This is the episode we’d all been waiting for, with the buildup to the big underwater stunt having us sat on the edge of our seats. The first time we caught a glimpse of the scene where Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) and Sam Nicholls (Charlotte Salt) are battling to keep their heads above water was in the Spring trailer that got released back in March, and I don’t know about you but it’s one of the clips I’ve been anxious to see ever since.
The episode began with a makeshift game of ping-pong between our two paramedics—who are renowned for their lighthearted antics—but it quickly changed tone when the new Paramedics Boss, Jan Jennings (Di Botcher), stepped into the show for the first time. We also saw her appearance in the Spring trailer and there’s something about her that made me impatient to meet her! And who can resist the underlying charm of a strong Welsh accent? It’s nice to have some local talent joining the group again!
With her catchy first line, “I think this is supposed to be my office,” we could already tell that she takes no messing around, however it seems to stem from more nurturing intentions than those of Connie’s high expectations. We saw the softer side of Jan later in the episode, when she helped Hannah (Annabelle Kaye) make a confession to her mother. It’s also nice to know that Jan has a backstory with Charlie and Duffy (Derek Thompson and Cathy Shipton), and I’m curious to know whether that will be explored any further in the future or not.
But moving on to the scene that had created quite a hype, both in the lead up and aftermath of the episode; the storm drain! It all began when guest character Hannah had left the house early, claiming that she needed to go to the library—however we all suspected that to be a lie. Her brother, Danny (Alec Robinson), followed her and found her squatting in a storm drain with the intention of injecting herself with drugs. Understandably, he tried to take the syringe from her and it ended up in a sibling wrestle before his foot got caught and trapped in a metal grate on the floor. After some consideration, Hannah called for help; cue our lifesavers in green.
When they arrived, things seemed to be under control; no water, a conscious Danny, manageable pain. However, it’s once they assessed the damage that they realised they couldn’t free the foot with their own resources, so they called for backup from the fire department and HART. This is when water started trickling in and the suspense begins…
With the water rising (thank goodness it seemed relatively clean!), Sam and Iain were struggling to keep their own heads above the surface, not to mention those of the ever worsening patients—both of which were starting to feel the effects of the icy water. The fire department arrived, but HART were nowhere to be seen and this is when we knew that some serious resourcefulness was going to come into play. After several failed attempts to free the leg from the grate, they eventually resorted to amputation; but Danny did not give consent and this later comes to haunt Sam, who had been the one to amputate using the jaws of life alongside a fireman. I feel in the face of ethics, her actions should be excused as it was a case of life or death (but I’m nothing more than an avid viewer, after all!).
It was reassuring to see the emotional effects in the aftermath of this event throughout the episode, as I find they can sometimes be forgotten or bypassed. It was also interesting to note the consolation Sam seemed to get out of Jacob (Charles Venn). When I first heard about the prospects of these two characters growing closer I was not convinced, but during the episode I found myself gradually warming to them. Plus, his gift of a punchbag opens up a whole host of opportunities for emotive scenes in the future.
Due to Hannah’s drug addiction, she found a rather petulant way of blackmailing the paramedics in the hopes of them giving her cash for drugs. This is where we saw Jan come into fresh light, as she handled the situation with a firm yet gentle grasp; she knew how she wanted the situation to end and she knew how to play the moment in order to get there, yet it was completely judgement free. Especially when she wrapped her arms around the young girl and stood by her side as she confessed her problems to her mother, it was quite moving. It makes me wonder whether she’s had similar issues with her own children or family and I really do hope we explore that avenue in the future.
We also cannot skip over the continuing saga of Bea (Michelle Fox) and how her storyline developed in this episode. For weeks we’ve had a sense that something isn’t quite right with her personal life and it all started to make a bit more sense when Dougie Donalds (John Paul Connolly) admitted himself with a broken wrist—although clearly under a fake name. As it turns out, his surname was in fact Kinsella and he’d lied in order to protect Bea’s reputation at the hospital (but he didn’t know that she’d actually resigned). There were some touching scenes between the pair once she’d turned up at the hospital and had had a classic Connie Talking-To, but it all went south when Dylan (William Beck) reminded her that the additional symptoms her father was displaying were often found to be because of alcohol disagreeing with his specific medication. This caused great upset for Bea, who’d thought her father had been sober for weeks, and she fled the ED. Rash (Neet Mohan), being the naive sweetheart that he is, rushed after her when he found out that the real cause behind Dougie’s sickness was down to a clash between his medications and not because of alcohol. He went to her mansion of a house—on foot, so I’m assuming she’s reasonably local—and finds her sat in her car outside. She obviously goes on to confess that it’s not her home but the one of her half-sister, whom she’s never met. We found out that she’s not seen her mother in ten years and Rash proceeded to comfort her when she got upset about doubting her father. This is when he addressed her as Britney and referenced some of the pop star’s songs, transitioning the scene into more jovial spirits.
I was also surprised by Dylan’s shock and his attempts at keeping Bea employed at the hospital, I didn’t think he’d be so concerned by the F1’s decision to leave. It was quite heartwarming to hear his persuasive speech, in the stilted and uncomfortable way that he does. It seems he won her round!
And finally,
we can all tell that things between Ethan (George Rainsford) and Leigh-Anne (Cassie Bradley) are escalating, but how will this affect Ethan’s job and is this all leading to something bigger?
Louise (Azuka Oforka) getting a fine for parking in an area with the wrong permit seems to be hinting at a future storyline.
Overall, the episode was fast-paced and I didn't feel like there was time wasted with filler scenes. I also think that Jan is a breath of fresh air and I really look forward to seeing her story unfold!
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