For the first time, FOX’s Best Medicine tackles a two-part story, beginning with this week’s “A Tale of Two Sister Cities.” The show dials up the quirkiness and the comedy in this episode. It also advances character journeys in compelling ways and sets up an engaging conflict for Port Wenn, making Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 12 a strong installment of this small-town dramedy.
MORE: Relive all the laughs of Port Wenn’s brush with the plague by reading our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 11!
“It’s never too late to change.”
Let’s talk about Port Wenn. This picturesque coastal town is even photogenic in the winter, which plays into the plot of this episode. Another town, a small coastal one in Norway, has finally shown interest in being Port Wenn’s sister city. The two delegates have arrived in town to sign the agreement, and of course, Martin (Josh Charles) is the only one who doesn’t like them.
This sounds like a lot of other episodes of this show. However, “A Tale of Two Sister Cities” does something different. The audience is on his side this time. It’s not just a case of Martin ignoring a local tradition; the Norwegians do seem suspicious, and it turns out that Martin is right.
The Norwegians don’t really want to be Port Wenn’s sister city. They want to ruin the natural beauty of the town’s bay by putting in a salmon farm. Even though it would bring the town a lot of money, it’s an indication of how well the writers have built Port Wenn that we don’t like this idea because we don’t want the town to change. We don’t know yet if the deal will actually happen.
The next episode will reveal that. But it is ironic that Martin is the one defending Port Wenn the most, when he didn’t even like the place at first. It’s also a demonstration of how much Martin’s character has grown over the course of the series so far.
MORE: We still have feels about the ship content in “Port Wenn-ings and a Funeral” and you can experience it all again in our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 10!
“How could you worry about not being accepted?”
Martin’s development also continues in this episode, through his interactions with Peter (Ben Lewis Doherty), the boy he saved earlier in the season. Peter claims Martin is his father when he shows up for his presentation at school. It can’t be a coincidence that this happens around the same time that Louisa (Abigail Spencer) realized she wants a baby. Martin’s feelings for Louisa are clearly prompting him to consider what he would be like as a father, and Peter’s sweet, innocent encouragement is significant.
There’s even a moment of romantic tension between Martin and Louisa when you think Martin might offer to be her baby’s father. Are we going to get a remake of Doc Martin’s unexpected baby plotline? Feels like maybe.
When it comes to Louisa and Martin, this episode introduces another wrinkle. Martin refers Louisa to a fertility specialist, who also happens to be Martin’s ex-girlfriend (Eliza Coupe). This is not a shocking turn of events. Mark (Josh Segarra), Louisa’s ex, is around all the time, so it’s only fair we learn a little about Martin’s romantic past. It’s interesting that Dr. Montgomery’s abrasive manner is like Martin’s, while Louisa and Mark are both positive, friendly people, and neither relationship lasted.
Almost as if the combination of Martin and Louisa would be successful. Just saying. I also want to point out that Martin’s ex clearly wants him back, which I hope the writers handle effectively in future episodes.
MORE: That time the original Doc Martin himself guest-starred was a big deal and we had plenty to say about it in our review of Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 9!
“You’re the one person who doesn’t think I should change.”
One thing the writers already have a handle on is the humor. The comedy of this show has never been the most sophisticated type, but I often laugh a lot, and the episodes have gotten funnier overall as the season has progressed. This is typically thanks to Mark and Martin’s assistant, Elaine (Cree). Like usual, they provide most of the laughs in this episode.
Elaine tries out accents as she waits to find out if Juilliard has accepted her into their drama program. It’s delightful. And if you thought petulant Mark was funny last week, wait until you see drunk Mark. Martin figures out that Mark has auto-brewery disease. Segarra is the actor who makes me laugh consistently week after week, so this material really works for him.
With this episode, Martin puts his investigative skills to use for something other than a medical case. This is the first time we’ve seen him do that. I hope we see it happen again, it makes the show feel more well-rounded. This isn’t just a show about a doctor. It’s a show about a doctor and the small town he works in. Best Medicine Season 1, Episode 12 works hard at striking a balance between those two things. It sets up a season finale that I am eager to see next week.
Best Medicine airs at 8 PM on Tuesdays on FOX and streams the next day on Hulu.
