Doc Martin

Doc Martin, I believe, was doomed for failure. Rarely does a show, that has survived by luring audiences with a “will they or wont” they scenario between two characters with great chemistry, make for great television after the two characters end up together. Castle, possibly being the exception. 

 

At the end of season 5 when Doc Martin proposed to Louisa, there was a huge opportunity to start moving the show in a different direction. Not an original direction, but one that had gained a treasure trove of comedic opportunities for the doc and Louisa to hammer out some of the doc’s issues. I wasn’t expecting the show to just bounce back with Doc Martin being a completely new and overhauled character, that would have been television suicide, but I at least expected a work in progress.

 

Season 6 opens with Martin and Louisa’s wedding day. At first it seems like Martin is somewhat changed, even Louisa finds some logic in the doc’s idea’s when they find Bert and Joe plotting something (which ends up being a honeymoon retreat for the couple). When the newly married couple find themselves whisked away regardless, dropped off without their luggage, and forced to find a phone in a mostly rural area where houses are miles apart, I sat back and waited for the metamorphosis to begin. 

 

The episode ended up being pretty funny, but quickly afterwards everything seemed to bounce back to the way it was. Martin a complete introvert, Louisa trying to break down his walls, the town as eccentric as ever finding its residents in need of medical attention. The only difference is that there was a complete loss of chemistry between the doc and his new wife, and seeing as how they are the main stars of the show, everything seemed to come unhinged, relying mostly on uninteresting side stories. 

 

Bonuses in series six include a 60+ minute behind the scenes segment and a photo gallery.