Flood of complaints
Bert Large has another huge DIY disaster that causes big problems for his ex Caitlin…
When it comes to causing chaos,
Bert Large is the poster boy for DIY disasters in Doc Martin. This week, in a nod to the very first series where he flooded Dr Martin Ellingham’s GP surgery, the hopeless handyman enrages his ex Caitlin
(Angela Curran) by damaging the pipework at her pub, Crab & Lobster, causing the cellar to flood. Then when he attempts to fix the situation, he ends up making it worse!
‘Over the years, Bert’s got into so much trouble. He made everybody ill when he sold contaminated water, he flooded the surgery and all sorts of other things,’ laughs Ian Mcneice, who plays him.
There are more dramas for the Large family this week when Chris and Helen
Parsons (Vincent Franklin and Beth Goddard) get into serious difficulty at the rock pools. Bert’s son, Al, and his wife, Morwenna, perform a daring rescue, with a little help from the Doc!
But the disasters mount up for Bert. Desperate to get the problem sorted,
Caitlin hires local plumber Bob Jackson, played by comedy actor Stephen Frost, but even he isn’t safe from Bert’s ability to make a bad situation worse. The tradesman ends up being injured by Bert and unable to work…
Gone too far?
‘Bert has a heart of gold, apart from the fact that he mucks everything up,’ says Ian, who teases that this could be the end of the road for the recently separated couple. ‘Caitlin and Bert were very close, but it’s all fallen apart this series. She’s thrown him out and he’s living in the caravan park. I’m going to miss playing such an extraordinary character. I’ve had tremendous fun.’
Will Caitlin finally wash her hands of Bert? Or can the couple kiss and make up before next week’s last-ever episode?