Casualty opened its 36th series with a special feature-length episode that introduced two new characters in paramedic Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke) and doctor Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless), while bringing back three beloved former characters – two of whom are actually dead.
In the aftermath of Fenisha’s death, Ethan (George Rainsford) has been struggling so much that Charlie (Derek Thompson) found him in a bad way, ill and dehydrated, and brought him to the ED. It was clear that Ethan was in sore need of someone to help him focus on his own life and looking after his little boy – and who better than Cal (Richard Winsor), Ethan’s brother. This would be tricky given that Cal died in 2017, but as Ethan lay in his hospital bed, Cal appeared next to him. ‘You’re dead,’ Ethan said. ‘Excellent diagnosis, Nibbles,’ replied Cal, as in Ethan’s mind we went back five years, to when Cal was still alive and Ethan still wore glasses.
It really was like watching an episode from the time, because as well as Cal we were also treated to Noel (Tony Marshall) being back on reception and Big Mac (Charles dale) still being around. The humorous bickering between these two was a real treat, as they competed about whose job was more important.
The extended flashback cleverly drew in other characters. We met Jade (Gabriella Leon), on the verge of giving up her dream of being a nurse and going to Spain with a friend instead, until she happened to be on the spot to give first aid to a woman who was hurt when a lorry crashed into her car. As she hovered around the ED waiting for news about the woman and worried that she’d messed up, Ethan was able to reassure her that she’d probably saved the woman’s life. We saw that this was a turning point for Jade’s life.
The woman in the car accident, Emma (Jaimi Barbakoff), was the sister of Stevie, who was introduced in this episode as an ambitious, plain-speaking and uninhibited new doctor in the ED. Stevie spent most of the episode irritating her old friend Faith – they go back a long way, but haven’t seen each other in a long time – and sizing up the male staff. Her reaction on meeting Iain (Michael Stevenson) was pure Alison Steadman in Abigail’s Party (if you don’t know what I mean it’s really worth looking it up on YouTube).
When Stevie set eyes on Ethan in the present day, Dylan (William Beck) introduced them. ‘I know who you are’ she said – and her cheerful expression faded like the sun going behind a cloud.
This is because, five years ago, Ethan made a mistake while looking after Stevie’s sister. He’d intubated her but not checked that he’d done it correctly so she was deprived of oxygen for a short time. We weren’t really shown what the consequences of this were for Emma, but clearly Stevie is not happy with Ethan.
How Stevie is going to pursue this isn’t known at the moment, and Ethan remains gingerly on the way to recovery, after Cal had helped him to realise that there’s still a purpose to his life.
The other new character we met was Teddy, a paramedic who is also Jan (Di Botcher)’s nephew – though he’s on strict instructions not to call her ‘Auntie Jan’ – instructions that he amusingly forgets most of the time. Teddy loves his work and has a friendly word for everyone, apart from Charlie Fairhead, whom he accused of trying to con his mum on a dating site. ‘I’ve been crayfished,’ Charlie protested.
It turned out to have been receptionist Paul (Paul Popplewell) who’d been fleecing old ladies using Charlie’s identity. Robyn (Amanda Henderson) had set up a dating profile for Charlie in the hope of helping him move on with his life, but Paul had used the profile to get money from people.
When Teddy set a trap for the catfish, Paul fell right in – but it was Robyn who was left holding the evidence by the time Charlie appeared. Luckily she soon told him what really happened, Charlie forgave her and Paul is dumped.
And Charlie told Jan that Teddy has ‘his auntie’s genes and a kind heart.’
Sue Haasler is the author of five novels and the official BBC Holby City book, which you can read about here.
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