Six episodes in to Critical, and we’re getting used to the format of Sky’s new medical drama.
A patient arrives, probably with breathing difficulties; there’s a period of jargon-led assessment; via a detour to the CT department we move to theatre; and ultimately the patient will be opened up, at which point cue graphic detail of various internal organs swimming in blood. We’re also likely to see meaningful glances exchanged between Glen and Fiona, and the episode will probably end with the two of them arguing or reconciling as the case may be.
What continues to impress is that despite this nominally formulaic structure, each episode feels different; each week gives us a different take or a new twist.
Each week as I brace myself for the exposed chest or abdomen of the patient, thinking (as I certainly did after last week’s extraordinary uterus-juggling complications) that surely it can never top what’s gone before, it somehow manages to do exactly that.
This week, not content with the by now routine abdomen exploration Glen takes on a bit of brain surgery. With the pressure on the patient’s brain increasing, and the neurology consultant failing to appear, he takes the bold step of drilling a hole in the patient’s skull. It’s a step too far for Fiona, who sides with Lorraine in insisting he wait for neurology – but to nobody’s surprise he does it anyway.
When the neurosurgeon eventually turns up it’s a move that is met with praise (“not bad for an amateur”) albeit in a backhanded sort of way (“it’s not the 18th century”).
In an odd misstep, even after neurology has taken over we spend several minutes following their progress in tidying up and removing the offending blood clot. It’s clear by now that the focus of Critical is on how the medics relate to the job and to each other – we’re not in Casualty or Doctor Finlay territory here, we’re not really interested in the patient that kick-starts the episode (indeed, so far none of them has even been conscious).
So spending time showing us the specialists as they follow up on the Trauma team’s work seems oddly superfluous. That’s not to say it wasn’t another terrifically credible sequence, and it takes a strong stomach indeed not to recoil at the sight and sound of the neurologist applying a stapler to the cranium; it just seemed a little… pointless.
But it’s a small gripe when the show is as good as this. Amidst the blood and guts, there was even time this week for some humour courtesy of CT regular Brian (Orion Lee), who has clearly been on some kind of touchy-feely people skills course since Episode 5 (“I would appreciate it if you would avoid touching any buttons”).
And as for Glen and Fiona (ending this week on an argument), it’s surely about time they get themselves sorted out. Just tell each other how you feel – it’s hardly brain surgery is it?
Aired at 9pm on Tuesday 31 March 2015 on Sky1.
> Order Season 1 on DVD on Amazon.
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