Casualty Iain decides to say goodbye
MICHAEL STEVENSON – AKA IAIN – EXPLAINS WHY HIS CHARACTER HAS DECIDED TO SAY FAREWELL…
Fans of Casualty’s Iain may find this week’s episode sad to watch, as – after months of dealing with depression – the paramedic makes a heartbreaking decision about his future. It will come as a huge shock for viewers, who will see Iain carry out his final shift before he prepares to say goodbye to the ED forever.
But when we chat with star Michael Stevenson, who plays tormented Iain, he hopes people won’t be too angry with his character’s course of action…
“It’s a massive relief for Iain, and far outweighs the guilt about those he’s leaving behind,” he tells us. “After a year of going through what he’s been through, all that worry will finally be over. That’s not to say that he’s happy about the decision he’s made. I do hope that, at least in some way, the audience will sympathise with him.”
We follow Iain as he goes to work and deals with a seemingly ordinary day of shouts. On the outside, at least, everything appears to be normal.
And Michael explains that it was important to show there aren’t always signs that someone is suffering from depression.
“As a viewer, you can definitely see that something is going on,” he reveals.
“But we tried to keep that away from the hospital, because
Iain isn’t somebody who would want that attention on him. He loves his job, and any sign of what he’s going through would result in him having to open up to somebody, which is not him at all. He’s been taught to dust himself off and get on with things.”
During his last shift, Iain comes up against some pretty tough cases, and manages to help young protege Ruby to deal with a particularly difficult situation. But despite the fact that he has people
around who care for him very much, Iain doesn’t waiver from his plan.
“Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression manifest in many ways, and the story we’ve told maybe won’t hit home with everyone watching,” says Michael. “Casualty has allowed this story to unfold over 47 episodes, which is unique, and the story we tell is very personal to Iain.
“I think viewers will be frustrated that Iain hasn’t taken the opportunities that have been gifted to him,” adds the actor. “He has a good team around him, an amazing sister, and he’s been offered counselling. I won’t be upset if people are angry at him – I hope people are invested enough to have that sort of reaction. But I do want this episode to make people realise that there are so many different options than the one Iain takes…”