Scout Leader Dougie

After the introduction of Dougie last week, I looked forward to the camping trip in the wilds of Wales. He is Lord Baden-Powell’s Scouting for Boys manual personified. With him having a group of townies to teach about the great outdoors, this camping trip was going to be great fun.

Great if you’re watching from a safe distance, that is. Dougie is one of those people I pray to never have to go near in real life. But watching other people deal with him? Wonderful!

Able to make fire by rubbing a stick, making bunny burgers from a rabbit he caught in a trap he made with a pointy stick, having plasters in his pocket in case of wood whittling accidents, Dougie is prepared. A full-blown love of his “mistress” Nature and the knowledge to survive and enjoy all things she can throw at you – that is what Dougie wants to share with everyone. I kept expecting him to break into song – “Edelweiss” maybe, or “Springtime for Hitler” (see below).

Extreme Leader

By the time they were well into their extreme wilderness camping excursion with Dougie, I wasn’t the only one for whom he evoked aspects of the Third Reich. Off on his own in the woods, Chesney wanted only to escape “Mein Führer” as he called him. Even Sinead admitted that she had tired of “Mr. Know-it-all.”

Dougie went way too far with his ridiculing of Tyrone over everything. He ceased being entertaining, and became simply a bully. At the end of the week, and the end of the trip, his daughter forced him to back off at least toward her and Craig.

Were Dougie and Caitlin simply a camping trip interlude? It would have been a pretty boring vacation for the campers and audience if they hadn’t met anyone new. An opening was made for their reappearance on the Street, with Craig and Caitlin’s promise to stay in touch. Do we need more new people? Much as I like them both, I don’t think so.

And from 2005’s remake of The Producers, here’s a show tune for you: