Even hard-core fans of Dr Dylan Keogh may have been hard pressed to be sympathetic with him in tonights episode of Casualty (while still acknowledging that William Beck plays him brilliantly). Yes, I know hes gone through a terrible time with the loss of his relationship with Ciara and the chance of being a father. There was also the death of Sam before that. And I know hes an alcoholic and its an illness like any other. That doesnt make it easy to watch a man deliberately trying to drink himself to death, and then to try and drag another person (his father) back into the same hell.
It was most shocking that Dylan would goad his father into drinking again after hed been sober for several months, and then ring his partner to let her know Brian was drunk. He told Brian he wanted him to feel what it was like to lose everything.
Im afraid what I was feeling at that point was that Dylan was just a self-pitying whinge bag who didnt deserve the love and support that comes his way. And it was coming his way in the spectacular form of the legendary Sharon Gless as Dylans mentor Zsa Zsa Harper-Jenkins. Shed arrived in double-quick time in response to a distress call from David. After a brief run-in with Connie, Zsa Zsa commandeered David and his modest family car and they set off to find Dylan.
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When they finally tracked him down hed just punched Brian, who was now unconscious and suffering a bleed on the brain. Luckily Zsa Zsa is a top neurosurgeon and she assessed the situation and demanded a first aid kit, vodka and a drill. Yep, she drilled Brians skull with a household DIY implement right there in the pub. Ninja-level stuff. The poor pub staff didnt quite know where to look.
The ambulance finally arrived and Brian was whisked off to the more hygienic surroundings of Holby A&E. Connie was waiting for them, and she was not best pleased. She told Dylan that if he wouldnt accept help he should pack his bags and leave. Zsa Zsa wanted him to leave, too, and had taken the precaution of bringing his passport ready to whisk him off to California (a sunny climate to match his sunny personality). Dylan, however, is perhaps ready to start sorting his life out. He said California would be like drinking – just running away.
When Jamila first arrived I was sure she was Rashs cousin because she referred to his mother as auntie (or did I mishear that?). Maybe this was a courtesy title (all my mums friends were auntie this and that when I was little), because now we find Jamila inviting Rash to the medics ball as her plus one, and Rashs mother encouraging him to go. The other reason to go to the ball was that it was supposed to be a fantastic networking opportunity. Rash didnt think he was much of a networker, but then Connie tipped him for surgical greatness after his first attempt at putting in a central line went well and he changed his mind. Surgeons have to schmooze, after all.
For the whole episode hed been trying to get the chance to explain to Gem that hed thrown up on their date night out of nerves. After hed thanked Connie for throwing him in at the deep end with the central line, she said, The first times never as bad as you imagine, is it? Obviously this had another meaning to young Rash, but before he could talk to Gem shed heard about him going to the ball with Jamila and decided hes just not into her because shes only a humble porter. This was one of those situations where I just wanted someone to shove them into a store room and make them actually talk to each other.
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And in other news, Blake is still visiting Omo, and Jacob is still avoiding the whole situation.
Sue Haasler is the author of the official Holby City book, which you can read about here. She also writes novels and theres information about all her books here
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