The seventh episode of Best Medicine season 1, titled “There Might Be Blood,” aired on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, on FOX and delivered a major turning point for Dr. Martin Best. The episode forced the town doctor to confront his deepest fear when schoolteacher Louisa Gavin fell seriously ill during Port Wenn’s annual “Blood Factory” festival. But the real shock came after Martin pushed through his terror—he made a startling discovery about himself that completely changes his medical practice and his relationship with Louisa going forward .
The Blood Factory Festival Puts Martin in His Worst Nightmare
Port Wenn decided to host its annual “Blood Factory” festival, celebrating a gory horror novel written decades ago that was set in the town. For most residents, the event meant fun, costumes, and community spirit. For Martin, it represented a living nightmare. He has been hiding his debilitating blood phobia since arriving in Port Wenn, and the Blood Factory festival threatened to expose his secret to everyone .
The event featured fake blood, gory props, and horror-themed attractions—everything designed to trigger his condition. Martin’s loyal medical assistant, Elaine Denton (Cree) , tried to help by buying him groceries so he could avoid the festival altogether. But life in a small town never works out the way Martin hopes. Accidents started happening at the barn where rehearsals for the festival’s centerpiece play were taking place, and Martin could not stay away forever .
Louisa Falls Seriously Ill During the Festival
The episode’s central crisis unfolded when Louisa Gavin (Abigail Spencer) collapsed during the Blood Factory festivities. Martin rushed to help her, but treating his crush while battling his own panic attack created incredibly awkward and tense moments. Louisa initially brushed off her illness, insisting she was fine. She only agreed to let Martin examine her when the teenagers around them started staring and making comments about the pair possibly kissing .
The examination scenes crackled with awkward energy. Martin needed Louisa to undress to check a rash, and both of them acted more like nervous teens than mature adults. The situation became more complicated when Martin discovered that a faulty HVAC system at the festival might be making at least half the cast sick. He wanted to shut down the production immediately, but Louisa refused. The school fundraiser took priority over her own health in her mind, leading to a heated argument where she essentially fired him as her doctor .
Martin’s Startling Discovery About Himself
The episode’s most powerful moments came when Martin had to push past his fear to save Louisa. He learned from young Peter, one of his patients, about facing fears head-on. Peter decided to confront his own anxiety about the scary festival, and Martin realized he needed to be brave too. As Martin rushed through the barn looking for Louisa, he kept chanting to himself that the blood everywhere was just red paint and food coloring .
When he finally found Louisa in the bridal chamber portion of the festival play, she was in bad shape. The actor playing the groom had not noticed she was genuinely ill, thinking her distress was part of the performance. Louisa started yelling for help, and Martin pushed through his terror to reach her. In a moment straight out of Romeo and Juliet, Martin fainted in a coffin next to Louisa after getting to her .
Elaine was incredibly proud of him for trying, but Martin only cared about one thing—telling Louisa about her medical condition. The diagnosis changed everything. Louisa has hemochromatosis, a blood disorder causing her body to store too much iron. Martin realized he would need to learn how to draw blood, something he had never done before, to properly care for her going forward .
This is the startling discovery Martin makes about himself. He is willing to learn an entirely new medical skill that directly triggers his phobia because he cares about Louisa. The man who cannot stand the sight of blood is preparing to stick needles into patients and draw blood samples. It represents a complete transformation of his character and shows that his feelings for Louisa run deeper than even he realized .
Evan Handler’s Surprise Cameo as Jeremy Gathercole
While Martin battled his phobia at the Blood Factory, another storyline unfolded that brought a huge smile to viewers’ faces. Greg Garrison (Stephen Spinella) , one half of the married couple running The Salty Breeze inn, had been promoting the festival by claiming that horror author Jeremy Gathercole would make an appearance. The only problem was he had not actually confirmed anything—he was just manifesting attendance to put Port Wenn on the map .
George (Jason Veasey) , Greg’s husband and voice of reason, kept pushing him to tell the truth before the lie got out of hand. Just as Greg was about to come clean, pharmacist Sally Mylow (Clea Lewis) casually offered to call the author. Sally insisted she knew Jeremy Gathercole from 40 years ago when they scooped ice cream together. “Let’s just say it got very hot in that deep freeze. He’ll answer my calls,” she said confidently .
And she was right. Jeremy Gathercole arrived in Port Wenn just in time, stepping out of a car with a license plate reading MRWRITE. He had eyes only for Sally, greeting her with, “Hello, Sally. I’ve been waiting for your call for 40 years.” Sally played it cool, telling him not to look at her like that because she felt like a piece of meat .
The author was played by Evan Handler, known to many TV fans for his roles on Sex and the City and Californication. Handler’s appearance was a delightful surprise that added levity to an otherwise tense episode. Executive producer Liz Tuccillo explained the thinking behind the cameo. “Obviously, the big mystery or the big suspense for the whole episode is that Greg is hoping for Jeremy Gathercole to show up. And it’s very, very obvious that he won’t show up because there’s no reason for him to show up. But Sally is insisting that she knows him and she’ll just give him a call, which of course seems completely delusional in the moment,” Tuccillo said .
“And then the fun of the revelation that he does show up is that we have a really fun actor to play him, who’s so perfect, and that’s Evan Handler. And Evan is an old friend, so it was really fun to have him come in. And it was a big favor because he’s from L.A., so he flew in for this very small moment, but it was so fun to have him, and he was so perfect” .
The cameo added warmth to Sally’s character, showing that the sometimes abrasive pharmacist had a romantic history she rarely discussed. The clear chemistry between Sally and Jeremy suggested viewers might see more of Handler in future episodes .
Louisa’s Romantic Dilemma Deepens
The episode also explored Louisa’s complicated feelings about her romantic options. Sheriff Mark Mylow (Josh Segarra) , her ex, remains a presence in town, and the Blood Factory play required both Louisa and Mark to perform as the bride and groom. Louisa has been confident about her decision to end things with Mark, but constant pressure from people like Sally—Mark’s protective relative—made her question whether she would ever find someone as good as him .
Yet Louisa’s attraction to Martin is undeniable. The careful way they tiptoe around each other, both afraid of getting hurt, creates constant tension. After being with Mark, who always wore his heart on his sleeve, Louisa finds Martin’s reserve both frustrating and intriguing. During the play rehearsal, Louisa and Mark found themselves in wedding attire, and the unreality of the situation hit them both. They realized the other was not feeling well, and Louisa knew instinctively to call Martin for help .
Fans of the show can breathe easy about one thing—Louisa is not pregnant with Mark’s child. The episode made clear that no such complication exists, allowing the romantic triangle to develop naturally without that particular soap opera twist .
Aunt Sarah Gets a Helping Hand
Aunt Sarah (Annie Potts) had her own storyline in the episode. The feisty older woman was struggling financially, having trouble renewing her lobster license. To make matters worse, she appeared injured, though she tried to hide it from everyone. Eddie McCroy, the town’s resident curmudgeon, noticed Sarah’s difficulties. Despite his rough exterior, Eddie clearly has feelings for her .
When Sarah swallowed her pride and asked for his help with lobstering, offering him a cut of the profits, Eddie surprised her by offering to help for free if she would agree to go on a date with him. Sarah turned down the date initially, but she started to soften. The episode hinted that fans might see a date—or at least another steamy moment—between these two before long .
Al and Elaine’s Complicated Romance
Al Large (Carter Shimp) continues to pursue Elaine, and their storyline took an interesting turn during the Blood Factory play. The pair acted as the doomed couple in the production, and their scenes together were both funny and touching. Al, eager to prove his worth to Elaine, took on odd jobs around town. His devotion to her is clear .
When they were tied up together during the play, Al tried to create a perfect romantic moment. Elaine kissed him, which seemed promising. But afterward, she admitted she still dreams of leaving Port Wenn. Her conflicting feelings about romance are interesting given how much she pushes Martin and Louisa together. Elaine seems to believe in love for everyone except herself .
Greg and George’s Opposite Approaches
The married innkeepers provided comic relief throughout the episode. Greg’s shameless willingness to do anything for publicity contrasts sharply with George’s rule-following nature. When reporters came to town for the festival, George tried to behave properly while Greg worked every angle. George’s antics in front of the press were hilarious, though nobody paid him much attention. Everyone wanted to meet the author, and when Jeremy Gathercole actually appeared, Greg looked like a genius despite having lied about his attendance .
How to Watch Best Medicine
Best Medicine airs Tuesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX. For viewers who missed “There Might Be Blood,” the episode is available for streaming through various platforms including Fubo TV and will likely appear on Hulu following its initial broadcast. International viewers should check local listings, as FOX programming availability varies by region .
The show is based on the beloved British format Doc Martin and has found its own identity with American settings and characters while maintaining the charm that made the original a global hit. The series follows Martin Best, a brilliant surgeon who abruptly leaves his illustrious career in Boston to become the general practitioner in a quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent summers as a child .
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What Episode 7 Means for Martin Going Forward
Martin now knows he can face his fear of blood when someone he loves needs him. He also knows Louisa’s medical condition will require ongoing care—care that means he must learn to draw blood and manage a patient with a chronic blood disorder. The man who could not stand the sight of blood is now preparing to work with it regularly. That is the startling discovery Martin makes about himself in Episode 7. He is capable of changing for someone he cares about, and that changes everything for his future in Port Wenn .
The episode also sets up next week’s installment, titled “The Bogfather,” where a corpse is found in the town’s bog and Martin’s autopsy reveals the person was murdered. Martin’s solo investigation leads him to another startling discovery about himself, suggesting the character growth continues in Episode 8 .
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