Doc Martin (TV Series) Gentlemen Prefer (2004) User Reviews

Still trying to find his way.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 1 June 2014]

This is the second episode of the TV series "Doc Martin" and it picks up from the last show. Here, Dr. Ellington is trying to start up his practice and problems still abound. He's got messy plumbing, patients only make appointments to chat and Elaine continues to be the worst receptionist in the world. In fact, she's so awful that Ellington fires her--which is not the least bit surprising. But the community's reaction is--and they all start boycotting the practice. What's he to do? Mr. Fenn is one of the few patients he does have and it looks as if the guy might have throat cancer! Additionally, the doctor finally talks about his weird psychological disorder--hemophobia.

While the show is still trying to catch its stride, this one was very entertaining--particularly when the same mutt kept following the disagreeable doctor.

How Can He Stand It?

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 7 January 2018]

I have to say that I have a great deal of sympathy for the good doctor. In this episode, Elaine makes a shambles of the surgery, messing up prescriptions, and allowing non-patients to hang out, eating cookies. When Martin throws them out and fires Elaine, he is immediately considered the enemy of the people. The other issue is a former teacher who lost his job and now is dealing with laryngeal cancer. Martin has to continue to do his job when he is constantly being abused. Granted, he is a bit harsh, but he has to treat a pack of idiots to fit in. We also become privy to why the doc left his high powered surgery to become a GP in a dinky little coastal town.

"Tea try a cafe"

[ygwerin1 · 8/10 · 3 April 2020]

Despite his better judgement Doctor Martin Ellingham decided, not to just jack it in after arriving at Portwen. He still decides to set up shop in the surgery anyway, which doesn't say much for his judgement still he'll soon learn to regret it.

"You know you won't last 5 minutes here don't you?" Says a horse patient Mr. Fen after the Doc, emptied his surgery of malingerers who mistake it for a cafe.

The Doc fired Receptionist Elaine and upset her parents by turning down, their wedding invitation in quick succession. The dad understands as Elaine is not happy, with his choice of a new wife.

But the actual Portwen populace takes it into its bonce, to send the Doc to Coventry for getting shot of Elaine.

We get to see the effects of the Doctors phobia that has driven him out of Surgery and London, and into general practice and Portwen.

Portwens new doctor is also plagued by a mangy dog that seems to, have taken a shine to him and persists in hanging around outside the surgery.

Villagers mad Doc fired Elaine-rudeness is the topic of the day

[ctyankee1 · 12 June 2015]

This episode has lots of angry characters in it with no manners.

Elaine the secretary talks on the phone to long, prepares tea for half the village in the new doctors office which is called surgery, orders the wrong prescription for a patient and then blames the doctor. He fires Elaine and the whole village hates him. They are like bullies, they won't talk with him accept to insult him for firing Elaine. She is very snotty and thinks she is indispensable.

She comes back to get paid and she wants cash. Doc tells her to go to her fathers wedding who would like her there. Doc finds out her mother died when Elaine was young and figures her father getting married makes her hurt and angry.

He has a lot of patients for this snotty arrogant women. He ends up taking Elaine back but she has to change her ways in the office.

Doc Martin is not the easiest person to get along with but he does care about his patients . He notices things about their manner that may be an illness like eye problems, not urinating enough and more. They feel uneasy when he perceives their weakness. His weakness is blood. He is a surgeon and cannot operate any more because of his fear of the site of blood . I saw this series before I like it. There is a lot of unusual people an problems. Sometime there is too much bickering and no respect for Doc Martin the way they talk with him. He is honest to the point that it hurts and people don't want to hear his honesty. There is also unusual humor.

Caustic Lead Character Nevertheless Has Compensating Appeal

[darryl-tahirali · 8/10 · 24 November 2023]

If your comedy-drama features an inherently caustic lead such as Doc Martin, then that lead had better have compensating appeal. In Martin's case, he is an absolutely dedicated physician--at one point, when asked what he does when he's not working, he looked puzzled and replies, "I'm always working"---and one with a brilliant diagnostic eye. As Doc Martin, Martin Clunes evinced that in the very first episode of "Doc Martin," when he spotted signs of glaucoma in schoolteacher Louisa Glasson, and in "Gentlemen Prefer" he continues to demonstrate his prowess while, crucially, forging a connection to a patient, Roger Fenn (Jeff Rowle), he diagnosed with throat cancer, and who is almost as acerbic as he is.

Having just arrived in the sleepy Cornish village of Portwenn, Martin is still off to a prickly start with the locals, who are nevertheless still curious about their new general practitioner: They crowd his waiting room, but there is no epidemic---they just want to meet him. However, when Martin fires his receptionist Elaine Denham for incompetence, the villagers take her side. Playing Elaine, Lucy Punch delivers a strong performance of an exasperating character---Elaine is irresponsible and petulant, with little to redeem her---and the dynamics, including the resolution that involves the wedding of Elaine's father, do seem contrived.

Granted, this is television with its restrictions and expectations, and writer and series creator Dominic Minghella writes crackling dialog that submerges the cliché in his characters. "Gentlemen Prefer" also reveals a hint of Martin's secret: While visiting Roger in the hospital, an unexpected encounter with blood compels him to vomit. Not an encouraging trait in a vascular surgeon. Smart, sharp, quirky, and funny, "Doc Martin" was off to a promising start, with sufficient character depth in both large and small roles to pique continuing interest.

REVIEWER'S NOTE: What makes a review "helpful"? Every reader of course decides that for themselves. For me, a review is helpful if it explains why the reviewer liked or disliked the work or why they thought it was good or not good. Whether I agree with the reviewer's conclusion is irrelevant. "Helpful" reviews tell me how and why the reviewer came to their conclusion, not what that conclusion may be. Differences of opinion are inevitable. I don't need "confirmation bias" for my own conclusions. Do you?