Dr Foster, the final episode, can't wait..

[ellenanora5]

First thread nearly full so starting this one for tomorrow night

Must say, the degree absolute came through rather quickly.

More sterling research there.

Carly's boyfriend's complaint wasn't mentioned tonight

Yes it was. Roz told Gemma the complaint had been withdrawn when she was asking her to come back to work. There had clearly also been reconciliation with Carly, as it was to her that Gemma took Tom, and she brought him to the house in the penultimate scene.

It was the possible euthanasianth at was conveniently forgotten about, although Ros did say last week she'd tell the police she was mistaken about the pills she'd seen in her bag do the police just drop investigations like that?

Oh well, all the complaints were conveniently sorted out, despite no obvious headway with Carly and her partner right up to her appearance.
What I should have typed is that the withdrawal didn't specify, it was just apparently resolved easily enough, even though it had previously been escalated.

I agree with Pinkfrocks.
Her post was after 10pm.
I'd hate Dr. Foster to be my GP.

Neighbour told her everyone in town hated her and thought she was stuck up. Spot on from Ros' actions. She didn't have her old job at surgery, and she looked frosty at best with neighbour across street who still hated her.

So she got the house and stayed in town because of her child, despite everyone disliking her. And to spite ex.

Not really a happy ending for her.

I was disappointed.

Disappointed that loose ends were tied up too conveniently. Disappointed in the poor writing (BBC commissioners gimme a go I'd love to do this!). Disappointed Ros and others didn't get their comeuppance. Disappointed great actors were wasted.

Most of all disappointed that this was seen by the writer as empowering - WTF!!

She didn't get what she wanted, but she couldn't really. What she wanted was a happy family and a husband who didn't cheat, betray, steal from her.

BBC COME ON! This thread alone has shown that there is a wealth of imagination and talent and life experience you're NOT tapping into by commissioning WOMEN to write dramas like this!

brokenhearted so, it came through in maybe 4-5 months then?

I thought a divorce took a lot longer than that (entirely possible I'm wrong though).

Well I am glad they didn't finish with Simon killing Gemma but far too much tyre squealing driving around. I guessed she was pretending to have hurt Tom to frighten Simon but do wish she had ripped into Ros. After Anna's speech I am surprised that Gemma still wanted to stay in the town but presumably she didn't want to uproot Tom.

That aside, don't think that Tom was high on his parents' list of priorities and groaned out loud when Tom said his dad was fun compared with Mum. Gemma picked him up on referring to Kate as a slut though. Those that predicted Neil Stuke would get more to say this episode were right!

TheSpottedZebra

Sadwidow, Neil Stuke played the dad!

Ah, you used the actor's name..... heavens, it took me all my time to remember the characters' names.

Neil Stuke = Chris Parks (Kate's dad)
Adam James = Neil Baker (Simon's accountant)

The blackmail of Chris Parks led to him cutting Simon out of the Academy Green luxury development in Parminster. Chris will give the project to a new developer then when its finished and sold he'll pay Gemma back every penny of family money that is invested in it. In the mean-time, Chris will cover Gemma's expenses - so she'll keep the house and get the savings back enabling Gemma and Tom to continue living in the family home.

When Simon tried to argue that it was 'his project' and he put in all the work, Gemma then black-mailed Simon: "Either you leave or I tell the police that you forged my signature on the mortgage". She also pointed out that she had paid for everything for the past 2 years so it was all hers - his clothes, his car, everything.

Michael Hogan (The Telegraph) has written his review:

Doctor Foster, episode five, review: 'an explosive finale'

This BBC crime series has been thoroughly compelling to the end, says Michael Hogan

The Telegraph 7th October 2015

---------------

Ben Dowell has reviewed for The Radio Times (please note he selected a MNetter 'favourite line')

Doctor Foster episode 5 review: “I’m a Wolf tonight” snarled Suranne Jones - and she didn’t disappoint…

The Radio Times 7th October 2015

Simon was hot and the poor son will need counselling for the rest of his life.

I didn't know who the writer was, but it doesn't surprise me that it was written by a man. It was misogynistic throughout. If a writer is anti woman, that comes through in his writing.

What happened to the wee old man by the seaside? The one she last saw on the beach?!

This really should have been a six-parter. I agree with a P.P about the Anna character being the most interesting - I'd have liked to have known more about her.

Simon's smile when he was standing by the crappy car, I took it to mean that he and Gemma colluded at the end. That he finally "got it" and realised the only important person was his son, so he allowed himself to be sacrificed so that Tom could keep his home and lifestyle...rather than fighting back, making her look mad and dragging all three of them down into bankruptcy. As though, in that final moment they finally knew each other and that clarity allowed them both to walk away with something rather than continuing to destroy each other.

Perspic - yes I think that is a good analysis of Simon's smile

What do people think of Simon constantly saying 'Tom is mine' in the kitchen as if Gemma was nothing? I found it quite chilling because I have a friend whose h left her this year when she discovered his long term affair. He has expressed no remorse and told her many times the kids are HIS. He's even going for full custody. It's like their HIS property and she has no meaning. When Simon said that last night, I wondered if this is quite a common male feeling.

My niece just posted on FB how awful it was for Gemma to use her son to get at Simon and I will say I took slight offence to that.
If that's what she took from the series then i do despair a little bit.
But then I've realised that they couldn't make a programme about a woman being scorned without somehow making her out to be unhinged and therefore deserving of the betrayal somehow.
Left a nasty taste for me.

I had a horrible nightmare last night that my DH was having an affair!

To those of you who are saying they are not surprised it was written by a man, I don't really get what you mean. Would you mind explaining? Not disagreeing, just interested.

It is an old trope that a woman is to blame if her DP has an affair. But what really annoyed me was that this series had this message, even though it didn't fit with the facts. She was the one who worked and brought in the money AND looked after their son the most. But still they had to make out in the last episode that all she had cared about was work. It was totally inconsistent.

So basically they were all a shower of shits.