Al welcomes his first fishing guests, but an uninvited one means that a good review is definitely not guaranteed, while Bert decides to try to rejuvenate trade at the restaurant by joining an online voucher scheme. Morwenna asks Martin for a pay rise, and Louisa has to find a new babysitter to look after James Henry and reluctantly decides to offer Janice a trial. Penhale is excited to receive his new police issue Taser, but Portwenn does not exactly offer him plenty of opportunities to try it out.

Louisa and Martin have their first therapy session together - though neither of them was expecting they would be given homework - while Morwenna is not happy about it when a teenager on work experience starts trying to boss her around in the surgery. Mrs Tishell is surprised when her husband Clive returns and tells her he wants to give things another go, and Louisa has to call Martin when one of her pupils collapses during a school excursion.

The Doc deals with a strange family who seem reluctant to let him make house calls, and whose passion for taxidermy seems to hint at a dark secret involving their missing mother. PC Mystow also has family problems when his overbearing sister moves in a sets up shop - much to the Doc's disgust - as a herbalist. A chance remark by Pauline sets Al on a path that could well destroy his relationship with Bert.

Louisa and Martin decide to make a go of it, starting with a conciliatory dinner but Louisa is concerned when Martin fails to show up. In fact he has been taken prisoner by elderly Annie Winton, who wants him to save her terminally ill husband Jim, despite Jim's more stoical attitude. Louisa and Joe Penhale track him down and the outcome provides a solution to the Ellinghams' marriage problems. There is good news too for Al, as not only have Ruth and Bert decided to go into business to market Bert's whiskey to promote Al's B & B but he also gets a date with ...

Dr Ellingham visits an elderly patient in the villiage, but has to contend with her irate son, who turns out to be one of Louisa's ex-boyfriends. Things become even more complicated when he meets the new receptionist and sees a patient who claims he was injured while being mugged but refuses to give a statement to the police.

An outbreak of what the Doc suspects is Impetigo leads to problems for Louisa, who must decide whether to follow the Doc's orders to force the infected children to stay at home, or to help the parents by allowing the children to attend school. The decision is made harder by her impending interview to take over the job of Head Teacher - in front of a board of governors that (to his surprise) includes Doc Martin. Meanwhile, an accident in the Fish and Chip shop leaves Bert behind the fryers and the owner's son, Peter, in need of somewhere to stay while his mother is in hospital. His first choice is with none other than a certain Doctor Martin Ellingham...

The people of Portwenn are concerned for Radio Portwenn's DJ Caroline Bosman, whose increasingly erratic behaviour has them suspecting that she has been hitting the bottle. The Doc has to deal with an elderly patient whose personal aroma can clear a room, but is unable to determine a medical cause for the stench. PC Mylow hopes that his pheremone spray will endear him to a pretty newcomer to the village, while the Doc/Louisa/Danny triangle gets even more complicated.

Pauline looks set to achieve her ambition of joining the Portwenn Lifeboat crew. However, her joy is short lived when she is confronted with the chauvinistic behaviour of her shipmates. Martin is accused of murder by the husband of a woman who died in his care.

Martin's estranged parents charming Christopher and Margaret make a surprise visit, school secretary Maureen Tracey visits the doctor with what she thinks it is a thyroid problem, PC Mark Mylow announces he's getting engaged, and when Danny Steel collapses, Dr Ellingham has to carry out emergency surgery to save his life.

PC Mark Mylow can't persuade Dr Ellingham to be his best man, but Al Large agrees. The stag weekend – a camping trip – goes wrong when an adder bites Mark’s ankle and he suffers a potentially fatal allergic reaction. Meanwhile, Dr Ellingham deals with a spate of weever fish stings among teenage boys playing a dangerous game of dare.

A Salvation Army member arrives in Portwenn to try to trace a missing woman, Danny asks reluctant girlfriend Louisa to move into him, and PC Mark Mylow's medical check has a shock result.

Dr Martin Ellingham meets Portwenn’s new midwife, Molly, who will be looking after Louisa. Martin is dismissive of her profession, and the two of them do not hit it off.

Dr Martin Ellingham seeks out Louisa to talk about his new surgeon’s job in London, but they are interrupted by Bert, who wants to plan a baby shower for Louisa.

Dr Martin Ellingham and Pauline are surprised by the number of patients coming to see him on the last day before his Surgery closes and he moves to London.

The villagers throw the Ellinghams a farewell party and Ruth helps Mrs Tishell deal with the news and encourages her to attend, but it seems that Martin and Louisa aren't going to make it because a farmer has spotted their lost dog.

Doc Martin is struggling to maintain his life as a GP, after his wedding day disaster with school headmistress Louisa. She has left the village, and he is starting to question whether this is where he wants to stay, until an old friend turns up.

Dr Martin Ellingham is in London to meet with Robert Dashwood, who is leading the selection process for the prestigious London surgeon’s job that Martin has applied for. Robert can tell that Martin is excited to be back in the world of surgery, and is pleased that Martin has finally conquered his debilitating blood phobia. Robert is confident that Martin will get the job.

Upon discovering Doc's fear of blood, the village starts buzzing with the news. Bert insists on playing a practical joke, but Doc isn't laughing.

Dr Martin Ellingham is called to Louisa’s new home after she has a dizzy spell while shifting furniture. Martin urges her to slow down, but is shocked to learn that Louisa has applied to be her school’s headteacher again.

Louisa is leaving for Spain, Bert and Jennifer's engagement party goes off with a bang, and Al is hailed as a hero for saving Caroline's life.

Martin prepares to face his hearing, but despite having closed the practice, he finds all his patients are trying to make appointments. An American tourist who visited Portwenn previously returns to the town, hoping to research her family tree. However, she also has a medical issue, and comes to the troubled doctor seeking his advice. Louisa goes to see Chris to find out how serious the situation is, while the townsfolk take steps to show Martin how much he is appreciated.

Dr Martin Ellingham struggles to deal with Louisa’s news. But Louisa is adamant she does not want Martin involved.

Martin rushes to Ruth's for a medical emergency, and preparations for Morwenna and Al's wedding do not go to plan. Elsewhere, Martin takes his final GMC assessment under the watchful eye of eminent surgeon Bernard Newton, who monitors Martin's skills in assisted surgery.

The curmudgeonly GP struggles to come to terms with his new role as a father, having planned to resume his career as a consultant in London before the arrival of his and Louisa's as-yet unnamed son. To make matters worse, he begins to have serious doubts about the competency of his replacement Dr Di Dibbs when she misdiagnoses a patient as well as herself. Martin is then dealt a devastating personal blow after hearing his aunt Joan has died. (This Episode Is Rated TV-PG-V)

Mrs Tishell decides she can no longer hide her love for Martin and, fuelled by a cocktail of drugs, takes drastic action. While James Henry is in her care, she boards a bus out of Portwenn and leaves a message for Dr Ellingham to `meet them at the castle', forcing Martin, Louisa, Ruth and PC Penhale to mount a desperate search for the pair.