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The Good Doctor (2017)
Started out amazingly strong, but has long since jumped the shark...
"The Good Doctor" was amazing for much of its first half of the season. Then came the mid-season finale and it was rather disappointing. And then it went downhill from there. Ex. 1) Shaun accuses a patient of being racist based off their religion. 2) Shaun refuses to use a patient's preferred pronoun and bashes a transgender patient due to not understanding her. 3) The show is obviously starting to push an agenda and it is extremely obvious, though it was never an issue at first.
I originally rated "The Good Doctor" 9.0/10, then changed it to 7.0/10, then changed it to 6.0/10, and now give it a 4.0/10. It just keeps getting worse and when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I am proved wrong. I thought I have seen it all but I was wrong.
Please fix this show. Please! I am trying so hard not to give up on it at this point but I understand that some series have a rough spot, and I am hoping that this is what that is right here.
If you fix your act, I will come back to give a much higher rating...but right now...I am sorry. I think a 4.0/10 is fair.
The Good Doctor: She (2018)
I agree with Aaron's review, although I feel as though he is being extremely generous!
Aaron pretty much said all that I thought about this episode of "The Good Doctor." I, too, have been really enjoying it but it lately seems to be struggling.
I HATE this sudden need to push an agenda. Why? What is the point? I am as progressive as they come and it still really bothers me. Not everyone is willing to understand many of these scenarios they are putting forth on television...ESPECIALLY transgender patients. The majority here came to bash the LGBT community, while they did nothing. That bothers me. I do, however, understand how someone with more traditional views could be turned off by this rather liberal agenda. It is blatantly obvious. Seriously. If you missed it you were not paying attention.
That does not mean that everyone can bash transgender patients, though. They are not confused, you just don't understand because you don't want to. Sorry. Simple as that. I know most of you will bash me for saying that, but it's the truth and the truth is never pretty. There are people like Quin all around you. You are breathing their same air. You are existing in the same world. It is not hard to understand. They are your neighbors, coworkers, friends, and possibly family. How can one thing about them matter so much? Look beyond and see the good in people!
I, like Aaron, will not be watching if it continues down this route. A series can advocate rights without pushing an agenda. I've seen it done before. While this episode did argue both sides, it was clear which was more favored. Not everyone is going to tolerate that.
I give this episode a 1/10. It really was that bad. Go ahead and look at my other ratings. I am not afraid to give out 10s, I like to be fair.
And the previous episode????? Shaun calling someone a racist because of her religion????? Yeah. Also just as bad. I hope they clean their act up and QUICK!
Code Black: We Plug Holes (2015)
"We Plug Holes" is an episode that brings Code Black on-track
Whew! Once again, Code Black lives up to its promise to get my heart pounding! The Pilot episode certainly was not great, but it was good. This episode brings the show on track.
Code Black Season 1, Episode 2 managed to keep up the pace that the premiere set, which is no easy task. It's almost dizzying at times trying to keep up, but the result is that you feel like you've truly been dropped into the middle of a Level One ER. That said, it definitely was an improvement.
Between multiple vehicle accidents and combative hockey players, blind mountain climbers, and little old ladies, there was no rest for the first years.
"We Plug Holes" managed to work in a little more levity and let us get to know the staff a little bit better. That's certainly going to take time because Code Black is giving the medical cases the spotlight.
If you're a fan of the genre like me, it's awesome, but it does cut into the time allotment for character development.
Still, I'm pretty sure I picked up on some sparks between Christa and Neal. I'm in no hurry for this show to get all sudsy, but a little flirtation certainly livens things up. It also gives me hope that Christa will get to be more than the grieving mother.
While that will always inform her character, it would be good to see her have other facets of her personality.
A part of me likes the dynamic of camaraderie the showrunners are going for, but if they really want to be the next ER, they should remember that some of that show's best characters were not beloved by their coworkers. I'd find it more realistic and more entertaining if there was some dissension in the ranks. Neal started off questioning Leanne, but it's clear that they are ultimately friends.
A little animosity can go a long way.
Although I love Dr. Taylor's witty one-liners, I'm eager for him to become more than just the comic relief on the show. He's the director of the ER; it seems like he should be doing more than walking around making jokes that HR would cringe over.
I assume at some point he'll be called upon to defend Rorish after she screws up with some crazy experimental treatment, but I'd like to see him teaching or practicing medicine in the meantime.
I'm also hopeful that Guthrie's role will be expanded. His scenes were disappointing in their brevity as well as their content. Surely the guy who is supposedly the longest-serving attending gets to do more than intake on an old lady who swallowed four dollars in change. He also seems the most likely to actually take the time to teach the residents something instead of just dumping them in the deep end.
Jesse remains the heart of the ER, guiding the residents through the pitfalls of self-doubt. He's a little too Jiminy Cricket for my tastes sometimes, but with residents who are lacking in confidence and finesse, it's certainly needed at times.
He handled Mario really well, and his summation of "An Officer and A Gentlemen" was funny to boot. I'd love to see him get to handle some minor cases on his own, it seems like he'd be great with patients.
The medical cases were fascinating, and there's an attempt to connect with patients to the audience. The coin lady was adorable, and the blind kid certainly showed that the writers are capable of creating sympathetic characters with limited screen time.
I especially loved the use of real medical footage during the surgical scenes. It may mean I'm a nerd, but watching that ovary pink up was so cool!
I was also impressed with Rorish's quick thinking of using a Foley tube to stop the kid's nosebleed and then Christa's quick thinking to replicate the process with Laura. She was definitely winning the gold star tonight. Angus came in a close second, but his lack of confidence got him again.
The thoracotomy was pretty awesome (although I wish we could have gotten a better visual), although it made me wonder if anybody ever dies in Angels ER.
There were two very notable moments of this episode. 1) the heartwarming Leanne/Christa scene after Laura's operation and 2) Leanne's speech at the closing of the episode:
~~~
Leanne: She's gonna be okay. Christa: I know. Leanne: Then why are you crying? Christa: I'm not. You may be my boss and my teacher, and I may be overstepping, but you and I, we are in the same club. And this stuff matters to us. It matters.
~~~
"You have a patient in real trouble. Death's door. You're so panicked that you can no longer tell the difference between instinct and raw fear. But a voice somewhere deep inside you whispers, "I can still bring him back. I've got one more move left." Here's a secret. If you hear that voice, it means you're in the right place, you're in the right job. You're home." ~ Leanne
Code Black: Sometimes It's a Zebra (2015)
A solid episode
Code Black Season 1, Episode 4 is another solid hour of the CBS freshman series. One of the reveals in "Sometimes It's a Zebra" lets viewers know that this is a show that's not going to reveal all of it's secrets all at once! Really, how could it? These doctors have a heavy caseload all the time so they're not a lot of time for telling a character's life story. Even though not every case is a perfect 10 in this, every episode gives us enough pieces to make each one of these people interesting and pique more curiosity about who they are and where things are headed.
The episode's title comes from the phrase: "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." In medicine, it means when looking at the symptoms you should rule out the obvious before jumping to the exotic. Like, every headache is not a brain tumor - unless, of course, it is. In this episode, there are a few zebras prancing about - but the horses are as beautiful and they are worthy of attention as well - maybe even more so.
Chef, a happy drunk guy who'd cut his arm, is the highlight patient of this episode. Head nurse Jesse warned Mario that he needs to get the man out of the E.R. before he starts going into withdrawal because once he does they can't let him leave - because alcohol withdrawal "can be fatal for alcoholics."
It's was a little surprising to me that Mama's the one suggesting to kick out Chef. Even Mario notes that doing so means the man will just go and start drinking again. (Yes, Mario does show some concern.) Nevertheless, Mario tried to do what Mama said. It's hard because Chef really wants to sober up. His daughter is getting married the next day and he doesn't want to show up drunk. That's when Chef saw Dr. Rorish - who had just finished talking with Christa about the baby. He obviously knew the doctor because he called her "Leanne." This guy is a regular customer.
Leanne started checking Chef's eyes. Mario then parroted what Jesse told him about not having the space to keep him and added that Chef would just go out and get drunk again anyway. Leanne wasn't pleased.
Leanne: "Thanks for your opinion, Dr. Savetti, but we have no choice once alcohol withdrawal has begun."
Mario: "It hasn't."
Leanne: "Oh really?" Leanne had Christa come over and look at Chef's tongue. "Tell me what you see."
Christa: "Tongue fasciculations most likely from alcohol withdrawal."
Leanne gave Mario the "Daddy glare" and walked away. Mario whined at Christa as if she somehow made him look bad on purpose – which she didn't. All she did was answer the question. His thought that she'd done it deliberately is more in line with how he thinks about things. It's the first lesson of the night that Mario got about going it alone. It showed him just how not great it feels to be not supported by your colleagues – even though in truth that's not what actually happened.
Watching this all play out I wonder if we're supposed to think Jesse set Mario up for that scene. If Chef knew Leanne he likely knew Jesse as well, which means Jesse likely knew exactly how Leanne would respond to this situation. Jesse's bad advice to Mario makes me think Mama set this entire situation up to teach Mario a lesson or two.
Jesse: "Life lesson: when your daddy tells you to do something – just do it."
Mario is pulled off that case. Instead at various times, we see Jesse, Christa, and Leanne dealing with Chef as he goes through withdrawal. There are times where it's really bad, but Leanne and Christa handle it. "This is the best wedding gift you can give your daughter," Christa tells him. At the end of it all - the treating him in a broom closet, the sweats and the shakes - we learn that next day he's gone back to drinking. Why is this patient a zebra? Because Leanne knew that the man's daughter had died ten years prior - on her wedding day.
Leanne: "This is what is known as a 'grief ritual.' Trauma one was the last place he saw her alive. He's stuck in that moment and he tries to escape it - but he can't."
There's more to this story...Mama eluded to as much earlier. Maybe this man's daughter was in the car being driven by the drunk driver? Perhaps it's more that Leanne relates to the idea of a "grief ritual." Maybe alcohol was her friend for a time after the accident. I'm looking forward to learning more about the things that have Dr. Rorish the doctor we see now.
The best part of the episode was the heart-to-heart with Chef and Leanne.
Chef: Can I go see my daughter now?
Leanne: Chef, you can't just do it for your daughter. You've got to do it for you. You've got to believe you're worth it. Here's a prescription for Librium and a card for our addiction clinic. Now, you promise me that you will call that number before you take a drink.
Chef: I promise you, Leanne I'm not gonna blow it this time.
This story affects Mario. It's another opportunity to see that the guy does, in fact, have a heart. Just prior to the closing scene with Leanne he'd seen Angus and Malaya all going out together to grab breakfast after their shift. He looked sad, contrite, and lonely. There may be hope for him yet, but this was still a bit upsetting to see.
Code Black: You Are the Heart (2015)
"You Are the Heart" is an above-average episode
No man is an island.
Mario's connection with a surprising patient centered the drama on Code Black #1.8, but it was far from the only thing going on. Christa had to go it on her own, while Leanne received a surprising proposition. And Taylor had to be on his best behavior while he got stuck with babysitting duty.
If there's one thing that no one can argue, it's that Code Black is great at writing guest characters. Ted wins the award for best guest this episode, though young Randall might have given him a run for his money if he'd had more screen time.
Ted was great not just because he quoted old movies and complained about his friends settling down and becoming obnoxious Facebook posters, which is enough for me to want to grab brunch with him, but because he allowed for an organic revealing of Mario's background.
I'll admit I was skeptical of the whole needle stick storyline. It's a standard of medical drama's, but Angus' point about the likelihood of contracting HIV, under those circumstances, echoed my own thoughts on the matter.
But making the real point of the story Mario's inability to trust people changed my mind. Savetti is a bit of a puzzle - at first, he was just some overconfident jerk, but we keep getting these pieces to his story that really make him more intriguing.
...
Mario: I'm not in the mood for a lecture.
Angus: Okay, this is not a lecture, see, this is talking. It's what friends do. They talk. Do you even know what it means to be a friend? I mean, seriously, have you ever had one before?
Mario: Screw you.
...
While Mario managed to knock a brick out the wall around his heart, Malaya was dealing with her own issues.
I know it's heresy to side against the dying pregnant woman, but I kept being struck by how selfish Carla was being. Who returns to their ex-lover's life when they're dying and doesn't intend to do anything about it? And what about the person she is presumably having this baby with? Who is going to take the baby when she dies?
Malaya might not have been in the right to run the bone marrow drive in a way that it publicly disclosed Carla's diagnosis, but her intentions were good. I'm still interested in seeing how this all plays out, and I do like that it's giving the doctors a life outside of the hospital.
Christa running the "code bag" was just not all that interesting. If we hadn't seen her gain confidence in cases before, it would have been fine, but at this point, it feels repetitive. I was much more interested in what happened with Neal at the bar, and now am wondering how they'll get out of this awkward limbo they've entered.
Neal and Christa aren't the only hospital romance lighting up. Cole straight up asked Leanne out, because who doesn't find splenectomies sexy? I don't really see the chemistry between these two yet, and all they seem to have in common is grief and a temper, but I'll give it a chance.
He at least seemed understanding about her readiness to date, even if it was expressed in a weirdly aggressive way. Grief Olympics, really? Cole may be hot, but Leanne is probably smart to steer clear. He seems like he could be a fun fling, but I'm not sure he's ready for her.
Another great episode of Code Black! The stories get better each week and I am learning more about the characters now to really care about them. Best of all is Marcia Gay Harden as Leanne. Just give her the Emmy now!
Code Black: First Date (2016)
This was a good episode
This episode is packed with some serious emotional punch, but I want to talk about the interesting case of Tia Benton.
Tia Benton is the big case of the episode. You've already gotten the situation regarding Tia from the setup. Next is Leanne, Heather, and Mario in Gina's office. Gina is leaving her eighth message demanding to speak to a judge - any judge - so that they can get a court order to go ahead and do the surgery on Tia without the father's permission. There is no doubt that is mad! However, she's not as upset as the doctors are. Mario can't believe that religion is trumping science. Gina says her hands are tied because they can't do anything unless it's "imminently life-threatening" Leanne keeps pointing out that if they don't operate Tia will get "compartment syndrome" - which cuts off the blood supply to the leg and could, in fact, kill her. When Gina counters with the patient probably would only lose her leg, Heather is incensed! The girl is only sixteen. While Mario and Leanne are upset this Heather seems to be taking the situation personally.
Leanne points out to Gina that at 16 Tia can legally decide for herself what she wants, so why aren't they trying to convince Tia? Gina has a whole list of reasons: Tia's already said no, the father is there, and besides, "she's handling it."
Leanne isn't thrilled either. With all three doctors glaring at her Gina tells them they can certainly hold Tia for eight hours while she goes after that court order.
It's Leanne who gets to tell the dad that while they won't operate they are going to be keeping Tia for observation. Adam talks strongly about how they have faith in the healing powers of God. Tia is obviously torn - especially as Leanne points out that she's seen this kind of injury before and how it can turn out. Still, it's Tia who says that she's healing through prayer.
It's at that moment that Tia's friend peeks in to see how Tia's doing. It causes quite a scene! The dad doesn't want Elena there - he blames her for what's happened to Tia. Tia defends Elena because it's Tia that wanted to go to the concert. Elena, devastated at seeing Tia suffering screams at the Dad about Tia being "in pain." She can't believe a father would allow his daughter to suffer like this. Then she cries out to Tia that Tia is being brainwashed! Luckily Mama arrives and escorts Elena away before things get out of hand.
After Elena is taken away Leanne lets Tia know that Tia has the legal right to choose for herself if she has the surgery or not. At this point, the Dad, with a scary sort of calm, informs Leanne that Tia does not want the surgery and that he now forbids anyone at the hospital from talking to Tia.
Heather is still steaming about this and comes up with a plan to convince Tia to have the surgery. She enlists Mario to help get Adam away from Tia with some forms to fill out. She tells Mario that Tia isn't completely entrenched in the father's religion or she would never have gone to the nightclub.
I'm impressed with how Heather gets Tia to agree to the surgery (and with the writers who came up with it!) First she tells Tia about her own strict religious upbringing (which explains much about Heather!) and then points out a big hole in the religion, and in her father's faith. If there is no medical intervention, why does Tia's father wear glasses?
Heather: "Why is it okay for him to allow a doctor to help him see again, but you can't let us help you walk again?"
Tia is taken away for surgery, but she asks them to sneak her away. When her dad discovers what's happened he's briefly angry at the doctors. Upon seeing Gina he demands that the surgery be stopped, but Gina's got a court order saying the hospital can do the surgery. He's given a choice to go sit in a waiting room or to be escorted out by security.
At this point, Adam Benton stops being angry. Instead, he's devastated. He explains that disobeying God can result in his daughter's death.
I think this is the toughest case Code Black has tackled yet. Adam Benton's religion seems irrational and made up, but there are cases similar to this that make the news on a regular basis. From a strictly secular perspective, Adam's religion makes no sense at all, but this is an extreme position for most mainstream religions. Personally, the argument being put forth by Adam's religion seems to go against the Biblical story about Jesus in the desert being tempted by Satan: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test..." – Mathew 4:7. That's just me, though. There are religions that absolutely believe in no medical interventions and with the United States being a country that believes strongly in religious freedom, it's not taken lightly to go against a person's wishes...unless it's endangering the person's life.
In truth, this topic is far more complicated than what can be taken on in a 43-minute show. The bottom line is that most people aren't comfortable with the idea of a religion that would keep a person from receiving reasonable medical treatment, and that's the storyline that this case is following.
Code Black: The Fifth Stage (2016)
This episode covers new ground for a medical show
This episode was expertly written and executed. "The Fifth Stage" is one of those episodes you really need to watch more than once to get the nuances of. Not because it wasn't great to watch the first time, but there is so much packed in this episode it is unbelievable. With all that's happening in this episode, not only might you miss some things, but you might not notice just how tightly weaved together these stories are.
I do want to talk about what else happened in this episode...because...believe it or not...there is more to talk about.
Aside from the story with Leanne, this episode gives us something to think about in terms of mental illness. It starts when Christa and Neal get a patient named Logan who jumped from a four-story building. His wife, Lori is crying and upset but doesn't want him resuscitated. In the middle of the emergency they ignore her, but afterwards she presents to Christa, Neal, Jesse, and Gina that she has power of attorney. The kicker is the jumper is paranoid schizophrenic. Christa hates this. She passionately notes that with the proper medications the man can have a great life, then furiously asks Neal if he's okay with this. He's not, but "the rules" say there's nothing they can do.
The fact that Logan's wife Lori was willing to just let her paranoid schizophrenic husband die feels so wrong to Christa (and the rest of us watching) because the assumption is that Lori is doing so because she was tired of dealing with him. This isn't the case. Christa listens to Lori talk about witnessing Logan's descent into madness, and the fact that they did try medication. It's not Lori who gave up – it was Logan.
Christa fights for Logan, but with no hope.
Christa: Screw the rules. Am I the only one who thinks this is wrong? Jesse! Tell them what you're always telling us! We are not allowed to kill a guest in your house.
Jesse: This is different. This man doesn't want what we offer.
There is a moment of silence, where Gina is casting major attitude about Christa's outbursts. As far as she's concerned, there's nothing they can do - end of story. That's when Neal steps up to say that Christa has a point in that the situation doesn't feel right.
Gina: It's not about how it feels. It's how it is. We follow the wife's instructions.
And so they did.
The other patient that shows up is Malaya's weirdo guy from last week, Gordon Heshman. He's got a bad stomach ache, but he's "surprised" Malaya still remembers him. Malaya points out he'd just been there yesterday. Gordon says he had a friend that recently died from cancer - one he'd stayed with until the very end - so maybe he's just being paranoid. The cancer story naturally gains Malaya's sympathy and while she's examining Gordon she reveals having gone through a similar event as well. She decides there actually is something up with his stomach and tells him she's going to run some tests and get him something for the pain. Even though his being ill may be legitimate, something about his reactions to Malaya seem off.
Malaya comes back with Gordon's tests and tells him that, no, he doesn't have cancer. He is greatly relieved
and holding on to Malaya's hands for way too long. She's uncomfortable, but doesn't freak out. She has found a couple of problems though: blood in his urine, and his blood isn't clotting properly, which does run a risk of internal bleeding. This freaks him out some, but Malaya reassures him that they're ahead of things and will run some more tests. In the meantime, she's getting him some vitamin K to help with the blood-clotting issue.
The next time Malaya sees Gordon is when he surprises her in the doctor's break room. That's a major boundary being crossed. Now everything he's doing and saying is coming off as strange - like psycho strange. Malaya is handling it pretty well, but then Gina comes in with her arrogant take-charge attitude. She sends Gordon packing with some sarcastic remarks. Once he's gone she warns Malaya that she needs to be careful. Gina can tell that Gordon "likes her." Gina then gives Malaya some almost sisterly advice.
Gina: Trust me on this, Malaya. As a woman, you have to be aware that the appearance of a situation matters just as much as the real.
Later, near the end of the episode, Gina goes to her locker to grab a snack out of her bag. She's just taken a bite when her pager goes off. As she's walking out, she surprised by Gordon - and he's wearing hospital scrubs. As usual, Gina's reaction is one of an annoyed authority. Gordon doesn't like it.
The ending of Code Black #1.14 is a brutal one. Christa runs to the locker room to try to pull herself together. What she finds does not help!
This is the most dramatic and story-heavy episode of Code Black yet! Aside from the life and death dramatics of mobsters and a killer it's filled with emotionally intense situations: falling in love, dealing with loss, the right to die, and dysfunction family dynamics. Most shows pick one or two of these heavy topics to deal with per episode. Then again, most shows aren't Code Black!
Code Black: Hail Mary (2016)
Two reasons why I love this episode so much
There are two main reasons why I really enjoyed this episode: 1) The story of Lizzie and James, and 2) the story of Roseline and her operation.
I first fell in love with Roseline's story in this exchange, which was between Grace and Neal:
Grace: The kids laughed at her because she came to school with her own stepladder.
Neal: A stepladder?
Grace: She was too little for the blackboard. She wanted to make sure that if she was called upon, she could reach it.
...
This dialogue really demonstrated how special Roseline is, and just how important her procedure is. It was honestly heartwarming.
After her surgery, an exchange between Roseline and Grace moved me to tears.
...
Roseline: How did I do?
Grace: It worked, Roseline. There's gonna be some recovery time. I'll have a place for us to stay by the time you're ready to leave here.
Roseline: A place for us?
Grace: I'm gonna get your visa extended while you're in recovery. It's gonna be a few weeks before you can really walk. Till then, I thought I might apply for something a little more permanent.
Roseline: How?
Grace: They said I could have my job back here at the E.R. if I wanted. I thought maybe, um, if I could make it so that you could stay here with me. Would you want that?
Roseline: Remember when we read "Arabian Nights," and you asked me if I found a genie in a lamp who could grant me three wishes, what would they be?
Grace: Yeah, I remember.
Roseline: I told you I only had two.
Grace: Yeah, and you wouldn't tell me what they were.
Roseline: What does the unluckiest girl in the world do when she wakes from a long sleep to find that she's been granted both her wishes on the same day?
Grace: I don't know.
Roseline: She thanks Grace.
...
The other storyline that I enjoyed was the one with Lizzie and James. Lizzie was the patient in which has struggled with her health for a long time. Her trip to the E.R. brought about discussion of after- care, in which we learn that she wishes to have her body froze after she dies. Although unusual, James did had a hard time dealing with this. It was really hard to see her pass and see how difficult it was for James to deal with her death. Amid this, the topic also gained attention by Heather--who we also learned with the company that freezes the bodies after death--and the conversation was rather interesting.
All in all, I just REALLY enjoyed this episode. The patient stories were really great. Code Black has that reputation already, but this episode took it a step further.
Code Black: Diagnosis of Exclusion (2016)
DANG! This was an AMAZING episode!
This episode was a total game-changer.
Code Black #1.15 centered on the fall-out of events from Malaya's stalker losing it. While we learned how the attacks and subsequent treatments played out through a hospital inquiry, it also became clear that everything is going to change as a result.
I absolutely loved this episode. It might not have had the adrenaline rush of early offerings, and it was without the show's usual tear-jerking endings, but it was so wonderfully executed that it elevated Code Black to a whole new level. This show just keeps getting better.
The use of flashbacks and multiple viewpoints could have easily become a confusing mess, but the writers managed to convey the chaos and trauma of the situation with poignancy. The actors managed to pull off the careful balance required, and it all came together beautifully.
I'll admit that the "twist" where Angus let Gordon bleed out was not unexpected. The only surprise was that it was passive inaction instead of Angus purposefully stabbing the guy or something, even that isn't so surprising when you really think about Angus' personality.
Something Jesse told Angus correctly described how all of us felt about this situation:
"Gordon Heshman's not doing well. As healers, we fight death every day. That doesn't mean I'm not hoping he dies. Better for Malaya. Maybe you too."
Gina's death is inevitably going to turn all kinds of things in Trauma One upside down. It's a little unconventional to shake things up this dramatically so early in a series, but this should smooth over some of the casting hiccups that the show seems to have suffered.
It should also make things at Angel's a little more logical. Having Leanne take on an administrative role will give her new direction, and the ability to stand up for her staff. Of course, she'll also have to work out how to discipline her friends-cum-underlings. I have a feeling her new role is going to stick.
Gina's death also brought in a new surgeon, the previously mentioned Dr. Campbell. One look at him, and I totally understand how easy it was for Heather to end up in a supply closet with him. He doesn't have the nicest personality, though. There's definitely going to be some dirty laundry aired with that plot before long.
Bringing in Dr. Campbell brought into focus Neal's own surgical skills. Apparently, he's done a pretty good job keeping his previous specialty on the down-low. I did think that Harbert's nixing of Neal's practicing surgery was a pretty good indicator that Dr. Hudson will be changing specialties soon. Or at least pursuing a fellowship of some kind.
Angel's does seem like it could use a dedicated trauma surgeon after all. And, as a bonus, Neal transferring to the surgical department would make his relationship with Christa a little less stressful.
All in all, this is an AMAZING episode of Code Black. It was everything we wanted and MORE!
Code Black: Blood Sport (2016)
A fine way to end season one of Code Black
What do you do when you're a medical show and you need a big season ender? Hospitalize a Senator, a Governor and their families, and then say "Guys, have at it."
An explosion in the middle of a Presidential debate causes chaos at Angels Memorial, to the point where we get time codes on the screen as patients roll in. Once the initial "oh my God all these things are happening" passes, Code Black actually gets us into the treatment of all of the victims - including the janitor. It would have been too easy to make this episode all about the VIP's, but the script makes sure we know that this was a crisis that affected more than just the politicians.
At the same time, it does what has set this show apart from the pack – shine a light on the issues that surround the practice of medicine. In this episode we see how outside pressures try to impact medical decision-making. Does Neal choose which patient to take to surgery because one is a politician's wife and the other isn't? Would Campbell allow Neal to scrub into that surgery and not assist his own if his patient wasn't a VIP? Their choices are worthy of being second- guessed, and there's a great scene where Neal does just that after finding out that the janitor died.
Speaking from an audience perspective, you probably knew not everyone was going to make it just by the sheer fact that this is a season finale. There are a total of three on-screen deaths here - one candidate, the other's wife and the janitor - and they all get equal weight in the script, if not from the characters themselves. For all the stuff that "Blood Sport" throws at the doctors this week, it also sorts it all out by the end to where we feel like we've gone through the shift with the main characters. Is it a novel concept? No, but is it an adrenaline rush? Definitely.
Then there are the subplots that need to be resolved. It's been a while since Heather got Angus hooked on Adderall (she says she gave him more pills "three weeks ago"), which is enough time for Savetti to recognize that he's on something. A further lapse in judgment has Rorish calling him on the carpet, for the 20 seconds she can spare between cases. It's so weird to see Angus being a tool in this episode since Angus is usually so adorable, but at least he comes to his senses by the end. The last scene between Angus and Mike just reaffirms that we need to keep both Leighton brothers around.
And here's the first time I've ever been on Team Campbell. He's found out that Heather has been using his prescribing information to cut people pills, and he burns her in public, in an OR without even having to stop his procedure. Does she learn from this? Nope. Instead, she plans to blackmail him with photos from their affair. This is the only part of this episode that is just beyond frustrating.
Meanwhile, Jesse is starting to plot a nurses' strike, so Gina's predecessor Mark Taylor (Kevin Dunn) comes back at Leanne's request to try and find enough money in the budget to stop it. With his help, Leanne comes up with a solution for Harbert (Jeff Hephner), whom I love in this episode for telling the Secret Service guy to shut up and defer to Dr. Rorish. Again, it's another moment when he could've been a bureaucratic jerk and he's thinking like a doctor. Plus, note the final scene where he's actually on the hospital floor and not in his office.
This is a strong piece of storytelling that makes good use of all the major players and that open-ended conclusion gives the audience that sense that Angels Memorial is going to go on, whether we're there or not. We don't think about how hard it is to write finales when you don't know if the show is coming back, and this one pulled it off almost perfectly.
Code Black: Sleight of Hand (2016)
Great one!
A police-involved shootout spills over into Angels Memorial Hospital in an up and down episode of Code Black.
"I didn't sign up for this," Dr. Noa Kean says in the opening of this episode of CBS' Code Black, and that basically sums up the entirety of "Sleight of Hand." Action begins as Noa and Dr. Ethan Willis is on-board an ambulance responding to a police-involved shooting, and have to do all they can for the wounded officers.
Once they return to Angels Memorial Hospital they have to face the fact that one of the officers still has an explosive bullet in her leg that could hurt more than her. That presents a tough choice for Dr. Will Campbell who naturally butts heads with Willis. But as Willis doesn't technically work for Campbell, he can't stop the other man from attempting to save the patient.
Code Black does a fine job of demonstrating that every little thing matters, like several other police officers helping to carry the patient because the wheels of the bed are causing it to vibrate. Willis has to operate outside of the ER and when the bullet moves and severs the femoral artery, it's Dr. Leanne Rorish and Jesse Sallender who disobey his orders not to come in there. Rebellion for everyone!
The bullet eventually comes out and the team is able to save their patient in time to reunite her with her fellow officer and secret boyfriend, which is our feel-good moment of the episode.
Meanwhile, we get returning patients in the form of the guy who thought his anatomy was a good place to put an engagement ring and his new fiancée, Julia arrives with lupus and a marijuana-smoking brother, and, finally, a magician named Johnny Prentiss comes to the ER and needs a hand.
The latter becomes the patient of Dr. Rollie Guthrie and Dr. Mario Savetti, who quickly warn him that he may have cancer. Johnny is relaxed about the whole thing and that's good because the biopsy results actually come back much better. He gives a little hope back to Noa just before she has to call the wife of another police officer who wasn't so lucky.
And it's Dr. Angus Leighton who gets the lupus case, which he can relate to given his own recent struggle at the intersection of family and medicine. He's happy to see Julia make up with her brother, Tim, but then Dr. Heather Pinkney has to crash the moment by revealing that Julia has an embolism and needs immediate surgery. Man, Heather, why are you always kind of a buzzkill? Especially when Julia dies on the operating table this subplot comes crashing right down. Then there's the aftermath of Julia's death. You can sort of guess where it's going, especially when she and her brother start talking about if she can trust him with her son, but that doesn't make it any less difficult when Heather has to break the bad news and Tim sees his sister's official declaration that she's leaving him custody. Julia's speech to her brother, which was recorded before surgery, brought me to tears (as I am sure did for many others too.)
"Sleight of Hand" ends with Willis, Rorish, and Jesse smoking cigars to note a job well done just before Campbell shows up. Luckily for everyone he chooses to join the party. Maybe his little trip on the Russian submarine changed him a bit.
It would've been interesting if Code Black had continued to explore Angus's perspective on the case given what just happened with Mike Leighton, but instead, the story ultimately ends up being more focused on Heather. It's a missed opportunity but at the same time, again forgivable since Heather hasn't really had as much screen time in Season 2 compared to some of the other main cast members.
The one bit of "Sleight of Hand" to keep an eye on is Noa. The three residents introduced at the start of the season have all become bigger parts of the show as time goes on. The first was poor Charlotte as she didn't make it past the Halloween episode; now it's Noa having to face the fact that patients die. It's important to see these characters grow and learn on the job and not just be the interchangeable new people who run around every week. So now the question is when will it be Elliot's turn to move forward? We'll have to wait and see.
Code Black: Love Hurts (2016)
Lovely episode
Zombies in the ER? Like everything else it's done so far, Code Black finds a way to make it work, along with half- dozen other things.
There comes a time in every medical drama when the case of the week is something unconventional. For Code Black, that would be this week, when a scaffolding collapse at a zombie convention makes the Angels Memorial ER a bit more colorful.
This could've been a cue to try and be funny, but instead, the show uses that idea to tell a serious story about a father, his son, and the father's new fiancée, and also to give Neal another chance to prove himself in his new role. That's good storytelling.
Besides ... tell me you didn't cry at the zombie wedding. It was lovely and heartwarming, especially seeing the way the kid changed his outlook on his new stepmom.
The strongest point of "Love Hurts" is Code Black's continued ability to turn conventional storytelling on its head. For example, remember when Ed Harbert pointed out that he still has an M.D. after his name? Turns out he still uses it, too. We get to see him in action – though, sadly, not in any actual surgery scenes – as he deals with a particularly sensitive case. And he actually happens to be good at his job. Which means, in turn, we have to take him seriously. He has credibility, and not just because he's played by a guy who could punch out half of the ER.
Along those same lines, Leanne has to take a look at the hospital budget when she wants to hire more nurses and is forced to admit that the numbers aren't there. With her understanding the business part of the job, and Harbert taking the chance to re-engage from a doctor's perspective, that continues to add so much depth to the subplot of bureaucracy versus medicine. Too often we see the same thing when this topic is inevitably raised on a medical show. The bureaucrat has never seen the inside of an exam room and/or is only concerned with the numbers on a spreadsheet while the doctor is the white knight in the lab coat campaigning for the greater good.
Code Black has decided to eschew that cliché and given us a dynamic that's honestly fair, with both sides having pros and cons on any given day, and being represented by characters who are three-dimensional (plus played by actors we can't help but love), and that's incredibly more interesting than the usual petty arguments found in other series. With the whole premise of the show being how overwhelmed this ER is, it's fantastic that the show is actually exploring that, and from more than just one point of view.
Speaking of points of view, personal problems creep up in this episode and start to get in the way. I love it when Angus tells Savetti that he's not talking about their issues with Heather over a patient because there's nothing more annoying than people choosing wrong times to air their personal grievances. (Although now I'm worried about adorable Angus turning into a drug addict, but I digress.)
But hopefully, that's a lesson Christa will learn because she has this problem with acting on her emotions and this week she took it out on Grace. Despite that, their case is still interesting because like all the stories in "Love Hurts," it doesn't turn out the way it first looks. It would've been too easy for the show to do a plot about Christa being right and putting an abusive counselor in his place, therefore justifying her behavior, but instead, it turns out that her patient was faking it all along.
Code Black is setting itself apart by going to places other medical dramas haven't in some time – its explorations of the battle between good business and good medicine, and to a smaller extent the pseudo-class struggle between the ER and the surgeons (or at least Campbell), make this feel greater than a regular hospital show. The best series transcend their premise and become about a lot more, and everything I've seen so far points to this becoming another one of those shows.