Dr. Tom: Analysis

Season 1, Episode 1: Dr. Tom

Analysis

Alongside every episode guide, I thought I'd provide my own views on, and analysis of, each episode. Some comments are light hearted, some look at the big issues and matters touched on in each episode.

I should begin by apologising for the length of the first episode guide. I'm not sure whether the detail is too great, it turned into a play-by-play in the end. Being Erica is such a well written and intricate show though, that it's difficult to know what to leave out.

Let me make it clear from the outset, despite my name, my life circumstances are a lot more similar to Erica. Indeed, give it ten years time, and I could probably recite most of that same opening narrative about myself.

A high-flyer at school, excelled in education, great qualifications. However, for various reasons, my life has not taken off. Most of those reasons being down to my own mistakes and faults.

In all honestly, I would love, and probably need, the same kind of treatment Erica goes through. It's one of the reasons I got hooked on the show.

Of course, it helps that the main protagonist is an attractive girl, but when she's good looking and easy to empathise with, then Being Erica was always onto a winner with me.

Truth is, Erica is representative of me and plenty of other people. So it's nice to see somebody like that portrayed on TV. People think that as long as you get good qualifications and go to university then you're made for life. Not so.

Anyway, onto the actual events of the episode where, even if you struggle to empathise with Erica, it's hard not to feel sorry for her when she is fired and then her date cancels on her. Seriously, as well, what is that reasoning all about?

Going to the gym? I was always under the impression that a third date on the other side of the Atlantic guaranteed afterwards a different kind of work out altogether? Maybe not?

The sudden rain shower is a bit of a cliche on the writers' part, maybe that's what the weather can do in Toronto, but I guess it was essential to the story to get Erica into the coffee house and, subsequently, hospital.

Enter Dr. Tom, accompanied by the music which, when it plays, always lets you know that a meeting between him and Erica is around the corner.

Excuse me for going off on a tangent, but I couldn't help thinking as Erica tried to explained to him what she had drunk that the names of coffee-based drinks really are ridiculous.

No wonder she can't remember what she had when there are so many different, often foreign, words involved. Imagine if folk had to do that when ordering a cocktail - listing all the alcoholic beverages that go into it, and how they'd like it prepared.

Isn't there some international organisation who can come up with standard one word names for these coffee drinks? So when you want nutmeg sprinkled on top and the milk to be of a certain foaminess, you can just order a 'Dr. Tom' and be done with it?

I digress. Michael Riley, as I have said elsewhere, always ends up stealing the show, for me. Then again, I've always been impressed by people who can dredge up famous quotes from their mind to perfectly suit a situation. It makes them look very clever.

His voice has a particularly calm tone when he meets Erica for the first time. However, as we later discover, Dr. Tom can very quickly change. It's what makes him so fascinating.

The action moves on to Erica's old bedroom and that wall of photos. For someone who hates being captured in photos or even looking through old ones, I've never quite understood why some people plaster them all over the walls.

Often they're of happy memories and good times. I guess the idea is that they are supposed to make you feel like that when you see them. Although if you're feeling crappy then it can also just remind you of how good life used to be compared to now. Which was probably the case with Erica in this instance.

Still, one of the best scenes in the episode is the family brunch. Congratulations to the writers and Adam MacDonald for so quickly establishing Josh as the generally dislikeable guy he is.

It's also very easy with hindsight, but the glances he throws Erica after she has gone back in time, as well as the writers establishing how hard both he and Sam work, were already setting up future story lines.

The brunch scene is classic. Such family gatherings almost remind me of school reunions - lots of people getting together to talk about, and compare, their lives.

That's fine when life is going well for you. However, if you're in Erica's shoes, as I am, then they're awkward situations where you spend the majority of time just hoping that, and trying to ensure, the conversation doesn't become about you.

No such luck for Erica, of course. And, when she does become the centre of conversation, she has the usual three options. Answer truthfully, lie, or try and deflect away questions with humour.

I find the first embarrassing and the second hard work, so the third is my own tried and trusted formula for surviving in such scenarios. So, it seems, does Erica.

The scene also illustrated how funny Being Erica is. From the comedy of awkwardness to the hilarious excuses Erica offers for why she's not seeing Trevor any more - before recommending him to her friends for all their dental needs.

Erica's speech about how she is being suffocated by their disappointment is a great line as she makes her exit from the table. Her jump from the window does test credulity, but I'll let the writers off for that one.

Dr. Tom's office building is an interesting conundrum. One, having only seen until the end of Series 2, that I am still unsure of. How can it be there one minute and not the next? And what's the deal with the secretary?

Any scene between Michael and Erin is a good one, and this first one in Dr. Tom's office is a classic.

It also shows that, despite appearing to be the wise prophet with all the quotes - note Dr. Tom's childlike satisfaction when he turns Erica's pressure claim into yet another one - he has another side.

He can be irritable and quick to anger. Although part of me does think his goading of Erica was some kind of reverse psychology designed to get her to commit - him probably realising that, like me, Erica is not the most impulsive of characters.

The regret itself is an interesting one - revolving around Erica's concern of how she is perceived.

Such dances and formals as occur in Canada and the US, aren't really done here in the UK, so it's difficult to know just how important they are. Indeed, I dread to think how much higher our teenage pregnancy rates would be if such events were held by schools.

Anyway, we go back into the early '90s for Erica's regret. One of the great bonuses of the time travelling aspect is the chance to see the kind of clothes people wore, as well as the great '90s sound track.

Indeed, I was left wondering just what has happened to denim? Is it just me, or did people use to wear more of it 20 years ago? Now it's largely confined to jeans, but as kid in the '90s I recall denim jackets used to be all the rage.

We are given our first glimpse of Leo during the time travel. At this point, we all know he's dead because of Erica's list. However, we don't know when or how he died.

I guess it's difficult to know how you'd react when you saw someone again who you thought you never would. Erica seems quite restrained, to be honest.

One of the other great things about the regrets is wondering how and where Dr. Tom will pop up in the past. His turn as the hot dog vendor is very funny as it gives him the opportunity to be facetious with Erica.

Not quite as funny as Erica shaving herself though. I won't go into further detail, but it's one of those things a guy doesn't really want to think about.

Had Josh known what she was really doing in her room, I can't believe he'd have kept watching. It's like going to a fast food restaurant - we like the end product, but guys don't want to know about the preparation process involved.

On reflection, there's actually a lot of comedy in the pilot. The scene with a very forward Erica in the car with Noah is another such example.

Again, from a guy's perspective, such a situation can be confusing. While we like where it's heading, we're slightly confused that we're not the ones behind the driving wheel.

Away from the humour, it's easy to forget that this is Erica's first ever time travelling experience and she doesn't yet know what it entails. For all the benefits - like being able to see Leo - the thought of being stuck in the past forever must be pretty scary.

It's no surprise to see her start to get angry with an evasive Dr. Tom outside the dance hall therefore. Despite his cryptic comments though, you can already tell he cares about Erica - he doesn't want to see her cry.

The doctor-patient relationship is just beginning and they are still trying to work one another out.

Drunk acting is always amusing, and Paula as Jenny was especially good, including uttering that immortal phrase: "What's your damage?" Historically accurate of course, but you can't help but think the writers were taking the opportunity to gently mock the absurdity of the phrase.

Eventually of course, the episode ends with another showdown between Erica and Dr. Tom. We see, once again, how he can quickly change from joking to getting quite angry - foreshadowing later events in the season.

Perhaps he had to though, to get through to Erica. For once, she actually seems to get what he has been saying.

Of course, Erica's problem is she cares too much about what people think about her. I would class myself as the opposite. Although that's not necessarily a good thing.

Perhaps if I did care whether people think I'm a waster or not and are disappointed in me, then it might spur me onto proving them wrong.

The point of Erica going back in time though was to make her realise that she can change if she wants to - because she has the bravery to. If she believes in her own ability to change, then it doesn't matter if others disagree.

I guess it's the power of positive thinking. That sometimes we ourselves are the greatest roadblocks to where we want to get. If we actually believe in our own ability, then anything is achievable.