Doctors: Coming Out

(Monday 20^th – Friday 24^th April 2020)

I love Doctors. I always feel that because it’s a daytime soap, it’s rather underrated when actually, it’s probably one of the best. It covers a huge range of subjects, some of them very tough, which must not be easy in its timeslot. It’s also very quirky and is often extremely creative in its storytelling. If you’ve never watched Doctors, I highly recommend it. I started watching it by accident some years ago and now I absolutely never miss it. It’s clever, it’s thought provoking, it’s funny, creative and it uses its platform with a genuine sense of responsibility.

A great example of this platform came this past week during Emma’s radio interview to discuss LGBTQ+ issues and advice. At first, she was very reluctant to get personal but when one particular caller phoned in and told her that he had been attacked, Emma finally opened up about the attack on her and Jasmine. It was such a genuinely emotional moment that my Mum phoned me to talk about it afterwards! Emma was so brave and so was the caller. The whole storyline has been so powerful, from crafting a lovely relationship, to the awful attack, to how Emma and Jasmine reacted in such different ways, to beautiful friendship from Zara and now Emma’s bravery to come out about what happened to her.

Meanwhile, Ruhma’s mood plummets further when she goes to see the most useless advocate ever to discuss her case. I mean, the woman is just completely unhelpful. What is the actual point of her? Also, they break for lunch and yet she opts to bring her lunch back and eat it in front of Ruhma who is fasting for Ramadan. I think Ruhma needs someone else to fight for her…

Speaking of Ramadan, Joe’s new friend turns out not to be imaginary at all. He’s a lovely little boy called Ozzy who is fasting for the first time this year. Besotted with his new mate, Joe decided that he too wants to fast, throwing Zara and Daniel into a bit of a spin. Of course, Zara being Zara decided to ruin Joe’s fast by tempting him with donuts – which Ozzy ate, ruining his fast instead. I mean, why? Why give Joe donuts when his friend was there? That’s just irresponsible. I mean, what mother would give their kid a treat and not their visiting friend anyway? That’s just mean. But now she has ruined Ozzy’s fast on day one and also ruined her blossoming friendship with his mother. Oh, Zara…

Thursday last week was one of those very odd Doctors episodes. We started with a drunk couple, hooking up after a night out and heading back to her place. Then they heard an intruder upstairs. Calling the police, they knocked the guy out. And who was it? None other than Bear Sylvester, Business Manager of The Mill! And this is what is brilliant about this show. It can be so incredibly random and make you sit and work out for an entire episode what on earth is going on. Bear was of course innocent after all (although I still don’t trust him) but it led to quite the sad story as the episode played out.

Then, the next day, there was a saga about chairs and Sid had to remove splinters from Karen’s bottom. Yes, really.

Next week, despite Doctors ceasing filming due to the Coronavirus, the show does appear to still be airing every weekday on BBC1 at 1:45pm

Doctors: Speedy Sue!

(Tuesday 14^th – Tuesday 21st April 2020)

Ruhma’s world comes crashing down around her when she is suspended from working as a midwife due to the complaint Carrie has made against her. I mean, this is quite frankly, unacceptable. Doug shows his true colours by blaming Ruhma entirely for the kiss. What was Ruhma’s crime, really? Being flattered by a bit of attention? Blurring some friendship boundaries? I totally get Carrie being upset but she is upset with the wrong person. Well, I for one never liked that Doug. And I have felt so sorry for poor Ruhma all week, especially during the scenes where she went to Heston’s grave and poured out her heart and soul to him. At the risk of sounding a hundred years old – what a lovely boy that Shak has turned into. He has been absolutely gorgeous with looking after his Mum (although I had no idea he was best mates with Daniel).

In her absence, the rest of the staff take on Ruhma’s patients which for Emma, doesn’t go too well as she meets an extremely demanding Mum to be, who slates the NHS (seriously, how dare she?) and treats her husband like crap. As it turns out, not only has she secretly found out the baby’s gender (which Emma lets slip to the husband), she has spent so much money (without ever earning any) that he is now crippled with debt. He ends up being rushed to hospital with a near heart attack, having had bailiffs come in and remove their belongings. His wife wanders over to the hospital to see him at her leisure, seems irritated that he hadn’t had a ‘real heart attack’ and informs him that they have been burgled. When she’s more concerned about their financial situation than his health, he ends their marriage. Good! What a cow! Unfortunately, all of this prompts Emma to be rather rude to Ruhma, who quite frankly, doesn’t need it, especially as she is sat at her husband’s grave at the time.

Bear tackles some racist hand soap dispensers (if only they had known Covid-19 was on its way, the probably would have smashed them open and saved the soap rather than just chucking them away, the little wastrels!)

Some vile teenagers destroy a mirror ball intended as an elderly man’s late wife’s memorial. Then in quite a sweet moment at the end, one of them (who is clearly being reluctantly dragged along by the rest of them), feels very guilty and gives him her disco ball by way of apology to try and make up for it.

Speaking of kids, Zara gets a lesson in how the less wealthy live when a young lad comes in with stomach pains and she discovers that actually, he’s just hungry (she feeds him). It takes Zara a while to understand Ayesha’s ‘summer holidays’ remark but eventually, she gets it. It’s really not her world. The kid’s parents work all the hours God sends for hardly any money and they are struggling to put food on the table. The mother is very resistant to Zara’s offer of help but the father quietly accepts a referral to the local food bank.

Zara and Daniel are mildly concerned that Joe might have an imaginary friend called Ozzie. Honestly, that Joe gets cuter every time he appears on screen. He rivals that little Amelia in Emmerdale for the adorable factor.

Daniel wonders if Joe has an imaginary friend…

Rob and Karen spend their day off rather irritating each other at home, having not expected to have the same day off together. When Rob storms out, he is surprised to find a confused old lady outside his house. In a rather brilliant little story, he does exactly what you’d expect him to do, which is bring her indoors and try to help her. She can’t remember her address or where she was going and he and Karen busy themselves with being her saviours. When their backs are turned, she taken Karen’s purse and Rob’s car keys and almost makes her getaway! Hilarious! Rob is mortified to have to report to his colleagues that he was nearly robbed by ‘Speedy Sue’! Whoever thought this storyline up was a genius! Love it.

In Monday’s episode, Jimmi returns to The Mill, ready to start seeing patients again, dealing with cranky old women who slags everything off, a panicked man smoking in the toilets and a woman who has reached breaking point trying to work and care for her ailing mother. His colleagues and patients are thrilled to see him back and I for one am thrilled to see he has tidied up his beard.

He and Emma reconnect, as she opens up to him about her attack and they both decide to draw a line under recent events. She visits Ruhma, apologising for having a go at her about her horrible patient and her visit clearly makes a lot of difference to Ruhma’s mental health. She then agrees to participate in an LGBTQ+ focused radio interview Bear has arranged. Meanwhile, Jimmi plucks up the courage to contact the police about his role as an FME.

Next week, despite Doctors ceasing filming due to the Coronavirus, the show does appear to still be airing every weekday on BBC1 at 1:45pm

Doctors: Heartbreak Hotel

(Monday 6^th – Friday 10^th April 2020)

I was desperately looking forward to last week’s Doctors and it didn’t disappoint as it aired the fallout from the brutal homophobic attack on Emma and Jasmine. One sad thing to note is that rather than bonding them, it has confirmed the end of their relationship, which is a real shame as they made a really good pairing. But it was all still so new to be facing something so difficult.

Jasmine started the week in a foul mood, having had no choice but to make a witness statement and report to Occupational Health once Emma had reported the attack. She did eventually attempt to make amends with Emma only to find it’s too late. Emma has had a lot of time to think, as well as talk to Victim Support (actually a non-speaking extra who doesn’t even have a face so could probably be a member of the crew!) and has decided that they want different things and their relationship is over. But regardless, if their relationship brought us anything, it brought this incredible, powerful, amazingly, written, directed and acted story and I am so impressed, Doctors. This is one to remember for Soap Award Season. Brilliantly done.

One relationship that is going strong, however, is Emma and Zara. Oh, I love Emma and Zara. Who would have thought that in that muddy field, in the middle of nowhere, that friendship would have been forged for life? Well, whoever saw the potential connection between them is a genius. Bravo.

When Emma failed to show up to work, Zara headed right round there, having not heard from her friend all weekend and she was stunned to see the state of her and hear the story of what she has been through. This lead to a fabulous episode on Friday (10^th) where Zara pitched up on Emma’s doorstep with food, drink and Bridget Jones. She even changed into some pyjamas in a bid to cheer up her friend, who did not want to be cheered up.

Meanwhile, Daniel had his own problems when Izzie and Valerie coerced him into their eco-warrior plan to cut down the netting on some trees in a car park, which has been put up to shut out the birds (thereby putting their lives at risk) to stop them crapping on the cars. Of course, it all ended in disaster and Daniel got arrested for criminal damage. Well, I fully support them! Don’t park your car there if you’re scared of a bit of poo! Honestly! These people need to go to the seaside and then try to protect their cars…

Ruhma continued to try and support Carrie, who is pregnant and immobile with a husband who doesn’t love her or want to spend any time with her. Little does poor Carrie know, he is also giving Ruhma the eye. I mean, who the hell is this guy? Why does he think he can try and move in on our Ruhma? Does he actually think he is a patch on Heston? I’m not saying that Ruhma can’t move on but when she does, I’d like to think she’d choose someone with a bit more kindness and personality, not someone who’d go and play golf and flirt with another woman while his pregnant wife was suffering and lonely.

The sad thing is that Carrie feels she has found a friend in Ruhma and this would otherwise have been a really nice story. Ruhma reluctantly went for dinner with her and Doug in Carrie’s bedroom but when Carrie fell asleep, Doug and Ruhma headed downstairs where Ruhma attempted to make her exit. Then Doug kissed her. And Carrie witnessed it from the upstairs landing. No!

Bear overheard Ayesha dismissing the idea of there being any feelings between them. So this story is going to be dragged out for a while then…

Next week, despite Doctors ceasing filming due to the Coronavirus, the show does appear to still be airing every weekday on BBC1 at 1:45pm

Doctors: Homophobia is a Hate Crime

(Friday 27^th March – Friday 3^rd April 2020)

In the only soap still running its normal schedule, we had a very mixed bag of episodes this week (and Friday last week). We had some random little episodes, including Al playing an April Fool’s joke on that irritating Barry, making him and his very anxious colleague that the water supply is poisoned. Jasmine works extremely hard to get to the bottom of an arson case involving a vulnerable young woman (played by Ronnie’s long lost daughter in Eastenders) and her sister’s boyfriend.

Meanwhile, Julia supports Jimmi as he struggles to adjust to life on the outside, his OCD kicking seriously kicking in. She whisks him away to France, much to the annoyance of Al, for a break after all the trauma he has been through. Presumably, Adrian Lewis Morgan needed a bit of a rest from such a rough storyline!

Valerie struggles to complete her work ahead of the AGM, staying at work until late at night to complete it, only to bump into Bear who is doing the same. Her next project is trying to raise money for a cat shelter, which everyone thinks is ridiculous. Is it that unreasonable to invite people to an evening out to raise money for a shelter? I think everyone was quite rude, to be honest. However, she does get a little carried away with dragging Bear in as a dance partner. But it’s only because Bear was stamping all over her ideas and she misunderstood what he was saying, thinking he was trying to help her. How unreasonable.

Don’t be fooled though. While this storyline does indeed give the fabulous Valerie a delightful chance to shine in all her eccentricities, as she and reluctant Bear take rather well at this dancing malarkey and are the belles of the ball, really this whole storyline is just an elaborate plot to bring Bear and Ayesha closer together. Boring.

Ayesha and Bear are clearly going to get together…
(photo credit: eastieoaks.co.uk)

A random ex/potential love interest (I think we met him when Ruhma’s hearing aid was picking up the radio frequencies in the hospital) blasts back into Ruhma’s life and utterly confuses her as he announces that he and his much younger girlfriend are having a baby. He asks her to work as a private midwife for them. She does support the vulnerable woman, who turns out to be having a more complicated pregnancy than expected and also has a phobia of hospitals. I’m not sure about this one. I mean, he’s no Heston.

Emma is nervous as she meets Jasmine’s mother, an eccentric hippy who persuades her to do yoga after lunch and is very protective of her daughter! Emma is mortified when she recognises her from the Smears Without Fears Campaign! But the meeting mostly goes well. I think. I do like Emma and Jasmine as a pairing and I think it’s nice that Emma has found someone kind after the nightmare of Gareth.

Unfortunately, the new couple hit the rocks in a major way at the end of the week in an excruciating and extremely educational episode when it comes to homophobia, LGBTQ hate crime and violence against women. I had read that Doctors was going to tackle this story (inspired by that awful news story last year of the couple on the bus who were attacked just for being gay women) but I wasn’t expecting it to be focussed on characters we already know. I assumed Rob or Jasmine would be investigating a crime and Emma would be the Doctor treating them. Friday’s episode (3^rd April) is a must see and it is much harder hitting than that, if you please excuse the pun.

It begins Emma and Jasmine’s story at the end of the night, showing both women battered and bruised and struggling to communicate, in shock over what has happened to them. They are also at odds over what is the best decision going forward. Emma wants to report the incident. Jasmine, a police officer, does not. It’s hard to see them, so besotted with each other at the beginning of the evening, so broken, physically and emotionally by the end.

Their date is blighted by homophobia from the start. First, a straight, white male is horrified to even have a gay couple near him in the restaurant. His wife apologises to them for his disgusting attitude towards them. They leave and have a good night out, only to be followed down the street and hassled by a gang of lads, which soon turns violent.

Jasmine and Emma are assaulted…
(Photo credit: What’sOnTV)

The way they show the attack is genuinely brilliant, interlaced with shots of Valerie and Bear dancing at the Cat Ball. The whole episode is so clever. It’s uncomfortable in all the ways it should be uncomfortable. It’s written and directed perfectly. Dido Miles and Lara Sawalha (guess who her family members are!) play their roles perfectly. I was utterly gripped and I can’t wait to see how the rest of this story plays out. While Emma makes her statement without Jasmine by her side, I do hope that they are able to pull together as a couple soon.

Next week, despite Doctors ceasing filming due to the Coronavirus, the show does appear to still be airing every weekday on BBC1 at 1:45pm

Doctors: The Amazing NHS

(Thursday 26^th March 2020)

Well, what can I say about Doctor’s 20th anniversary episode other than, thank you? It was the perfect tonic to the current, worldwide crisis and this amazing episode could not have come at a better time. Forget boat crashes and serial killers, all of which were fabulous anniversary celebrations in other soaps, Doctors celebrated their twenty years on telly with a documentary style episode, each character talking to the camera about the work they do for the NHS, explaining just how vital their role and the role of the NHS is in the UK.

Alongside this, we saw patients being treated, an accident between an ambulance and a scooter, a huge explosion, which brought in the essential services of the police and firefighters and a heart rendering labour scene where mother and baby were so close to death. Also, just as an aside, it did look a bit like the ‘newborn’ baby had teeth. I think it was just goo but it was a bit unsettling. The characters provided much care and support to a huge range of patients and at the end of the episode, Jimmi returned home to his chosen family, the people that love him the most.

We saw the role of doctors, nurses, midwives, reception staff, paramedics, police officers, firefighters and this episode celebrated them all in all the vital roles they play. And it was all on the day that everyone, all around the UK stood out on the streets, on their balconies or like me or simply hung their heads out of their windows and clapped for the NHS, clapped for the care givers, clapped for all those essential services who are working so very tirelessly to keep our country going.

This episode could not have been more perfect if it had tried. Right now, so many of us are trapped indoors, socially distancing, self-isolating, away from loved ones, a lot of us poorly, many of us feeling vulnerable and unsure in this time of crisis. The NHS and so many other services are under so much pressure and we know this is only the beginning. So, in the best timing ever, Doctors celebrated it’s 20^th anniversary and used its platform to show us just how amazing the NHS and emergency services are and how lucky we are to have them.

Well done, everyone at Doctors for this episode and for the past twenty years.

Next week, despite Doctors ceasing filming due to the Coronavirus, the show does appear to still be airing every weekday on BBC1 at 1:45pm

Doctors: Freedom!

(Monday 23^rd – Wednesday 25^th March 2020)

Jimmi has been taken to hospital, having literally been stabbed in the back by Leon. Ruhma helps Valerie deliver a vase of flowers to his heavily guarded hospital room.

Meanwhile, Leon confesses that he was put up to the stabbing by Mr Butler, (Jimmi’s lawyer), who was blackmailing him. When Mr Butler then sneaks into Jimmi’s room and attempts to kill Jimmi again, Jimmi is thankfully alert enough to knock him out with the vase of flowers. Well done, Ruhma and Valerie!

Mr Butler is arrested, denying everything until the police trigger him with the mention of his dead son, George. He wouldn’t support him when he came out as gay. He stepped in when he was arrested for murder but it was too late by then. He held Jimmi responsible for turning him into the police. When he died by suicide, Mr Butler attacked Jimmi but when he fought back and didn’t die, he came up with the plan to take everything from him instead and set him up to go to prison.

Jimmi appears in court where the Crown Prosecution drop all charges against him and he is sent home a free man. Hooray! He is shocked upon his release to bump into old colleague, Julia Parsons (just in time for the 20^th anniversary!)

Meanwhile, Karen proves to be counterproductive at The Mill as Bear plans for a very important day. All she cares about is Jimmi.

Zara finds herself drawn to a Q&A with a far right speaker who denies his own heritage, spouting hideous racist language. She supports his sister, who he denies even having. Karen helps a woman realise that her boyfriend is using her and lying to her about having MS.

Ruhma has quite a day attempting to exchange a gift from a shop run by a rude, racist woman (played by none other than Kika Mirylees – Julie J from Bad Girls) who favours a posh, white pregnant woman and accuses another girl of stealing, just because she isn’t white. Actually, it’s the posh, white woman who is the thief. She is also lying about being pregnant, as Ruhma discovers, utterly broken over the fact that she has tried and failed to get pregnant for real so many times before. She ends up counselling the woman and persuading her to tell the truth. The woman then buys a £900 coat, which she gives to the girl who was accused of theft. She doesn’t want it but manages to exchange it for cash. The posh, white, non-pregnant woman is utterly bewildered over the concept of white privilege.

Ruhma finds herself embroiled in other people’s problems…

So, today (Thursday 26^th March), we are celebrating Doctors 20^th birthday! Congratulations! We have an hour long special coming up and it promises to be a good one…

Next week, despite Doctors ceasing filming due to the Coronavirus, the show does appear to still be airing every weekday on BBC1 at 1:45pm

Doctors: The Truth is Out There

(Monday 16^th – Friday 20^th March 2020)

Daniel, Zara, Izzy and Joe spend the day together and Izzy challenges the adults about their ‘secret relationship’, pointing out that Joe phoned her when he found them in bed together. Daniel and Zara decide to be honest with the kids but Joe doesn’t want to know. Izzy points out that it’s hard for Joe to trust them; he doesn’t want his world to be shattered again if they were to break up. On her advice, they go very gently with him. That kid has had a personality transplant since the last time she was in the show!

Sid spends more time with his brother, Lawrence but struggles not to tell him the truth. Lawrence is worried that Sid’s father is unhappy but Sid is dismissive over the problems that his parents have in their marriage. Lawrence’s mother objects to his friendship with Sid. Finally, someone has noticed their similarity!

Lawrence invites Sid to an open mic night at The Icon with his friend, Tony, who clearly doesn’t like him imposing on their friendship. Tony and Lawrence both successfully do some stand up comedy but Sid chokes when he reads poetry as he spots Lawrence’s mother glaring at him. Lawrence’s Mum gives Sid a stern warning and Sid promises that neither him, nor his father are out to upset Lawrence or disturb his life in any way, he just wants to get to know his brother.

Karen has a difficult visit with Jimmi, realising that he has assimilated with prison life now and given up hope for his future and his case. Thankfully, his friends have not given up and Al is still trying to find leads and explanations as to how on earth Jimmi got framed in the first place. SJ leads Al to a thug called Harvey who he manages to have a meeting with. He challenges him about SJ and the money being stashed at The Icon. He asks him about Jimmi and threatens him with the police. However, he is in way over his head and is escorted out before having the living daylights beaten out of him. Meanwhile, the guy he followed into the pub seems to have had an even worse fate…

Ayesha stitches Al up but he lies about having fallen down the stairs. Not buying it for a second, Karen challenges Al and then calls Rob in to speak to him. Al confesses everything, worrying Rob as Harvey is a serious criminal. He tells him he was lucky to get away. However, they do have some leads in Jimmi’s case now, thank goodness. I can’t help asking, surely this must be over soon?

We then have a seemingly random episode where Daniel is called to a fight in the prison. A clearly traumatised a prisoner attacks Jimmi’s old cellmate, Leon, triggered by him tapping his foot to music. It soon transpires that his previous cellmate, George, hanged himself and he woke up to the sound of his foot tapping the wall of the cell. The two men were in love with each other and he holds himself responsible for his suicide.

However, the episode isn’t as random as it seems. In the next episode, Daniel is working late at the prison, still troubled by the man’s tale and the date of his boyfriend’s suicide. It was the day before Jimmi was mugged. Remember that weird mugging when they didn’t take anything and it seemed more like an assault? It seemed very targeted and never really made any sense.

Meanwhile, Bear tackles Al who has blatantly skived off work. He finds him back in the dodgy pub he got beaten up in the day before. Al manages to send Bear away and the sneaks into the office and who should he see with Harvey? Jimmi’s lawyer! Well, he always looked a bit shifty… No wonder he never got anywhere with the case!

Back in the prison, Daniel continues to research George and finally comes up with an answer, calling reluctant Jimmi in to see him. George is the therapy patient he turned into the police for murder last year. Daniel suspects the assault was a reaction to George’s death and when it didn’t work, whoever was responsible, took things further. And as it turns out, George is the son of none other than Jimmi’s lawyer, John Butler.

Al turns to Rob with all his new information and they take everything to the police investigating Jimmi’s case. Al has also set Valerie on a mission to investigate John Butler’s law firm, all dressed up as her posh alter ego, Natasha Fitzsimmons. Oh, Valerie, you do provide the most delightful light relief. I adore you. Of course, John Butler has gone to ground. ‘Natasha’ manages to run rings around the receptionist though and snoops as much as possible. The police are not impressed but really, they are embarrassed to have made such a hash of their own operation. Al, Rob, Emma, Karen and Valerie have done more work on the case in a few days than the police have in months. No wonder this storyline has taken so long to resolve!

Back at the prison, Leon is acting very strangely. He makes a phone call, saying he has received ‘the signal’. Hanging up and spotting Jimmi, he stabs him! Everyone is shocked. Leon is visibly upset. I am upset! Jimmi and Leon were supposed to be friends. Maybe Leon had just been keeping an eye on him. I don’t know anything anymore!

Due to the Coronavirus, Doctors has suspended filming

For this week, Doctors is still on weekdays BBC1 at 1:45pm

There is an hour long episode on Thursday 26^th, celebrating Doctors 20^th Anniversary

Doctors: Unbelievable

(Monday 2^nd – Friday 13^th March 2020)

The big story of the fortnight surrounds Karen and Rob’s foster daughter, Abz who phones Karen in a state of distress, telling her that she has been raped after a night out. The story covers three episodes, calling into question whether Abz is a reliable victim as she has a history of telling stories. It’s a genuinely harrowing tale as eventually, it transpires that her friend’s boyfriend raped her but due to a bone marrow transplant from leukaemia, his DNA didn’t initially match blood left at the scene.

It’s an uncomfortable story, constantly calling into question what happened and the officer who interviews her all but forces her to retract her statement at first. My only criticism is that it’s almost identical to the Netflix drama, Unbelievable, down to the fact that Abz is in care and even the details of the rape itself. But it’s still very well done.

Karen’s devotion to Abz is brilliant and the addition of Zara to the story is fantastic. With her own recent experience still at the forefront of her mind, she very much comes through for Abz and gets things done when she needs to. The only distraction is Zara’s car storyline which is meant to be funny but is just a bit annoying.

Still upset with Zara, Daniel lets Jimmi down by failing supportive over his news that the security guard has backed out of being a witness in the case. Subsequently, Jimmi shuts Daniel out of his support network. Al, Emma and Rob all pull together to try and find a break in Jimmi’s case. When Al treats an old employee, he mentions another ex-employee called SJ who was stashing money behind the till. Al practically stalks her, convinced that she knows something that can save Jimmi. Personally, I am starting to find this story a little bit boring now. I wish they’d just get on with it. When Emma sneaks a peek at the computer of the officer in charge of Jimmi’s case, she gets caught and lands herself in trouble. But a conversation with Zara helps her manipulate her way out of it! Well, she is a pro!

After Daniel and Joe end up being held hostage by a desperate man not allowed to see his son, Daniel and Zara finally confront their feelings for each other and get back together in secret. Well, it’s sort of a secret. They’re all over each other so much that Valerie almost hears them down the phone, they’re almost caught by Emma, prompting Zara to cover by slapping Daniel and Joe walks in on them in bed together!

After their disastrous date at The Icon, Jasmine shows up at The Mill with flowers and a better understanding of the menopause, wanting to make things work.

Sid and Valerie are forced to reach the sad conclusion that not everyone is ready for help when they fail to reach a woman trapped in an abusive relationship. Ruhma treats a very anxious mother who lost one of her twins the last time she gave birth. A vasectomy appointment leads Sid and Ayesha to look after a couple dealing with the aftermath of a terrible assault. There’s also a very strange episode about a woman who thinks she’s being stalked by Joe Pasquale. Yes, really.

Joe Pasquale makes one of the most bizarre cameos ever!

Doctors is on weekdays BBC1 at 1:45pm

Doctors: Hot Stuff!

(Monday 24^th – Friday 28^th February 2020)

Ayesha takes her concerns about Bear’s extracurricular activities to Zara and Daniel who reluctantly speak to him about them, having discovered that The Mill is thousands of pounds in credit. He explains that he has been busy doing deals on the side to make money for The Mill and is deeply offended when they are not impressed. He is further upset when he discovers that it was Ayesha who raised the alarm, as he is still deluded enough to think he stands a chance with her. Well, women love guys who ignore them for an entire date in favour of texting.

Karen continues to do good work with her foster daughter, Abz who is clearly getting very attached to her. Karen overhears her referring to her as her mother when talking to her new University friend and has to delicately encourage her to be open about her situation. Karen and Rob throw a party for Abz’s 18^th. Valerie and Ayesha pop over to celebrate and her new University friend comes too with her boyfriend, although they don’t stay. It’s all a bit overwhelming for Abz, who has never had people care about her before. Afterwards, Karen and Rob settle her into her new flat but it’s clear that it’s going to take her a long time to get used to living on her own.

Emma and Jasmine are the new hot couple!

Emma and Jasmine continue to get to know each other, ending up in bed after a ‘breakfast date’. However, Emma is alarmed to end up having a hot flush afterwards, alerting her to realise that alongside the flushes of romance, she is also potentially at the beginning of the menopause. While Zara tries and fails to be sympathetic, it’s a struggle to be honest with Jasmine, who is significantly younger than Emma.

Valerie is all dressed up for a night at The Icon!

To say goodbye to The Icon, Al holds a lock-in for his punters and his colleagues. Sid takes over by hosting a silent disco, much to Al’s annoyance. The night goes off with a bang when Daniel discovers that Zara has been watching his private video diaries. Well, he’s not pleased, as you can imagine.

Daniel and Zara’s night ends in a bitter row…

The witness in Jimmi’s case backtracks over identifying Jimmi, giving him hope for his freedom. He is also landed with a new cellmate, a police officer who killed his brother.

Doctors is on BBC1, weekdays at 1:45pm

Doctors: The Glory of Love

(Monday 17^th – Friday 21^st February 2020)

Emma bites the bullet and goes to lunch with Lena and the pair finally discuss the end of their relationship. Emma confronts her own sexuality and is regretful that she missed the chance to be with Lena now that she has moved on from her husband and into a relationship with another woman.

Enter: Jasmine, a police officer working on a hit and run case with Rob and Emma who is quick to flirt with Emma and is bold enough to ask her out on a date. My favourite line of the week is after she leaves a cream horn on her desk as a gift.

“Did you get the horn?”
Excellent, Doctors. Excellent.

Emma is a bag of nerves when she goes for dinner with Jasmine and the date mostly goes well, aside from some awkwardness over their age gap (Jasmine is only a little older than Emma’s son, Chris). There is definitely a kiss at the end of the night and the fledgling couple continue to spend time together through the week. Emma eagerly reports back to Zara.

Zara somehow watches Daniel’s video diaries…

Zara secretly watches Daniel’s video diaries, although I’m not entirely sure how. The link between Joe’s iPad allowed him to see their phones and that was severed. How can Zara see Daniel’s phone? But anyway, Zara is absorbed by Daniel’s diaries and how he truly feels about her but she’s left disappointed when he eventually concludes that they work better as friends and he tells her as much himself. I like that they’re not rushing their reunion, even though it’s clearly going to happen. Once upon a time, I was of the opinion that Zara was too good for Daniel but actually, I feel like he has grown a lot over the past few months and earned his way back into her life.

Daniel continues to support Jimmi and other prisoners at the prison, including a murderer with a serious eye condition trying to reconnect with his daughter. However, things are halted rather abruptly as a complaint is made against Daniel and he is removed from the prison without much explanation. Feeling a lot of empathy for Daniel since watching his diaries, Zara goes into bat for Daniel at the prison and gets his job back, asking the Governor to keep her interference quiet.

After receiving the expensive bracelet, Ayesha becomes suspicious of Bear and follows him to a lockup where he sorts out a load of boxes and talks to a contact on the phone. I’m sure there will turn out to be some sort of reasonable explanation but I am still convinced that he is dodgy. I don’t like him. I don’t like him at all.

Sid gets caught up with a severely OCD man who has cut himself by accident and locks himself in his flat, terrified that his equally OCD mother will come home. Sadly, his mother died months previously and he needs a lot of mental health support. Al is left devastated when he delivers a homeless girl’s baby, only for the young woman to die during labour. Rob and Karen take on a new foster child.

Doctors is on BBC1, weekdays at 1:45pm