I still don't particularly like the couple (though they are MUCh better), I think its the characters as individuals that have grown, not the couple. I really like Martha and I don't mind Jack anymore........ The 'background' status they were given for that few weeks did them the world of good IMO, I can't explain it, but they are both tolerable characters again. Its probably all this 'Adelle' nonsense and it has well and truly became the far faaar lesser of two evils, and Adelle is evil, a storyline sucking vortex of misery and cringeworthiness, but thats for another thread.
I think I may only be starting to like Jack because he is so background, much more than anyone else, when he was in his three episodes a week, hogging screentime and getting knocked into comas, he was a completely useless and crap character, but now that he's in the background, its like he belongs there, so he is tolerable and has a purpose.........the background guy
I've always liked Martha anyway, my sourness towards her earlier in the year brought on possibly by the Sam haters most (not all!!) of whom seemed only to hate her because she was in the way of J&M and ultimately, one of my favourite characters was written so coldly out.........so yeah bitterness, but that wasn't her fault I suppose. The cancer has been handled well, at the start it was nauseating, Jack heavy and skipping the initial reactions of literally every other character (the important ones!!!, family) and having Martha all miserable (as she should be, but without the other stuff it wasn't good.....), but since the olympics and that awful cliffhanger they had with Martha flatlining things have gotten much better. We see the treatment AND the effects now and all the 'sympathy' and 'comfort' is dished out by everyone fairly, its not all about J&M and the storyline no longer seems like some cheap attmept to make people feel sorry for them (hence turn the haters) as it once did, it is a proper cancer storyline. Certainly the best 'non- terminal' cancer storyline they've had in a looooooong time.
Jack in the background, Martha at the front, works with me, if they keep it like this, and keep remembering that this is Martha's storyline, NOT J&M's then all shall remain fine..........