Quincy M.E. (TV Series) A Question of Death (1979) User Reviews

Decent for a preachy episode.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 20 April 2013]

While this is clearly a 'soapbox' episode of "Quincy" (where the point of the show is less to entertain and more to preach to the audience about some social issue), it's still well worth seeing. I noticed the other current review felt the show was just okay, but I appreciated it because it brings to the public the debate about the exact legal meaning of death (such as in the Karen Ann Quinlan and Terri Schiavo cases).

"A Question of Death" begins with a motorcyclist having a wreck. He's declared legally dead by Quincy but they keep the body on life support in order to allow for an organ donation. A couple problems ensue--the hospital gives the kidney to a different recipient than originally intended and an evil lawyer convinces to donor's family to sue. Now the lawsuit has no real basis--the man was brain dead. But, the lawyer is looking for a buck. And, sadly, the lawsuit against the hospital and coroner's office result in a cessation of transplants as well as the working relationship between the two organizations. So, naturally, Quincy is out to convince everyone that the death certificate was correct AND that the transplants need to continue.

Overall, not a great episode...but a very good one. A bit preachy, perhaps, but also very thought-provoking.

Tedious episode featuring important issue

[rayoflite24 · 6/10 · 15 September 2015]

A Question of Death begins with a young motorcycle accident victim being taken to the hospital and declared brain dead. The victim is registered as an organ donor and Quincy (Jack Klugman) is called in to assist and consult on the case. After the doctors convince the parents of the victim to pull the plug, they are approached by a lawyer who convinces them that this was premature and a huge lawsuit is filed against the medical team. Quincy becomes further enraged with the hospital administration when he learns that the kidney of the man who died went to a wealthy patient rather than a low income one who was in more serious need.

While this episode addresses some important topics such as the importance of organ donation, the legalities surrounding patients declared brain dead and the ambulance chasing medical malpractice litigation culture, I just could not get interested in it and found it to be a very tedious story. Most of the scenes that take place in the hospital and courtroom just seemed dull and dragged out. I think this plot would have worked much better in a drama set in a hospital, such as the The Bold Ones: The New Doctors series starring David Hartman. Playing out on Quincy, something just doesn't feel right when he is spending more time in a hospital among the living rather than the coroner lab.

Unless you have a keen interest in the medical and legal issues featured here, I wouldn't characterize this as a particularly good or standout episode of Season 4 as there is no murder investigation or even a mystery really.

OK moralistic Quincy episode.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 14 February 2008]

Quincy M.E.: A Question of Death starts as Los Angeles coroner Quincy (Jack Klugman) is called to officially pronounce a twenty one year old motorbike accident victim named Jack Murphy dead at Doctors Hosital so his kidneys can be given to someone else. Jack has an organ donor card on him & his parents sign a consent form in the belief that their son is dead. Quincy rushes over there & after looking at Jack's medical records & hearing other doctors opinions he agrees that technically Jack is brain dead, the machines keeping Jack alive are stopped & his kidney taken. Scumbag ambulance chasing lawyer Raymond Morrison (Granville Van Dusen) convinces Jack's grieving parents that the doctors stopped the machinery keeping him alive prematurely in order to kill him & take his kidney for another patient, all the doctors involved are sued in a landmark case & it's up to Quincy to prove they did the right thing...

Episode 10 from season 4 this Quincy story was directed by Ray Danton & one has to say A Question of Death is stacked full of moral & social issues & sometimes forgets about entertaining the viewer. Lots of topics are covered here, from stopping the machines that keep brain dead patients alive to organ donation & from the compensation culture that is so evident in todays society to certain patients getting preferential treatment because of who they are & what they can do to the grey area in the law in which the definition of death is open to interpretation. There's a pretty decent story here somewhere, it raises a few relevant issues none more so than the keeping of brain dead patients alive by machinery which is still a pretty emotive & delicate issue even now. However I don't think these overly preachy & heavy-handed moralistic Quincy episodes are as good as the old fashioned murder mystery ones & as such A Question of Death isn't one of my favourite episodes from the show but I did think it was better than a lot of the moralistic episodes.

In this episode we learn that Quincy uses a laundrette to wash his clothes & he doesn't know how to properly. The acting is alright from all involved.

A Question of Death is an OK moralistic Quincy episode, it's not one of the show's finest fifty minutes but it's far from the worst.