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 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.

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.

With Louisa visiting her mother in Spain to get some perspective on their marriage, Martin knows he needs to try to change for the sake of their relationship, so he endeavours to keep his promise to her to see a therapist. Aunt Ruth arranges an appointment for him with Dr Rachel Timoney, but a lifeboat training exercise causes problems for the doctor. Will he get back in time for his first session?

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.

The irascible medic decides to move out of the Surgery to give Louisa space, leaving Mrs Tishell concerned he will not be able to look after himself on his own. Elsewhere, PC Penhale helps Janice babysit, and Al is very concerned when he finds out about Bert's behaviour and hears there are bailiffs at the restaurant.

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.

After reaching breaking point with being followed around by Buddy, Martin resolves to find a vet to have it put down, while Ruth finds out that Bert has been trying to make his own whisky. Clive is suspicious of Mrs Tishell and who she might be cooking meals for, Penhale makes a hash of asking Janice out, and Louisa and Martin's therapy homework results in a picnic on the beach, where they are interrupted by local vet Angela Sim - who appears to be hallucinating.

Louisa helps out her ex-boyfriend Danny when he brings seven children from London to camp on Ruth's farm - supervised by Al and Bert - while she and Martin plan a date on the advice of Dr Timoney. However, their night at the restaurant is interrupted when Danny calls saying one of the youngsters has gone missing. Things get worse for the couple when Martin uncovers a health scare at James's first birthday party that makes all the guests leave very quickly.

Louisa is not best pleased when her new art teacher Erica wants to try out some rather alternative ideas on the children, while Dr Timoney is involved in a car accident outside the school. Penhale is confused when he is offered a transfer to Exeter, Bert decides to go back to being a handyman, and Louisa and Martin are intrigued when Dr Timoney invites them for an additional therapy session. Plus, an American tourist seeks help from the GP.

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 ...