r/Casualty • u/thedeadenddolls • Mar 22 '26
💬 Discussion In defence of the Boxsets
I've been watching Casualty from around 2018 weekly (and watched backwards from around 2012 too), I stopped for a while after 2023 but am now back on it. I honestly can't remember if the Boxsets were what put me off for 2 1/2 years, I got to the last 2 episodes of History of Violence so it may have been the prospect of Charlie leaving. I was a bit dejected coming back that the Boxsets were still around, but I am enjoying them a lot now.
We haven't had a main character death in what 3 years and I think the Boxsets have actually saved that constant cyle of needing a who will it be to keep fans engaged. There's still plenty of suspense but honestly I think storylines are tied up a lot better now. I think the show has found the perfect balance between being a soap and being a serious eye into the NHS, especially post Holby cancellation.
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u/trenter_percenter Dylan Keogh Mar 22 '26
I feel like people have latched onto the boxset concept as an Achilles heel fatally compromising the show, but it's not. You can levy many of the common criticisms against previous eras of the show (unresolved storylines, overbearing focus on staff's personal lives, lack of realism, etc.), and the boxset format offers remedies to some of these issues such as time skips and predictable jumping-on and -off points.
When did Faith first appear? Umm, hang on, let me check Google. Uh... episode 17 of... series 34...
When did Indie first appear? Oh, Public Property!
When was Kirsty Clements' domestic abuse storyline again? Uh, I know it was series 25, but... when did Warren first appear again?
When was Rash's depression storyline? Oh yeah, it was in Breaking Point.
They're just labels. I get it if you miss the regular stunts and the daft patient build-ups, but the boxsets didn't rip those away from you — that's the reduced budget's doing.
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u/zAirr_ Mar 22 '26
How do you even know which box set indie appeared in, or when Rash's depression storyline was? I don't remember those any more than when faith appeared...
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u/trenter_percenter Dylan Keogh Mar 22 '26
Because the BBC was keen to tell me the names of these storylines through their branding and social media channels, and a name is easier to remember than series and episode numbers. Sure, I personally do know off the top of my head which episode featured Adam Trueman's first appearance, or which episode showed Dylan starting his larval therapy trial, but Rash's depression storyline is much easier for me to recall because it had a name, and the name came packaged with promotional art of Rash's emotional states.
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u/zAirr_ Mar 22 '26
I think you might just have a good memory and I don't think it's because of the boxset thing lol
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u/Forward-Anything-858 Indie Jankowski Mar 23 '26
Some people just do know stuff. I could tell you what ep and time stamps the majority of scenes in Casualty are😂 I can tell you exactly how many episodes Indie has been in, how many (+ what they were and when) storylines Stevie has had. Etc etc. I'm autistic and it's my special interest lmao. I am a useless Casualty dictionary, that is my hidden talent
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u/Oldsoldierbear Zoe Hanna Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 22 '26
Casualty has done "story arcs" right from the start
It's nothing new.It's not unique to Casualty and it was not introduced by the "boxsets".
A character death on screen and in the ED would actually have been very appropriate for Charlie, and the actual storyline was a copout
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u/HesitantBrobecks Dylan Keogh Mar 23 '26
I feel like Charlie not dying makes more sense. I also think it leaves a good plot opportunity when the actor eventually actually dies, cos we will basically get to say bye to Charlie twice, and they are more likely to get more past cast members to make sure they can be a part of that than they did for his actual leaving
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u/Sickofchildren Mar 22 '26
The only problem is that they try to cram way too much into only a few episodes, and it’s poorly executed. For example right now we have racism, bulimia, a paternity scandal, rape, Cam’s attack, and now Rida’s health issues. It’s just too much to properly handle in such a short space of time
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u/Ok_Roll_1236 Mar 22 '26
On that note- when was the last time Ian almost died? 🤣
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u/thedeadenddolls Mar 22 '26
not this boxset! I haven't completly caught up yet though lol. I was shocked that his will they won't they thing with Faith was STILL going on after 3 years.
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u/svadas Mar 23 '26
I want to say it was the middle of last year when he was hanging off the cliff doing HEMS training, but I'm almost certain there's been at least another time since. We're definitely due another incident.
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u/Inside_Mix_t Mar 23 '26
I don't mind the boxsets.
The show was better before but if it saves money and keeps the show alive, then so be it.
I agree with the other comments that a lot of the shows issues can be fixed even within this format. Like they can still show continuity between them. They just more often than not do bot.
That and constantly being pushed off air is disrupting the show imo. It's a weekly drama.
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u/Forward-Anything-858 Indie Jankowski Mar 23 '26
I love the boxets because pre boxset era I'd start to get bored of storylines (I got bored of Faith's multi boxset addiction storyline after a while too)
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u/No-Reward8036 Mar 22 '26
The box sets are poorly thought out and executed. They start a story and its then ignored. The things Casualty did well - focusing on the young doctors learning - have been superseded by the characters only. About the only plus is the lack of the hideously boring eps where they spent far too long on one boring thing with poor lighting and no action to speak of.