Home › Forums › Doc Martin Rewatch › Doc Martin Rewatch – Series 2 › Episode 3 – Blood is Thicker
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Post your comments for Blood is Thicker here
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SueWhen I first began watching “Doc Martin”, I used to wonder at the ads that promoted the show as “hilarious”, as if it was all about comedy. I saw a lot of good, subtle humor, but I also saw some good story-telling and some episodes were even good mystery. I found this episode to be more of the latter, with an intriguing mystery for the Doc to solve…what was going on with the Flint family?
Not that there weren’t some good lines during the show. Doc made it rather obvious how he views Pauline when he walks into his office and finds only Wallace Flint sitting in the waiting room. Doc asks “Where’s the receptionist?” When receiving a shrug from Wallace, he proceeds to describe the missing person, “Mid-20s, cheap-looking.” Obviously an accurate description, as Wallace now is able to indicate where to find her.
The other not-so-difficult mystery is why some of his patients are not responding to his treatment or becoming more ill. It turns out to be the herbalist, dispensing natural treatments. I found the scene uncomfortable where Martin overhears the herbalist and Louisa discussing Martin’s haemophobia. I was disappointed in Louisa to hear her gossiping in that manner, although she did defend him as “a very good doctor”. I ached for Martin who probably felt almost as if he were back in boarding school, with kids making fun of him. No wonder, going forward, he finds it difficult to reveal his feelings to Louisa, not knowing if she will make public statements he intends to be private.
A mystery for me in the series is whether airbags in cars sometimes work differently. When the Doc’s airbag deploys in this episode when he nearly hits the sofa in the road and also in S1E2 when he hits Roger Fenn’s car, he is able to get back in his car and drive away. In S6E8, he has to seek out PC Penhale to drive him to the airport because he says his car won’t work now that the airbag has deployed.
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I raised the airbag issue awhile ago over at DigitalSpy. I thought a car became undriveable after a deployment, but I’ve never had to deal with it in real life, thank goodness. I suppose it’s easily searched-out on the Internet, but I’m too lazy right now.
At any rate, probably another detail to chalk-up to the Portwenn Effect.
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I agree, when an airbag deploys, the car has to be towed away.. But as Roscarock says, a nice example of the Portwenn effect.
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Sue, you are so right about the Doc wanting to solve the mystery in this episode. It reminded me of the Doc Martin movies with its story, mystery and humor throughout.
The Bert and Al storyline was very touching and Auntie Joan takes on a mother figure roll again this time helping Al. I teared up when Bert was crying in his truck. Perfect casting of the Flint family, especially the oddly sweet and quirky Wallace. A product of “the moor” (insert small tongue roll).
I thought it interesting that the Doc did not dismiss holistic medicine out of hand. With his Buddhas and eastern decorations in his surgery I wonder if he did a bit of study of Eastern medicines. He seemed to have knowledge of what Sandra Mylo was dispensing, usages and interactions. I suppose that good doctors these days would have to know such things. Sandra was really smug about her work and I thought Doc was too accommodating to her. No “blood thicker” between Mark and Sandra. I was so happy when Mark tossed her out.
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SueYes, if this episode were being shown in a theater, I can imagine the mass of cheers that would erupt from the audience as Mark told Sandra to move out, now!
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MaisynBrlnilaice for free; your parents must be a sweetheart and a certified genius.
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HawkThat really caeuprts the spirit of it. Thanks for posting.
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NookThanks for spending time on the computer (wrnitig) so others don’t have to.
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Beatrice
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This episode was not high on my list of favorites. I did find it to be a clever version of “Doc Martin’s Psycho”. The Flint family walked the line of being creepy, but not over the top creepy, very well. I really didn’t know who or what we were going to find sitting in that rocking chair, a la Mrs Bates. Well done.
I was glad to see Sandra on her way, as she was simply annoying.
I found the parrot amusing and I think this was the first time we see that Burt has a nice head of thick hair under that hat?
As far as the Al/Bert story; I know it’s a fan favorite. To me it was a little heavy for the characters. I would have preferred to see them fighting bed bugs from bringing the diseased sofa/ valuable antique into their home. I’ve grown to enjoy them in lighter scenarios and the episode already had the sad story of a family abandoned by a mother, and young men living with a father suffering from mental illness.
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Three families with three differing issues: The Mylows with brother, Mark, and sister, Sandra, squabbling as brothers and sisters often do (in a later episode when Pauline sparred with her brother, it was a similar dynamic). The Flints with the two brothers trying to protect their father from the Doc finding out his secret. I am happy that we do not have “Smell-o-vision” because I can’t imagine the smell in the Flint house full of decomposing animals in and out of the many refrigerators. But the animals did yield a wonderful end to the episode when the brothers presented the stuffed dog to Martin. I wonder what he did with it?
The story between Al and Bert was very touching and proved that even if Bert wasn’t his father blood might not be thicker than the water.
Of course, the introduction of blood in the title is a reminder of Martin’s hemophobia which Louisa freely discussed with Sandra Mylow. I found that the earlier Louisa always seemed to do things that made her fit in. Rather than dismissing Sandra’s comments, she chatted on about them. This scene was reminiscent of the later scene in Series 7 when Dr. Timoney, under duress of her head injury, is gossiping with Sally Tishell. It is cringe worthy.
Good episode and a building block to what would follow.-
I always thought he binned the stuffed dog… Of course it doesn’t fit in the bin, so he places it next to where the bin is placed in other episodes.. By the way, I loved the final shot of the stuffed “watch”dog.. No sign of Gremlin at that time..
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One of the best episodes, packed with humour.
“I hope your ears aren’t burning…” I liked Louisa’s reaction. The scene proofs that she isn’t any better than the rest of the gossiping village.
The parrot in the pub is something I hadn’t really noticed before! So funny that he started to copy Martin when he said “Mark” and even repeated a medical term. Martin’s reaction was priceless! It became even better when the parrot says “Martin” when the doc leaves (or at least I think he does say that)
I love to see that the Doc is really interested in his patients and shows concern.
Again an episode where dogs play a role. Must have been a Portwenn effect as well, how on earth could the dog (chained most of the time) get hit by a car in the middle of nowhere?
Kate, I think these rewatches are great, makes me watch my favourite show with different eyes.. Thank you for organizing it!
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I always thought the parrot says “Tosser! Martin!” when DM is leaving.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by
Roscarrock.
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AdonicaHey, good to find somonee who agrees with me. GMTA.
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This reply was modified 9 years, 11 months ago by
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This is not one of my favorite episodes because all of the family storylines just seem really “ugh” to me. The Flynt family and Mark’s sister are just annoying. And I didn’t like the tension between Bert and Al in this episode – bug glad it worked out in the end.
It’s funny, because the episode titles of this and the next episode always fool me when I see them. I always think, “Blood is Thicker” is the episode where Martin’s parents visit, and I always think “Aromatherapy” is the episode where Mark’s sister appears. I suspect I always have the vision of her holding the bottle for Louisa to smell.
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