"The Long Haul" is the 958th episode of Casualty and the 43rd episode of the 29th series. It was preceded by "Dark Horses" and followed by "Knock Knock Who's There?". The episode was directed by Seán Gleeson and written by Steven Fay.
Synopsis[]
Dylan isn't talking to Rita or Zoe after what happened last week. But Dylan seems just as on edge as usual as he says he can't treat a patient because he is his father but it doesn’t seem like he really cares about him as he describes him as a feckless alcoholic. As Lofty talks about Dylan he soon walks in But soon walks back out baffled. He soon tells about his childhood though, Brian left and his mother couldn't cope putting, Dylan into foster care at the age of 13. Dylan’s dad soon starts to blame Dylan for why he left saying that he was too much of a freak.
Louis is waiting in the Staff room for Charlie so that he can take him to a counselling session but Rita comes in needing him to do another job before he leaves. Charlie goes to see Louis and after Charlie tells him to go without him and he will follow on Louis doesn’t believe him. But when Charlie goes to the counselling place Louis isn't there, They tell Charlie that Louis went of with another user and Charlie finds him an abandoned building and it looks like he has taken drugs. He tries to get Louis up but he has got a leg injury. Charlie brings him into the ED with A DVT and Ethan tries to put a needle in Louis to give fluids but when Louis jumps it ends up going into Ethan instead. Connie wants Louis to get tested for HIV to put Ethan's mind at rest but he isn't sure he wants to know, but Tess and Charlie manage to convince him to do the test. Louis tests come back clear meaning he doesn’t have HIV. When Ethan Tells Cal that the needle was Louis fault Cal becomes annoyed and goes to confront Louis but when he sees Connie she manages to stop him in his tracks. Connie tells Ethan that he's clear but that’s not enough for Cal who goes and asks Louis where he got the money for his drugs this morning. Louis soon has to admit that he sold Tess's necklace to pay for it. Charlie takes him to a rehab centre hoping that he might get clean at last.
When Hazel goes to see her boyfriend she realises he is cheating on her, however he insists he isn't and tells her there is a present in the back for her she goes and gets it and returns to her seat and never puts her seatbelt on. When Brian falls asleep at the wheel he cause a car accident leading them to the ED. Dylan treats Hazel and she soon finds out through an abdominal scan that she is pregnant, but when Brian first thought is to get rid of it both Dylan and Hazel are annoyed. Brian is discharged but told that he needs to see a GP before driving again. However after leaving he climbs back into a truck and gets behind the wheel. Hazel starts to worsen and is taken into resus but Dylan isn't happy when she is placed in bay 4 but Dylan manages to stabilise her and she is transferred to a ward.
An old woman is brought in after she says she had a dizzy spell the woman tries to stand up but grabs on to Tess and she begins to fall. Zoe and Charlie diagnose her with a condition that means she has had to much water, She was taking water tablets to diet for her wedding. However they have now missed it. Jacob hears the news and manages to get them a slot. Dixie drops them off via the ambulance.
Ethan also has to let Lily down gently when he tells her that he doesn’t want to be in a relationship with her and she takes it surprisingly well.
Reception[]
On 10 August 2015, Casualty was criticised when the episode involved Dylan Keogh's father, Brian Carroll crashing his lorry after blacking out at the wheel. Carroll was diagnosed with narcolepsy, but refused to tell the DVLA about his diagnosis. This was branded "deeply unfortunate" and "too similar" to the real-life 2014 Glasgow bin lorry crash. The Mirror picked out four similarities in which the fictional lorry crash was parallel to the real-life incident.
