Max Cristie gets the shock of his life in Casualty episode Welcome to the Warzone (BBC One, 8.35pm, Saturday, April 8 2023 — see our TV Guide for listings). Why has a new arrival got him in a spin? Elsewhere, Donna Jackson and her four new nurses face an eventful first day at Holby ED, while the paramedics have a new recruit. Can you guess who it is?
Full Casualty spoilers below…
Max Cristie stunned by one of Donna’s new recruits
It’s all change this week when five new nurses join Holby Hosptial’s understaffed A&E department!
Donna Jackson (Holby City star Jaye Jacobs reprising her much-loved character) has been appointed as ED clinical nurse manager, following Jacob Masters’ shock resignation last week — and she’s not alone!
Donna has hired four fresh-faced newbies to help her. But will timid Cameron 'Cam' Mickelthwaite (Breaking Dad’s Barney Walsh), over-confident Ryan Firth (Emmerdale’s Eddie-Joe Robinson), mysterious Jodie Whyte (The Bay’s Anna Chell) and straight-talking Rida Amaan (I Hate Suzie’s Sarah Seggari) be able to cut it as medics on the front line?
And why is Max (Nigel Harman) shaken when he spots Jodie?
First impressions…
From the get-go, Donna cracks the whip and all four make a strong first impression on their new colleagues — but for the wrong reasons! Ryan calls consultant Stevie Nash a ‘cute nurse’, Jodie arrives late, hungover and is caught stealing scrubs from the staffroom, while Cameron and Rida lose the body of a deceased patient…
There are plenty of big shocks for the new recruits, as they come to grips with the life-and-death chaos of the ED. But Jodie faces the biggest bombshell of all when she comes face to face with clinical lead Max Cristie. They secretly know each other and don’t want anyone to find out!
Donna Jackson cracks the whip
Donna has her work cut out for her as she introduces the four to Holby Hospital and she’s determined to keep them on a tight leash!
Before she’s finished giving a tour of the ED, Donna has to reprimand Ryan for eyeing up Stevie and has to intervene as security are on the verge of turfing Jodie out for stealing! Just wait till word gets back to her that Cam and Rida have lost a dead body after leaving the deceased unattended in a corridor…
Keep a close eye on Faith
Faith Cadogan is loved up and invites boyfriend Iain Dean round to hers after work for a cosy night in. Viewers know that Faith (Kirsty Mitchell) is battling a secret prescription drug addiction after a traumatic sexual assault. While Iain knows about the assault, he has no idea about the drugs or that she’s using hospital resources to feed her habit.
Should we be worried when Faith turns up at the ambulance station for a catch-up with Iain before their date?
Also in Casualty this week
Weary Charlie Fairhead (Derek Thompson) gives Donna a warm welcome when she comes to pick up her ED pass. He’s been holding the fort in the wake of an onslaught of resignations, while trying to grieve for Robyn Miller, the closest person in his life to a daughter.
Here’s hoping Donna is a tower of support for the man who is, as Donna puts it to the new nurses, 'Charlie basically is Holby ED.’
Charlie ends up mentoring Cam, who has the first shift from hell — and it’s a pairing we can get onboard with!
Elsewhere, grieving doctor Paige Allcott (Shalisha James-Davis) is in an unforgiving mood, which means the cold shoulder for one of the team.
Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) introduces herself to Donna, but it remains to be seen how this pair will get along going forward. By the end of the shift, however, one of Donna’s fresh faced newcomers has caught the eye of the notoriously hard-to-impress consultant…
Rash Masum (Need Mohan) ends up taking one of the new nurses under his wing. Rida is delighted when Rash gives her the opportunity to get stuck in to the gritty world of medicine at the ED.
And finally, paramedics Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) and Teddy Gowan (Milo Clarke) welcome a new recruit to the team. The person in question has had six weeks training, is on probation, and faces a baptism by fire on their first ambulance shift… Could their first day also be their last?
Casualty episode Welcome to the Warzone airs on Saturday 08 April 2023 at 8.35pm on BBC One. It will be available on BBC iPlayer after transmission.
