An hour of completely over the top, unbelievable cheese.  And I LOVED it!

I’m just shocked they didn’t find a way to make every single staff member collapse and get rescued, one by one...

Right, so:

Ric and Elle.  OK, I’m now good.  I can totally cope with the fact they hooked up once, but he’s now dating Francoise.  All good.

So glad that the Sacha/Beka/Darla story turned into Sacha needing the surgery rather than Beka.  Definitely worked in the getting-me-more-invested stakes!

Ric climbing through the ventilation tunnels in the ceiling.  Superb.

Essie and Beka’s chat whilst stranded in Imaging.  I was glad to see this happen, I think Essie and Sacha’s break up over Essie’s desire to have children has actually been sadly neglected in terms of follow up (yes, I know there was the whole Parker thing, but still).  Overall, unless forced to (like by Fletch’s chat with Essie at the end of the episode), I like to ignore the fact she ever hooked up with (married) Raf, I still think she belongs with Sacha.  I half wondered if the conversation was going to turn into the ‘I still love him’ trope, but sadly no.  Just that adoption might finally be on the cards.  Now Fletch won’t let her do overtime and all.  (???!!!)

One other thought on the Essie/Beka storyline.  Is there really no way Beka could have kept that neck brace on when she sat up??!!

Serena and Ange fighting again.  I have still not lost that strong feeling that this antagonism may lead to a slow burn hook up.  Let me make it clear that I am not rooting for this.  Just getting that niggling feeling.

I simply loved Noel sitting in Hanssen’s office, owning up, at the end of the episode.  Noel is so often portrayed as the fool - Casualty’s poor man’s Sacha Levy - and it’s incredibly good to be reminded every so often of what a decent bloke he really is.  I absolutely loved that Hanssen had taken the time to truly nominate him for an award.  One of my favourite scenes of the whole crossover. 

Second only, really, to anything involving Jac and Connie.  Quick shout out to the scene where Jac ripped Sacha’s shirt open first.  Now, nothing particulary sexy in Jac ripping Sacha’s shirt open.  But just take a moment to focus on the ‘Jac ripping open someone’s shirt’!  That moment aside, loved the reinforcement of the fraternal love that Jac feels for Sacha.  Jac really is just the most awesome character, she cares so deeply for her friends and is just so ill equipped to show it.  Pretty much my favourite character ever!

Then forward to the wonderful rivalry and bitchiness between Jac and Connie - former Queen pitted against reigning Queen.  The fighting, the force of will.  And ultimately, the begrudging respect that they can’t deny for each other.  I am going to be having some very happy dreams tonight!

"I'm sure Jac won't mind"

Hey, check me out!  I actually managed to do it!  I resisted watching Casualty until now, just an hour before Holby, thereby watching the two back to back...  Random scrambled thoughts following:

This was actually pretty good!  I have bitten my nails! 

Oh, my god, I bloody LOVE a crossover!  I can’t even describe the thrill at seeing all my faves from the two episodes mingling (although lots of it with clever filming, but still)

NOOOOOOOO!  Not Elle and Ric!  I had read the spoiler that there was a clandestine relationship happening between a Casualty person and a Holby person, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t pondered who it might be.  But I didn’t come up with this pairing.  Which might make me a bit stupid.  But I still prefer the idea of Ric with Francoise.

The Iain storyline is incredibly good.  Despite the fact I’ve been getting a bit fed up with Iain generally, I felt really invested in this.  And massive, massive kudos to Ruby - because her character/acting are what made this as amazing as it is.  On the flip side, my dislike for Gem is reaching new heights.  I really want to feel positive toward her because I can imagine the pain she must be feeling, but sadly, for me, the character is just so utterly unlikeable that even this huge trauma can’t make me warm to her.

The Sacha/Beka/Darla storyline isn’t grabbing me quite so much, although I can see the truth of Sacha’s reactions (bearing in mind it’s his real life daughter, I can imagine finding the emotion is made more real for him!).  Maybe the Holby part will cement the story for me.

I also found the part where we watched all the lights go out, section by section, whilst contrived, to be very thrilling too!

I really enjoyed this ep.  We haven’t seen Nicky’s party girl persona for a while, and I kind of think it’s in her character to self sabotage her chance of success by first finding reasons not to attend, then finally just not showing up to an interview which would give her a chance of success.  I was so pleased in the end when she showed up, and I loved what she said to the panel.  I think Nicky has grown so much as a character, so much more so than her initial appearance where she was so overshadowed by Meena.  I am starting to see signs that she could indeed end up as a Senior Registrar, or even a Consultant some day.  (Terrible decision about keeping her extra-medical knowledge of a patient a secret, notwithstanding!  Because really, who would judge her for having a heavy night out and a hook up?!!).  Really, really nasty dude, btw!!!

Hanssen.  I do think he needs to be CEO again, he really is perfect in the role.  BUT, as much as I didn’t think I would, I am really enjoying him in the role of a surgeon amongst surgeons.  I simply love the cementing of the friendships that is occuring, something that his position as CEO would always have prevented from quite happening.  I loved his scenes with Sacha, and it’s giving me a bit of a warm, fuzzy feeling that these two broken souls are going to be supporting each other through Christmas dinner.

Sacha was great in this episode.  I am pleased he is still staying with Jac, I imagine them helping each other through their recoveries.  It was fab to see his real life daughter play his onscreen daughter (although I may have lost a tiny bit of the impact of the scenes because I was so busy looking for all the little familial resemblances!!).  But the scene when he opened up to her was amazing, just thinking about the dynamic of always having been the strong one, helping your child grow and flourish, and then to have to turn around and admit this thing to them, this, what you may feel is a weakness, to someone for whom you’ve always been the epitome of strength.  So pleased that he did, and I’d like to see Beka appear again if she is to be staying with him for a while, I’d like to see her feature in his ongoing recovery.

Serena.  I’ve seen a few people already make comments on Serena’s comment about considering a yoga retreat in place of her already agreed plans to Christmas at Jason and Greta’s house - and how thoughtless this was considering Jason’s Aspergers.  It certainly was an... interesting... oversight.  Although I do appreciate how difficult it will be for her this year without Bernie, and with the anniversary of Elinor’s death fast approaching.

I want to just make a few comments on the Serena/Leah scenes.  As I see it, Serena is the senior consultant, Leah is her junior and her ‘student’.  Over the past weeks we have seen their professional relationship imbued with some sexual tension, we have seen one outing at Albie’s as colleagues which ended with Leah kissing Serena, then Serena hurriedly retreating.  We’ve seen discomfort on the wards, and another kiss, but no more ‘fraternising’ outside of work, until the ill fated hook up.  So, I don’t see really that any sort of friendship has flourished between them, beyond the professional mentor/student let’s be friendly stuff.  Which for me, made the whole Leah leaving scene where she presented Serena with sexy undies to actually be as jarring and inappropriate as the hook up itself.  I mean, you just wouldn’t to your boss with whom you’d had an unethical one night stand!  To me, it implies a relationship which I just didn’t feel had been shown to be there.  I mean, I suppose I appreciate the pep talk part, about how Serena is gorgeous and shouldn’t sit pining but should get out there, but the rest of the scene just felt... out of character?  Out of relationship?  I know what I’m trying to say... ALSO, Serena doesn’t mind being the subject of gossip because it would do her street cred good to be linked with gorgeous Leah?  Serena?  Who CAN’T STAND workplace hook ups, idle gossip/tittle tattle, and having her private life on display?  Hmm.  Something went wrong there...