Doctor Foster (Series 2, Episode 5 Review)

One near attempt at murder, two attempts at suicide (one of those assisted), a kidnap and a child running away. That’s an impressive CV of a finale which will likely disappoint many for the sole reason that everybody gets out alive. As far as we know. Those gearing up for a fatal battle royale between Gemma and Simon were ignoring the heart of what made series two tick. Tom was the epicentre of the storm and by running off, the adverse weather has moved direction.

Simon wasn’t run over which is just as well because Gemma’s, let’s say, pyrrhic victory would have been for nothing. If there is a next series it’d be based in the courtroom and no one wants that. With incredibly fast feet Simon dons Gemma’s stalking capabilities from three episodes back by showing up at the hotel, the house and then a restaurant where his estranged wife and son are eating.  The language is violent and contradictory. There is talk of stabbings and choking one moment and reconciliation the next. Simon’s grovelling is desperate and Bertie Carvel uses it to perfection. You never quite know how much of it is genuine regret or how much is still the mind games of a man who can’t stop lying.

As for the mind, it can do funny things. We get lots of flashbacks to supposed happier times between the Fosters though it’s not stated if this was while he was seeing Kate. The purpose of this is not quite clear. Is it to set up a potential reunion in a severe case of better the devil you know? Is it better to live with the lies than be without them?

In a masterfully shot scene, Simon plays with the traffic but as mother, father and son stand by the road it’s a lottery as to who will get out alive. Gemma wrestles with him by the road and for one moment it looks like Tom wants to run in front of a car to stop all the nonsense. You wouldn’t blame the kid. An agreement is reached, which is potentially the first time that can be said about these two. Gemma agrees to leave drugs in the hotel room for her nemesis to end his life. More impending dread of courtroom scenes flash before us as Gemma’s fingerprints would have been all over the offending stuff AND she left a note of instructions. Talk about leaving a trace.

While trying to kill off her ex-husband there’s a fantastically awkward breakfast where Tom, never one to mince his words says “we’re all just sitting here feeling like shit”. The poor waitress perseveres and at the very least deserved a tip for her troubles. Tears over bacon aside, Simon’s split personality is still in action as truths come out. We get the big reveal of what exactly he told Tom to turn him against his mother. In fact, it’s not a big reveal at all. After all the hype it’s simply mentioned in passing and is an example of how the show balances the epic and the mundane well.

It subverts how you expect everything to play out. The different levels are part of what makes Doctor Foster tick. One moment Gemma is saving Simon from the traffic, next she’s assisting in his suicide and then ultimately talking him out of the suicide she agreed to lend a hand in. It’s bluff after bluff and this shit just got real. The running agenda in this series has been the consequences of actions and the fallout is finally upon us. As a lesson learnt it’s the ultimate act of cruelty writer Mike Bartlett has dished out.

There is a truce of sorts but the great tragedy is that it comes literally minutes too late. As Mr and Mrs Foster leave things on fairly amicable terms (both alive and not swearing at each other) Tom is roaming free having done a runner from the car park. Again, there’s the dread he’s thrown himself onto the road as if taking inspiration from his dad but it’s another false alarm. He leaves a phone message about living his own life: “You’ll never see me again” he promises, “I hate myself”. Words uttered not long before by Simon. Like father like son. Narrating the closing seconds, Gemma states “whatever fight you thought was important now looks so naive” as weeks and months go by without any trace of her son. She even breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the camera which is disconcerting at the least and takes the viewer out of what is a deeply emotional moment. You don’t need to worry about Suranne Jones seeing you eat Pot Noodle while sat in your pants.

It is both a satisfactory end to Doctor Foster and a hint to what’s next. Should there be another series there would need to be a good twist on the standard missing child programmes we’ve had so much of lately. If any show is capable of breathing fresh and somewhat bizarre life into old topics then it’s this one. 9/10

Doctor’s notes:

• At no stage must the two of them get back together romantically. If there is a future for Doctor Foster then there can’t be a future with them as a couple. An uneasy alliance would work though.
• Sian wasn’t a bad sort in the end though it’s always difficult to trust overly smiley people.
• James. Poor James. The glutton for punishment got dumped and should probably count his blessings
• Is Tom at Anna’s new home? Or at least in touch with Anna?
• Will Tom come back to Parminster in two years time with a wife and kid and set about on a vengeful mission to oust his mother from town? If so, does that mean Parminster is stuck in a never ending time loop of insanity? It would explain a lot.