I really like the reveal of the extent of Doc’s blood problem, the many gorgeous shots of “Portwenn”, and Roger Fenn. A lot of the lines made me laugh out loud. I still can’t fathom what Louisa is thinking of the Doc in this episode, especially the look at the end. At first she is smiling with everyone else at the wedding when they are singing “for he’s a jolly good fellow”, but then she turns to look at the Doc and the smile turns to mad or concern or confusion? Hmmm. I thought it odd when I first saw this episode that anyone would describe their parents as vile. I realze now that it was another clue into the Doc’s personality

As was mentioned by other reviewers for S1E1, these early episodes were full of a lot more humor and “one-liners” than were the shows a few years later. That was also true of the change in the Doc’s personality. Here, in S1E2, he willingly attended the wedding and even slightly socialized, especially with Roger Fenn. And, speaking of Roger Fenn, I noticed in re-watching this episode, that he stated what we didn’t find out until S7 that Louisa also was thinking: “You won’t last five minutes.” (said to the Doc)

There were a lot of good lines in this episode, such as the following:

Mrs. Walker: “Am I your first official patient?”
Doc: “Indeed you are. Collect 1,000 loyalty points, you get a free coffin.”

Doc to Elaine when she says she isn’t responsible for working his system: “That’ll be the system whereby we don’t kill the patients by prescribing the wrong medication?”

Roger: “You’re not giving me anything for my throat?”
Doc: “I’m not giving you anything for the chip on your shoulder either.”

Doc to Elaine when she can’t take a correct phone message: “There’s a sick child somewhere but you didn’t get the name or number. I guess we could always get the name from the obituary, couldn’t we?”

Doc to Roger when he tries to make him see a specialist: “You have cancer and you may well lose your voice, which has a certain appeal.”

Roger to Doc: “Are you lost or looking for children to frighten?”
Another observation as I watched this and the next few episodes and compared them to subsequent series, it appeared that Martin Clunes has become much more comfortable playing the part of a doctor and doing examinations. In this S1E2, his actions in examining Roger Fenn seem just a bit forced and mechanical. In later years, he seems totally natural in the role, making me really believe that he is a practicing physician.

Finally, I noticed in re-watching what I had not observed in my initial viewing or even subsequent viewings until it was pointed out by other fans: the onions on the dashboard of Louisa’s car. I know those have all been discussed in earlier fan conversations.

The Doc also has no problem with alcohol in S1!

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by  Roscarrock.

Sue got all my favorite lines from this segment. In watching this for probably the tenth time or more, I realized how much I wish Roger Fenn had continued on in the series. He genuinely was DM’s confidant and friend. Probably not every episode but it would have been nice to see that relationship continue.

One Sue missed…hospital receptionist when he hands her his car keys “are you a GP?” DM answers “yes, and your a receptionist”.

One I forgot was DM was outside waiting to go into the wedding when LG comes up and he starts to pay her a complinent “Louisa you’re looking” she brushes past him and he continues “right through me!”

This episode had some of the best quips ever!

There really are so many good one-liners in this episode. I thoroughly enjoyed watching it again.

Favorite moments included Martin dragging the dog through reception and putting him out, only to have Elaine let him right back in. The tossing of the stick over the cliff and Doc’s “Fetch” to the dog. When Martin got info ono Bobby Richards’ from Louisa at the school and he leaves, goes the wrong way, and then we see him backtrack.

This might be Elaine’s most irritating episode. I’d have fired her too, good girl or otherwise.

And, of course, there’s that brilliant scene at the hospital when Martin tells Roger so much of his background.

Excellent.

“My sister said you were the ‘W’ word, the ‘T’ word, the ‘P’ word, and the ‘Z’ word.”

– Wanker
– Tosser
– Pillock
– ????

LOL 🙂

After the aerial view of the coast from the plane in series 1, we saw the beautiful view of the area from the ground as Doc walked with Elaine’s father and his fiancee. Funny scene when the fiancee’s dog ate her lipstick, followed by Gremlin mounting the tiny dog and the ensuing squeal. Doc’s dismissive comment that he hoped her dog was fixed. In this episode and a few others, we saw Doc wearing a raincoat but very seldom in subsequent episodes. After getting blood on one raincoat in the hospital, he stashed it in the trashcan. That was a very effective scene when Doc rounded the corner at the hospital and “ran” into the teen with the nosebleed and was scattered with blood. His reaction put him in the men’s room where he vomited. Some parallel between his appearance in that scene and the scene in the lavatory following Louisa’s surgery in series 6. Other good scene was the one in which he and Louisa walked past each other as they went in opposite directions. She had been to visit Fenn and Martin had not yet seen him. Louisa later accuses Martin of not caring for his patient because he did not visit Fenn. May have been a foreshadowing of their inability to move in the same direction and get things right.

The “Gentlemen Prefer….” title likely refers to the book and movie “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Elaine was kind of a blonde that Greg, but not Martin, preferred. The matchmaker asked Martin not if he preferred blondes but if he was a breast or leg man. The giggling fiancee who Elaine did not prefer but her father did is a blonde. Louisa is a brunette and Martin seems to prefer her.

I like the music at the end and notice the same music is in both the UK version and the Acorn version. Maybe not the same copyright/licensing issues as with “Sailing.”

I agree with Biffpup that Elaine was extremely annoying in this episode. Lucy Punch does a great job of making you loathe her!

In addition to the previously-mentioned favorite lines, on my rewatch I noted the following as some of my favorites:

Mrs. Black: You’ll be looking for a partner.
Doc: No, I’ll be wanting a patient.
*************
Elaine: Do you want a Jammie Dodger for the way?
*************
Elaine: Look…..
Doc: No, you look, Elaine…for a new job.
*************
Louisa: You always have a line, don’t you? It’s like every conversation’s a competition and you have to win it. It’s so… male.
Doc: Thank you.
*************
Doc: Shouldn’t you be giggling outside my house? (to Bobby Richard’s sister)
*************
Airbag deploying and Doc’s reaction to it. Did he try to drive away when he got back in the car after his confrontation with Roger? I thought that should have disabled the car.
*************
Doc: (to Roger Fenn) You may not care about this, but unfortunately, I’m paid to.
*************
Doc: Would you like the tumor to write to you?
*************
Doc: (shouting to dog) Will you get out of that bin?
*************
Doc: (to Elaine’s dad): Well, she’s got, um, personality
*************
Carmen: (horrified) What is your dog doing?
Doc: ………It’s not my dog.
*************
Doc: Well, that sounded, um…..
Roger Fenn: Hoarse?
*************
Doc: I’ve booked you in for surgery next Friday.The 13th, actually.
Roger: …Perfect.
*************
Scene with Doc and the biscuit deliveryman (Have you had your prostate checked?)
*************
Receptionist: Is it me, or don’t you understand plain English?
Doc:It’s you.
*************
Doc: …I haven’t operated since. So now I’m your GP.
Roger: You probably want to keep that quiet.
Doc: Yeah, I wouldn’t want the village fall out of love with me.
Roger: Your secret’s safe with me.
Doc: Well, it’s not like you’re going to be able to tell anyone, anyway, is it?
*************
Roger: You are a miserable bugger.
Doc: Thank you.
*************
Roger: He did come to see me. Depressed the hell out of me.
Doc: It was mutual.
*************
Roger: Can I come and talk to you about the chemo?
Doc: Sh,sh…rest that voice. I’ll see if I can squeeze you in.
*************
Doc is more willing to socialize with people (Roger, Elaine’s dad and Carmen, attending the wedding) than he is in later episodes. he didn’t even look that miserable at the wedding reception!

Even back in series one, we saw some great facial expressions from Doc: disgust with Elaine, disgust with the dog, working the eyebrow, reaction to seeing the blood on his coat, etc.

Bring on episode 3!

This episode kept me coming back for more. I laughed out loud several times starting with the doc dragging the dog out, then his first patient stating she ” hadn’t even had any tea”. The banter with Roger Fenn was good and I wished we could see more of him. We do see a very different doc; one who attempts a bed side manner, small talk and even a joke about cutting off Bobby Richards leg along with other one liners. I believe He actually lets out a chuckle when talking to Roger in the hospital… Not sure we ever see that again. He seems to be impressed with Louisa’s competance when she has a map ready for him, and disturbed that she’s cold to him at the wedding. And was he about to say That she was looking lovely when he said you’re looking right through me?
He hasn’t become the gruff, awkward lovesick doc we’ve all grown to love, but he’s on his way. Interestingly Louisa seems to be fairly consistent from the beginning.

I really think this early Doc is the Doc a many fans wish was still around (he is in fact seen chuckling again in an upcoming episode). Well, I do, although I’ll be watching ’til the bitter end in any case.

That and the writing. There seems to be a lot more “intertwining” of themes going on in the earlier series. For example, during the scene where Louisa and Fenn are at the fish monger’s, Caroline can be heard on the radio asking DM if he forms intimate relationships with his patients, and we see Louisa and Roger glance at each other. There are a lot more of these kinds of moments, but they seem to be absent in later series. (Unless I’m missing them subconsciously!)