Loveday Writing

Season 1 – After Hugh’s return to Whyhope in the pilot, the first season goes on to show Hugh’s growth professionally and personally, pulling no punches. The second episode has Hugh attend to a teenager who was pinned under a tractor who bleeds to death in front of him. The fourth episode has Hugh being sued for malpractice by a former patient who recorded Hugh during his operation, the reveal that Ajax is actually Hugh’s son being raised by his parents, and his father, Jim’s, health problem that has been hinted at revealed to be a blood disorder. The fifth episode has Hugh rescue a patient trapped in paddock-turned-minefield and operating on Charlie’s ectopic pregnancy. In the eighth episode Ajax finds out that Hugh is his biological father.

Throughout the season, Hugh is trying to get his long-time friend, Joey, treated for cancer, however Joey refuses chemotherapy due to the affects it had on his mother when she was treated for her own cancer. The ninth episode has Joey pass away, with Hugh euthanising him, which I felt was the best episode of the season.

The finale reveals that six months have passed and has Penny leaving for another job, and Matt leaving Charlie due to the issues between them and her past with Hugh.

Season 2 – The second season kicks off a month after the events of the first season finale, with Hugh visiting Penny and her son, Floyd, in the city, Matt and Charlie still separated, Meryl becoming Whyhope Mayor, and Aoife leaving for India with a new nurse, Mia, taking her place.

The second season goes on to have Hugh and the hospital team get rid of Nora, Hayley and Ajax getting engaged, Charlie writing a book, and Meryl being investigated for electoral fraud. Towards the end of the season, Jim’s health deteriorates to the point that he needs a kidney transplant, while Hayley is a match and insists on donating she is ruled out when it’s discovered during further testing that she was only born with one kidney. We also see the introduction of Hugh’s American ex-wife, Harriet. The season ends with Hugh donating one of his kidneys to Jim, and Hayley and Ajax getting married.

Season 3 – The third season kicks off with the reveal that Jim has passed away from a heart attack, Hayley is pregnant, and Hugh’s probation is ending. Despite his probation coming to an end, Hugh ultimately decides to stay in Whyhope to help out on the farm now that he has inherited it, and to start a heart clinic (and he finally hooks up with Penny). The second episode has Ajax and Hayley’s baby born via a C-Section performed by Hugh when Hayley suffers complications.

The season goes on for Hugh to open his heart clinic only to discover that Harriet is pregnant with his baby which leads to his break-up with Penny, the introduction of Charlie’s father, Carlito, who visits with his girlfriend’s 15-year-old daughter, Ivy, in tow, and the introduction of April, Hugh and Matt’s old high school friend. Matt, who used to have a crush on April, starts to feel attracted to her again due to her desire to have children, in contrast to his marriage to Charlie, which is failing as she doesn’t want children. Matt and Charlie ultimately break up as Charlie, ironically, wants to foster Ivy after Carlito runs off and Matt doesn’t. Hugh also puts the farm on the market to solve the family’s financial problems but Ajax manages to save it with the idea of making part of the farm a cemetery.

The season ends with Hugh’s baby girl, Eliza, being born and Harriet doing a runner, and Matt finding it difficult to choose between Charlie and April.

Season 4 – I regard this season as the show’s worst due to its inconsistent writing and character development. I also felt that Hugh reverting to his “bad boy” ways completely undermined his four years of character development.

The fourth season kicks off with the introduction of a new character, Tara, the new GP Registrar who is on probation, much like Hugh was in the first season. Eliza’s upcoming birthday reveals that a year has passed. Tara is revealed to be just like Hugh was before he came to Whyhope – heavily drinking and taking drugs, but also a competent doctor. The premiere also reveals that Penny has been in a relationship with Jarrod, a mine manager, for the past eight months. Charlie also returns from Bali and Matt, settled in his relationship with April, asks Charlie for a divorce. It’s also revealed that Mia has gone back to New Zealand, the cemetery business is going well, and Meryl is up to her old tricks.

The season goes on to introduce another new character, Dinah, Harriet’s mother, as well as Ajax and Meryl running for Council (Meryl wins), Penny and Jarrod getting engaged (and later eloping), Dinah kidnapping Eliza with Meryl peacefully getting Dinah to give Eliza back, only to tell Hugh that she will be caring for Eliza until he gets his head back on straight, Ajax and Hayley moving out of the homestead and into a caravan, April falling pregnant only to miscarry, Matt and April breaking up, and Hayley taking up pole dancing which leads to a management role at the local strip club. Tara leaves shortly before the season ends.

The season ends with Penny leaving with Jarrod to go to Broome, with Hugh replacing her as the hospital administrator, Ajax deciding to go to agricultural college, Matt and Charlie getting back together and deciding to travel, and Hayley managing the Brewery in their absence.

Season 5 – The fifth and final season kicks off with another year passing by in the Doctor Doctor world. A new character, Sharna, is introduced as Whyhope Council’s Administrator, and Meryl is arrested for electoral fraud, her past corruption catching up with her. The hospital has been shut as it’s been declared an asbestos hazard, which was discovered after Ken insisted on renovations. The group manage to convert the recently closed vet clinic into one fit for human use. Matt and Charlie also return from their time in Germany, where Matt worked as an intern for brewing company and Charlie worked as a waitress to pay the bills, driving Ajax and Hayley nuts. Penny has also returned from Broome, no longer married to Jarrod (no surprises there) and dating a young, local doctor, Nick. Penny has also become more of a partier, like Hugh used to be. Two new characters are introduced, Wes and Kassie, a local couple who are dealing with Kassie’s terminal cancer. Kassie peacefully passes away at home in the second episode. The second episode also introduces Tom, a farm hand Ajax hires to help out who Hayley is immediately attracted to.

The season goes on to have Ajax develop a gambling problem, Hayley cheat on Ajax with Tom, and Betty leaving Whyhope after Ken is forced to fire her by Sharna, Meryl rekindling a friendship with an old boyfriend, Michael, Ken lying to his parents about being a doctor to please them, and Meryl facing the music on corruption charges, although she ultimately doesn’t lose the homestead or go to prison.

Towards the end of the season Hayley contemplates running away with Tom but ultimately decides not to, Charlie becomes Interim Mayor, the new clinic replacing the hospital gets the funding it needs, and Hugh accepting a job offer in Sydney despite declaring his love for Penny.

The season and series ends with Charlie and Matt remarrying (they were divorced during season 4), Hugh and Penny getting together for good, Hayley and Ajax reconciling, Ken and Melody getting together, and Meryl and Michael leaving Whyhope, now in a relationship, and starting the next chapter in their lives.

Unlike most of the shows I’ve reviewed, the writers of Doctor Doctor knew that the fifth season would be their last and wrote a solid series finale. I wrote in my review of the series finale that everyone was given their own happy ending and while the series didn’t end with a bang, it didn’t end with a whimper either.

Doctor Doctor was one of the best Australian TV shows I’ve ever seen, however it ended on a high and had run its course.

Behind the Reviews – Edition #7 will be released next week and will focus on Fisk.