Who is the worst local character?

Worst: Elaine, by FAR!!!!
2nd Worst: Bert Large (such a loser)
3rd Worst: Mark Mylow (ditto)

I think I'll have a large order of prognosis negative.

Elaine. No one else is even in the running.

But the absolute worst character is not a local. Martin's mother is arguably the worst person on tv. The father is horrible too.

I guess it's like looking at clouds. You see one thing and I see another. Peace.

I love this show despite the several very poor recurring characters.


Here is my list of who's bad and why, and who should get more airtime.

Worst Character: PC Penhale. Stupid. Shallow. Irrational. If this character did not exist, the show would be better. (I did like the original cop, PC Mylow character).
2nd worst: Large Bert. Who would put up with a guy like this and not give him a very very wide berth after the first half-dozen awful things he has done? No redeeming characteristics.
3rd worst: Auntie Joan. Quite shallowly written for such an important character who had a lot of scenes focused on her. Oh well, I guess we can't change much of that now, right?


Who they should focus on more:

-- Caroline, the local radio interview lady. Her acidic interchanges with Martin, often on-air, were always sparkling. Re-introduce her! Have her run for mayor or something.
-- Auntie Ruth. Good actor. Now give her more issues and worries.
-- the priest. Crotchety old so and so, if I remember right. (Not the drunken priest). All sorts of issues need to be shared between a small town's priest and a small town's doctor. The emergencies need not ALL be at the schoolhouse.
-- the Greek Chorus of young girls. Morwenna graduated from that group into Doc's office. One of them had a weird mole once. In any case, they could all get better developed characters, why not, coming by to visit Morwenna and putting up with a variety of exotic STDs.

I have had no problem at all with any of the surgery's office assistants; thought they were all great.



WARNING!
Objects under T-shirt are larger than they appear!

Elaine tops my list. I'm not sure what they were trying to do with her character, but for me it was an epic fail. Her character wasn't funny and was pretty annoying. I can take annoying IF it is funny, but...well

Auntie Joan is the other one I just couldn't appreciate. It wasn't her acting that bothered me, it was the script. She played the tough struggling country woman to a "T." But, I simply didn't understand why they tried to portray her as the "loving family" Martin obviously lacked in his parents and then had her say the indelicate things about his bedwetting. OBVIOUSLY he was autistic...I'm pretty sure that is what the foundation for his character...and as I understand, one of the common problems for autistic children is bedwetting. WHY did they decide to have her mention that? Just seemed out of place and unnecessary.

Everyone else I like. Unlike you, I especially liked the Park Ranger. I wished they'd have had him on more often. I just like the quirky way they scripted and directed him and I thought Ben Miller pulled it off spectacularly. One thing I found interesting was the way, when Doc first visits him and before he realizes he's got mental problems, Martin actually chuckles understandingly at Stewart's "perceptiveness" about the village people. IOW, the first person the Doc really understands and connects with is a "crazy" person.

my god its full of stars

Elaine is the only one I didn't like ... which is funny because I liked Lucy Punch in other movies I've seen.

Bert, Joan and PC Mark? Really? They're great characters! I'm not a huge fan of Penhale but he's okay.

I liked Elaine. She was your typical millennial, sharp tongued and perennially bored.
I can't stand the ranger, and I am so glad he only showed up on two episodes. What a drain of perfectly good air time.
Absolutely the worse local character was the hateful man who's wife died, and he blamed Aunty Joan. He was so bitter I couldn't stand him.

I like Burt Large. He's flawed, and he's lonely. Very human.
Penhale is annoying, but not as much of a p***y as the first cop (I forgot his name).

I have to say Doc Martin has lost something in this latest/last series. It's almost as if Martin Clune's is playing Doc Martin playing Doc Martin. It probably just as well that this is the end. It was a great show.

I have three more to add:
Danny Steele
Edith Montgomery
Mr. Tishell

After the last episode.... Louisa. I am so sick and tired of her wishy-washy interest in Martin. She has been reminded of his issues since the first time she met him... pursued him constantly and then we have do deal with her constant happy and depressed cycle.... drives me crazy.