Holby City: Essie gets a baby for a week

(Series 21, ep. 34 ‘Where Does It Hurt?’ by Ed Sellek 20.8.19) For my proper review of all this week’s medical mayhem, please have a look at Metro. But first…

– I realised this week that I proper heart Kian. Not in the way I hearted (and will always heart) Joseph Byrne,* but as a really brilliant character. Ramin Karimloo has such a relaxed way about him, he makes Kian look as though he’s been at Holby forever. I love the way you’ll see the supporting artists sometimes give him little swoonsome glances (in character, obviously, because they are superbly professional) as he swans through the department dispensing smiles and doughnuts. He’s absolutely authentic and natural in every scene he’s in – whether talking to Nicky or Jac or Fletch or Essie, there’s a real connection between his character and theirs. It’s quite lovely to watch.

– What is wrong with Ric? I’m worried. But he’s magnificent when he’s angry, and he was absolutely fuming.

– Are Fletch and Ange over already, then, or will they get back together? I have to say I don’t much mind either way.

– Evil Evan! Putting the camera in the flat was a properly sinister move and one I did not expect.

– Was it poignant that Frankie handed over her baby more-or-less in the shadow of the Raf Di Lucca Memorial Lump?

– *On the subject of Joseph Byrne I had the absolute pleasure of talking to Luke Roberts (who plays him) yesterday, about the forthcoming Joseph/Faye return. Look out for that interview on Metro next week.

Holby City: Farfar away

(Series 21, ep. 33 ‘Work-Life Balance’ by Simon Norman 13.8.19) My full review of this episode is at Metro as usual so zip over there to find out what’s what. But before you go…

– Line of the week has to be one of Hanssen’s trademark multi-syllable efforts: “Medical innovation doesn’t wait for unscheduled personal appointments, Nurse Di Lucca.” This is where being a Shakespearean actor helps.

– Though it’s closely followed by Dom’s attitude to working on AAU rather than Keller: “It’s like Meryl Streep agreeing to be in Geordie Shore”

– I don’t know how long Hanssen has gone for this time but I certainly hope it isn’t for long (it was confirmed on Twitter that he will be back). Holby is not the same without him. And we never got to see him dance with Carole Copeland.

– Scenes between Hanssen and Oskar have been absolutely precious. What a star that little boy is.

– Some viewers will have recognised the actress who played Freda Hopley (the Darwin patient’s wife) as Julia Foster, who has had an incredible film and TV career. Her first TV job was on Emergency Ward 10, ITV’s first hospital-based serial drama which was also filmed at Elstree.

– Evan really is a sinister individual, isn’t he? I’m still loving Jack Ryder’s work.

– Well done Sacha for brilliant bowel surgery. He’s as much of a genius surgeon as Jac in his own modest way.

Holby City: All because the lady loves…

(Series 21, ep. 32 ‘When Worlds Collide’ by Andrew Rattenbury 6.8.19) Step on over to Metro to find my nice long review of this cracking episode. But first…

– As I mentioned in the review, the summer trailer’s scenes between Jac and Joseph and Faye reassured me that Jac wasn’t going to leave. Even so, I was quite tense when she rallied the troops for her Big Announcement.

– Last time she tried to ease off on work and spend time with her daughter she got shot five minutes later. Just saying.

– I should watch out for army-type metaphors like ‘rally the troops.’ This is the kind of thing that makes Cameron get all hissy.

– Stacey was a nightmare. But hands up who thought she looked a teensy bit like Jac?

– Baby Arthur Dominic Valentine Self!!! Squeeeeee!!! I love it so much that Arthur Digby is never forgotten at Holby.

– We’ve had the luxury of a lot of Carole Copeland episodes this year, for which I suppose we have to thank the adoption storyline which I wasn’t happy with at all when it began. I’m glad that Carole and Dominic are friends again – the smile he gave her when she said she didn’t want him to think she was putting Oskar first was just gorgeous.

– Controversial opinion alert: I still think Alex was more Bernie’s type than Serena ever was. Am I very wrong?

– Since Evan crept into the flat to deliver a box of chocolates I’ve started to think of him as the Milk Tray man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DWt39zk00I

– Line of the week: (Hanssen) ‘If I were looking for a relationship at this time, I believe I could do a lot worse than Mrs Copeland.’ Elegant, diplomatic and rather charming, just like the man himself.

Holby City: Another memorial in the Memorial Shrubbery

(Series 21, ep. 31 ‘Things My Mother Told Me’ by Martin Jameson 30.7.19) Please head over to Metro for this week’s in-depth review (it’s quite a long one, so maybe get the kettle on – and read this bit – first).

– Does Nicky really like Cameron, romantically, do you think? She responded fairly sharpish to his kiss. But she must have seen him mooning about after Chloe?

– When Alex said she was the love of Bernie’s life do you think she was? There was amazing chemistry between them when we first saw Alex soon after Bernie’s arrival on Holby. The army was a huge part of Bernie’s identity and Alex shared that in a way Serena never could. It was clear that Serena was very precious to Bernie, though, and there was no attempt to airbrush her out of her life as soon as Alex was back on the scene.

– It was interesting that the Darwin patient, Delia, was scared of the treatment she was going to have. I’m sure most people are scared before operations but on Holby they hardly ever show it.

– There was a little reminder that Lofty has a baby on the way, although he doesn’t realise it. That’s obviously going to be a Thing in the not-too-distant future.

– As is Evan. Though I do wonder whether Chloe really needs a divorce – was the bedside wedding legal?* I suppose Evan is the type who’d have rushed off and got all the legal stuff sorted the minute his drip was removed.

– Carole can’t leave, because we haven’t seen her and Hanssen dancing yet, and I so much want to see Dancin’ Hanssen.

– Line of the week: (Carole) ‘Dominic has made a new life for himself and I’m very happy for him but if it’s alright with you I’m going to hang on to my Dazzle.’ Said so much in just one line. Beautiful.

* I have now heard from an extremely reliable source that the bedside wedding was indeed legal, so Chloe does need a divorce, or at least an annulment.

Holby City: So many questions

(Series 21, ep. 30 ‘Don’t Leave Me’ by Gerard Sampaio 23.7.19) For a full review of this episode please head over to Metro. But first…

– I really enjoyed this episode and was gripped from start to finish. There were so many questions: could Bernie really be alive or was Serena just kidding herself? What was the mystery about Sunny/Vanessa and Kian’s insistence that Sunny had to have her operation today, come what may? And is Oskar going to turn out as spooky as his father?

– Beautiful work by Nic Jackman in this episode. For too long he hasn’t had much to do apart from be competitive with Nicky and gaze longingly at Chloe, so it’s good to see him having a big storyline to work with. 

– It’s always wonderful to see Heather Peace in anything. I would love to see her in Holby full-time – she has such incredible screen presence.

– Isn’t it always the way? You just get your hands full of lung and the lights go out.

– Line of the week: (Oskar) ‘‘Is that bloood? So muuuch! Can I touch it?”

Holby City: The one with the Tooth Fairy

(Series 21, ep. 29 ‘Reckless’ by Gerard Sampaio 16.7.19) For an in-depth probing of this episode please pop over to Metro. But first…

– I know we’re supposed to hate Evan – and I do, honestly – but isn’t Jack Ryder doing a beautiful job with the character?

– It didn’t take long for Dominic to work out what Evan really is. He’s seen the pattern before and Evan doesn’t scare him.

– Cameron’s one-day-long journey from feeling under Bernie’s shadow to accepting that she did what she had to do and he’s all right with that, to finding out she’s missing in action was a bit blatant, but Serena’s face when she saw an army officer talking to Cameron packed a powerful punch all the same. She clearly still loves Bernie.

– If you’d said a year ago that I might be wishing for a romance between Henrik Hanssen and Carole Copeland I would probably have laughed at you. But here we are – it looks like it could possibly happen and it would actually be beautiful. I love how Guy Henry and Julia Deakin play their scenes together. There’s a real lightness of touch and emotional heart to them. Hanssen’s character is so well-developed now that they could take the character into a love story without him losing the essential Hanssen-ness – that formal, slightly stern, eccentric demeanour that we know and love.

– Zav and Donna. I say it every week almost but… adorable.

– Ric was a tiny bit forgetful this week, did you notice? I wonder what’s going on there.

– Dialogue of the week:

(Hanssen) ‘Rationality is the greatest gift one can give a child.’

(Carole) ‘You can’t really put that under a pillow.’

Holby City: Bombshells

(Series 21 ep. 28 ’Reckless’ by Nick Fisher 10.7.19) You know the drill – full review over at Metro. But first…

– I think we can definitely file Evan under ‘wouldn’t trust him as far as you could throw him.’ And I am really rubbish at throwing things. I’m sure he didn’t want to get himself stabbed, but once he had been stabbed he definitely spotted an opportunity to get Chloe to agree to marry him.

– We still don’t know what drives Evan to behave in the controlling way he does. Perhaps when we meet this ‘Sophie’ who’s his next of kin we’ll start getting some answers.

– I’m still loving Jack Ryder’s work as Evan.

– I also loved Helen, Lofty’s Vegas fling. She reminded me quite a bit of Jac’s sister Jasmine and you could see why Lofty would be attracted to her. It was nice that as soon as she discovered that Lofty was married she tried to back off without causing any upset.

– A while back, Dominic was quite keen on the idea of having a baby and it was Lofty who was reluctant. I wonder whether that’s the last we’ll see of Helen…

– Fleur Fanshawe is wonderful. There’s something about that Obs & Gynae ward that produces really good characters (yes, I still miss Mr T. And Mubbs. And Owen).

– Dialogue of the week:

Ric ‘You go, girl.’

Serena ‘Did you just say “go girl”?’

Ric ‘Yes. It was a bit weird, wasn’t it?’

Serena ‘It was disturbing.’