“Replace toner. We live in hell.”
That is because printers and fax machines can smell fear and stress and choose those moments to throw a fit. They’re intelligent like that.
Well, apparently I jinxed things. One episode after wondering if the cyber attack will be enough to propel the rest of the season, we get a cliffhanger poised to act as our mass casualty event: a water slide collapse.
Unlike the cyber attack, this had been kept completely from any spoilers or teasers that I saw, and I am very happy about that. I like this so much more than a fire or a massive car pileup, too. There are a lot of types of injuries that go beyond just falling and crushing. I’m excited. I’m very, very excited.
Especially since there’s been a slow building subplot about how backed up surgery has gotten over the course of the day. Garcia has a comment basically every time she pops down about how they’re busy and that the extra patients from Westbridge are only making it worse. We had three more patients head up there just this episode. That’s not what you want when you’re about to get a bunch of patients that are almost certainly going to require surgery. I know that Abbot just left to try and get a nap before the night shift, but he might be getting a call to come back in as soon as possible.
Things are already starting to fall through the cracks. Yes, they have their head above water for the most part after the forced switch to analog, but Javadi’s patient, Mrs. Burns, showed the limits of how they’re adapting. It’s an easy enough mistake to make, an unclear delegation of responsibilities. But it was almost fatal, and it wouldn’t have happened on any normal day.
Garcia snapping at Javadi and calling her “nepo baby” did feel a little out of line, although she has been very snippy today. It made for a marked contrast to how Whitaker responded. He refused to blame Javadi, repeatedly using “we” instead of “you.”
It is still a little weird to see him in a position of authority over her. Even though I know that she’s still a med student and Whitaker is a full-fledged doctor now (complete with his new badge!) my head still registers them as equals. They had felt like equals last season. Now Whitaker has his own pittlings to look after, and Javadi is kind of one of them.
He also now has his own bachelor pad. There is something rather comical about Robby sitting Whitaker down to have a conversation about enforcing professional boundaries only to immediately turn around and ask him to house sit for him. And this isn’t just the kind of house sitting where you collect the mail and make sure none of the windows are broken. No, this is the kind where you move in.
We know that Robby is in a bad place mentally. At this point, though, he’s not just throwing up red flags. He’s taking out billboards with neon lights screaming that he is struggling and needs help. The line about how Whitaker can keep the house if he doesn’t come back was… dark. A lot darker than I expected.
Thankfully, Whitaker seemed to realize just how odd of a thing it was to say. I don’t know if he’ll do anything about it or not, but I’m glad that it didn’t go by completely unnoticed.
Two more things happened this episode that I had been waiting all season for. We finally got a furry! Anthrocon is a real event that happens in Pittsburgh every summer. I loved the recurring gag of people doing a double take at the fursuit hanging outside of the cooling room as they walked by. I can also see Santos as a dragon.
She would be something protective. I know that she insists that she would never pick pediatrics, but she’s actually amazing with kids. The way she spoke to Jude when he first arrived was so gentle and so kind. She kept him calm and readjusted her grip so that she could better hold his hand, and my heart was so full.
Jude was the second thing that I had been waiting for. Eventually, we had to get a firework injury. He was lucky, all things considered. He only lost the least important fingers instead of a whole hand. The prosthetic work for that was very cool. We got a decent look at it too, which was appreciated.
Jude also is part of the three pairs that make up the general theme of the episode. There was a large focus on families and familial relationships. Especially sisters and extra especially sisters in a caretaking role. Jude’s sister, Chantel, had to completely pause her life and step up as a surrogate mother when their parents got deported. Which is obviously just a rough situation all around.
While I’m glad that Dylan agreed with Santos that there most likely was no reason for the pair to be separated by child services, Jude still got seriously injured because he was 12 and drunk and playing with fireworks. I don’t know what the right thing to do would be in that situation.
Becca’s earlier phone call to Mel was foreshadowing, as she arrived at the hospital right when Mel was about to be called for her deposition. It was nice to see more of Becca, and for her to assert her own independence a bit, both by insisting on being called her name and also when she reminded Mel that she had been to the doctor before.
It just was the worst timing possible for Mel, and added so much more stress to an already stressful day. Her frantic rush through the waiting room did a great job at showing just how chaotic and overstimulating it was. It’s a completely different world than the ER proper. It’s easy to forget that there are people packed in their like sardines while the focus is on the patients that are currently being treated.
I’m glad that Langdon was the one who took over for Becca’s treatment. Langdon and Mel’s dynamic was my favorite part of the first season, and I’ve missed it in this one. So anything that gets them interacting more is a plus in my book.
Langdon was also excellent with her. It’s not just turning the lights off. It was how he phrased his questions to her too. I’m fairly certain that Perlah and I had the same expression on our faces. It was just very cute, and I’m glad that Becca has a UTI as opposed to anything more serious.
Howard’s CT scan showed that he had two options: no nothing and have a 100% chance of death, or get surgery now with only a 50% chance of death. There’s really no choice there. It’s mortality in a very different way than how Roxie is facing it.
Roxie is terminal. She knows that she’s going to die. She knows that she will never get to see her sons grow up. It’s just a question of how long it will take and how much pain she will be in until it happens. It’s a very different conversation to have with your family than the one that Howard has with his sister.
Howard has a coin flip’s chance, and he can’t even talk. He has to use the electronic board. What do you say to someone in that situation? There’s no time for a longer conversation. The way his sister gasped and realized that she forgot to tell Howard that she loved him broke my heart. It really sucks to live with the guilt of knowing that you lost your last chance to remind your family that you love them. I really hope that he survives. I know that we almost certainly won’t find out either way, but I hope he does.
Random Thoughts
Ogilvie seems to have a tense relationship with his dad, implying that he isn’t proud of him being a doctor.
Digby jumping into action to give everyone space and then cheering them on was very sweet.
Princess won the betting pool because she has insider information.
Oof. Santos is definitely more emotionally invested in their relationship than Garcia is.
I instantly love Monica.
Um, did Emma imply that she was assaulted and regretted not getting a rape kit done? I’m fairly certain that’s what she was implying.
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An Honest Fangirl loves video games, horror movies, and superheroes, and occasionally manages to put words together in a coherent and pleasing manner.
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