Cabin Pressure Wiki
Register
Advertisement

"Because flying is the perfect job, and I won't settle for a life where I don't get to do it!"
―Martin

Martin Crieff is the Captain/Pilot in Command (a.k.a. Supreme Commander) of Gerti, flying for MJN Air.

He is played by Benedict Cumberbatch, except for the episode Newcastle when he is played by Tom Goodman-Hill, Cumberbatch having lost his voice.[1]

Biography[]

Pre-Cabin Pressure[]

Martin Crieff was born around 1977.[2] He is from Wokingham, in Berkshire.[3]

Before the age of six, Martin wanted to be an aeroplane; however, upon realising how unfeasible this was, he instead aspired to become a pilot. It is implied that he wasn't popular at school, having been left out of secret clubs,[3] and having his briefcase thrown on top of the science block by Nathan Smiley.[4]

Martin persisted with his ambition to pursue a career in flying even after his rejection from flying school, his instrument rating failure, the seven tries it took him to get his licence,[5] and his family's lack of support.[6] He did menial jobs and night shifts to save up for the flying hours.[2]

Four months after his father's death, Martin got his first job as a pilot, although he concedes that it was "a rubbish job".[6] After some time, he applied to join MJN Air as First Officer, but ended up as Captain in exchange for not being paid a salary.[7]

Personal Life[]

Pre-Cabin Pressure, Martin had had three girlfriends (enough for a pétanque team). He becomes briefly infatuated with Linda Fairbairn in Newcastle, though his awkward flirting does not endear him to her and she rejects his offer of a date at Duxford Air Museum. However, in Vaduz, the same offer is accepted by Princess Theresa of Liechtenstein, with whom he shares an interest in aviation. This expands his pétanque team into a bobsleigh team, and the relationship is ongoing at the end of the series.

Character[]

Martin is so totally obsessed with aviation that he can scarcely think of any other conversational matter[3] and relaxes at home by playing Microsoft Flight Simulator (95 Edition).[2]

Martin is self-conscious, insecure, and excellent at being teased, something which Douglas and his brother Simon regularly take advantage of. By Johannesburg, he is so used to Douglas' derisive comments when things go wrong for him that he naturally leaves a pause for them.

He is a perfectionist, a characteristic he tries to pass off as his greatest weakness as a pilot (though, if pushed, he'll admit that it's that he's not very good at flying aeroplanes).[8] Martin is easily panicked[9] and finds it hard to stay relaxed, something which he hysterically denies.[10]

He is, in Douglas' words, "atrocious at talking to women," as evidenced by his encounters with Hesther Macauley, Linda Fairbairn, Nancy Dean Liebhart, and Captain Deroche.

According to John Finnemore, Martin 'may well be' on the autism spectrum, though probably nearer to Asperger Syndrome.[11]

Appearance[]

Martin is rather short, a source of insecurity for him. In Rotterdam, he denies being "Little Martin," though, as Carolyn points out, the tape measure tells a different tale.

Martin's hat is said to be particularly ostentatious, with Douglas quipping that Martin has built up especially strong neck muscles to support it, though Martin insists that it has a completely normal amount of gold braid.[12] The hat has occasionally acted as a support for a lemon,[13] or for raw spaghetti holding up cooked spaghetti.[12]

Martin suffers from a slight abnormality of the inner ear and can't go swimming without earplugs. It is, however, perfectly airworthy.[9]

Martin is often portrayed in paintings with ginger hair, though this is never actually mentioned.

In the Show[]

Much of the conflict of the series, especially in earlier episodes, stems from the fact that Martin has been overpromoted to Captain, a position which Douglas is far more suited to. Insecure, indecisive, and impulsive by turn,[9] Martin attempts to make up for his inadequacies as a pilot by desperately asserting his authority, something which he finds very difficult with Douglas.[5] On the few occasions Martin does display confidence, it often backfires, as in Boston.

Martin very gradually relaxes into his role and becomes more willing to ask for help or advice from Douglas. By the end of the series, their relationship has become friendly and Martin works well with Douglas. He is confident and competent enough to land the stricken aeroplane after a bird strike in St. Petersburg, saving all souls on board.

In Gdansk, Martin reveals that he is not paid by Carolyn, having accepted a salary of £0 in exchange for getting to be the Captain. He earns a living as a man with a van under the name Icarus Removals, using his dad's old van, leaving him in poor conditions in the loft of a student house,[13] with no spare time for outside interests even if he had any.[6]

In Uskerty, Carolyn urges him to look for another job, acknowledging that she will never be able to pay him a salary. This encourages him to apply for a job at Swiss Airways when they go international, eventually leading to an interview in Yverdon-les-Bains. Although he interviews badly, Martin has gained just enough confidence to land the job. He is hesitant to take it, knowing that it will end MJN Air, but Carolyn forces him to. Even when MJN continues and Carolyn can offer him a salary, Martin chooses to take the role of First Officer at Swiss Airways, something which Carolyn praises as 'an excellent decision.'[14]

Trivia[]

  • John Finnemore considered making Martin Arthur's half-brother and Carolyn's son, but this idea didn't make it to the first episode.[15]

Quotations[]

"I am the Supreme Commander of this Vessel" -Abu Dhabi

"I'm the Captain" -Virtually every episode.

"I wanted to be an aeroplane." -Fitton

"Yes, I do. I like it. Like you. I mean I like it like you do, not I like it like I like you, I don't like you. I mean I don't not like you, I just... I don - I don't like you as much as I like being a pilot." -Newcastle

"Captain duh-duh DUH-duh-duh. That’s what you need. Not Captain der-der-DER…ff." -Rotterdam

"You've even got a duh-duh DUH-duh-duh name." -Rotterdam

"I'm like a capsized duck." -Yverdon-Les-Bains

References[]

  1. Forget What Did: Newcastle. Retrieved 21st February 2024.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 S2E2: Helsinki
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 S2E5: Kuala Lumpur
  4. S4E4: Wokingham
  5. 5.0 5.1 S1E1: Abu Dhabi
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 S2E6: Limerick
  7. S2E1: Gdansk
  8. S4E6: Yverdon-les-Bains
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 S2E3: Ipswich
  10. S3E5: Rotterdam
  11. Forget What Did: Stage direction: [DING] Ding! [DING] Ding! [DING] Ding! Retrieved 21st February 2024.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Christmas Special: Molokai
  13. 13.0 13.1 S3E4: Qikiqtarjuaq
  14. Final episode: Zürich
  15. Cabin Pressure Transcript: Interview with John Finnemore. Retrieved 21st February 2024.
Advertisement