I’m sorry to say that after months of longing for Doctors to return to my screen, it was a bit of a lacklustre comeback last Monday. The episode wasn’t the most thrilling, as a handful of the cast had a social distanced birthday celebration for Jimmi, resulting in Al and new girl, Lily, bedding each other. I have to say, I am so up for this pairing! They are brilliant together!
Lily challenges Al to a drinking game… (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
Karen and Rob said farewell to their latest charge by taking him climbing and putting a rather unpleasant policeman in his place. And the annoying temporary midwife, Deborah, just about managed to deliver a baby. Is she even qualified? She seems to have no idea what she is doing. Also, in the NHS special, Ruhma was working so hard that she caught Covid-19 and nearly died so why is this woman even still here? Why wouldn’t Ruhma be back now? Unless she is still unwell. In which case, wouldn’t someone have acknowledged that or that Covid-19 has ever existed?
But anyway, Deborah continued to struggle to fit in, not helped by a sudden crush from nowhere on Sid which was not reciprocated. But undeterred, Deborah decided that The Mill might be somewhere she would like to stay.
Thankfully, Zara swooped in midweek and saved the show with a very cool episode about a very strange actress imitating her for a play. It was really quite creepy and the kind of Doctors episode we have come to expect. Unfortunately, this annoying Harper storyline still harps on. I did appreciate the Shakespeare’s sonnets though.
Zara is still obsessed with Harper.. maybe she should change the batteries as he clearly doesn’t have a plug? (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
Now, the time has come to replace Ayesha and Daniel and Bear were sure they had found ‘the one’ until they checked the woman’s references. They were not good.
Daniel and Bear interview for a new nurse… (photo credit: WhatsOnTV)
Now, I’ve watched Doctors since just after Joe was born so quite a few years now. My Nan got my Mum into it and my Mum got me into it. My wife lived in Birmingham for years and she loves it. Just in case you were interested. Probably not. But anyway, of all the soaps, I am never disappointed in this show. I think it’s the most underrated soap there is. It doesn’t show off and it doesn’t boast and yet it tells the most intricate, important, incredible stories. This week, we had mental health, grief, vasectomies, births, meditation for people coming out of prison…
So, I am shocked to discover the soap that’s set in a GP surgery has skipped the entire Coronavirus pandemic and is acting as if it’s all over. I just find it really strange. It’s also skipped it without actually skipping time. All the storylines (Ruhma has vanished without mention, Deborah is still there, they’ve not filled Ayesha’s position, Jimmi’s birthday was literally about to happen, that annoying Harper thing) just ran continuously from where they left off in the summer.
I get it in the Aussie episodes which always have that element of fantasy in them (and also didn’t really go off air) but in this kind of show, even more so than any of the others, I think Doctors has really missed a trick. Now, it feels like we’re in a weird vortex of time and space. It’s not something I would ever normally say about my beloved Doctors but attempting to skip Covid-19 entirely from the show feels like a huge error.
It looked ever so briefly like love was in the air for Toadie and Rose but alas, it wasn’t to be as Rose drifted back to her corrupt husband, James. Oh well, she was nice but she will never be Sonya. We will have to wait for someone worthier to come along.
Aaron, David and Nicolette bonded after a drunken party and the boys invited Nicolette to stay with them permanently. Hooray! I like this friendship. And I like Nicolette, although there is clearly a slightly viscous side to her as she took genuine pleasure in informing Pierce that she was staying put. Oh well. I have never liked him anyway.
Karl and Jane stashed all their bulk buying rubbish on Aaron and David’s roof, causing it to fall in. As sick of the storyline as I am, Susan laid down the law – no more bargain basement hoarding or Jane has to move out. Now, can we move onto a story a little worthier of characters such as Karl Kennedy and Jane Harris? This one has been pretty insulting, quite frankly. Then the story moved onto Susan feeling crowded by Jane…
Thanks to a photo Aaron put online of him, David and Nicolette, an old friend of Nicolette’s suddenly pitched up in Erinsborough and the boys made her much more welcome than Nic did. Her name was Audrey and she turned out to be an ex-colleague of Nicolette’s. They both looked after a patient called Marco who was severely neglected by his horrible family. When he died, they cashed a winning lottery ticket of his and split the winnings. While Nicolette clearly had no issues spending the money, Audrey has been wracked with guilt all this time and not spent a cent until recently, when she bought a fancy handbag and then completely panicked. She now wants to confess and give the money back. Nicolette does not agree and spent the rest of the week trying to stall her.
Working at the hospital together, Audrey dropped Nicolette in it about visiting London two years ago when Jane had no idea she was there. Karl and Jane became concerned about what was going on between Nicolette and Audrey. Susan was concerned about Jane taking over her house. Karl searched through Nicolette’s records and concluded that she had been working in London, just as Audrey had said.
Ned’s life was in tatters as Scarlett continued to make complaints about him to the police and Yashvi’s trust in him was broken. She did agree to attend Ned’s exhibition, along with the rest of the residents in order to support Ned. He ended up winning the Osbourne Prize but not with the portrait of Yashvi that he submitted but with the destroyed portrait of Scarlett that she swapped, ready for the big unveiling right at the climax of the exhibition. She then appeared and announced that he had been stalking her before running off. Ned gave chase, ignoring his loved ones begging him to let her leave. Roxy was left to explain the whole debacle to Paul and Terese.
He chased Scarlett back to the maze, haunted by memories of the stabbing. Yashvi found him (not by the maze), asleep in his car with a cut on his head and no recollection as to what had happened the night before. While Ned suffered nightmares and flashbacks about what had happened, including holding his bloodied pallet knife and someone being locked in his boot, Scarlett was declared missing. CCTV footage then transpired of Scarlett being thrown to the ground by a mystery assailant.
While Ned’s loved ones were certain Scarlett had set Ned up, Ned was traumatised by his ‘memories’ and confessed to murder. The Detective who wrongly charged Tyler of murder, arrived to run the case and correctly stepped Yashvi down. Why on earth was she allowed to get involved anyway?! Ned was charged with murder and let out on bail thanks to Paul and Terese.
Ned is arrested… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
All the while Ned’s life was falling apart, believing he had killed Scarlett, she was actually hiding in The Hive, listening in on his oblivious friends talking all about what had happened. Once Ned had been bailed, she sneaked into the garage and tampered with a car. Meanwhile, Yashvi was certain that Scarlett’s journal, which had been critical in the case of her stalking Ned in the first place. Desperate to help, Shane attempted to get hold of it, only to get caught stealing it and charged for the offence by Levi. This of course landed him in a huge amount of trouble with Dipi, Toadie and Yashvi. Shane then infuriated Dipi further by suggested she be in charge of his decisions so he didn’t screw up again.
Chloe returned from visiting her mother, having reached a decision. She cannot think about the long term future due to her Huntington’s, which is understandable. She needs herself and Pierce to live for now. She and Pierce endured an awkward double date with Shane and Dipi, with Chloe and Shane unaware that their partners have shared a kiss.
When Aaron mentioned that Nicolette had a friend visiting, Chloe was jealous. There is no other word for it. I hope she realises soon that Nic is a much better match for her than Pierce. He was furious to overhear her admitting she missed her friend. When he then thought he saw Nicolette threatening Audrey, he decided to wade in and speak to Audrey himself which only landed him in trouble with Chloe.
Once she had calmed down, Chloe was ready to talk but she was set off again when rather than talking, Pierce presented her with a diamond necklace, feeling like he was trying to buy his way out of their marital woes.
Chloe was not impressed with Pierce’s diamond gesture… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Dipi was upset when Shane decided to quit University and persuaded him not to cancel his future. And that was the moment she and Pierce found solace in each other at the hotel. And I have to say, it was all a bit weird. I know they had to do it social distanced but it was a bit like someone pressed the wrong button and cut in an advert for their affair in the middle of the ‘moment’. However, judging by the obligatory half naked Pierce scene, alongside Dipi in her towel, we can safely assume they are supposed to have now slept together. Determined that it was a one off and they have now got each other out of their systems, Pierce and Dipi were determined to focus on their marriages.
Pierce and Dipi believe they’re getting their feelings out of their system… yeah, right! (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Dipi was jealous when Pierce began to launch a new wine brand and named it after Chloe. However, Chloe was crestfallen when she discovered the wine was called ‘Chloe Greyson’. She chose not to change her name from Brennan and couldn’t help but listen to Nicolette’s opinion that the wine was Pierce’s way of stamping his mark on her after he believe she was trying to take her away from him. Chloe challenged Pierce about the name, prompting a big row and him staying at the hotel yet again.
Chloe sought Nicolette’s friendship over her latest row with Nicolette, prompting Dipi to stand up for Pierce. Dipi reported back to Pierce and the pair raged about their respective partners, Pierce for Chloe’s rejection of the wine and friendship with Nicolette and Dipi for Shane’s latest balls up with the police. Of course, they ended up in bed again.
Meanwhile, Clive tried everything to get back together with Sheila, even dressing up as a gnome, with Kyle getting burned on a barbeque in the process. But when she finally explains her reasoning and confessing to messing with Levi’s results, he agreed that their relationship was over for good.
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