“I just want my life to have meant something.”
Oh, Dr. Stohl, shall I count the ways you annoy us? In an effort to promote the hospital, Dr. Stohl enlists a camera crew to follow him around the ER while everyone works. Because that’s not a bad idea—let’s have a camera crew in an emergency area where people are literally fighting for their lives. Sure. Dr. Stohl’s quest for the camera-perfect case caused him to care less about the patients and more about how the case would present in the promo. He was not only exceptionally annoying, but also wrote off seemingly insignificant patients and patients whose cases might be considered “boring”.
While this was not a great showing for Dr. Stohl, Will continued down his path of redemption this hour. His character has been so much more likable this season—so much so that he might be my favorite…? (He’s my favorite for this week, let’s go with that.) He’s come a long way from where the show began and seems to have found a balance between caring for his patients and crossing the line. He also continues to prove what a fantastic diagnostician he is—he catches things no one else catches.
When Dr. Stohl wants to discharge Mr. Mikulski after diagnosing him with a sinus infection, Will insists they run tests for a more serious illness. Going against Dr. Stohl’s discharge order, Will uses the cameras to his advantage to get Dr. Stohl on board with Mr. Mikulski staying in the hospital. I’m a little surprised Sharon seemed to take such an issue with this. Will didn’t technically do anything wrong—he worked the system to ensure his patient could stay for tests he needed. It turns out Mr. Mikulski has a fungal infection in his brain and will need surgery—a surgery with a 90% mortality rate. Why is it always the unbelievably sweet patients who end up with the worst luck? When Mr. Mikulski said, “I don’t make much of an impression,” my heart broke. He made an impression on me!
When you boil it down, Dr. Stohl was more concerned with how he appeared than anything else. Meanwhile, Will was concerned only with his patients. So take a guess as to who came across as the most sincere, most compelling on camera…Will, obviously.
“I am uneasy with the surgery we are about to perform.”
“I am hurting my own daughter. How am I supposed to protect her from this if I’m part of the problem?”
Natalie begins to treat a woman in with minor wounds from an accident, but the case quickly transfers to her daughter, Ariel. Ariel presents with a variety of symptoms that change periodically. Natalie enlists the help of Dr. Charles, who never seems to fail with diagnoses. After several tests, Dr. Charles finds that Ariel has Mirror Touch Synesthesia, a rare condition that causes one to feel the physical and emotional pain of those around them.
Speaking of Natalie, initially, things were fine between her and Clark following their breakup. It’s a bit more cordial now, and Natalie might have a twinge of regret over the breakup. Even after Clark is shot (in the arm, no worries), the two can’t seem to overcome the awkwardness. In fact, thanks to Ariel, it’s clear that Natalie is sad about Jeff. Are we really going to see round two of this relationship? The first time was more than enough—it’s clear she has feelings, at least on some level, for Will. Let Jeff find someone else!
“You know what makes you better at this job? Being present, being honest, especially with yourself.”
When she’s not attempting therapy sessions, Sarah assists Ethan and Clark on a high-risk case. Ethan and Clark quickly determine that Rey has something lodged up his rectum (ouch!)—a gun. Sarah always seems to not only bond with patients quickly, but gain their trust. As a doctor (especially a psychiatrist), that’s an excellent quality to have. Sarah’s conversation with Rey leads us to believe Rey has some serious psychological issues, but before she can really dive in, Rey’s father arrives and everything falls apart. Sadly, because of his father’s influence, Rey would rather go with a story that gets him time in prison (claiming he tried to smuggle the gun to his incarcerated cousin) than face serious issues that need dealing with. Much like some of our favorite doctors this hour, Rey must choose whether or not he wants to face the mirror and deal with the person he sees looking back at him. Unlike our doctors, Rey doesn’t choose to face himself—at least, not yet.
What did you think of the episode? Will Mr. Mikulski pull through? Will we see Natalie and Clark back together? What’s ahead for Connor and Dr. Latham? Share your thoughts below!
