Senior nurse Jacob Masters is finally back at work in Casualty and keen to move on after being brutally attacked by his abusive ex-girlfriend Tina Mollett. His traumatic past soon returns to the present, however, when evil Tina returns to the ED to claim back her man!
Knowing how bad she is for him, however, Jacob rejects her attempts to reunite. This makes Tina angry. Very angry. So she decides to get his attention the only way she knows how. Charles Venn reveals more...
Jacob's back at work after being attacked by Tina - how’s he coping?
"Well, at this point, Jacob’s following the out of sight, out of mind theory. He thinks that if he can zone in on work that would be the best panacea to deal with this traumatic period. If I don’t see her… ignore her messages… then it’ll almost be like it never happened. The past is done. I’m moving forward. That’s his mentality - but it’s not the realistic way of dealing with it."
Is part of his 'survival' keeping his secret from his friends in the ED?
"Definitely! He’s ashamed about what’s happened to him. In many ways he can’t believe that he was subjected to that abuse and that he allowed himself to be subjected to it. He's like: 'I'm Jacob, I’m a confident, hard-working, Alpha male' this is just a blip but I can move on and grow from this. I don’t need to discuss it, or share it with anyone else. As far as I’m concerned, that’s yesterday's news'."
Except Tina then turns up - how does he react to seeing her again?
"It totally arrests him. He experiences that horrible shock and trauma of suddenly seeing someone you never thought you’d see again. You think everything is fine but seeing them activates your muscle memory and you go back to the time you suffered that trauma. This wall you put up as a form of defence comes tumbling down when you see the person who’s responsible for your woes."
So he’s still suffering the after effects of her abuse?
"Very much so. He’s very much suffering a form of PTSD. The worst thing you can do is try and run away from something traumatic that’s happened in your life. Aftershock is a real thing."
How does he deal with her being in the ED?
"At the centre of all this, it’s about control and Jacob had his control seized from him by Tina. So he tries to regain control of the situation. He tries to reject her advances, making it very clear to her: ‘I don’t really want to interact with you right now’ and publicly announcing that they’re no longer together. But her allure, her presence and the amount of damage she’s caused to Jacob is overwhelming, is too strong. So his attempt is short-lived."
Annoyed by his rejection, Tina resorts to other measures to get Jacob's attention…
"Tina’s going to get Jacob’s attention by hook or by crook. Her attitude is: ‘If you’re not going to listen to me, then I’m going to make sure somebody else will make you listen to me… and by taking a patient hostage I demand that you speak to me.’ For Tina, if that’s what it takes then so be it."
Jacob finds Tina - and patient Ren - in the ambo station. Is Tina able to be at all rational?
"On the outside, Tina’s like: ‘I love you, I just want the best for us and I feel you’re not appreciating my efforts.’ Because the fact that Jacob is moving on, that he’s trying to gain control to break this siren-like spell that she’s put him under. So Tina has to go to these extreme measures to make it happen. But when she doesn’t get the attention she expects she resorts to even MORE extreme tactics!"
Tensions escalate quickly - is Jacob genuinely terrified?
"It’s not initial terror at first. I think Jacob is trying to be assertive with Tina to take control of the situation. But then Tina resorts to even MORE extreme tactics by making a controversial revelation. In that moment, Jacob’s old feelings for Tina come flooding back and he feels he needs to be there for her. Tina’s regained control."
Where does Jacob get the strength from to finally stand up to Tina?
"Well, paramedic Iain reminds Jacob that Tina is a very cunning, duplicitous woman and she’s using this 'spell' she’s put him under, to her advantage. But Iain can CLEARLY see what she’s doing and says you may have fooled Jacob, but you don’t fool me. Despite everything, though, it looks like Jacob will still defend Tina's honour. That's how much he's damaged by what she's done."
Casualty continues Saturdays at 9.30pm on BBC1.
