Thursday 10 September 2015

Doctor Foster - gripping new BBC drama


I have finally done it - I sold my car - yipee :) Oh, what a relief, I can sit back and relax now. No more carrying heavy boxes, no more queueing at the car boots, what a joy. I will probably miss driving a little, but before I bought a car I got along nicely walking, and it won't hurt me this time :)
I watched fantastic British drama on BBC One last night, right after Great British Bake Off. It was 'Doctor Foster' with Suranne Jones. The main review in Guardian states: 'gripping portrait of a marriage slowly being poisoned' - intriguing, isn't it? It's a story of 30-something married couple with a small child. The guy actually turns 40 in the first episode and celebrates his birthday. But the real action starts one morning, when the wife finds a single blond hair on his scarf (she herself is a brunette). Where does it come from? In what occurrence did it get there? She cannot take her mind of it, but she's at work and has to deal with her patients - she's a psychiatrist. It's very difficult to focus on their problems, when her own life is tumbling down. But she remains strong and wants to get to the bottom of the alleged affair - is her husband really cheating on her? Which blond woman can be involved? Does she know her?
She cannot focus on the everyday routine and decides to follow him one day. She discovers there's 2.5h gap between the time he locks his office and returns home - but turns out he drives to his mother's care home straight after work... Is Gemma paranoid?
But she persists, she needs to know the truth. For a small bribe, one of her patients agrees to follow her husband, and cue the drums rolls... Yes, he's with a blond woman and they are kissing. Quick check of the car plates reveals it's one of their mutual friends - blond lady in her 40s... Gemma cannot believe it - how could he do that? They are so close, have this wonderful life together, and this is such a massive blow. And with her friend! She's lost. Her patient gives her a tip - 'Check his car boot, he's getting stuff from it while he's with the other woman'.
Gemma needs to check it. She borrows her husband's car keys and looks into the boot, but there's nothing there... That can't be the clue. She locks the car, and is about to walk away, when she takes another look. Yes, under the boot mat, next to the spare wheel, there's a backpack. Inside, a mobile phone, shorts, notepad... He's got another mobile phone? And to a shock horror, the screen bears a photo of him and a friends' daughter on his lap... Yes, he is having an affair, but not with the friend - with her teenage daughter! There's more, photos of all of their friends and colleagues, trips to the beach, barbecues... It seems like he's leading a double life. And everybody knows about it apart from her... Even her clinic assistant is covering for him. That's too much, how to deal with this situation?
I don't know what I would do. I'd be hurt, wanting to scream and run away. But Gemma remains calm, walks to her husband and gives him a birthday kiss. After all it's a party. With all their friends around. She looks at them through different eyes now, she spots the side glances, lingering touches, enigmatic smiles. She enjoys the spectacle and slowly starts to plot the revenge...
I cannot wait to watch the second episode next week, absolutely fantastic and gripping drama and proves once again the quality of BBC programmes. Well done to them!

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