(1.2) Trial by Gossip

1.2 Trial by Gossip by Christine McCourt
Recurring characters: Chris, Vic and Nance, Kate, Tom, Ray, George, Ron, Frank, Jack, Violet, Sharon, Joe.
New characters: David "Gibbo" Gibson and his dog Zeppelin.

Plot: Speeding through the Outback in a white, convertible car is the new pilot, David Gibson with his dog Zeppelin. He arrives in Coopers Crossing only to find the other newcomer, Chris, not just viewed with suspicion anymore, but downright hated and feared. Gossip is rife - she has crippled a man by amputating his leg. Surely she's not competent to do her job as a doctor, and if only she had made the decision to take off in the bad weather, his leg could have been saved. George Baxter, a friend of the amputee, convinces the man he should sue Chris for malpractice. On one of the clinic runs, Chris has to stay the night. The four-year-old girl of the house keeps coughing, but the mother won't let Chris have a look, even when the coughing turns into a difficulty to breathe. Meanwhile, Gibbo has come up with a plan to convince George that the neglected airstrip was in such bad condition that the plane couldn't possibly have taken off in a storm. The plan works and George ends up convincing the mother to let Chris do a tracheotomy to save the child's life. Town gossip Violet tries to find out why American Liz left Tom, and orders Ray to have a man-to-man with him.

This episode is a good example of The Flying Doctors being full of comedy and absolutely hilarious. Jack booking Gibbo for speeding, Ray taking Gibbo's car for a spin - with Jack... but the best thing of all is Ray trying to find out what happened between Liz and Tom (Liz is his love interest the miniseries that sort of is a prequel to the "proper" show). He points out to nosy Violet that he won't know what to say to him, and that the only thing he can think of is "How come the Yank sheila dropped you like a bucket o' spuds?" which even he realises might not be the best thing to say. When it comes down to it and he can't find the right words, that's the exact question he poses to Tom, which made me laugh out loud.

Chris keeps having nightmares about the amputation from episode one. Did she do the right thing? When George Baxter pokes his nose in it, things get worse. They normally do when he's around, I seem to remember. When he ends up begging Gibbo to abort the landing because the landing strip is too dangerous. In your face, you bastard!

The biggest surprise, I found, was Gibbo. He struck me as effeminate originally, in a "I bet you're gay" type way, but now I'm not so sure. He's really flirty with the ladies and his personality is very considerate and sweet that I can't help but totally falling in love with the guy. What an unexpected bonus of re-watching the show from the beginning, finding a new character to be awesome. :) And he has a dog too, of course. Always did like a bloke who cares for animals.

Chris's struggle is very emotional, and you really want everyone to see that she just did what she had to do in order to save the man's life. Sadly, only Tom seems to be on her side. That her reputation in the end perhaps isn't restored, but at least rectified is great. How can you be willing to let your daughter die rather than being treated by the new doctor? Okay, she doesn't know that Chris was slandered, but still. If it's a life or death situation, wouldn't you rather gamble on the option where there's a chance your little girl will live, rather than the option that means she'll definitely die?

I like how we get to find out about how the service works, that people (like Baxter) can't come and use the Nomad to carry someone's goods around. They're not a postal service or a delivery company, no matter how much money you have or how much you've donated to the RFDS over the years. You tell him, Tom!

(1.1) Will to Survive

1.1 Will to Survive by Tony Morphett
Characters: Kate Wellings, Tom Callaghan, Chris Randall, Violet Carnegie, Ray Masters, Sharon Herbert, George Baxter, Jack Carruthers, Vic and Nancy Buckley, Ron Miller, Frank Turner, Joe Forest.

Plot: Chris Randall arrives in Coopers Crossing to take up her new position as a doctor for the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Much to (nearly) everyone's surprise, she's a woman, and the patients around the district do not exactly welcome the new "Doc" with open arms - she's a woman doing "a man's job" and therefore regarded with much suspicion. All new doctors are viewed with great suspicion, but with her being a woman, she gets it even worse than usual. With Tom busy in the operating theatre, she flies out with nurse Kate and temp pilot Ray to see a man whose leg has been crushed - two days ago (it's a big station). The weather deteriorates, the man hasn't looked after his airstrip and it makes it unsafe to take off. As he can survive with an operation, they go back to the house and Chris performs the operation... an amputation. The other part of the plot centres around a man who's wife left him ("shot through" as they say), and who has two older and two younger sons. One of the older ones lives in the City, where he's gone to study, so the other one is left to look after his younger brothers. The father has given up, drinks too much and has landed himself with some sort of ulcer - it's him that's under the knife keeping Tom busy.

How wonderful to be back in Coopers Crossing, hearing the ever-famous callings "Victor Charlie Charlie" and "Mike Sierra Foxtrot", be reminded of what a shabby establishment the hotel part of the Majestic actually is (pliers to change channels on an ancient TV set, a shower and taps that don't work, and so on), but most of all, to reunite with the cast. There's Vic and Nance in the pub, Dr. Turner and the Matron in the hospital, along with Dr. Callaghan and nurse Kate, of course... Ray in the garage, Joe on the radio, Sharon looking after the office, Violet being ever so concerned about everyone... it's marvellous!

Series one picks up a bit after where the miniseries left off. The miniseries introduced Tom Callaghan (Andrew McFarlane) and showed him trying to adjust to the new surroundings and the people adjusting to him. I have a vague recollection of an American woman that he got together with (it's been a few years since I last saw the miniseries), but the woman, Liz, is now gone. Her being gone is one of Violet's main concerns, because how will poor Tom cope? And now that there's a new woman in town and all - a doctor to boot!

It's always a good idea when you're starting out any sort of story to have someone who is new to it all, because through them, we as readers or viewers, get introduced to this brand new world. J.K. Rowling does this through Harry Potter - at the same rate he's introduced to the world of magic, so are we; we discover things together. In the miniseries, Tom was new, he served as our introduction. With this new show, it's Dr. Chris Randall (Liz Burch) who [re-]introduces us.

Chris has a much greater difficulty getting accepted than Tom did, that of being a female doctor. While we know the people of the district are very sceptical of newcomers, having the newcomer being a woman doing what's widely regarded as a man's job is like waving a red flag. I can't remember if Magda or indeed Rowie had the same issues in later series, or if perhaps Chris paved the way for them. In the next episode (or the one after), Tom tells Kate why the American woman left - she was like a fish out of water. She realised she couldn't stay there and live that life when they were out on a dinner somewhere and the only topic of conversation for the women were along the lines of scone recipes. It's not exactly the same sort of life she was used to from back home in the big city, where women and men had come a bit further in gender equality than the 1950s that the Outback seemed to have got stuck in. It'll be interesting to see (when I get there) just how the other female doctors were received, and if modern times had finally caught up with them at that point.

As a first episode, it bodes well for what is to come!