he told her that
he was having an affair with a man shortly before she had the stroke that killed her.  But it doesn't seem like he
had any intention of breaking off the affair and since her death he seems to be spending quite a bit of time with
Tony.  She is on his mind because he thinks that her stroke might have been caused by the shock of his
confession.
Tricia's OCD is on her mind all the time.  She always has to be aware of the time because her mind is telling her
that she can only go in or out of a building on the hour or half hour.  She also has a whole set of routines of things
she can't or must do, so there is probably a lot on her mind at all times.
Pauline is on Al's mind because, while she is working to get on the lifeboat crew, she is using all the time spent with
Ross to make Al jealous.  Al tells Pauline that he isn't jealous, but you can see that it is bothering him.  
Unfortunately, that just spurs Pauline even more to get a reaction from Al.
Julie Mitchell is on Mark Mylow's mind because he developed a crush on her the moment he met her.  
Martin & Louisa's relationship actually fit best with the lyrics to the song.  Martin is in a foul mood because he has
been seeing Louisa constantly with Danny over several episodes. In this episode he walks by them sitting on a
bench with Danny arm around her back.  When he is called to the school a couple of times for emergencies, he is
very rude to Louisa.  They finally have it out in the schoolyard and decide that they need to sit down together and
try to figure out what they mean to each other.  So it seems that they have both been on each other's minds.  
Louisa has been neglecting moving on their relationship because she has been dallying with Danny, but it seems
that they both want another chance to try to explore their feelings.
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S4E4
Driving Mr McLynn
Literary Reference - From the 1989 film "Driving Miss Daisy", which was adapted from the play of the same
name.  
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
The themes from this episode relate directly to the title of the film and not the theme of the film.  This episode is all
about people driving others - or attempting to drive them.  Most of these people attempting to drive other people
fail in the attempt.
Mrs McLynn drives Mr McLynn everywhere because he is in a wheelchair due to lower body paralysis. In fact, she
also drives his wheelchair when out in the public because he is leaving his power wheelchair at home.  But, in
reality, Mr McLynn is actually doing the "driving" in both cases because Mrs McLynn has lost most of her sight.  
When Mrs McLynn is driving the car, he tells her when to stop, when to go, when to turn.  And he now uses the
manual wheelchair in public because it allows Mrs McLynn to hold onto the handles while he instructs her
movements.  This doesn't work very well because they keep getting in scrapes in both the car and the wheelchair.
Martin is trying to drive Louisa's pregnancy, but she is having none of it.  He tries to tell her how many days to work
but she insists that she will not reduce her work schedule.  And when she tells him that she is the acting head and
has submitted to be the permanent head, he not only tells her that she is mad, but he does everything to try to
"drive" the interview panel to reject her for the position.  Of course, none of this works well for him.
Edith is trying to drive Martin to get the help he needs to overcome his blood phobia so that he can return to
London (and back into her world).  This also would accomplish her desire to drive him away from both Portwenn
and Louisa (not to mention his baby).  While it appears (in this episode) that she is winning, her quest ultimately
fails.
Al buys Pauline a scooter so that she can drive away when she is feeling penned in living with Al and Bert.  He
almost loses her in the process because he lies about how he is earing the money for the surprise.  At the end of
the episode Pauline is driving Al around the village.
Aunt Joan also has driving issues.  She is involved in an auto accident with the McLynns, and she is having
financial problems and has let her auto insurance lapse.
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S2E4
Aromatherapy
Literary Reference - Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses scent to alter a person's mind,
mood, cognitive function or health.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
This episode is all about odors, pleasant and otherwise.
The main story is about poor Mr Cooke, who smells so bad that he comes to the surgery early so he doesn't
disturb any other patients.  But Martin and Pauline must deal with him and they are both driven to rush to open
windows to get fresh air.  Pauline actually goes to purchase aromatherapy oils and candles to try to help the
situation when he is in the office.  When Martin has exhausted his options, he is set to send Mr Cooke to the
hospital when they discover the odor is coming from the bag he carries everywhere - his missing bird Freddie!
Everyone suspects that Caroline has a drinking problem because of the way she is slurring her words and
because of the way she is acting.  The sense of smell comes in the first time with her when Martin is examining her
and smells liquor on her breath.  But she had only had one glass of wine to toast the birthday of someone at the
station.  When Mark gives her a breathalyzer test and it comes out positive, Martin goes to the police station to
draw her blood for examination.  While there, he notices a varnish scent, which Mark has also noticed, but doesn't
connect it to Caroline.  While talking to a colleague about Mr Cooke's odor, it hits Martin that the varnish scent
could be an indication of diabetes in Caroline, and the blood test confirms his suspicions.
Mark meets Julie and is convinced that the use of his special after shave containing pheromones is what has
drawn her to him.  Two different times in the episode, we see him with the small spray bottle which he thinks will be
his advantage in romancing her.
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S4E1
Better the Devil
Literary Reference - "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know" is a proverb of Irish origin and
traces back to a collection of proverbs from 1539.  It means that it is better to deal with something bad that you
know than with something new that you don't know - the new thing might be even worse.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Martin has been drifting for several months after Louisa has left the village.  He has recently been trying to
conquer his blood phobia when he runs into Edith.  Edith was his first love - his only love until Louisa.  Even
though things ended badly between Martin and Edith, he seems to be considering whether Edith might be the
answer for him to recover from his breakup with Louisa.  Edith is the "devil he knows".  
Even though Louisa only appears in the last scene, we see that she is apparently happy to see Martin again and
that she is pregnant.  Although we will not see how that scene progresses until the next episode, the viewer is left
wondering:  Will Martin decided to move toward Edith (the devil he knows) or toward Louisa and her pregnancy
(the devil he doesn't know)?  Although he knows and loves Louisa, is he ready to accept her back and dive into
parenthood - which is the "devil he doesn't know"?
Al keeps trying to get Pauline to move in with him and his dad.  Even though Pauline is going crazy with her
brother's snoring since he moved back in, she is willing to put up with her brother (the devil she knows), than to
take the leap to move in with Al.  She only relents at the end of the episode because she is so sleep-deprived.
Edith's treatment of Barbara Collingsworth was a case of her making an assumption that her symptoms fit into a
pattern that she has seen many times, so she failed to follow proper medical procedures.  The diagnosis she came
up with fit into her gynecological speciality (the devil she knows) so she didn't bother to make sure that it wasn't
something simpler - something that could be treated by a GP. (This COULD be a stretch)
One more thing - Edith really could be considered a "devil" in this whole Series 4 story arc.
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S4E5
The Departed
Literary Reference - There is a 2006 Academy Award winning film by this name, but the themes in the film don't
seem to match anything in this episode.  The film is about the mafia vs the police and involves many of the
characters working undercover on both sides.  It appears that there is no connection to this episode.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
This is probably one of the few episodes that doesn't have a lot of links to the various storylines.  The title is an
obvious reference to poor Jim Selkirk who dies on the train while seated next to Martin, but sticks around for the
entire episode because Mrs Selkirk constantly sees him as she moves about the village.  Even in the end, when
Martin goes to the aid of Mrs Selkirk and finally diagnoses her medical issue, Jim seems to be there.  Mrs Selkirk
says that Jim had his prize sheep, Sheila, butt her so that Martin would have to come.  As Martin gets up to leave
and he calls it "absolute nonsense", he is butted by Sheila and Mrs Selkirk smiles knowingly.  She tells Martin, "Jim
says you did him proud, Doc."  Martin responds, "Yes, I'm sure he does" just as he gets to the gate which magically
opens for him with no one around.  Martin looks a little spooked.
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S6E2
Guess Who's
Coming to Dinner?
Literary Reference  - The title refers to a 1967 film starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn and Sidney
Poitier.  The film was about a young woman from a liberal family bringing her fiance home to meet her parents and
their shock when they discover that her fiance is a black man.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
The themes in this episode are about people being put into uncomfortable positions.
Martin invites Dennis Dodds for dinner thinking that he is doing the right thing for Louisa, but he doesn't realize
that Louisa does not care for Dennis and he is not someone she would have invited into their home.
Morwenna is considering taking a lodger into her house, but she is approached by two different unsuitable
applicants, until Al asks to rent the room.
Aunt Ruth is coerced by her publisher to go on Caroline's radio show and has callers like "Cliff" foisted on her
even though she is not comfortable giving that type of advice over the radio.
Martin is uncomfortable with the childminder, Mel, due to her being late on her first day and her scratching. (If only
he knew that the reason she was late was because she was finishing a cigarette!
Louisa is uncomfortable with Mike because he takes over their house, rearranging everything and making it all
tidy.  In addition, he seems to be really good with James.  All of this grates on Louisa.
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S6E3
The Tameness
of a Wolf
Literary Reference  - From Shakespeare's King Lear.  "He's mad that trusts in the tameness of a wolf, a horse's
health, a boy's love, or a whore's oath."
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Of course, the main storyline is that Robert was released from custody because they thought he was cured, but his
belief that he was in love with Aunt Ruth, his psychiatrist, was a symptom of the disease (De Clerambault's
Syndrome) that put him into care to begin with.  So the board that released him mistakenly believed that the wolf
was tamed.
Martin thought that he had tamed his "wolf", but his haemophobia has now returned with a vengeance.  
When Bert sees a review in the school newspaper written by a student, he seems to assume that it will be a good
review.  But Becky Wead is like a wolf in sheep's clothing and no one can seem to "tame" her because she's
convinced that Bert's food caused her stomach upset.
When Martin hears that the chemists is reopening, you can see a moment of fear on his face that Mrs Tishell has
returned.  He obviously does not trust in the tameness of a wolf.
Louisa is still not convinced that Mike is qualified to care for James.  Mike has done nothing to make her feel that
way, in fact he seems to her to be a little "too capable."  This makes her a little nervous (and also makes her feel a
little inadequate), so she is just not ready to completely trust him yet.
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S4E3
Perish Together
as Fools
Literary Reference  - Martin Luther King, Jr, from a speech in 1964, "We must learn to live together as brothers
or perish together as fools.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Three different themes around this quote could be found in this episode:  people living together or not being able
to live together, people acting like fools, and people trying to fool other people.
Joe's brother Sam is staying with him for awhile and are actually "living together as brothers".  But Sam is fooling
Joe about his activities and they both end up looking foolish.  In fact, Sam's foolish activities could have led to his
death if Martin had not figured out what was happening.
Martin and Louisa are not "living together" in the emotional sense while their baby continues to develop in Louisa's
womb.  It's only when they work together (Louisa going to Martin when she fears the baby isn't moving, Louisa
going to Martin when she is concerned about the baby's development from the scan) that Louisa is reassured that
everything is progressing well and Martin starts to really understand that this baby is real (hearing his heartbeat
and seeing him on the scan).
Mr Routledge keeps trying to fool Martin into thinking that there is something wrong with him so that he can move
into a care home.  He no longer wants to live alone but live together with other people like him and be cared for.
Al and Pauline are finding living together challenging (although NOT as brothers), but Al pulls a series of foolish
moves to get in Pauline's good graces and their relationship almost perishes.
Louisa tries to fool Mr Routledge by being very neighborly (or brotherly) to him so that she can move into his
cottage if he can get into the care home.  She also tries to fool Martin when he calls her on it, but he doesn't buy it
for a minute.
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S3E7
Happily Ever After
Literary Reference  - Happily Ever After is how most fairy tales end.  Even though Martin has said that this show
is not a fairy tale, there are way too many fairy tale references to take that statement at face value.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Of course, in this episode it looked like our heroes were going to begin their happily ever after, right up until the
last scenes in the episode.
Martin tells Mr Elliott that he has a disease that he will just have to learn to live with.  He realizes that he won't be
living happily ever after.
Bert and Al have their restaurant flooded out and decide to go with the circus tent so that they can turn around the
bad luck and have a successful catering event.  Of course, the tent collapses and Al realizes there will be no
happily ever after for their catering business and decides they may have to return to plumbing.
The florist is arrested for trying to steal a bicycle.  Looks like his day (and perhaps his business) won't end happily
ever after.
While the Dry Cleaner had a beautiful wedding at St Roger's church, he and his wife did not live happily ever after.
When Martin shows up at the church to see the vicar, Mrs Tishell has a brief moment when she thinks he has
changed his mind and she glimpses a happily ever after with her dream man, but her hopes are quickly dashed.
The vicar's day does not end happily, as he is taken to hospital with a broken hip.
Mr Porter certainly doesn't believe in married couples finding happily ever after.
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S1E1
Going Bodmin
Literary Reference - There was an asylum in Bodmin, that was closed down in 2002, so people in Cornwall will
use the term "Bodmin" for a person who is considered "barmy".  The episode title might be a play on words like
"Going Crazy", "Going Mad", "Going Insane", "Going Bonkers".
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Just the fact that Martin is leaving his comfortable life in London as a top surgeon to become the GP of this small
fishing village probably seems a bit "Bodmin" to the villagers.  They don't yet understand the reason for his move.
Martin seems to see the whole village as "Bodmin", from the floating car in the harbour, to the antiquated
equipment in the surgery and the crazy receptionist he's inherited, to the fishermen running him off the road, to the
incompetent plumbers who have flooded his surgery, to the "tosh" being passed off as "art" at the village fair, and
to top it off, the first 3 patients he sees (before being officially open for business) are all tied together and creating
their conditions by their foolishness.  No wonder he wants to leave!
There could also be a reference to Daphne du Maurier's "Jamaica Inn" which was set on Bodmin Moor and is
about an outsider coming to the moor and discovering all sorts of strange characters and activities - a parallel to
Martin's impressions of Portwenn?
After the pack of girls (I call the "Greek Chorus") call Martin "Bodmin" he asks Bert and Al if it means "barmy". They
bring up both the old asylum and Daphne du Maurier when they try to explain the local term.
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S1E2
Gentlemen Prefer
Literary Reference - This is a reference to "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" which was originally a novel written in
1925. It was subsequently made into a movie in 1928 and then a stage musical in 1949.  The musical was then
adapted for a very popular movie made in 1953.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Although Carmen, who is the woman marrying Elaine's dad, is a blonde, the fact that the word "Blonde" doesn't
appear in the title is significant.  The title should probably have been, "Gentlemen Prefer Baps".  ("Baps" is a slang
word for breasts.)  Elaine complains to Martin about the woman her father is marrying.  She says, "What is it with
men and big baps?  It's offensive."  
Elaine's views on women with "big baps" is evident early in the episode when she is describing the employee in the
supermarket who refused to let her in the six items or less line.  She refers to her as a "bimbo" and says, "All baps
up to here and them stick-on nails."
One of Martin's first patients, Mrs Black (the actress also played Dr Diana Dibbs), tells Martin that she is a
matchmaker.  She asks Martin if he is a leg or breast man?  Before he can respond, she assues the latter and tells
him that there is plenty that can be done is she is a "Scotch Pancake".
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S1E4
The Portwenn
Effect
Literary Reference - The Placebo Effect - the tendency of any medication or treatment to exhibit results simply
because the recipient believes that it will work.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
The main reference, The Portwenn Effect, comes from the last scene when Mark tells Martin that he thinks
Portwenn has had an effect on him because he relented and found a creative solution to help Mark.
It turns out that Stewart has been helped by a placebo for years because Dr Sim was giving him vitamins while
telling him he was prescribing nitrazepam.
Mark has been paying "an arm and a leg" for his Big Boy tablets thinking that they will be the cure for his issue.
Martin's patient, Robin, the mechanic, doesn't understand why he can't get an antibiotic for his virus.  Dr Sim
always prescribed them to him and he was probably using them as a placebo for his patients for years.  After all,
the placebo worked for Stewart.
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S1E6
Haemophobia
Literary Reference - "Haemophobia" definition:  Morbid fear of blood, A pathological fear of blood.
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
Several people in this episode are dealing with aversions or fears
Martin was diagnosed with haemophobia when he suddenly developed an aversion to the sight and smell of blood
and cauterized flesh.  This is the reason he is no longer a surgeon in London and is now the GP in the village.
Peter Cronk also has fears.  He doesn't feel part of the group in school so he does everything to avoid
participating in group activities.  
Several of the villagers seem to be fearful that their new GP may not be reliable because of his blood issue.
Martin and Louisa have been finding themselves drawn to each other, but neither is ready to admit their feelings.  
Peter tries to get Louisa to admit her feelings for Martin, but she brushes him off.  After Martin tells Louisa the
story about how he developed haemophobia and she watches him save Peter's life, she seems to become
emboldened.  In the taxi on the way back to Port Isaac, Louisa edges her hand toward Martin's hand on the seat
between them waiting for him to meet her halfway.  Martin tries, but doesn't have the courage.  A few minutes later
he gets the courage to touch her hand.  Louisa immediately grabs him and they share a passionate kiss.  Martin
spoils it by accusing her of having bad breath and the progress they both made is snapped - sort of like magnets
pulling together or pushing apart.