"Group Animal" is a two-part episode of the British medical drama Holby City that served as the 61st and 62nd episodes of the show's nineteenth series, and the 900th and 901st episodes overall. The first part aired on 5 December 2017, and the second on 7 December 2017 on BBC One in the United Kingdom. Both parts were written by Andy Bayliss and directed by Paulette Randall. The plot sees the arrival of Professor John Gaskell (Paul McGann) at Holby City Hospital, shortly before Fredrik Johanssen (Billy Postlethwaite) goes on a shooting spree, which results in the death of Raf di Lucca (Joe McFadden).
Holby City executive producer Simon Harper first teased the two-part storyline in November 2017, saying the characters would face the "hospital's greatest peril yet" and their lives would be changed forever. Details of the plot were withheld, but it was confirmed that McGann would make his debut during the first part. The actor said "Group Animal" was a departure from the show's regular plots. McFadden's departure was also kept a secret by producers, so it would have "maximum impact" on viewers. McFadden filmed his final scenes two months prior to them being broadcast.
The episodes were promoted with a trailer titled "When Darkness Falls Look to the Light". "Group Animal – Part One" was seen by 4.92 million viewers and "Group Animal – Part Two" was watched by 5.19 million. The episodes received mostly positive attention from critics, with one calling the plot "nail-biting, edge-of-seat stuff". Some viewers hoped that Holby City would win awards for the episodes. However, the Motor Neurone Disease Association criticised the show for misleading viewers about a cure for motor neuron disease. The episodes won Best Drama Storyline at the 2018 Inside Soap Awards.
Plot
Part one
The staff of Holby City Hospital prepare for the arrival of renowned surgeon Professor John Gaskell (Paul McGann), who has used stem cell treatment to reverse motor neuron disease (MND) in a patient. Gaskell brings in a patient with a spindle cell lipoma and he asks Jac Naylor (Rosie Marcel) to join him in surgery. Feeling under pressure to prove herself, Jac removes Oliver Valentine (James Anderson) from his scheduled operation so she can perform it herself, using the opportunity as practice. On AAU, Essie Harrison (Kaye Wragg) expresses her fears to her husband Raf di Lucca (Joe McFadden) that something bad is going to happen when she notices that she has lost her wedding ring. Raf treats a pregnant woman who fell into a lake and discovers that superfetation has occurred during her pregnancy. He safely delivers her triplets and saves her life.
Nurse Donna Jackson (Jaye Jacobs) shows Raf some threatening text messages from Jeremy Warren (Nick Rhys), who blames the hospital for his mother's death. Halfway through the surgery with Gaskell, Jac leaves the theatre as her nerves get the better of her. John encourages her to return and finish the surgery. Afterwards, Jac breaks down in Adrian Fletcher's (Alex Walkinshaw) arms, as her grief over her sister's death and other recent events catch up with her. In the wet lab, Gaskell introduces his MND patient, László Furz, to Essie, Henrik Hanssen (Guy Henry) and Sacha Levy (Bob Barrett). Jac apologises to Ollie and tells Raf that she has decided to leave Holby for good. She gives him her resignation letter to hand to Hanssen, but as she makes her way down the stairs, she is greeted by an anonymous figure, who shoots her and leaves her to die.
Part two
The power goes off on AAU, plunging the ward into darkness. Raf takes his patient to ITU and another gunshot rings out as the gunman proceeds through the hospital. After being informed of the shooting, Hanssen instigates the major incident procedure and the hospital is sent into lockdown. Sacha finds Jac and brings her into the wet lab, where he, Gaskell, Hanssen and Essie try to save her life. Paramedic Iain Dean (Michael Stevenson) is handed Raf's patient, who is found with a gunshot wound to her leg, and he treats her in an ambulance outside. The gunman reaches AAU and Donna protects a young boy, as he walks through the ward. She calls Ric Griffin (Hugh Quarshie) when a patient suffers a haemorrhage, and he manages to smuggle himself into the hospital to help. Donna tells him that she saw the gunman's face, while Hanssen is also informed of his identity. Sergeant Taylor (Victor Gardener) receives an image of the gunman and is informed that he is specifically targeting hospital staff.