Season two has started back with a bang, two if we are talking literally. If I’m being honest, this first episode felt like I was watching an entirely different show from the first season, but I don’t hate it. Everyone seems to be a bit more fancy and own some more expensive clothing; however, I actually think it ties perfectly into the storyline of the sea urchins. I wouldn’t say that money has changed the town, but it has made an impact.
Some things will never change about the characters, like Martin being surly, Mark being so charmingly childish, and the whole town making sure they are as involved with each other’s lives as much as they can be, even when they shouldn’t be.
As much as this did feel a little bit different to the first season, I think I actually prefer it. Credit to Josh Charles for adding some more layers to Doc Martin, the hilarity of him knowing who he is deep down is so good, especially that jumping jacks scene. Martin is such a strangely loveable character and it’s perfect.
“Be Careful What You Fish For ” – BEST MEDICINE. Pictured: Annie Potts as Aunt Sarah, Josh Charles as Martin Best Photo: 2026 Fox Media LLC. CR: Danielle Mathias/FOX.
The performances last season were great, but they seemed to be on another level in this episode. The humour was top-notch, and I spent 90% of the episode laughing; the other 10% I was so engrossed in what was going to be said by the whole town and them trying to make sure that Cecilia was okay.
I really enjoyed watching everyone act differently when they are in the doctor’s office, and not just because of Martin being under watch but also because of Eden being there as well.
Even Martin is acting strange when Eden is there; clearly, his feelings about both her and Louisa are very complicated. It was incredibly funny to watch him get all defensive about Louisa possibly being the reason why he would want to stay in Port Wenn, and that wasn’t even what Eden was suggesting.
“Be Careful What You Fish For ” – BEST MEDICINE. Pictured: Andrea Martin as Judith Photo: 2026 Fox Media LLC. CR: Danielle Mathias/FOX.
I genuinely could not give Andrea Martin enough credit for her role as Judith in this episode. Every single time she was on screen, I could not stop laughing. Both times she blew a house up was hilarious; the way she just walked out calmly was so funny.
Arguably one of the best scenes of this episode was when she switched from being funny to being serious.
To go from throwing teenagers’ phones out a window and saying she wanted to jump because of being around them to immediately going into talking about how she wants to quit smoking was mental. I truly sat there shocked at how intimate that conversation between her and Martin was, especially seeing Sarah’s face when he agreed with Judith. It was genuinely marvellous, then for the house to blow up as Martin and Sarah are outside talking was just peak humour.
Josh Segarra as Mark is some of the funniest work I have ever watched. Him being so excited to talk to a ‘mermaid’ and stating “mermaids don’t have insurance, doc’ in his overexcited voice floored me. Mark is such a silly character, but deep down you can tell that he is just such an incredible person, and that is truly down to the way that he is played. A lesser actor could make him annoying because of how silly he is, but you just can’t help but love Mark and want the best for him.
Obviously, the biggest part of this episode was Martin’s revelation to the whole town about his blood phobia. I’m so glad that he finally had the courage to say it, especially after Glendon’s threat to release it at any moment. It’s hard to tell how most of the town feel about it; clearly, Sarah isn’t happy that she wasn’t told before everyone else, but it’s hard to judge if everyone else feels betrayed or not.
Overall, this was such a sublime start to the second season of Best Medicine. I am truly so excited to see how the town responds to Martin’s revelation. I feel that season two is definitely going to be a fan favourite just like season one was.