"Episode 1068" | |
---|---|
Casualty episode | |
Episode no. | Series 32 Episode 19 |
Directed by | Judith Dine |
Written by | Matthew Barry Kelly Jones |
Produced by |
|
Original air date | 13 January 2018 |
Running time | 49 minutes [1] |
Guest appearances | |
| |
Episode 1068 is the nineteenth episode of the thirty-second series of the British medical drama television series Casualty , and the 1068th episode of the overall series. The episode was written by Matthew Barry and Kelly Jones and directed by Judith Dine, and premiered on BBC One on 13 January 2018. The episode features the return of Zoe Hanna (Sunetra Sarker), who departed the drama in 2016, and departure of Zoe's estranged husband Max Walker (Jamie Davis), who has appeared on the drama for over three years. Sarker reprised her role for Davis' exit following a deal they made when she left the series. Davis' departure was not announced before the transmission of the episode as to surprise viewers, and the couple departed together.
The episode features an acid attack when a drug addict attacks a woman so he can steal her money. Sarker liked the decision to feature the attack as she felt it was topical. Zoe is later subject to the threat of acid being thrown in her face, which helps develop Max and Zoe's relationship. Episode 1068 also features Jacob Masters (Charles Venn) telling Elle Gardner's (Jaye Griffiths) son Blake Gardner (Kai Thorne) that he is his father as part of their ongoing storyline. Griffiths said that the development in the story would challenge Elle and Jacob's friendship. The episode was promoted through promotional trailers, and was watched by 5.16 million viewers in a 28-day period. While the episode received mainly positive reviews from critics and fans, some reviewers criticised the logic behind Max's ability to board the same plane as Zoe.
Outside the emergency department (ED), porter Max Walker (Jamie Davis) bumps into old medical school friend James Williams (Ben Mansfield), who is waiting for his girlfriend, Aisha Hassan (Natalie Dew), to be discharged for hospital. At the same time, Max’s estranged wife and former consultant at the ED, Zoe Hanna (Sunetra Sarker), returns to Holby from America. Max is surprised when he notices Zoe in the hospital. He meets Zoe in the hospital carpark, where Zoe attempts to justify to Max her reasons for leaving him the first time around. As the pair discuss their past relationship, James is walking to his car with Aisha; he sees Max and leaves Aisha to talk to him. Whilst James and Max have a conversation, a masked figure approaches Aisha and throws acid at her face before stealing her handbag. Aisha screams in pain and Zoe and Max rush to Aisha’s aid.
The perpetrator, Paul Billington (Samuel Edward-Cook), runs away with Aisha’s bag and takes money from her purse. Paul begins smoking a joint, but passes out while smoking it, resulting in paramedics Sam Nicholls (Charlotte Salt) and Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) admitting him to the ED. James visits Paul in cubicles, where it transpires that James paid Paul to splash Aisha with acid so that she would not leave him. Aisha reveals to Max that James has been abusing her, so Max sets up a safe place for Aisha where she cannot be found. James is furious by Aisha’s disappearance and holds Zoe hostage in the Resuscitation (Resus) room. He squirts a bottle of what he thinks is acid in Zoe’s face; it is water. James is arrested. Max realises that he still loves Zoe, who has now left the hospital to go to Madrid. He rushes to the airport and boards the plane Zoe is on, telling her he loves her. The pair fly out to Madrid together, leaving Holby behind them.
Elsewhere, consultant Elle Gardner’s (Jaye Griffiths) son, Blake Gardner (Kai Thorne) arrives at the department with a compass embedded in his hand. Nurse Jacob Masters (Charles Venn) treats Blake and learns he is being bullied, so stands up for Blake. As the two continue to bond, Jacob reveals to Blake that he is his father.
Actor Jamie Davis decided to leave his role as Max Walker in 2017 and called former co-star Sunetra Sarker, who portrayed Max's estranged wife Zoe Hanna for eight and a half years, to ask her to reprise her role for his departure, as part of a deal they made when Sarker left the drama in 2016. [2] Sarker had forgotten the agreement when Davis contacted her, but agreed to return for one episode nevertheless. [2] She said that returning for Davis' exit is very important to her due to the close relationship that the actors share. The actress also said that she missed working with Davis. [3] Sarker told David Hollingsworth of What's on TV that she would only ever return to Casualty to explore Zoe and Max's relationship. [4] The actress did not expect to reprise the role again, but said she enjoyed playing Zoe again. [5] She added that she connected with Zoe as a character so liked reprising the role. [3] Sarker stated that despite memorising her lines, she did not "feel like Zoe" until wearing Zoe's high heels and filming her first scene. [3] She also loved the response from cast and crew when she returned and enjoyed the atmosphere on-set. [5]
Sarker's return was announced on 7 September 2017 by series producer Lucy Raffety, who stated that Sarker would make a "sensational comeback" for one episode in early 2018, one-and-a-half years after her departure in episode 995 of the drama. [6] Producers did not initially reveal Zoe's reasons for returning, although confirmed that she would be involved in a story with Max. [7] Sarker felt that Max and Zoe's relationship was not correctly concluded when she left the series and believed that this episode would conclude the storyline. [5] The actress said that the "banter" between Zoe and Max would be revisited as well as highlighting the "fizz" between the duo. [4] Advanced spoilers released on 9 January 2018 revealed that Zoe would return to support Dylan Keogh (William Beck) after he contacts her and to seek a reconciliation with Max after he sends her divorce papers. [8] Sarker explained that Zoe decides to "kill two birds with one stone" while in the UK. [5] She also felt that with Max and Zoe planning to divorce, it is inevitable that they would see each other again. [4]
On the moment that Zoe receives the divorce papers, Sarker explained that Zoe realises that she does not understand why she left Holby and realises how much she misses Max. [4] However, the actress understood Max's feelings about their marriage and said that he does not want to constantly return to a failing relationship. [4] Sarker said that she would like Zoe and Max to reconcile, but can understand Max's feelings surrounding their estranged marriage and felt "divided" between Max and Zoe's conflicting opinions. [5] She commented, "Max would do anything for Zoe, but she's quite a selfish character, even though she does really love him." [5]
"It's good for people to see what an acid attack actually is, how awful it is and how it's dealt with. I was really shocked at how people can just walk up to someone and spray something like that in their face." [5]
—Actress Sunetra Sarker on the acid attack
It was confirmed on 8 December 2017 that Casualty would air an acid attack. [9] In the episode, Aisha Hassan (Natalie Dew) is attacked in the hospital's car park. [10] Samuel Edward-Cook appears as drug addict Paul Billington, who seeks financial support from his "world-weary" mother, Caryl Billington, portrayed by Claire King. [11] Caryl rejects Paul so he attacks Aisha for money. Later, he is admitted to the ED, where Caryl visits him and nurse Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) tries to reunite them. [11] Sarker was pleased that the drama was tackling the subject as she felt it is "so relevant and current". [2] Zoe tries to help Aisha when she is admitted to the ED. Sarker explained that Zoe goes "into autopilot" and finds it is easier to help the team than stand back and watch. [5] She added, "Zoe's the type of woman who rolls up her sleeves and gets involved!" [5] When Aisha's partner, James Williams (Ben Mansfield), becomes aggressive, he threatens to throw acid in Zoe's face. Sarker was surprised by the development. [2] When James throws the acid in Zoe's face, it is revealed that it is water not acid. [2] The incident helped Max to reevaluate his relationship with Zoe. [12]
Producers decided to withhold the outcome of Episode 1068 to surprise the audience. Sarker teased, "it's never what you think with Zoe is it?" [13] The actress liked the secrecy surrounding her return, but also struggled to keep it a secret. [3] Despite the secrecy surrounding the outcome of the episode, advanced spoilers for the following episode released by Radio Times on 11 January 2018 suggested that Davis would make his final appearance in Episode 1068. [14] As the episode concludes, Max rejects a reconciliation with Zoe and she leaves for the airport alone. However, when Zoe is seated onto her flight, Max arrives and announces that he is joining her. [12] Davis was pleased with his exit and believed that it is best that Max and Zoe leave together. He was delighted to work with Sarker again and revisit Max and Zoe's story. [12] On the episode, Sarker commented, "She only turns up for a day, but what a day it is! The episode is a real treat." [4] Producer Dafydd Llewelyn enjoyed working with Sarker and Davis on the episode and praised them, [15] while Sarker praised writers Matthew Barry and Kelly Jones and director Judith Dine for their work on the episode. [16] The actress called her return "a real treat". [17]
Episode 1068 also sees the continuation of a storyline between Elle Gardner (Jaye Griffiths) and Jacob Masters (Charles Venn). Elle told Jacob in episode 1065 that he is the father of her son, Blake Gardner (Kai Thorne). [18] Producers informed Griffiths and Venn about the storyline when Griffiths joined the show in 2016. [19] After returning from holiday, Jacob informs Elle that their friendship is over and that he will not be taking parental responsibility for Blake. He also asks her not to tell Blake about his parentage. [11] Blake, who is being bullied, is admitted into the ED after being subject to "a cruel prank [that] goes wrong". [11] When Jacob realises what is happening with Blake, he gives Blake some advice and threatens Blake's bully, Miles Ashworth (Finney Cassidy). [18] At the end of the episode, Jacob reveals to Blake that he is his father without warning Elle. [20] Griffiths told Elaine Reilly of What's on TV that Elle and Jacob's friendship would be "broken" by the story development and stated that their careers could also be impacted as they work closely together. [21]
External videos | |
---|---|
![]() A promotional trailer for the episode | |
![]() A clip from the episode |
On 8 December 2017, the show released a trailer displaying Winter storylines, which previewed Zoe's return and clips from the episode. David Brown, writing for the Radio Times , thought that the clips would "whet fans' appetite". [7] While Tom Chapman of Digital Spy predicted that Zoe's time in the USA was not successful based on the trailer. [9] On 6 January 2018, a 16-second trailer for the episode was released, [22] and a 42-second clip from the episode was released six days later. [23] The episode premiered on BBC One on 13 January 2018 and was available to watch on BBC iPlayer for thirty days after its broadcast. [1]
In its original broadcast, the episode received a seven day rating of 4.93 million viewers, which is an increase of 240,000 viewers from the previous episode. [24] Ratings rose to 5.16 million viewers after a 28-day period. [24] In the week of broadcast, episode 1068 is the seventeenth most-watched programme on BBC One. [24]
A reporter for The Times chose Episode 1068 for their "critics' choice" of the day. They felt that the episode resembled recent NHS conditions, stating "Sometimes, life imitates art." [25] Sophie Dainty of Digital Spy described the attack on Zoe as "frightening". [12] On the episode, Katy Brent of Entertainment Daily joked, "Bet [Zoe] wishes she'd stayed in America." [26] Emma Bullimore, writing for What's on TV, enjoyed Max and Zoe's reconciliation, describing it as "the perfect ending for a top notch couple." [2] Despite this, Bullimore criticised the logic behind Max boarding the same plane as Zoe. She stated that Max would not know which plane Zoe is boarding, nor would he have been able to book a plane ticket on "such short notice". [2] Bullimore's colleague, Amy Hunt, described the outcome of the episode as "sad" and "bittersweet". [27]
Alison Graham of Radio Times liked Zoe's return and the acid attack, although she was disappointed that Zoe only returned for one episode. The reviewer was surprised when James stated that Max attended medical school and "read theoretical physics textbooks for fun". [10] She quipped, "Yes, and I am Princess Stéphanie of Monaco." [10] Journalist Andy Gibson liked the acid attack storyline, praising the show and Dew for portraying the topic. [28] Despite this, he found the episode "intense". [29]
"And there she was in all her magnificence, scrunching a ciggie out with her unfeasibly high, unfeasibly pointy shoe and slathering herself in Chanel No. 5. Max smelled her before he saw her – the cigarettes and Chanel combo that he knows and loves." [30]
—Reviewer Sue Haasler on Zoe's first appearance in the episode
Sue Haasler, a writer for the Pauseliveaction, chose to review Episode 1068 following the news of Sarker's return and was pleased with Zoe's first appearance in the episode. [30] Like Bullimore, Haasler criticised Max's quick ability to book and board the same flight as Zoe, as well as being able to arrange a visa to America. However, she felt that it was an appropriate ending for the couple. She said, "I needed a happy ending today and that's most certainly what it was." [30] Haasler observed that after being admitted as a patient, Blake left the hospital "having acquired a few stitches and a new dad in the chunky shape of Jacob." [30] The reviewer was also surprised by Max's backstory as a former medical student. [30]
There was a mixed response from viewers of the episode: some fans were pleased with the outcome of the episode; others were "heartbroken" when Max and Zoe both departed; although many viewers felt they would miss the characters. [27] What's on TV ran a poll on Twitter asking what fans wanted the outcome of the episode to be: 71% of responses expected Zoe and Max to reunite; 17% of responses wanted Zoe to "rescue" Dylan; 9% of responses hoped that Zoe would marry her former partner, Nick Jordan (Michael French); and 3% wanted Zoe to remain single. [31]
Jamie Davis is an English actor and writer. He is known for his roles as Harley Lawson in the ITV drama Footballers' Wives (2004–2005) and its spin-off Extra Time (2005), Leon Taylor in the Sky One series Hex (2004–2005), and Max Walker in the BBC medical soap Casualty (2013–2018), and for writing the miniseries You & Me.
Sunetra Sarker is an English actress and presenter, known for her roles as Nisha Batra in Brookside, Anji Mittel in No Angels, Zoe Hanna in Casualty and Kaneez Paracha in Ackley Bridge. In 2014, she took part in the twelfth series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with Brendan Cole. Since 2019, she has been a regular participant on Celebrity Gogglebox, partnering with Georgia Taylor, and became a panellist on the lunch time chat show Loose Women in 2021.
Casualty is a British medical drama television series that premiered on 6 September 1986 on BBC1. The series was created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin. It is set in the fictional Holby City Hospital, in the equally fictitious city of Holby, and features occasional crossovers of characters and plots with spin-off show Holby City. Casualty follows the professional and personal lives of the doctors, nurses, paramedics, hospital management and patients at Holby General. It features an ensemble cast of regular characters, and began with ten main characters in its first series, all but one – Charlie Fairhead have since left the series. Many main characters have been written in and out of the series since. In addition, Casualty features guest stars each week, as well as recurring guests that take part in story arcs that span a portion of a series or multiple series.
The twenty-eighth series of Casualty began airing on BBC One on 3 August 2013, one week after the end of the previous series. This series consisted of 48 episodes, the highest episode order since series 24. The series concluded on 23 August 2014.
The twenty−ninth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing in the United Kingdom on 30 August 2014, and concluded on 23 August 2015. The series consisted of 46 episodes. Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, while Oliver Kent continued his role as the show's executive producer.
The thirtieth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty commenced airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 29 August 2015, and concluded on 30 July 2016. The series consisted of 43 episodes, including the broadcast of the show's 1000th episode on 25 June 2016. Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, while Oliver Kent continued his role as the show's executive producer. Seventeen cast members reprised their roles from the previous series with five actors, including three long-serving cast members, departing during this series. Chelsea Halfpenny appeared in the serial between September and November 2015 as F2 Alicia Munroe, reprising the role as a main cast member in July 2016. Alistair Brammer joined the cast for a four-month guest stint as receptionist Jack Diamond in December 2015. Three new regular cast members joined the serial in spring 2016: Lloyd Everitt as paramedic Jez Andrews; Jason Durr as staff nurse David Hide; and Jaye Griffiths as consultant Elle Gardner.
Zoe Hanna is a fictional character in BBC's medical drama Casualty, portrayed by Sunetra Sarker. She first appeared in the series twenty-two episode "Take a Cup of Kindness", broadcast on 29 December 2007. The character was a consultant in emergency medicine at Holby City Hospital's emergency department. Sarker chose to take a temporary break from the show in 2014 and Zoe departed from the show in the series 28 episode "A Life Less Lived", broadcast on 23 August 2014. She returned in the series 29 episode "Return to Sender", broadcast on 25 October 2014. Sarker later decided to leave the series indefinitely, but producers asked that she did not announce her departure in order to surprise viewers. After over 8 years on-screen, Zoe departed the series in the series 30 episode "Hello, I Must Be Going", broadcast on 7 May 2016. It was confirmed in September 2017 that Zoe would return for a single episode. She appeared in the nineteenth episode of series 32, broadcast on 13 January 2018. Sarker reprised the role again in 2023 for two episodes linked to Charlie Fairhead's exit; they feature in series 38 and aired on the 9th and 16th of March 2024.
Rita Freeman is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by Chloe Howman. She first appears in the twenty-eighth series episode "Once There Was a Way Home – Part One", first broadcast on 10 August 2013. Howman's casting was announced four days before her debut. She attended multiple auditions against other actresses for the role. Rita is introduced as a new staff nurse at Holby City Hospital's emergency department (ED). She is characterised as fun, feisty, blunt and excellent at her job, which means patients are at ease around her. Howman compared the character to a Jack Russell Terrier. Despite being a popular member of staff, Rita struggles to make personal relationships. Rita's first episode features an incident at her flat when her ceiling caves in; Howman liked the introduction and found it dramatic. Throughout her tenure on the show, Rita has been promoted twice: on first instance to senior staff nurse and on second instance to clinical nurse manager.
Dylan Keogh is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by William Beck. He first appeared in the twenty-fifth series episode "Only Human", broadcast on 12 March 2011. The character was introduced as a replacement for fellow emergency medicine doctor Ruth Winters. Beck had briefly attended medical school before becoming an actor, and he felt the role was right for him. Dylan is a Consultant in emergency medicine and a member of Holby City Hospital's emergency department staff. Since the departure of Charlie Fairhead in 2024, Dylan has been the longest serving character on the show.
"Forsaking All Others – Part Two" is the forty-sixth episode of the twenty-ninth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty. The episode was written by Matthew Barry and directed by Julie Edwards, and premiered on BBC One on 23 August 2015, just one day after the first part of the series finale. The episode features the wedding of established characters Zoe Hanna, a consultant in emergency medicine, and Max Walker, a porter at the fictitious emergency department of Holby City.
"Hello, I Must Be Going" is the thirty-fourth episode of the thirtieth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty, and the 995th episode of the overall series. The episode was written by Jeff Povey and directed by Steve Hughes, and premiered on BBC One on 7 May 2016. The episode features the departure of established character Zoe Hanna, an ED consultant, who left the show after nine years. Sarker's departure was kept secret until transmission in order to surprise viewers. Producers were upset when Sarker announced her decision to leave, but ensured writers created a good story for the character.
The thirty-second series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 19 August 2017, and concluded on 4 August 2018. The series consisted of 44 episodes. Erika Hossington continued her role as series producer, however, following her resignation in August 2017, was replaced by Lucy Raffety. Simon Harper began his role as the show's executive producer. Twenty cast members reprised their roles from the previous series. Lloyd Everitt, Crystal Yu, Jamie Davis left their respective roles during the series, while Charlotte Salt reprised her role as Sam Nicholls from episode five onwards. Four new cast members also joined the drama in series 32. The series opened with a two-parter special set in northern France, which was followed by an extended 70-minute special episode. It is the first series in the history of the show to omit episode titles.
The thirty-third series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 11 August 2018, one week after the end of the previous series. The series consisted of 46 episodes. Lucy Raffety continues her role as series producer, while Simon Harper continues his role as the show's executive producer. Sixteen regular cast members reprised their roles from the previous series. The series, which is billed as "The Year of the Paramedic", begins with a motorway collision stunt sequence, and features a crossover episode with spin-off series, Holby City. This series featured the departures of six cast members, including Amanda Mealing as Connie Beauchamp, Azuka Oforka as Louise Tyler and Chelsea Halfpenny as Alicia Munroe. Four new regular cast members also joined the series, while two actors began appearing in a recurring capacity.
Jacob Masters is a fictional character from the British medical drama Casualty, played by Charles Venn. He made his first appearance during the twenty-ninth series episode "If You Could Bottle It", which was broadcast on 18 July 2015. Venn's casting was announced on 13 February 2015 and he began filming at the show's studios that same week. Jacob is a former army medic turned nurse, who is given a job at Holby City Hospital after he brings a patient into the Emergency Department (ED).
"CasualtyXHolby" is a two-part crossover of the British medical dramas Casualty and Holby City. The first part aired on 2 March 2019, and the second on 5 March 2019 on BBC One. Both episodes were written by Michelle Lipton and directed by Steve Brett. The plot sees Holby City Hospital experience a loss of power due to a cyberattack. Consultants Connie Beauchamp and Jac Naylor also come into conflict when they learn there is only one theatre available while treating two of their colleagues.
Marty Kirkby is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, portrayed by actor Shaheen Jafargholi. He first appears in the thirteenth episode of the thirty-fourth series, first broadcast on 17 November 2018. Jafargholi's casting was announced on 1 August 2018 and he was invited to read for the role shortly after finishing filming on EastEnders. Marty is characterised as a young and fashionable student nurse with a "razor sharp wit". He is a confident nurse who has a blunt bedside manner and excellent clinical skills.
Kaneez Paracha is a fictional character from the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge, portrayed by Sunetra Sarker. Kaneez first appeared in the pilot episode of the series, first broadcast on 7 June 2017. Kaneez is the mother of protagonist Nasreen, as well as Razia and Saleem. Kaneez's storylines in the series have included ending her arranged marriage with her husband Iqbal, pursuing a relationship with science teacher Rashid Hyatt and becoming a student support officer.
Ruby Spark is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama Casualty, played by Maddy Hill. She first appears in the forty-first episode of series thirty-two, originally broadcast on 14 July 2018. The character and Hill's casting details were announced on 18 January 2018 and she began filming during the following month. For the role, the actress qualified as a Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) driver. Ruby is a paramedic and is characterised as a smart, caring and opinionated perfectionist who lacks social skills. Her near-photographic memory of procedures and medication serves as an important character point as she struggles to deviate from the rules. The character's backstory states that she has just graduated from university, adding to her over-emphasis on rules. Ruby is introduced as part of the show's increased focus on paramedics and producers wanted to explore the profession through the character.
The thirty-sixth series of the British medical drama television series Casualty began airing on BBC One in the United Kingdom on 14 August 2021, a week after the conclusion of the previous series. The series focuses on the professional and personal lives of medical and ancillary staff at the emergency department (ED) of the fictional Holby City Hospital. Loretta Preece continues her role as series producer and Deborah Sathe is the senior executive producer. It also marked the return of episode titles after a four-year absence.