Yes, Dr. Best’s adventures in Port Wenn last week were a bit uninspired. However, Martin (Josh Charles) is a doctor who’s never bored, at least, and this week proves that. FOX‘s Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 4 is a much more interesting and fun episode than last week. This applies to both the medical plot and the character relationships. This episode has tons of humor and heart.
As an American adaptation of the hit British series Doc Martin, Best Medicine has combined small-town comedy with medical drama from the start. Martin doesn’t like people. He also recently developed an aversion to blood. Those things aren’t compatible with being a general practitioner in a small town, and yet here he is, where he spent summers as a child with his Aunt Sarah (Annie Potts), striving to keep everyone healthy. Martin doesn’t fit in with his neighbors in Port Wenn. But if he could come to care about them despite that, well, that’s the kind of character growth that makes TV special.
“All The World’s Ablaze” made me laugh, gave me feels, and fed me a little as a shipper. That makes Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 4 a successful episode. As a matter of fact, it may be my favorite episode yet.
MORE: If you don’t remember what happened last week in Port Wenn, we’ve got you covered with our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 3!
“Accident is a strong word that I don’t like to use.”
Martin doesn’t care about Port Wenn accepting him as one of their own. At least, that’s what he says. But if he does care, his actions in this episode are a problem. There’s an outbreak of food poisoning, and Martin has to figure out where it came from. At the beginning, the evidence points to the Salty Breeze restaurant, so Martin follows the rules by reporting it. The restaurant is a staple in Port Wenn. Everyone loves the food and the owners, partners Greg (Stephen Spinella) and George (Jason Veasey). Martin insists he’s just following protocols, but everyone will blame him if Greg and George lose their business and have to give up their pet pig, Brisket.
That includes his Aunt Sarah. One of the most dramatic interpersonal moments of this series so far is in this episode, when Sarah confronts Martin about reporting the Salty Breeze. She does not hold back in criticizing Martin. It’s harsh. She even calls him heartless. Though Martin should learn to be more sensitive, this moment is significant for another reason. Martin’s parents were the cause of his emotional problems on Doc Martin, making his aunt a meaningful parental figure for him. This show seems to be doing the same because Sarah’s words contribute to Martin’s growth.
MORE: To help get the whole picture of Dr. Best’s adventures, read our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 2!
“How can you not understand the concept of community?”
That growth is clear by the end of this episode. Martin traces the food poisoning to the school, which allows the Salty Breeze to reopen. But that’s just him doing his job. More importantly, he also comes up with a way for Greg and George to keep Brisket– registering the adorable pig as an emotional support animal! This is an example of Martin actively correcting the emotional harm he has caused. There was nothing wrong with him following the rules to keep people healthy, but his actions did have negative consequences. The fact that Martin made an effort to fix it shows that Port Wenn matters to him. He cares for his neighbors on a personal level, as well as a professional one.
There’s more evidence for this, too. Martin’s assistant, Elaine (Cree, who is fantastic), has been upset all season about her mother’s upcoming wedding, which is now happening. Elaine is still grieving her father who died 6 years ago. All of her pain comes out at the end of this episode, when she gets drunk before the wedding and tells Martin she can’t go. Martin reveals to her that he lost his sister when he was a kid. “She was my best friend,” he admits. This is a different kind of moment than when he opened up to Louisa (Abigail Spencer). That was very early ship-building. This moment deepens an entirely different relationship, one with a parental undertone to it, and it is very emotional. Martin helps Elaine to the wedding and even escorts her down the aisle when she stumbles. Caring about relationships in this way is what good shows do.
MORE: Look back on the beginning of this American version of Doc Martin with our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 1!
“Sometimes doing the right thing doesn’t mean following the rules.”
However, don’t get the impression that this episode is heavy on the drama. Not so! Martin’s other medical case delivers so many laughs! All the ladies in town are excited because it’s Blaze day. That’s the day the local survivalist, Blaze (Parker Young), comes out of the woods to teach them survival tactics. This guy is hot. “Is he chiselled out of stone?” Sheriff Mark (Josh Segarra) wonders. (In fact, every line out of Segarra’s mouth in this episode is gold!) Martin discovers Blaze is at risk of an aortic dissection, so the race is on to find the off-the-grid hunk and help him. Martin’s reaction when he sees that the women already knew all the information Blaze was teaching them is priceless!
If you’re a shipper like me, then this episode will give you feels! First, Martin is so concerned when Louisa mentions getting food poisoning that it goes beyond what a doctor expresses for a patient. Even better is what happens when they pair up to search for Blaze. Louisa trips and falls, and immediately, Martin holds her and cradles her head to make sure she is all right. More of that unspoken sexual tension! I love this part of a ship. The beginning, when subtle but clear hints like this are what viewers have to go on, can be so entertaining. I can’t wait to see more. Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 4 is one I look forward to rewatching, too.
Best Medicine airs at 8 PM on Tuesdays on FOX and streams the next day on Hulu.
