(Series 13, Ep.32) Authority was not sitting comfortably on Sacha’s shoulders this week. He’s just too nice, and his efforts to appear managerial came across, to Chrissie at least, as “cute.” Well, he is cute, but when the machines start going beep, the floor’s awash in bodily fluids and tough decisions need to be made, “cute” is not really what you want.
If the patients were the biggest problem he’d be ok, but it’s always the staff who are hardest to control in Holby. Chrissie’s used to getting her own way with Sacha, what with him being 
besotted with her and being the father to her child and all, and him being her boss didn’t make any difference. This is the kind of thing that drives Goth Dr Frieda nuts, however, and she decided to give Chrissie a piece of her mind. And what a lovely sight it was. Frieda’s still annoyed that Chrissie previously got to keep her job mainly because her father, Jesus, was the CEO of the hospital at the time. “You manipulated him,” said Frieda, “And now you manipulate another weak man!” Weak man? Sacha must have been having thoughts along the lines of “with friends like Frieda, who needs enemies?’ But the fact remained that he can’t work with Chrissie, so she’s been ousted to Keller – currently the domain of Dull Dan and his little fixator (it’s for fixing pelvises. Pelvi? Whatever).
Dull Dan apparently can’t get through a week without locking horns with another male staff member in a rutting stag sort of way. It’s getting grindingly inevitable, and it’s also getting grindingly inevitable that he comes off worse. This week he was up against the human challenge that is The Malick, but Malick was also charged, by Ric Griffin, with looking after Funny Little Nurse Tate, who is grieving for her granny and is therefore still funny (and little, but I’m not really expecting any change there). Malick and Dan were so busy squabbling over a patient that they didn’t notice that FLNT had taken herself off to the Window of Regret for a quiet sob. This is not Ric Griffin’s idea of people management, and he wasn’t pleased.
Michael Spence and Plastic Bhatti got very excited at the prospect of showing off to a man from the health authority (AKA Jamie Glover from Waterloo Road ), a man so stern he made Henrik Hanssen look like Graham Norton. Their star patient was a young woman, Rose (AKA Lauren Crace from EastEnders), who was having a mastectomy and then a breast reconstruction because she was at high genetic risk of breast cancer. But half way through the procedure, Jac demanded use of the theatre for a patient who was about to die without immediate surgery. This showed up what a daft idea the plastics/cardiac timeshare scheme is, and it also gave Michael time to discover that Bhatti got his breast implants (not his own personal ones, I mean ones to use on his patients) from a company owned by Mrs Bhatti. Corruption! But the fact remains that Plastic Bhatti is a very good surgeon, a point he was able to prove later when he and Michael did a very showy-offy double operation, with Rose in one theatre having her reconstruction and a helicopter pilot with a mashed-about face having his face done by Bhatti next door, and Michael Spence flitting between like a surgical bee.
He loves the buzz (see what I did there?) of a bit of ninja-level surgery, does Michael, so for now he’s prepared to put up with his colleague being a tad dodgy. They shook hands on their continuing partnership – they even had matching watches.
Next time: Tensions between Dan and Malick take an unexpected twist. Frieda gets some bad news. And is Hanssen jealous of Irish Dr Greg?
Posted by PLA (more Holby posts here)
HOLBY CITY BEHIND THE SCREEN
pauseliveaction 
is it strange that i now giggle whenever anyone goes to the window of regret?
Oh dear. At moments of maximum regret I’ve got people laughing. That’s not meant to happen. I’m going to go and stand on the Roof of Remorse for a bit as punishment, and gaze down on the Linden Cullen Memorial Garden.
maybe go for a walk through the carpark of calamity as people frequently walk through there in a daze and nearly get run over. or fight over parking spaces. or get beaten up/attacked ………..
This was one of those episodes where I vowed to myself to never be hospitalised again. Terrible place to be ill! I was irked with Sacha for being so feeble with Chrissie and also annoyed with him for not respecting the woman with MS’s DNR request. Dan and Chrissie were both awful. Thank heavens for the sanity of Doctor Frieda.
I’m laughing at the comment you made about the ‘man from the Health Authority’ making Hanssen look like Graham Norton! MfHA definitely out-doured Hanssen last night.
Hey there Pause
Good one as ever.
I thought it was rather unfair of Gothfried to describe Sacha as a “weak man.” “Nice” ain’t the same as “weak” and, while he’s certainly the former, I don’t believe he’s the latter. This he later proved by banishing Chrissiewissy to the Domain of Dull. Added to which the old ‘if you really love him/her, then set her/him free’ is the weapon of choice for those of stout hearts and strong minds.
For some months now, our Sacha has set about this free love thing (so to speak) with the the will of the gods. All this, I believe, without a single visit to his very own Sach Window of Regret. Hah! Apologies for that one and, word of warning, there’ll be worse along in a minute.
Don’t you get rather distracted by this seemingly small troupe of actors that the BBC calls upon? That chap from the health authority and Waterloo Road being a case in point. Another being all those refugees from Eastenders: “Don’t worry about the acting dear, it’s just like your other gig but not quite so shouty.” I know the pool for real acting talent has, like David Frost, hidden shallows but I do wish they’d cast (hah x 2) the net a bit wider. I’ve a tiny knowledge of the process and it seems to work this: even if it’s a fluke, once your first part is on the resume then the second is easier to get. And so on.
Ah well, back to the hospital. The man from the authority had something of a Napoleon complex; all puffed up and displaying a distinct lack of it (the authority, he seemed reasonably healthy). Hanssen would agree, I think, as he appeared wryly amused by the little fellow strutting his stuff at desk height.
Oh and I’m with you on the plastic absurdity of the competition for operating tables storyline. Not least with, talking of ninja-level surgery, Jac Naylor showing her lovely bones just long enough to pick up a salary cheque and make this precise point.
As for the girl who was left bereft of brefts for half the epifode which in turn had Michael Spence furrowing his brow in a passable impression of a man with a conscience, I was bellowing at the screen telling him to grow a pair. I do however concede that the patient may have been less than impressed with a couple of those on her chest.
Yecch. Now that’s got me wondering if Shiny Michael is the sort to … what is the male equivalent of a brazilian anyway?
I wonder whether the tiny troupe of actors all have the same agent, who is good mates with the Holby casting director. That could explain a lot. It must be handy for people who’ve been in EastEnders, because they’ll be familiar with the basic layout of Borehamwood. So helpful when you need something at Lidl.
I don’t think Sacha is weak, either, but he’s certainly been a pushover as far as Chrissie’s concerned. Very glad that he banished her to the Domain of Dull.
Oh, not much occuring. But I know next week is MAJOR on the drama scale so I’ll let them off.
AAU doesnt feel the same without Penny. Or Michael for that matter. 😦 Sacha trying his hand at managerial is gonna take him a few weeks isnt it … we cant expect too much of him. Hes a nice guy. He wants everyone to be happy bunnies with full baskets of chocolate eggs. Unfortunately life (and the NHS) arent like that so hes gonna have to deal with it. And besides, Chrissies spent most of her time recently on Keller, why make it so dramatic now doing one episode on AAU then being “sent” to Keller like its some big punishment? She didnt do anything wrong! As a matter of fact, if were talking actual clinical practice, Chrissie was right. Sacha was wrong. Anyway. *takes off work hat* They did mention Chrissies Nurse Consultant thing (even though they called her course a Nurse Practitioner Course which is something else entirely, but anyway!) so it was nice to see some continuity with that bit of storyline finally.
Keller wise, Dull Dan and Manic Malick locking horns again, is getting tiresome. Has anyone else noticed how every week Dan messes up with the patients? In theatre or on the ward or generally yelling at them or something? Every week! How on earth did he make consultant? Ive never had much opinion on Malick good or bad, but now, the more he winds Desperately Dull Dan up, the more I love him! He stands up for the patients and for his principles (whether theyre right or wrong, he does stand by them) and that sort of integrity is hard to come by. Yes hes a little arrogant, but he gets the job done. Hes not one for messing around. I felt bad for FLNT though, how did his story about the patient still alive in the morgue help her? Esp considering the Lazarus effect patient of Jacs the other week, and helicopter guy in AAU coming back after Sacha stopped shocking him?
Have you read the synopsis for next week PLA? Interesting stuff! And I told you so might be in there from me … 😉
I certainly have read the synopsis for next week, and it sounds like a good one. I’m going to be away next week though, volcanic ash permitting, so I’ll be really late blogging about it. I hope it means that either Dull Dan will be leaving soon, or that he’ll have a bit of a personality overhaul, because he’s extremely tedious at the moment and, as you say, he’s a bit of a liability, medically-speaking.
I both dislike and like the Sacha/Chrissie relationship. I actually think it’s fairly realistic as it shows both characters being consistent; Sacha being lovely but, irritatingly, a pushover for someone he has feelings for and Chrissie being a manipulative trollop for her own ends.
As regards Chrissie – yes, she made the right calls from a clinical point of view (although Sacha’s non-logical clinical judgements tend to lead to the best outcomes – further evidence of the all-round wonderfulness of the man) but arranging a meeting with her tutor in the middle of her shift? Ahem – the words fast, pulling, one and a spring to mind. “Mmm, think I’ll just take a restful break in the middle of my busy working day to talk career moves with my tutor while dumping my dregs on the annoyingly honest Dr Frieda. Two birds with one stone and the sweet Mr Levy who is currently circling my little finger will no doubt sanction this meeting that should certainly have been scheduled for my own time.” Nice try Chrissie love…
OK, it’s been nearly 2 weeks since this episode. Has that rather dramatic snog up against the lockers of lust, rendered you speechless?
No, I’ve been on holiday and haven’t seen the snog episode yet. Thank the lord for Sky+. Will be blogging as usual this week.
Glad I didn’t get too spoillery, did wonder if you hadn’t seen it.