This Is Going To Hurt - General Discussion

[Zonk]

 

[Zonk]

What an amazing show. Funny, sad, great writing, amazing characters, great acting. Too bad this is never going to get more episodes. But then again, they told a story and they told it extremely well.

I don't think I've ever seen a show centered around a gay man that wasn't about him being gay. Just a normal bloke, in a a job he is made for, but stuck in a shit system, which puts strain on him, his SO and people around him. Of course there were some strugles related to being gay, but that is to be expected and very relateable. For example how/when do you tell co-workers? If they ask you if you have a girlfriend, do you tell them "no, I'm gay." or do you just say "no". It's a bit more cut and dry if you have a boyfriend, but who always has one of those lying around? But overall this show was not about being gay and I really appreciate that. I wish we'd have had something like this much sooner.

The show title is not wrong. A lot of this really hurt. It's sad to see so little money spent on essential health services when so much money gets thrown around for frivolous things. Not just by billionairs, but also by our governments. I don't think conditions in most of the western world are much better. I know in germany some aspects are much worse. 400.000 to 600.000 people a year get infected with multi resistant pathogens in german hospitals. 20.000 to 40.000 of these people die. That's a lot more than in our neighbouring countries (per capita). But does anybody do anything about it? No, instead they spend billions on "the war on terror". Do you know how many people terrorists killed in germany since the 80s? 13. Not 13 thousand or even 13 hudnred, just 13. Weigh that against ~30.000 deaths a year. Life is absurd.

What especially hurt was realising that Shruti killed herself. When she spoke directly to the camera, saying "I'm sorry. I really did try." I didn't put it together. I thought she was just going to quit her job. It was a straight punch to the gut. But it was earned and it did make sense. She used to be so idealistic. By the end she just lost all hope in the system and in humanity.

I guess at the end they were suggesting that Adam and Harry wouldn't get back together, because Adam couldn't give up being a doctor. But they left it a bit open ended, so my headcanon is going to be that Adam finally opening up, and telling Harry about what was going on in his work-life, was enough. I just liked those two together so much.

I'm not crying while writing this post, you are crying! Man, this show was intense. I probably should have space it out a bit more. But I couldn't not watch till the end.

 

PS: To leave you on a more fun, a bit nitpicky, note. This was set in 2006, so the following conversation doesn't make much sense:

Harry: "It's my second-favourite doctor!"

Adam: "Who's number one?"

Harry: "David Tennant. First series."

David Tennant's first series of Doctor Who aired in 2006. Even if this was set after, which not that likely, since it aired in the middle of the year and it didn't look like fall or winter in this show, who would say "first series" when there was only one of them out at the time?

[Cinnabon]

Is YouTube the only way to watch this?

[dargosmydaddy]

On 2/18/2022 at 12:01 PM, Cinnabon said:

Is YouTube the only way to watch this?

Wikipedia says it's going to air in the US on AMC, but no date given as yet. 

I will never say no to more Ben Whishaw on my TV...

[AngieBee1]

Fantastic series. Ben is brilliant in it as always. Great supporting cast Ambika Mod, Michelle Austin and Alex Jennings. I wouldn't class it a comedy though -more of a dramedy.

[greekmom]

Anyone know where to watch this in Canada??

 

[khyber]

Just saw the first episode. Really enjoyed this show.

[pasdetrois]

Another show I couldn't find in the forums. It plays like a drama to me, not a comedy.

I almost quit watching because the themes are so dark, but the engagement episode lightened things considerably. Now we're back to dark.

I'm still enjoying the series. I like a dose of gritty to push back against endless hours of frothy, stupid reality TV.

The acting is fantastic. Besides the young, exhausted medical student, I'm loving the senior doctor with the smart mouth. (I don't know the difference between a British consultant and other types of doctors.) And of course Ben W. is good in everything he does.

ETA: my provider is only showing an episode a week.

Edited July 4, 2022 by pasdetrois

[greekmom]

Found it very different from the book. So far on episode 6 as AMC is only releasing an episode a week.

While I found the book really funny this is super dark.  

I couldn't believe that St. Hopeless didn't have any doctors or supplies on hand yet charged like 20K to give birth!?!? In the end the workaholic mom was proudly showing her baby off to the other woman.

Poor Shurti.  I was assuming she failed her exams?  I couldn't see the letter properly.

I am not a fan of Adam - he is a jerk but Harry breaking up with him was a shitty move as well.

[LADreamr]

Awww man, Shruti.  I haven't read the book.  Was this in it?

[pasdetrois]

I am genuinely sad at Shruti's death. I was spoiled here at the forum, but I found myself hoping that her developing sense of black humor and the support of the other doctors would help. A week's sleep can do wonders.

Decades ago the son of my orthopaedic surgeon was struggling with med school, and his dad gave a little speech about how inhumane and counter productive med school practices are. Guess they haven't changed, especially in certain hospital environments. How many others has this happened to?

[pasdetrois]

Well, Adam answered some of my questions that are in my previous post.

This is one of the best series I've viewed since the pandemic killed quality drama series. Although I looked away during that birth scene where the baby's head was stuck. And I keep comparing this series to Call the Midwife, which tackles difficult subjects but in a sanitized way.

Very good finale that closed some narrative loops without being Hallmark.

ETA: Ben W. is a very subtle physical actor. When he and his ex were at the lake, Ben went from depressed schlump to sweetly flirtatious. Viewed from behind, he leans longingly toward the ex and then joyfully chugs the Champagne. Loved that moment.

Edited July 15, 2022 by pasdetrois

[LADreamr]

5 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

Well, Adam answered some of my questions that are in my previous post.

This is one of the best series I've viewed since the pandemic killed quality drama series. Although I looked away during that birth scene where the baby's head was stuck. And I keep comparing this series to Call the Midwife, which tackles difficult subjects but in a sanitized way.

Very good finale that closed some narrative loops without being Hallmark.

Yes to everything.  It's a great series, and I love that, despite his failings and missteps, he is a very good doctor, does really care about it, and when he had the chance to save himself using an approach that would have been bad, but victimless, he chose to use the platform to make important points instead, come what may about his own career.  And such a great speech too.  I'm sorry it's over, but glad to hear there's going to be a season 2.

[TVMovieBuff]

Really marvelous show. Finished it up yesterday on AMC+ 

If I had to sum up how Adam changed in the end, it would be that he learned Acceptance. That his career as a doctor was not going to be easy, people are assholes, his mother is obtuse and sometimes weird, and a relationship for a doctor is going to be harder. That is the part he had to work our with Harry, if he could handle it. The old Adam would have ripped the new young doctor a new one. But the accepting Adam understood the hardship, as he himself had just come to terms with it. 

[Darian]

Someone already spoiled me on major plot points, so I decided that, though I'm only on episode two (and I've seen an actual penis degloving, but a vacuum cleaner and not a lamppost was involved. I know it sounds made up, or like an urban legend, but it really happened). It's gutting, but reminds me of why I quit the once-best RN job I ever had and what I loved and hated about healthcare. The show doesn't ease you in and the profession sure doesn't either. 

 

[Andyourlittledog2]

It took me forever to find this thread  because this series is clearly not a comedy. There are some humorous moments but they are far outnumbered by the drama and darkness.  You need those few light moments because otherwise you'd drown in the darkness and heaviness of the lives of the people portrayed here.

In the last episode (regarding the production of the show) it was explained that although the book has comedic quality the series leaned much more heavily on the dark side and was meant to show how broken the NHS and the medical training system is and how it hurts people, etc. The writer (whose life this is based on) wanted to shout to the world that they needed to take better care of their doctors and patients, that this kind of abuse cannot continue.

Anyway, there was little funny about this series. Can it be moved to the drama section please?

As for the show, it was brilliant. It was one of my favorite shows so far this year. It is streaming on AMC+ so I signed up for a seven day trial just so I could watch this. Worth it, totally.

[Blakeston]

I really enjoyed this, but I was left with two big questions.

1. Why was it seen as so irresponsible that Adam sent Erica home in the first episode? IIRC, she came to the hospital reporting that she had a headache, and bumps on her tongue - which turned out to be her tastebuds. Would he really be expected to keep her in the hospital for testing, based on that? 

I certainly understand that falsifying the report was a big deal, and that Erica ended up having a very serious issue. But it seemed like part of the reason he was in trouble was that he sent her home. And why on earth wouldn't he have?

2. How did Adam keep his job, despite falsifying the report? Just because he gave an impassioned speech about how the system is hard on doctors?

[Andyourlittledog2]

1.  Well, the problem with Erica is that she was a looney who saw trouble everywhere it wasn't and it wore on his nerves so he just dismissed her. But the thing is one of the things she had was a headache and he didn't check her blood pressure or her labs and I think she was in preeclampsia which is a very very dangerous thing and was the cause of her having to be delivered so early. If he had caught it she would have been admitted and they might have been able to treat it with bed rest and monitored her. It was the headache and not detecting high blood pressure that was such a huge sign of neglect. It's obstetrics 101.

2. I guess his speech shamed them because they were part of the problem of overwhelmed and stressed medical doctors which leads to missing things like this. I am not sure that would work nine out of ten times.

[Blakeston]

1 hour ago, Andyourlittledog2 said:

1.  Well, the problem with Erica is that she was a looney who saw trouble everywhere it wasn't and it wore on his nerves so he just dismissed her. But the thing is one of the things she had was a headache and he didn't check her blood pressure or her labs and I think she was in preeclampsia which is a very very dangerous thing and was the cause of her having to be delivered so early. If he had caught it she would have been admitted and they might have been able to treat it with bed rest and monitored her. It was the headache and not detecting high blood pressure that was such a huge sign of neglect. It's obstetrics 101.

I see - so when a pregnant woman complains of a headache, the proper procedure is to check her blood pressure and do bloodwork on her? I never would have known!

[Andyourlittledog2]

18 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

see - so when a pregnant woman complains of a headache, the proper procedure is to check her blood pressure and do bloodwork on her? I never would have known!

Well, urine. I don't know what they are looking for in blood but the urine will indicate preeclampsia. I would think they would do blood too. But blood pressure and urine are important. Adam just let the headache get lumped in with the tastebuds etc and didn't recognize it as a danger sign.

[Chickabiddy]

“The entire series is available to stream, no spoiler tags are required. If you haven’t finished the whole thing, read at your own risk.”

This alert would have been much more helpful at the top of the thread than the bottom.

i just finished the series - got spoiled here. My bad being late to the game. New subscriber to AMC+ I didn’t realize the entire show started out as available to stream. Thought it would progress in order - similar to other threads. But it’s hard to know the rules if they appear at the the end of the thread. 🤷‍♀️ Bummer.