Last week, Best Medicine aired its first episode, bringing the British hit Doc Martin to America. It was entertaining and endearing for a Pilot. And I’m happy to report that I enjoyed the second episode even more! Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 2 ‘Bean There Done That’ settles into the various elements of the characters, tone, and setting quite well. And ‘Bean There Done That’ respects shipping, too!
Dr. Martin Best (Josh Charles) was immediately thrust into small-town quirkiness when he moved to Port Wenn, Maine. He spent summers there as a child with his aunt Sarah (Annie Potts), and he interviews to be the town doctor. Martin is not happy about his new town. He is not a people person at all. But after solving his first medical mystery in Port Wenn, something prompts him to stay. Could sweet teacher Louisa (Abigail Spencer) have something to do with it? Or could it be that, contrary to his initial attitude, the town is growing on him? Either way, Dr. Best’s practice is now seeing patients!
‘Bean There Done That’ worked on multiple levels for me. It gave me laughs, feels, and shipping moments. Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 2 did the same thing as the first episode: it made me want to watch more.
MORE: If you need to catch up, read our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 1!
“Prepare to be enemy number one.”
Best’s medical case this time around is further-reaching than the premiere episode. A boy comes in with a rash and other symptoms, which start to spread around town. This case will put Martin at odds with the rest of the town in more ways than one.
First, everyone assumes it’s an allergy to a local moth, which happens every year. Martin is irritated by this, and he shows it. Honestly, if I were a doctor and I had to see a lot of patients who self-diagnosed, I’d feel the same way. Second, Martin cancels Port Wenn’s monthly baked bean supper in case the sickness is contagious. The supper is important to everyone, so he couldn’t have picked a better thing to do to make the town hate him.
It’s a good thing that the solution to this medical conundrum helps to develop Martin’s relationship with his neighbors. He tracks the outbreak to the renovation at the house of the man who used to bully him when they were kids. This leads to a revelation I’ll discuss in a moment, but the significant thing is what happens when the supper is back on.
When Martin attends the dinner, people’s attitudes toward him are remarkably different. Even the three teenagers who heckle him are nice for once. In spite of himself, Martin is becoming a real member of the community. I also like the fact that Doctor Best is much more active in solving this mystery than he was in the previous episode. He’s more like a medical detective, following clues.
MORE: Want to know more about Port Wenn? Take a look at our interview with Best Medicine showrunner Liz Tuccillo!
“Traditions give us the illusion of a future we can look forward to.”
OK, I can’t wait any longer to talk about the shipping in this episode! The main ship on this show is Martin and Louisa. This episode commits to this pairing as a meaningful part of the series’ storyline, and I am here for all of it. Early on, there’s a classic romantic moment as Louisa accidentally falls on top of Martin. This unspoken sexual tension is exactly why we love ships!
Besides that, Martin invites Louisa to the baked bean supper by calling up to her window. You know, LIKE IN A FAIRYTALE. Not to mention the fact that the writers established that it’s a big deal for two people to show up at the supper together, and then Martin and Louisa do exactly that. There’s no doubt about the journey that is starting right now, and that’s the way I like it.
Now, back to that new information about Martin I mentioned earlier. It ties into this ship, too, because the end of this episode is the most significant Martin and Louisa scene so far. Martin reveals to Louisa that he had a sister named Rosemary who died when they were kids, and he moved to Port Wenn because he froze while operating on a girl the same age as his sister.
He even almost tells her about his blood phobia (a.k.a. hemophobia). For Martin to be this open and vulnerable is a huge step forward for his character, and it’s happening with Louisa. In the second episode! Louisa just ended a major relationship, so this is going to be a slow burn, but this episode is an incredible beginning for a ship.
MORE: Get to know Best Medicine‘s Sheriff Mark in our interview with actor Josh Segarra!
“Why is it so satisfying when people like what we like?”
There’s also another ship possibly brewing between two supporting characters: Elaine (Cree), Martin’s young assistant, and Al (Carter Shimp), the son of the local handyman. Elaine is vocal about her independence. She has a side hustle as an influencer, and she is clear about wanting to leave Port Wenn.
Al is obviously interested in her. But he hears her when she talks about what she wants to do. In this episode, he offers to assist with anything she needs. “I want to help you make your dreams come true,” he says. That’s a green flag! I’m interested to see what the writers have in store for them.
Aside from all the characters we’ve already seen, this episode is the first appearance of another character fans of Doc Martin will recognize. Martin meets the town pharmacist, Sally, in this episode. She’s the quirky lady who always wears a neck brace and is infatuated with the doctor. The fabulous veteran character actress Clea Lewis plays her, and I think she’ll be a great addition to the cast. She seems to have a grasp of the type of offbeat and middlebrow tone of humor the production is going for. That’s one of the things that makes Best Medicine inviting and watchable, and Season 1, Episode 2 builds on the first episode well. I’m ready for the next one!
Best Medicine airs Tuesdays at 8 PM on FOX and streams the next day on Hulu.
