The Finale
Episode 7 of This is Going To Hurt begins two months after the traumatic events that took Shruti’s life. The labour ward is packed, and the ghosts of Shruti continue to hang over Adam. Even worse, her replacement, Al, isn’t exactly up to scratch right now.
What happens at Shruti’s memorial?
Still, it’s Shruti’s memorial that comes into focus here and they’re going to remember her life by planting an oak tree outside. As the parents gush over how much she loves being a doctor, Vicky speaks up next and talks about how Shruti was suffering from depression. Adam wants there to be an investigation into the horrific conditions they’re all working in, but for now it’s back to work and the constant underfunded circus they’re stuck with. In the wake of all this, Adam is sidetracked by Lockhart who quizzes him on the upcoming tribunal. Although he’s the one who weaseled out of taking the fall, Lockhart encourages Adam to play the system so he stays on as a doctor. Specifically, he encourages Adam to turn the narrative around and claim that Shruti was the one who mistakenly told him about Lockhart. It’s a blatant lie but according to Lockhart, it’s a way to keep his job and only let one domino fall.
Does Adam manage to keep his job?
With his ditzy lawyer by his side, acting unprofessionally, Adam shows up at his tribunal and talks about Shruti… but does he follow Lockhart’s advice? All will be revealed. Either way, Adam manages to keep his job. Needing someone to talk to, Adam ends up meeting Harry and clearly feels guilty, struggling with his own emotions and sobbing at the table. Realizing he needs someone by his side, rather than being stuck alone, he invites Harry along to join as a temporary plus-one to Greg and Emma’s wedding. Back at the hospital, it’s time for Misty to leave. Erika is there with a gift for Adam, a cup reading “World’s Best doctor”. She also has one for Shruti but of course, that feels like salt in the wound. Before Adam can elaborate though, he’s called away by an emergency. It’s touch and go for a while but Adam manages to save the patient. However, he also sees Al sobbing in the changing room. Remembering the harsh grilling he gave Shruti, Adam wheels back his harsh critiques and instead tries a softer approach. He also gives Al the afternoon off to compose himself. In doing so, he takes Shruti’s name-tag from her locker and places it in his wallet. It’s a symbolic act, one to remember her by and also to try and take some lessons from the tragic loss of her life.
Does Harry shows up at Greg and Emma’s wedding?
At Greg and Emma’s wedding, Harry is a no-show. At least to begin with anyway. In his absence, Harry takes Emma’s aside and hands over a sonic-aid, his wedding gift for her to help hear the baby’s heartbeat and put her mind at ease for the next few weeks. At least until she gives birth anyway. It’s her second best present (the Maserati from Greg being the first) and a nice way to put water under the bridge for their trying relationship over the past few episodes. Harry does eventually show up and Adam gets talking about their future. Interestingly, it also puts into focus what happened at the tribunal. Remember when we all thought Adam threw Shruti under the bus to save his skin? Well, the truth is, that’s not what actually happened. Adam honoured Shruti’s life, pointing out the overwhelming amount of stress she was dealing with and how she was forced to work in a broken system. It turns out one medical professional takes their own life every three weeks. It’s a shocking statistic and something that throws the mental health of doctors, nurses and all the other health professionals into question.
Do Adam and Harry get back together?
Now, while Adam talks to Harry about this, the pair end up swimming together in the lake. Adam wants to make a go of it and even contemplates giving up being a doctor so he can keep Harry. He can’t do it though when it comes down to it, and as the pair talk they embrace one another. Now, it’s worth bearing in mind that water is generally synonymous with emotion and with them both half-submerged, it’s a way of showing that they’re both overwhelmed by their own emotions while navigating their difficult work/life balance. This scene also works to show how important a support system actually is when it comes to working for the NHS. For Shruti, she was living alone in a small apartment, and her depression slowly ate away at her until it ended in heartbreak. For Adam, he had Harry to fall back on and managed to at least try to get away from it all, despite being haunted by the memories of his tribunal, Shruti and Erika. In the end, Adam realizes how important Harry is to his life but also that he wants to be a doctor and can’t give that up. It would seem that they’re going to try and get back together but it’s left suitably ambiguous.
How does This Is Going To Hurt End?
As the episode closes out, we cut back to Adam as he heads to the hospital. While waiting to get a parking ticket (something criminally overlooked. NHS workers should not have to pay for parking), he helps a pregnant woman who’s ready to give birth. However, in the time that he’s gone, he ends up getting a penalty notice. Go figure!
The Episode Review
So the final episode of This is Going To Hurt throws shade at the whole broken system of the NHS. Not only underfunded but also criminally overlooked when it comes to mental health, this show does an amazing job of depicting the harsh realities of being a doctor, as well as all the jumping through hoops and trauma that comes with that. There’s been some really amazing moments across this season and the topical and timely manner that this show has come out speaks volumes about how broken the system is that it can resonate so strongly. There’s certainly room for a second season, but largely this ends everything with a solid, satisfying conclusion that rounds out this wonderful show with a great finale.
