Ep 1. To The Lighthouse

Doc Martin is a British medical drama television series that has just premiered its ninth season with an episode named To The Lighthouse. The show revolves around Dr. Martin Ellingham, a brilliant vascular surgeon who moves to a small village in Cornwall after developing a fear of blood that ruins his career in London. He now works as a general practitioner in the village and must adjust to small-town life while dealing with a host of colorful patients and colleagues.

In the season 9 premiere, Doc Martin is still trying to adapt to living in the village with his wife Louisa and their son James. He is still struggling with his social skills and has trouble interacting with the villagers, which makes his job as a GP even more challenging. In this episode, he and Louisa take James on a picnic, where they visit a lighthouse that is soon going to be opened to the public after being closed for many years.

Upon arriving at the lighthouse, Doc Martin is surprised to see that it is his old medical school roommate, Ben, who is going to be managing the lighthouse for the foreseeable future. Ben is thrilled to see Martin, but Martin is visibly uncomfortable, as he is forced to confront the ghosts of his past. Martin is still harboring resentment towards Ben for how he treated him in medical school, and this tension is palpable from the start.

At the lighthouse, Doc Martin and Louisa meet a young woman named Morwenna, who is the new nanny to the family who owns the lighthouse. Morwenna quickly makes an impression on Louisa and James, but Martin seems skeptical of her intentions. As they explore the lighthouse, Martin notices that there are many safety hazards, and he makes a mental note to report them to the authorities.

As the day goes on, Martin and Ben reminisce about their days in medical school, but the conversation turns sour when Martin brings up how Ben used to bully him. Ben is taken aback by Martin's accusations and tries to defend himself, but Martin is resolute in his belief that Ben was cruel to him. Tensions come to a head when Martin and Ben get into a physical altercation, and Louisa is forced to intervene.

After cooling down, Martin and Ben finally have a heart-to-heart about their past. They both realize that they have been carrying anger towards each other for years and that it is time to let go. The two men reconcile, and Martin even agrees to help Ben make the lighthouse safe for the public.

In the end, Doc Martin, Louisa, and James leave the lighthouse with a new understanding of each other and a sense of closure about Martin's past. The episode's title, To The Lighthouse, is a nod to the Virginia Woolf novel of the same name, which deals with themes of memory, loss, and reconciliation. This episode of Doc Martin similarly explores these themes, as Martin is forced to confront his past and come to terms with his present.