Casualty spoilers follow from Saturday’s episode (20 September).
Casualty has left fans fearing that Ngozi Okoye is dead following a devastating twist in tonight’s episode. Saturday’s visit to the ED, which was the final instalment in the show’s current boxset, ‘Supply and Demand‘, and also the final episode for a while, saw Ngozi’s plans to leave Holby with son Obi end tragically.
Ngozi, who is an alcoholic, relapsed at the airport before their flight, suffering a head injury following a fall under the influence. The series ended on a cliffhanger with the team desperately trying to revive her at the hospital.
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The shocking turn of events is a bold move from show bosses, who had led viewers to think Ngozi’s story could end very differently.
Casualty has been teasing Ngozi’s future for the last few episodes, after she made the decision to move back to Nigeria with Obi – who has never really settled in Holby following his arrival earlier in the year.
BBC
Ngozi has been resolute in putting Obi first, given the impact her struggles have had on his childhood; a theme that has been prevalent throughout the series in Iain, Nicole and Flynn’s stories as well.
Having put this in place, Ngozi reluctantly said her goodbyes in last week’s scenes but was heartbroken when Nicole failed to show up to her leaving drinks.
Nicole was unable to face saying a final farewell to Ngozi, having started growing close to her again following their brutal split at the end of the last boxset, ‘Internal Affairs’.
Taking their story full circle, Casualty opted to have the popular couple as the focus of this series finale as well, as Nicole contemplated whether she really was willing to let Ngozi walk out of her life forever after all.
BBC
Spoilers for this week’s episode had teased Nicole’s last-minute decision to fight for love, leaving us primed for a certain formula.
As Nicole raced to the airport with Siobhan in tow, there was an expectation that it will be a ‘touch-and-go but love prevails in the end’ type of situation. Or perhaps Ngozi would still ultimately choose to leave but not before sharing some heartfelt final words with Nicole, atoning for the scenes we missed out on last week.
And for a while, it seemed like either scenario was likely. Nicole encountered chaos and obstacles on the way to the airport (because Casualty clearly couldn’t resist avoiding this trope completely) and it all could have felt quite light-hearted and fun.
But Nicole’s race against time was leading to something more sombre. By the time Nicole arrived at the airport, Ngozi was being treated by paramedics and facing a very bleak fate.
BBC
A flashback later saw Ngozi make the worrying decision to have one drink, then another, and then another – despite having spent the past few months sober and in recovery. The scenes with a panicked Obi begging her to stop drinking were particularly tough to watch.
Ngozi’s history with alcohol addiction was first introduced to the audience earlier in the year, when she turned up at an AA meeting which Dylan was also attending.
After suffering a relapse, Ngozi was encouraged by Dylan to share this with Nicole but was left heartbroken when Nicole coldly dumped her because of it.
Ngozi’s struggles were then explored more meaningfully in the ‘Supply and Demand‘ boxset, as she was supported back to sobriety by Dylan and her colleagues.
BBC
Ahead of the series, the episodes were described as a “powerful exploration” of the “human spirit” which would touch upon themes of “addiction and the pursuit of hope”.
True to its word, Casualty has also explored how the theme of addiction has had an ongoing impact on Faith and Iain’s relationship as well, as he struggled to reconcile his past with the present and future.
Their story played out as a juxtaposition to Ngozi’s tonight, with Iain continuing to suffer in silence following the death of his mother, who was also an alcoholic.
Still struggling to connect with Faith, and the trust issues that her own past with addiction has brought to their relationship, Iain seemingly ended their marriage – telling Faith that he didn’t think he loved her.
BBC
So, while having Ngozi relapse so suddenly at this point might feel shocking, it’s a sad but undeniable fact that life can change very quickly, especially when addiction is involved.
In a series that has tried to show the important realities and long-term impact of addiction in earnest, it feels fitting that it would conclude on such a poignant note, highlighting that these things can and don’t always tie up neatly or as we expect.
But is Ngozi dead? Or will the team be able to save her? And what does the future hold for her and Nicole if she does survive? These are all questions that will be answered in the next boxset.
The show is now going off air for its autumn break, so for now, fans are sadly left with an agonisingly long wait to see whether Ngozi survives.
Casualty airs on Saturday nights on BBC One and now streams first on BBC iPlayer, where episodes are released at 6am on the day of transmission.
Alcohol Change UK offers information, advice and support with their questions about drinking and the problems that can sometimes be caused by alcohol. For more information, visit Alcohol Change UK’s website.
Drinkline also offers free, confidential advice to anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else’s drinking on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm).
Readers can also contact Drinkaware.