‘Doc Martin’ Recap: ‘Last Christmas in Portwenn’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the series finale of ‘Doc Martin’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.

​The biggest question that plagues creative individuals that are tasked with assembling the ending of an iconic television series is… how is it going to end? Which is… quite the important and loaded question. Because this is it, the final story, and it is so important and so critical that not sticking the proverbial landing could leave failure hanging over the legacy of the series. Not to mention, the fans will let their displeasure be known if the finale doesn’t meet their expectations and that puts a great deal of pressure on the producers and the writers’ room to get it right, and it is undoubtedly the question that was hanging over those same teams when it comes to the Acorn TV series, Doc Martin.
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Because this wildly popular series had to be brought to its logical conclusion in a manner that paid respect to the dynamic characters that populate Portwenn, and well, this past weekend, Acorn TV aired the series finale of the wondrous saga of Doctor Martin Ellingham and well… we are happy to report that everyone behind the scenes, figured out how to stick the landing by offering up an ending that perfectly fit the dynamics of the series. That means, ‘Last Christmas in Portwenn’, didn’t offer up some game changing, gimmicky surprise to close everything out. Nor did it decide to offer up some ham hocked cliffhanger or open-ended finale that the viewer could interpret.

No instead, this finale… was all about giving Martin, a moment of reflection on the long and winding and wild journey he’s enjoyed over the past ten years and a chance to properly grow as man and embrace a bold new chapter in his life. And it accomplished those feats by way of two key plot points. First… by setting this finale in the heart of the Holiday season. For that is a time of reflection, where we do look at the journey behind us and the journey ahead and… by having Martin bid farewell to his mother. For she passed in this tale and that too put Martin in a reflective place since she shaped and controlled so much of his life and well, a messy medical tussle with the town Santa, and concerns about being a better parent than his mother, brought this series home.

For there was a sequence of events that saw Martin come close to losing his own life in the midst of a nasty winter storm. Which allowed for him to reflect upon his journey and how he turned out just fine, regardless of his mother’s meddling and sometimes off kilter words and behaviors, and since he chose his own path and didn’t opt to repeat some kind of cycle of abuse, he was going to be a great father. He just needed to remind himself that the past meant nothing, and that all that mattered were actions going forward. Which led to a triumphant return to his family, one that saw him do just that, and that really is… the perfect way to close out Martin’s story. Because this was always his journey and his growth, and after spending ten years struggling with it, he finally made strides and left the dry and grizzled doctor persona… mostly behind. Effectively, closing that chapter to begin a new one.

However, what also made this finale of note, is that it didn’t just offer Martin growth in this tale. Because at long last, Joe finally properly declared his love for Janice, after doing one last quirky act, allowing for them to prepare for a life together as husband and wife. Plus, Morwenna and Al entered a new phase of their lives since they were preparing to become parents in this tale, and even Mrs. Tishell found growth in this tale. By admitting her feelings for Martin so that she could let go of them and move on in life, without that neck brace for the first time ever. Either way, in the end, this really was quite the satisfying finale. One that brought the series home in a manner that was as simple and as quirky as the hero it allowed for us to spend ten glorious and moving and wondrous seasons with, and truly, this iconic series will be looked upon fondly for generations to come. Courtesy of the fact that it stuck the landing and because it offered us a delightful and original story about life, that will never be replicated.    

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