Faith Cadogan lies to Stevie Nash about having cancer in Casualty episode Pull Together, Push Apart (BBC One, 8.25pm, Saturday, August 12, 2023 — see our TV Guide for listings).
Elsewhere, there are shocking scenes when paramedics Iain Dean and Jacob Masters arrive at a warehouse where partygoers are screaming in pain after an acid attack.
As the team face this major incident, clinical lead Max Cristie is on the lookout for the ED drug thief among the chaos. Meanwhile, will Donna Jackson’s car crash lies come back to hurt her and her family?
Full Casualty spoilers below…
Faith Cadogan — end of the line?
Faith Cadogan has already ruined her relationship with Iain Dean and endangered her children with her secret addiction. This week the trusted advanced clinical practitioner sinks to a new low when her career and reputation are on the line.
Calling the shots
At the start of another busy night shift clinical lead Max Cristie (Nigel Harman) calls his most trusted senior staff into his office. He tells Stevie Nash, Donna Jackson and Dylan Keogh that someone is stealing diazepam from the hospital supplies and asks everyone to be discreetly vigilant.
However, there’s one person missing from Max’s secret emergency meeting… Faith (Kirsty Mitchell) is absent because she’s in the process of feeding her addiction!
Stevie (Elinor Lawless) assures Max that she will fill Faith in on the new double-signing protocol the first chance she gets. But the conversation is brought to an abrupt end when a major incident is declared following an acid attack at a warehouse (more on this below)...
Action stations
Outside the ED, Faith is the picture of calm, confidence and running the show as contamination tents are set up in the hospital car park for the many casualties who begin to pour into the ED.
Faith’s demeanour quickly changes, however, when she runs into Stevie, who fills her in on the drug thefts and new hospital protocol for prescriptions.
Faith’s blood runs cold — she’s all out of pills and desperately needs a fix. She hopes against hope that under the cloak of the ED’s chaos she will be able to stock up and hide her tracks. She’s wrong!
Caught and cornered
Stevie discovers her best friend’s deceit when she realises Faith has overprescribed diazepam for patient Viv Collins (Ania Marson, Killing Eve, Ghosts, The Witcher).
Furious, Stevie confronts Faith in the staff room and demands answers!
Panicked Faith attempts to defend herself. Faced with telling the truth or concealing her addiction, Faith blurts out a despicable lie and tells Stevie that she has ovarian cancer.
The big questions now are, does sceptical Stevie buy this blatant lie? And if she does, how long can Faith keep it up?
Horror attack in Holby
There are shock scenes this week when Iain Dean and Jacob Masters arrive at a warehouse rave where partygoers have been attacked with acid.
With multiple casualties to treat the paramedic pair leap into action and undertake a relentless nightshift rescue, only for events to take a nightmarish twist…
A young man called Joe Gaunt (Cayvan Coates, Vera, Midsomer Murders, Masters of the Air) alerts them to an emergency in the basement, but uses the situation to steal Jacob’s medical bag.
Deadly hostage situation
Later, Iain (Michael Stevenson) and Jacob (Charles Venn) discover Joe apparently suffering from an overdose, only for him to suddenly take Iain hostage at syringe point and demand another medical bag!
Jacob has a choice to make — give Joe what he wants, or try and talk him down.
Still furious at having one medical bag nicked, will notorious maverick medic Jacob gamble with Iain’s life?
Donna’s guilty decision
Faith isn’t the only ED staff member desperate to keep their secret from being exposed!
This week nurse manager Donna Jackson (Jaye Jacobs) is confronted with her car crash lies when victim Ashley ‘Ash’ Morgan (Connor Curren) is admitted to the ED after a suspected suicide attempt. Donna is quietly horrified and her heart goes out to the young man…
While treating Ash, Donna discovers that, with his mum Kerry (Keira Lucchesi) still in a coma, he's got no money to live on. He’s also lost his job because the near-fatal crash caused him to total his car.
Max is taken aback by Donna’s interest in Ash, especially given his obvious hatred of her. Will the canny clinical lead work out there’s more to this story than meets the eye?
Meanwhile, on the personal front, Donna is fielding calls from her daughter Mia (Briana Shann) who’s overwhelmed with looking after younger sister Amber (Mia Streeks).
With pressure mounting on all sides, Donna approaches Ash at the end of her shift and makes him an offer. Will it be one she lives to regret?
Also in Casualty this week
Love hurts
Cam Micklethwaite (Barney Walsh) comes under suspicion as the ED drug thief when Stevie realises he’s forgetting to properly sign off prescriptions.
When the highly critical consultant voices her concerns to the actual culprit will duplicitous Faith hang him out to dry?
Oblivious, Cam is more concerned with matters of the heart. He’s clearly devoted to his new dog, Bob, but he still pines for Jodie Whyte (Anna Chell).
Ryan tryin'
Spotting an opportunity to make up with Cam, fellow nurse Ryan Firth (Eddie-Joe Robinson) is encouraged, after a chat with patient Jack Lamb (Ed Larkin, Doctors), to reach out to his former friend.
Keen to make amends, Ryan gives Cam some tips on how to get Jodie to notice him. Initially, Cam thinks Ryan’s tactics are horribly manipulative, but will he resort to using them anyway?
Jodie hurting
Either way, Cam is probably wasting his time as romance is the last thing on Jodie’s mind. She’s still reeling from her father’s clinically cold rejection last week.
Yet, despite putting up her armour, the young nurse finds it difficult to keep full control of her true emotions…
Decision time!
Jacob Masters discovers whether or not he’s passed his paramedic training this week. Will his actions in Iain’s deadly hostage situation work against him? And if he is not allowed to become a fully trained paramedic, what will the future look like for the former ED nurse?
Faith, be afraid…
Towards the end of the shift Faith looks on nervously as Stevie and Iain have a catch-up… about her! Will they compare stories and twig that she’s lying to them both?
Stevie's soft side
Away from the drama with Faith, Stevie has a go at playing matchmaker!
Theo Danforth is frantic when his ex-wife Perrie Adams is brought into the ED after the acid attack. Theo (Micah Balfour, The Bill, Emmerdale, Lovely Little Farm) is adamant he’ll support her, but turns nasty when he discovers Perrie’s lover Jade Greenwood (Stella Taylor, Palindrome, Everyone) is also there.
Distraught over her life-changing injuries, Perrie (Kirsty Stuart, Shetland, Six Four) kicks both Theo and Jade out. But, after consultant Stevie Nash kindly tells her a few home truths, Perrie ends up asking one of them to stay. Who will she choose?
From the archives: Micah Balfour on joining Sun Hill — again!
From the archives: Micah Balfour on playing Emmerdale's 'stupid' dodgy doctor Jermaine Bailey
And finally, keep an eye out for Dylan Keogh (William Beck) doing an excellent impression of To Kill a Mockingbird’s Boo Radley!
Casualty episode Pull Together, Push Apart airs on Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 8.25pm on BBC One. It will be available on BBC iPlayer after transmission.
Exclusive Casualty interviews:
Part 1 of a 3-part special: Casualty exclusive: Kirsty Mitchell on Faith Cadogan’s dangerous drug spiral
Michael Stevenson reveals what the future holds for Iain Dean and Faith Cadogan
Casualty star Charles Venn reveals what’s fueling Jacob Masters
