The Doc and Louisa finally went on an uninterrupted date. Inspired by the Doc's romantic gesture of holding her hand, Louisa drew him into the trees and they shared a kiss. True to form, the Doc went on his usual encyclopedic spiel about her perfume and how it's smells urine-like albeit only slightly. At the end of the date, Louisa told him that their relationship wasn't going anywhere and so she's giving up on them. I think she means that just when they get serious, the Doc downplays the moment with some awful trivia. However, I think the Doc, believing he is socially inept, covers up his discomfort by spitting out intellectual mambo-jumbo as much Friends' Chandler makes jokes when his uncomfortable.
I was surprised that the Doc was so heartbroken that he didn't sleep and then spent the next day pining for Louisa. He even did his version of ding-dong-ditch. As he watched Louisa and her college friend, Holly walk along the pier, I was reminded of Louisa Musgrove from Austen's Persuasion. And a fall did happen but it was Holly not Louisa who fell from the steps. To parallel the famous novel, the protagonists had to work closely together to restore the patient back to health.
Because of Louisa's earlier decision, the Doc realized what he truly needed and he went for it. In so far as this episode is concerned, I think the Doc is more emotionally evolved than he is being given credit for. Being a highly logical person, the Doc knew what he needed and set out to get it instead of falling into the errors like inhibiting his emotions or leading people on or dillydallying with decisions, which are common fare in romantic comedies.
If these two are ever going to make a successful go at it, I think Louisa should realize that the Doc's comfort zone is his intellect and that is where he reverts to when he's feeling awkward and uncomfortable. When he is intellectualizing things, he is not detaching himself from the person or the situation but from his own feeling of discomfort.
