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Trivia - S4E4
Driving Mr McLynn
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Portwenn Online
A Magical Cornish Village
Doc Martin is IN
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Literary Reference - From the 1989 film "Driving Miss Daisy", which was adapted from the play of the same
name.  
Connecting the Episode Title to the Storylines
The themes from this episode relate directly to the title of the film and not the theme of the film.  This episode is all
about people driving others - or attempting to drive them.  Most of these people attempting to drive other people
fail in the attempt.
Mrs McLynn drives Mr McLynn everywhere because he is in a wheelchair due to lower body paralysis. In fact, she
also drives his wheelchair when out in the public because he is leaving his power wheelchair at home.  But, in
reality, Mr McLynn is actually doing the "driving" in both cases because Mrs McLynn has lost most of her sight.  
When Mrs McLynn is driving the car, he tells her when to stop, when to go, when to turn.  And he now uses the
manual wheelchair in public because it allows Mrs McLynn to hold onto the handles while he instructs her
movements.  This doesn't work very well because they keep getting in scrapes in both the car and the wheelchair.
Martin is trying to drive Louisa's pregnancy, but she is having none of it.  He tries to tell her how many days to work
but she insists that she will not reduce her work schedule.  And when she tells him that she is the acting head and
has submitted to be the permanent head, he not only tells her that she is mad, but he does everything to try to
"drive" the interview panel to reject her for the position.  Of course, none of this works well for him.
Edith is trying to drive Martin to get the help he needs to overcome his blood phobia so that he can return to
London (and back into her world).  This also would accomplish her desire to drive him away from both Portwenn
and Louisa (not to mention his baby).  While it appears (in this episode) that she is winning, her quest ultimately
fails.
Al buys Pauline a scooter so that she can drive away when she is feeling penned in living with Al and Bert.  He
almost loses her in the process because he lies about how he is earing the money for the surprise.  At the end of
the episode Pauline is driving Al around the village.
Aunt Joan also has driving issues.  She is involved in an auto accident with the McLynns, and she is having
financial problems and has let her auto insurance lapse.
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Original Broadcast:  Oct 11, 2009

ACTION MARTIN - Martin runs through the streets of Portwenn to get to Louisa's new cottage because Aunt Joan called to say that Louisa
had fainted/nearly fainted while moving furniture.  On his way there he is almost hit by a car, knocks into men moving beer kegs, sending the
kegs rolling down the hill, and bursts through the pack of girls.

ACTION MARTIN - Martin comes running up Rose Hill to the site of Aunt Joan's traffic accident only to find that everyone is fine - with the
possible exception of Buddy.

ACTION MARTIN - Martin runs along the side of Mrs McLynn's car as she tries to drive down Fore St.  Martin is trying to stop Mrs McLynn from
driving because he has just come to the realization that she is blind.

FOOD - Martin is having lunch (or dinner) with Aunt Joan in her kitchen when he finds out that she is broke and has let her car insurance
lapse.  Martin clears the table and takes the leftover food to the counter, and as he leaves he thanks her for the chicken.

FOOD - Louisa is walking down Fore St eating what looks like a pasty when Pauline and Al ride up on Pauline's scooter to apologise for calling
her fat.

HAEMOPHOBIA - Martin gags when he sees the blood on Mr McLynn's hand after he stabs him with the neurological pin.

HAEMOPHOBIA - Martin picks up the "gift" bag of blood from Edith, turns it over to examine it, and falls to the floor in a dead faint.

LOOK BACK - After lecturing Louisa about working too many hours and trying to do too much, Aunt Joan hustles Martin out of the cottage
while Louisa glares at his back from her perch on the sofa.

LOOK BACK - Martin runs into Mr Branning in town and tells him that he does not support Louisa's bid to be elevated back to head.  He says
some insulting things about Louisa's coping skills, not realizing that she has come around the corner behind him. Louisa just glares at him as
she walks by, guiding the children back to school.  As she heads down the street, he watches her leave and then she turns back to him to give
him another hard stare.

MRS TISHELL - Martin walks into the chemist to find Mrs Tishell on the floor picking up the items that were just knocked over by Mr McLynn in
his wheelchair.  She apologises and said if she knew he was coming that she would have made herself presentable.  Martin quizzes her about
Mr McLynn's condition and she is able to provide him with some valuable information.

RADIOS - Radio on top of the cabinet (in front of the windowsill) behind Pauline's desk.

RADIOS - We again see the radio on the counter in Aunt Joan's kitchen.

RUDE MARTIN - When Martin comes to the cottage to attend to Louisa, he is in a very bad mood because he feels she is trying to do too
much in the seventh month of her pregnancy.  While you know that deep down he is concerned about her and the baby, it comes out as very
angry.  He insults her and suggests that the baby could be handicapped or that Louisa might have a miscarriage.  He also shouts at her that
she shouldn't expect any help from him.

RUDE MARTIN - As Martin is leaving the cottage, he runs into Sally on her way in to see Louisa.  She says that she was hoping to see him.  As
he quickly walks away, he shouts at her to make an appointment.

RUDE MARTIN - Martin tells Stu MacKenzie that in the voting for a new head for the school, he will only support a candidate who is not
pregnant.  Stu tries to explain to him that his stance is illegal, but Martin is adamant.

RUDE MARTIN - Martin runs into Mr Branning in town and Mr Branning tells him that he was hoping to run into him.  Martin rudely tells him that
if he is ill he needs to make an appointment.  When he tells him it is about his refusal to support Louisa for the school head job, Martin is still
adamant that she will not be up to the job and taking care of a baby at the same time.  Louisa walks around the corner behind him and hears
the insult.

RUDE MARTIN - Louisa interrupts Martin and Edith's work on her article and Martin is not happy with her.  After Louisa tells him off about his
attitude toward her pregnancy, she realizes that Edith is sitting there.  Edith goes to leave and Martin tries to get her to stay and says that Miss
Glasson isn't staying.  When Edith leaves anyway, Martin thanks Louisa for ruining his evening. As she leaves, he is rewarded for his rudeness
by being hit in the forehead by the door.

SOCK MONKEY - The sock monkey makes the first appearance on Pauline's desk in this episode.  In the previous episode, Martin heard his
baby's heartbeat and saw his ultrasound picture for the first time, so it seems like the sock monkey appears now because the baby has
become real to him.  The sock monkey shows up on her desk in every remaining episode in S4 and I believe we see also it in every episode
after the baby is born.
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WARDROBE
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RECEPTIONIST
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QUOTES
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Aunt Joan
Martin
Louisa
Aunt Joan
Martin
Louisa
Martin

Louisa
Martin
Aunt Joan
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Martin


Louisa
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Louisa
Martin

Aunt Joan
 You took your time.
I didn't.
She seems fine, but I don't know.  Does she seem pale to you?
No.  She just seems very stupid.
Oh Martin!
What did you think you were doing?
And good morning to you.
Shifting furniture!
We brought in this sofa.  I went back for a chair and then I felt a little bit faint, that's all.
Really?  I wonder why?  Could it be because you're seven months pregnant?  Have you passed out before?
Well, I didn't pass out.
Were you breathless?
When?
Before you fainted?
Well, I didn't faint.
She needed to sit down.  A bit dizzy, she said.
This is beginning to sound less and less like an emergency.
Well I did ask Joan not to bother you.
It really is no bother.
Actually, it's extremely inconvenient!  Especially since your blood pressure is normal, unlike your attitude to pregnancy.
Sorry?
Someday, you're going to have to accept the fact that you can't behave like a normal person.  You're going to have a
baby.
Oh.  Which makes me abnormal?
Yes.  Oh!  Get - go on! Get...away from me!  Is that smell coming from your dog?
No, it is not.
The toilet's blocked.  And there's something strange behind the fridge.  And in the fridge.
Right, well, if you want my advice you should take this as a wake-up call.
Okay Martin.
Your body is trying to tell you to lie down, rest, stop working.
No.  I don't want to stop teaching.
How many days a week are you working?
Five.
Make it three.
I can't.  I'm the acting head teacher.  As a matter of fact, I've just applied to be the permanent head teacher.
Are you every bit as mad as the last one?
What's that supposed to mean?
As I keep saying, Louisa, you are about to have a baby.
Yes.  In the summer holiday before the new term begins.
Yes, and you will still have that baby right through to the end of the academic year.  You will care for that child for the
next 18 years of your life!  Longer if it's handicapped.  How on earth do you think you can cope with a full-time job and
be a full-time mother?
I'll get some help!
Not from me!
Martin!
Well, I'm only repeating what she's made abundantly clear from the outset.  Doesn't want me involved.
No, I don't.  And I'm perfectly capable of doing what loads of other women do every day.  I can work and be a mum!
Oh, look what your dog's doing.  This place is a minefield of bacteria.  Next thing you know you'll be having a
miscarriage.
I think you'd better leave now before you say something you'll really re...Go on.  Go on.  Just go Martin.
Pauline
Mr McLynn
Pauline
 He was called to an emergency.
You said 9:00.
That's the thing about emergencies.  You don't know about them in advance.  If you did, they'd be called
"appointments".
Martin
 Take a seat.  Uh, not you, obviously.  
Mr McLynn
Martin
 I'm disabled, you see.
Yes.  The, uh, wheelchair was a clue.  
Pauline
Mr McLynn
Martin
 Everything okay in here?
He stuck a needle in my hand.
It's a neurological pin and I need to be sure that you're telling the truth about your legs.  Now give me my pin back.  
Martin

Mrs McLynn
Mr McLynn
Pauline
Martin
 If you really are paralyzed, I don’t see why you'd object to a simple test.  I have to certain of all the facts before I put my
name on a form.
I don’t want your name on any form of ours, you sadist!
Yes, look what he's done.  He stuck a needle in my hand.
It was an accident.
Oh, come on.
Stu
Martin
Stu
Martin
 You know about the school governors meeting on Thursday?
Is it in my diary?
Well, I gave Pauline all the details.
Oh, then it probably isn't in my diary.
Pauline
 When you say "victims", how many people are we talking about and what kind of injuries?  And when you say,
'unconfirmed", is that cause you don't know yet?  
Joe
 May need a formal witness statement, so don’t leave the country, okay?
Joe
 If I could just interrupt your conversation with your dog for one moment.   
Joe
Mrs McLynn
Aunt Joan
 Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, you have to exchange details.  Name, address.
I know who she is.
And I know where she lives.  
Joe
Aunt Joan
Joe
 You're sure you're not hurt?
No, I'm fine.
In that case, I’ll cancel my request for medical backup.  Whoops!  Too late.  
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
 I'm a bit worried about Buddy.  I think he might have cracked a rib.
You suggesting I should examine your dog?  
Well, could you just run a hand over his midriff?
Yes I could, if I was a vet.  But I'm not.  A complete waste of my time.  
Joe
Martin
 Don't worry Doc.  I won't let this go.
You realize it's a road traffic accident, don’t you, and not actually a murder?  
Mrs Tishell

Martin
Mrs Tishell

Martin
Mrs Tishell
Martin
Mrs Tishell


Martin
Mrs Tishell
 Oh, Doctor, oh!  Oh, I didn't know you were coming.  You should have warned me.  I could have got myself ready, made
myself presentable.
I've just come to collect my suppositories.
Of course.  Absolutely.  I think they just arrived, I think.  And I'm sorry about the mess. Oh, it was all clean and tidy until
the McLynns paid me a visit.  That Mr McLynn, he knocked over my Nappy Day display.
On purpose?
No, no.  I don't think so.
How long has he been in a wheelchair?
Oh, well.  Ever since he came to Portwenn I think.  Six or seven years.  He used to have a nice little electric model. Um,
oh, he never would have broken anything with that.  And then, a couple of months ago, he told me that had broken
down.  And so he's now downgraded to a manual version.
Interesting.
Bye Doc.  
Mr Branning
Martin
Mr Branning
Martin
Mr Branning
Martin
Mr Branning
Martin
Mr Branning
Martin
 Ah, Doctor.  I was hoping to bump into you.
If you're ill, make an appointment.
No, I'm not ill.  I'm - I'm just keen to confirm what I heard from Stu Mackenzie about you and Miss Glasson.
What's he been saying about me and Miss Glasson?
That you don't think she should be our head teacher again.
That's right.  That's true.
But she's the best we ever had.
Well, I'm sure she was very good, but she didn't have a baby back then, did she?
Why would having a baby affect her performance?
Because very few women have the mental and physical capacity to work full time and bring up a small child.  And with
the best will in the world, Miss Glasson is not one of those women.  
Edith
Martin

Edith
Martin
 What are you doing?
You don't need any of this. You're putting HSG at the top.  Mentioned again in the middle and then at the end.  It starts
to feel repetitive.
Tell the reader what you're going to tell them, tell them, then tell them what you've told them.
The readers of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology aren't stupid.  They know what they're being told
without being warned of it in advance and reminded of it at the end.  
Edith
 I've missed this.
Louisa

Martin
Louisa


Edith
Louisa
Martin
Edith
Martin
Edith
Martin
Louisa
Edith

Martin
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
 It's bad enough that you belittle me in front of my colleagues and pupils, but now I hear you're telling all the governors
not to vote for me.
Not all of them.
I am pregnant Martin.  I'm not ill.  I'm not the second class citizen you seem to think that I am.  Do you think I can't cope
with having a baby?  You know, you're attitude towards me, towards women actually, is, is predictably pompous and
chauvinistic.  Which is exactly why I never, ever, thought that you and I could be together.
Good evening.
Oh, you've got company.
Obviously.
If you could possibly save the squabbling till I'm out of earshot, I'd be ever so grateful.
Wait a moment.
We'll speak in the morning.
No.  We'll speak now.  Miss Glasson isn't staying.
Oh yes I am.
Of course you are.  So, I'll take this with me and try to imagine the fun I'm missing here.  Thank you for all your
suggestions, Ellingham.  Try not to get too excited Louisa.  Not good for the baby.
Well, having succeeded in ruining my evening is there anything else you'd like to say to me?
How I decide to lead my life is up to me.  What I don't need from you, what I will never need from you, is that kind of help.
Why are you crying?
I'm not crying.  Good evening.  
Village Girls
 Ohh, what are you doing up there Al?  Spending time with Louisa!   You got her pregnant!  He's a busy little boy, isn't
he?  
Unidentified Patient
Martin
Unidentified Patient
Martin
Unidentified Patient
 I keep hearing things.
What sort of things?
Sometimes it's like a high-pitched whistling.  Sometimes it's more like a bell.  And now it sounds like a telephone.
That's because it is a telephone.
You can hear it too?  
Martin

Pauline
Martin
 When I'm with a patient, you answer the surgery telephone.  And don't make personal calls.  And tidy those magazines
up.
Stick a broom up my backside, I could sweep the floor as well.
Yes, you could.  
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan

Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
Aunt Joan
Martin
 Oh, he's off his food.  Should I take him to the vet?
You haven't fixed your brake lights.
Does it really matter?
Yes, you can't drive around like that.  It's against the law.  You need to book into a garage.
Well, if you're so concerned about the condition of my truck, why don't you buy the brake lights and fix them yourself?
All right.  I will if you want.  Won't your insurance cover it?
What's this I hear about you not wanting Louisa to be head teacher again?
Why are you being evasive?
I may have let my car insurance lapse.  Just, just a little.
What do you mean, "just a little"?  You're either insured or you're not.
Well I'm not.  I couldn't afford to renew the policy, so I didn't.
You've been driving around without insurance?  Have you any idea the trouble you'd be in if they caught you?
Well, of course I have.  That's why I lied to Penhale about the crash.
You lied to him?
Well, I thought it best to get away before he asked too many questions.  Mrs McLynn drove into me, but only my truck
was damaged.  Would you rather I told the truth and was arrested?
You wouldn't have been arrested. A few points on your license and a hefty fine.  That's all.
I can't afford to pay a fine, hefty or otherwise.  For the same reason that I can't afford to renew my car insurance.  
Are you telling me that you don't have ANY money?
Not at the moment.  But, in a little while, if I ask them nicely, the bank might give me some more.  Is he limping?
You mean you've already taken out a loan?
Quite a few, actually.
Well, why didn't you come to me?
No Martin.  I can't take another penny from you.  You've done enough.  I-I've got to cope with this on my own.
Right.  Well, Mrs McLynn is at fault,  Mrs McLynn must pay.  Thank you for the chicken.  
Village Girls

Pauline
Village Girls
 Oh look  There's Pauline.  Do you think she heard about Al?  No, of course not.  Oh, he's a proper lover boy.  It's a bit
sad when your boyfriend's sleeping around.
What was that about Al?
You don't know about him and Louisa?  We saw them.  Together!  Al's shirt was off.  She must know.  Everyone must
know.  Al's pretty fit though.  
Martin
Sally
Martin
 You have a tattoo.
I don't know what I was thinking.  It's a tiger.  We all want things we probably shouldn't, don't we?
No.  
Louisa
Bert
Louisa
Bert
Louisa
Bert
Louisa
Bert
Louisa
Martin
Louisa
Bert
Martin
Louisa
Martin
Bert
Louisa
 Don't be so bloody stupid.  Me and Al?  Kissing?
That's the rumour going round the village.
Well, I hope you're putting a stop to that rumour.
I will do, when I'm sure there's no truth in it.
Well, of course there's no truth in it.  Why would I be kissing your son?
Well, he's a good looking boy.  He's quite a catch, especially if you're looking for a husband.
But I'm not.
Well, you'll be wanting someone to help with the baby, won't you?
No.  And even if I was, Al would be the last person that I'd turn to.  Well, second to last.
Is it true?
Is what true?
What, that you were kissing Al?
That you've been made head teacher?
That's right.  This is when you say "congratulations."
No, it isn't.  This is when I say, "I think you're mad."
Well, congratulations.
Go away.
Martin
Joe
Martin
 Are you hurt?
I think I'll live.
Right.
Joe
Martin
Joe
Mr McLynn
Mrs McLynn
Martin
Mrs McLynn
Martin
Joe
Martin
 You knocked me over.
It's because she's blind.
What?
Well, that's alright.  I mean, I tell her which way to turn, when to accelerate, when to stop.
I can see round the edges.
You have peripheral vision?
Yes, I'm not completely blind.
Oh, well, that's all fine then!
No it's not.  I'm pretty sure it's illegal.
Of course it's illegal.  
Al
Louisa
Al
Louisa
Al
Louisa
Al
 Me and you kissing?
Your dad seemed to think I'd be desperate for a bloke.
He didn't tell Pauline, did he?
No.
Whew.
She told him.
Oh.
Martin
Mrs McLynn
Martin
Mr McLynn
Martin
Mr McLynn
Martin
Mr McLynn
Martin
 There's a good chance I can restore most of your vision.
It won't be painful?  I mean, you won't do anything horrible?
No, of course not.  I'll treat you with VEGF inhibitors.  
Oh.  That's pills?
Injections.
Ah.  Into her arm?
Into her eyeball.
You...you're going to...
Insert needles into her eyeballs and inject the inhibitors directly into the base of each retina.  Problem?.
Edith
 I've brought you something.  It's a little out-of-date, but I think it should do the job.  Open it up.  If ever you need
reassurance you can cope, just give it a squeeze.  You did say you were fine now, yes?  Ellingham?
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MARTIN & LOUISA
Martin rushes to Louisa's new cottage after a call from Aunt Ruth saying that Louisa has fainted/nearly fainted.  After his initial check on her
he states that it is looking less and less like an emergency.  He then starts to get very agitated with Louisa and tells her that she is doing too
much for a woman in her seventh month of her pregnancy.  He tries to tell her that she needs to reduce her work hours, but she says that
she can't because she is the acting head - and that she has applied for the permanent head job.  This infuriates Martin and he loudly
declares that she mad and asks how she expects to take that position and care for a baby at the same time.  She says she will get help and
he shouts, "Not from me!".  After Aunt Joan chastises him, he reminds her that Louisa has made it abundantly clear that she wants no help
from him and Louisa agrees.  After complaining about the state of the cottage he says that the conditions to lead to a miscarriage.  At that
point, Aunt Joan all but throws him out.
Martin runs into Mr Branning in town and he asks Martin if what he heard from Stu is true - that Martin is against the appointment of Louisa
as the new permanent head of the school.  Martin tells him that it is true and he goes on to tell him that very few women have the mental and
physical capacity to work full time and bring up a small child.  He finishes by saying that with the best will in the world, Miss Glasson is not one
of them.  What Martin doesn't realize is that Louisa has come up behind him with the students she is leading back to school and she has
heard the insult.  Martin turns and sees her and they exchange a hard stare.  Louisa marches toward the school while Martin stands there
watching her leave.  As he turns to go in the opposite direction, Louisa turns back to glare at him.
Martin and Edith are sitting side by side in his kitchen going over the article she has written.  Edith tells Martin that she, "has missed this".  
Martin turns his head to look at her and it looks like they might be about to have a "moment".  In a parallel to all the times Martin & Louisa
have been interrupted at key emotional moments, at this moment there is a knock on the kitchen door - and it is Louisa.  She obviously
doesn't realize that Edith is there and has a whole speech for Martin about how he belittled her in front of colleagues and students and that
he told the governors not to vote for her.  She tells him that he has a pompous and chauvinistic attitude toward her and all women and it is
why she never, ever thought they could be together.  It's at that moment that she sees Edith sitting at the table.  Edith decides to leave, but
Martin becomes very cold toward Louisa and tells Edith not to leave because Miss Glasson is not staying.  The two women stand up for
themselves - Louisa says she is staying and Edith says she is leaving and will be imagining all the fun she will be missing.  As Edith tries to
exit through the kitchen door, there is a very awkward moment when she and Louisa both try to occupy the space in the doorway and
Louisa's baby bump is taking up most of the doorway.  Martin closes the door behind Edith, and still in that cold voice asks Louisa that now
she has ruined his evening if there is anything else she has to say to him.  Louisa starts to tell him that she wants to lead her own life and
that she will never need that kind of help from him, but she starts crying, opens the door, the door slams into Martin's forehead and she
leaves.  
Bert is following Louisa as she takes bags to the garbage bins and he is asking her if there is something going on between Louisa and Al.  
(The village girl pack saw Al at Louisa's house and misconstrued what was going on.)  As Louisa is putting the bags in the bins, Martin walks
by and asks if it is true?  He is referring to what he heard from Sally - that Louisa was given the head teacher's job.  Louisa asks, "Is what
true?"  Bert, of course, is on another planet and says, "What, that you were kissing Al?"  Martin says, "That you were made head teacher."
and then looks at Bert as if to say, "Wait. What?"  Louisa gets her back up and says that she has, and that now would be the time for him to
say "congratulations."  His concentration is back on Louisa and he tells her no - that this is when he tells her that he thinks she is mad.  
Martin turns on his heel and walks away.
The last scene doesn't include Louisa, but it might as well have.  Martin and Edith are standing on his porch and, as she goes to leave, she
turns and give him a kiss right on the lips.  Martin doesn't return the kiss.  In fact, the whole time Edith is walking down the steps and to her
car, his lips don't move and stay in the shocked position from her unexpected kiss.  After her car disappears down the hill, he looks to the
school across the harbor for several seconds.  As he turns and goes into the house, the camera focuses on the school