Doctor Foster viewers slam Gemma and Simon’s parenting as pair have hate sex within earshot of their son

Fans of the show called for them to attend a parenting course
Bad parenting: viewers criticised Gemma and Simon's parenting of son Tom
BBC
Aime Grant Cumberbatch20 September 2017

Doctor Foster viewers have slammed the parenting skills of the two central characters Simon and Gemma, as episode three of the drama saw them discover the damage their tumultuous relationship was having on their son Tom.

After Gemma and Simon have spent weeks fighting over their 15-year-old, their scheming came to an abrupt halt when they were called to the headmistress’s office at Tom’s school and told he had attacked his friend.

Simon and Gemma tried to put aside their differences for Tom’s sake, in some ways a little too successful as the former husband and wife ended up having hate sex in the kitchen.

Later in the programme Gemma is shocked to discover that troubled Tom heard everything his parents did.

The GP also unearthed some unsavoury details about her son’s behaviour, discovering that he had sexually assaulted his friend Isabelle and trashed a café in the centre of Parminster.

Viewers were less than impressed with Simon and Gemma’s behaviour, slating their parenting skills as ‘poor’ and calling for them to go on ‘a course’.

Others were left feeling disturbed by the pair’s violent passion.

By the end of the episode Simon was refusing to let Tom into his home, while Gemma told the teen she’d never kick him out no matter what he did.

She and her son then left Parminster seemingly for good as Gemma texted Simon “you win” before driving away as an estate agent put a ‘For Sale’ up outside her house.

Doctor Foster continues on Tuesdays at 9pm on BBC One.

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