Holby City: Picking up the mantle of Michael Spence

(Series 17, ep.24) I haven’t blogged for a couple of weeks, during which time Jonny Mac has been incarcerated, Jac has been reunited with Emma and Dr Harry Posh has been starring in his own version of The Phantom of the Opera while Dr Raf Smug works out how to use his new 3D printer. Or something.

“Make me pretty again,” Harry said to Raf at the start of this episode, and Raf was all set to do just that, having studied the Tressler face more closely than even the most besotted fangirl clutching a signed copy of a Blake CD. Then Raf’s brother, Thug Smug, turned up with the news that their mutual mother, Mama Smug, had passed away. As always with a McAndrew/Hope episode, the writing was spot on. Serena telling Raf about her trip to Paris when she found herself sobbing about Adrienne in front of a Chateaubriand and a nice Bordeaux was a lovely scene and it was nice that Serena could support Raf as he’d supported her. 

Raf had to decide between dashing back to Glasgow to support his dad and staying at Holby for another day to sort Posh’s face out, and despite a lot of emoting from Thug Smug (not happy to learn from Mary-Claire about the Posh/Smug/Barf triangle – now he knows how we felt all those weeks) he chose to operate on Harry. Just as I was thinking fondly that Michael Spence used to be the go-to guy for that type of thing, Ric Griffin spoke my brains by telling Raf, “You are picking up the mantle of Michael Spence.” And what a mantle it is.

Meanwhile, Ma Effanga was admitted to Darwin with chest pains and Elliott thought she might bleed to death at any minute. This meant that Mo really had no choice but to talk to her about the mysterious man in the photograph (Clifford, Mo’s father). She greatly benefited from a pep talk from the glorious Mr T (MR T!!!), but I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t benefit from five minutes of Mr T wisdom.

For reasons best known to himself, Digby told Serena he wanted to specialise in emergency medicine (hello? You do know that Connie Beauchamp is in charge of that gig don’t you? If you think Serena’s scary…), so she gave him a man who’d been injured in a caving accident to look after. Everyone assumed it was just the heartbreak of his recent break-up with Marine Maria that has made Digby go all useless (“Any idea what’s hampering the erstwhile Dr Digby?” Serena wanted to know), and I hope they’re right. When he’s being outperformed by Dominic, something is very wrong. He got more interested in the causes of the accident, in a manner very reminiscent of the way Zosia often behaves, and that’s not the Digby I know and love. He needs to sort himself out.

Sue H