Pauline is all set to achieve her ambition when she is given the chance to join the Portwenn lifeboat crew. However, her joy is short-lived when she discovers the chauvinistic tendencies of her shipmates. Martin is accused of murder by the husband of a woman who died in his care. The irate man resorts to sabotaging Aunt Joan's crops in retaliation but an unexpected twist reveals the true motivation for his ire.

Mark has an unusual idea for a stag night, which involves camping under the stars rather than going to the pub. However, the jaunt ends in disaster when he becomes lost in the woods and is bitten by a snake, leaving Martin with the task of locating the clueless copper and saving his marriage before it has even begun. Meanwhile, the teenagers of Portwenn provoke the doctor's wrath by inventing a deadly game that threatens one boy's life.