Best Medicine Finale Recap: Martin Saves The Town, But Does He Get The Girl? Plus: EP Liz Tuccillo Teases 'Consequences' Of Martin's Secret In Season 2

Doc Martin's hopes are dashed by the end of the "Best Medicine" Season 1 finale, but maybe not for the reasons you'd suspect.

Yes, as our exclusive sneak peek teased, the news is out that Elaine has been performing unlicensed blood draws at Martin's clinic, thanks to his incapacitating fear of blood, and the revelation of that secret could mean major professional trouble for Port Wenn's only doctor. But the physician also experiences disappointment of a much more personal — and heartbreaking — nature during the season-ender, thanks to overhearing part of a conversation between Louisa and Mark.

Let's quickly recap Episode 13, "Norway No How," and then showrunner Liz Tuccillo will weigh in with what Season 2 will look like for the show's central love triangle.

The hour starts with Port Wenn in an uproar: The townsfolk have just learned how bad the sister-city salmon fishery deal is going to be for them — pollution, environmental impact, loss of pristine views — but a smug Sigrid reminds the villagers that they're locked in via contract. Then, with very little preamble, her water breaks and she gives birth to her and Ludvig's fourth child, right there at the town meeting. The baby is remarkably hairy, and both mother and baby are giving off an odd smell, which makes Martin think something may be wrong. But Sigrid brushes off his concern and refuses to budge on the shady arrangement she made with Port Wenn.

Later, during another meeting, Sigrid goes into labor a second (!) time, and Martin assists in delivering her fifth child, which she didn't know she was carrying. (The unaccounted-for twin was the cause of the hormone imbalances that led to all of her other symptoms.) Still, Sigrid will not back down from the salmon plan... until Martin announces that a very influential politician owes him a favor, and he'll happily deploy it to stop the fishing operation from coming to Port Wenn. Deciding that the tiny hamlet has become more trouble than it's worth, Sigrid and Ludvig declare the deal null and void, and leave in a huff. (Later, Martin confesses that the whole thing was a bluff; there is no senator who owes Dr. Best his life.)

Later, everyone gathers for a surprise wedding for Salty Breeze owners George and Greg. At the reception afterward, Martin musters up the courage to approach Louisa again and tell her how he feels about her... except he walks in on an in-progress conversation between her and Mark. Martin overhears the exes talk about potentially raising a child together — platonically, though Martin doesn't know that — and he assumes that they're getting back together romantically. So he leaves the reception and goes home, where his ex-girlfriend, Eden, meets him after he calls her.

Also: Early in the hour, Glendon threatens to expose Martin's reliance on Elaine to draw blood from his patients. But he'll sit on the info, provided that Martin speaks up in favor of the salmon fishery. When Martin doesn't, Glendon takes swift action: By the end of the episode, Martin is served with a notice that the Maine State Medical Registry is investigating him.

In a moment, we'll want to hear what you thought of the finale. But first, read on for showrunner Liz Tuccillo's thoughts about how the events of the episode set up the coming season.

TVLINE | Mark puts it out there first: "Do you want to have a kid? We would be so good at it." Do you think, prior to that, Martin was on Louisa's mind when she got that it's-now-or-never news from Eden about her fertility?
LIZ TUCCILLO | It's true to what she said. [In a previous episode, Martin] came in with that little speech of what he was gonna say, and she had seen these wolf den videos, and she was like, "I wanna be a mother." You know, when you first make a decision, like a big decision, you're so singularly focused. So I think that she was sincere when she was like, "No, we're not gonna work out. It's not meant to be. I want to be a mother." Because I think, in that moment when you're thinking about doing something so difficult and so scary, you're all-in and single-focused. But I do believe that, as time would go on, if she were to continue this process? Yes, I think there's also part of her that is like, "Gosh darn it, he could have been the father of my kid, and it's not gonna happen." If she went down that road, she would feel that way.

TVLINE | I want to talk about it from Mark's side, too. Mark is a good guy, we know this. But it's no secret that he still has feelings for Louisa. How much of him was like, "This might be a way to have the connection with her that I've been craving," and how much of it is very purely, "I want you to have the things that you want?"
Oh my God, this is so good. I would say, in the moment, he's purely, like — well, it's also selfishly like — "I'm not getting any younger. She wants to have a baby. We're great together. Let's do it." So he's thinking very logically in a way, but he is a simple soul. He does still obviously love her. It would be complicated. How could there not be feelings that come up? Yes, he's not taking that into consideration. But I don't think it was a strategic move. I think he was purely sort of selfish: "I want to have a baby, and you want to have a baby." So it feels like a no-brainer to him in that moment.

TVLINE | At the very end of the episode, we see that Martin's being investigated by the state medical board. Talk to me about his worst fears coming to light in the coming season, and how it might affect how he interacts with the people in town.
It's layered, in the sense that it's one thing for the Maine Board to know that Elaine was taking blood without a license. It's another thing for them to know why, and it's another thing for the town to know why. So we will be stepping out the different parts of that story. But he is in trouble with the board, and there will be consequences in Season 2 because of it.

TVLINE | And then the phobia itself — I'm no mental health professional, but it seems like it got slightly better over the course of the season? He passes out at the grocery store in the premiere, but then he helps in the back of the ambulance later on, and then he's able to be at the births. It's obviously not comfortable for him, but it feels like there's been progress there. Does the truth about his fear coming out in this episode affect that trajectory at all?
That is a really good question, and it is a very tricky part of his story arc: his phobia and tracking it. I would say that we were hoping that the idea would feel like, when the adrenaline kicks in, he's able to function better — when it's life or death. But ultimately, it's still problematic, and it's still getting in his way. It's still kind of outrageous to him that he hasn't been able to conquer it yet. Like, he can do anything, and he still can't freaking do this! [Laughs]

Season 2, he will be still really battling this. Sort of like three steps forward, two steps back. He'll make a much more conscious effort to really overcome this.

TVLINE | OK, last question. Let's break some crustacean news: After Sarah finds those sea urchins in the ocean, will sea urchins be a plot point next season? Will there be a Sea Urchin Festival?
[Laughs] Oh my God, just like the Garlic Festival or whatever. We do not have a Sea Urchin Festival, but duly noted. [Laughs] We will be dealing with sea urchins, and I am becoming a sea urchin expert.

Now it's your turn! Grade both the finale and the season as a whole via the polls below, then hit the comments with your thoughts!