Home › Forums › Doc Martin Rewatch › Doc Martin Rewatch – Series 1 › Episode 4 – The Portwenn Effect (April 04, 2016)
This topic contains 148 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by Kerriann 8 years ago.
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This topic was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by
Kate Kennedy.
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This topic was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by
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SueIn re-watching this episode, I found myself seeing it on a much different level from the first viewing. Initially, I saw the two main story lines as simply interesting plots, but now I see the writers may have intended to show how Martin is not so unlike many other people.
This is our introduction to Peter Cronk, whose personality is not a very subtle reference to what Martin likely was as a child or even as he is now. In one scene when the Doc and Peter sit on the bench outside the principal’s office at the school, there is the dialogue:
Doc: “We all feel left out from time to time.”
Peter: “What do you know?” (We are aware that the Doc really does know.)Peter: “People say I’m being rude, but I’m just saying what’s in my head, you know.”
Doc: “Yeh, I know.”Then, when the Doc returns to Stewart’s place to try to help him, there is the dialogue:
Stewart: “A smell can put me right back there. You can’t imagine…”
Doc: “No, I can, actually.” (The triggering smells may be different for the two men and the reactions different, but they both suffer similar difficulties. And the Doc encourages therapy for Stewart. We know the Doc will eventually have to opt for that too.)This episode did not seem to have as many humorous one-liners, but I thought it was well-written, with good character development. As we have said when reviewing the previous three episodes, we still see a more sociable Martin than we do in later series. He laughs and smiles with Stewart (at least until he finds out how fragile Stewart is), he is understanding with Peter and he shows compassion for Stewart by working to find a suitable solution for him.
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I draw a contrast between this early episode and the Doc of series 7. In both cases, Doc Martin seems more aware of the world around him. In this episode he understands that the smells Stewart recalls from his military service in Bosnia do trigger his — possibly — PTSD. As others pointed out, Doc has a blood reaction but we also know that he reacted to the smell of cauterized flesh as part of his phobia. This is the only time after his initial comments to Roger Fenn, that Martin notes he empathizes with Stewart’s smell trigger. I don’t think Doc was embarrassed about discussing penis size with Mark, more that this wasn’t a concern for him, and that he really had to try to be sympathetic to Mark. His tossing the vitamins masquerading as a penis enhancer to Mark with the comment: “Here you go Big Boy” had a little touch of sarcasm that I miss from Doc.
Doc also behaved very appropriately with Stewart’s imaginary squirrel friend, Anthony. It was as if Doc had been in similar situations with patients or family and knew how to react without upsetting Stewart. I thought this was an unusual ability for someone who was a surgeon rather than a social worker, psychologist, or law enforcement officer. He also seemed very aware of sectioning under the Mental Health Act. Of course, that was probably part of his training as a GP, but he seemed aware of mental health issues. I think a later series Doc would not have been as kind to Stewart or to Peter Cronk.
This was the “good” Peter Cronk. A geeky kid who read medical books and didn’t really belong with his peers. Of course, Doc could identify with Peter, including the absent father, but not the mother who was Peter’s champion through everything. No spoilers, but the later Peter actor and writing just so missed that appealing Peter we saw in this episode.
Aunt Joan was perfect at the dance: the village elder who steps in at the right time to point out to Martin how to win Louisa and how to behave with the villagers. He leaves the dance annoyed — but is it with the villagers or with himself for not asking Louisa to dance? Interesting that Louisa was a great dancer with Mark, but not so good with Martin at their wedding. Martin might have asked her for the next slow dance and shown his abilities on the dance floor — but then so much angst would have been missed.
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o.k. I am probably the odd one out here but this is my 2nd favourite episode in Series 1. I like Martin’s visible discomfort when talking penis size with Mark Mylow and also his discomfort when he mistakes Mark Mylow’s reference to the “girl of your dreams”. MC does discomfort very well. He did it very well in Elaine’s parents wedding episode earlier in the series when he was sitting alone at the table.
I also like the learning aspect of it. Mark Mylow teaches him something about small town solutions and DM gets the first hint that “the late great Dr Sim” may not have been as dimwitted as he thought.
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Such a great episode. I found myself catching Doc’s many wonderful facial expressions more so than one liners in this episode. His face is so expressive especially through the scenes with Stuart and “Anthony”, and the touches of jealousy over Louisa. Portwenn effect, placebo effect, or Louisa effect, the Doc was certainly effected by it all.
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I loved how Louisa checked him out as he walked away from The Platt after turning down her invite to the dance.
I realized during this viewing, that we see his rudeness to a patient for the first time in this episode. In the previous episodes he was pushed by the patients and they really deserved the rudeness, but the mechanic just couldn’t understand why he couldn’t get an antibiotic because Dr Sim always gave them to him. Martin’s rudeness in describing why he wouldn’t prescribe them seemed a little too harsh.
The first time I saw the episode I caught the significance of Stewart’s line about “If you’re going to be fragile, this is the place to be.” That was a direct reference to Martin’s reason for being in Portwenn. But, as Sue mentioned above, I hadn’t caught the line about how he was affected by smells – and Martin telling him he understood. I think that was really the moment that he decided follow Mark’s advice about using creative solutions. It’s similar to how Martin was reminded about that same thing by Aunt Joan after his first impressions of Joe Penhale.
This is the first episode where we really start to see the attraction between Martin & Louisa. Louisa checking him out as he walks away, Martin looking absolutely bereft thinking that Louisa may start dating Mark, the hurt look on his face when he sees them dancing and then walking away together after dealing with Stewart. And Louisa’s reactions when she realizes he has misunderstood her relationship with Mark. Things are heating up between these two.
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I enjoyed this episode. I came away with a few things.
I realized how much I miss Mark. That character does a great job if walking the line between Barney Fife and Andy Griffith. He is able to make us laugh (penis size conversation) and later he proves himself a very competent and caring village policeman. (His handling of Stewart and offering to rebuild bird tables with Peter) although I like joe Penhale he is strictly Barney Fife and that can be annoying.
I really like Peter and was sorry that he develops the way he did when we last saw him. ( don’t want to give a spoiler)
Also a few questions
– is it likely that Mark really doesn’t fancy Louisa after the dance or did she have a little talk with him to discourage him?
– did Louisa drop the f bomb on the dance floor? She mouths something when she spots Martin at the dance. Anyone else catch that?-
Interesting points, ‘lad’.
I kind of miss Mark, too. Quirky yet fairly believable, although in this episode a sad sack in many respects. Bad luck with women, feelings of inadequacy, dances alone in the police station, embarrassing comments to Louisa. I agree, Penhale is hard to take sometimes. Getting ahead of the discussion here, but that ridiculous first scene of E01S07 where he’s chasing DM trying to set a meetup was a perfect harbinger of a disappointing S7. Over the top and farcical.
Peter’s a character. My favorite Peter bit from the episode is when Mark gives him a choice of building bird tables or face the consequences. He thinks about it a moment and decides,
“I’d sooner be arrested.”
LOL!
I think it IS likely that MM’s change of heart over Louisa is the result of the “chat” she wanted to have with him, and he’d rather save face with DM.
You’re right about Louisa’s f-bomb! There’s no audible dialogue but she’s saying f-something. Good catch!
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This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by
Roscarrock.
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This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by
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