In this week’s episode, Nic and Conrad continue to dig for more information on the drug that killed Nic’s sister as the war between Kit and Cain continues to escalade while Bell tries his best to play peacemaker. It was a good episode, not great, but still enjoyable enough.
The contrast between the two Game Nights is put to light as the episode begins; the gang of younger doctors is having fun playing charades while Bell and some more experienced surgeons are playing poker and betting patients. The latter seems more solemn, while the other seems lighter, funnier. How Grayson got invited to that poker game is beyond me though and I wonder where Austin would have fallen between these two crowds.
Even at a poker game with what I assume are his friends, Cain needs to demonstrate he is better than his colleges by betting the big bucks. When another doctor can’t pony up the cash to match Cain’s bet, he puts a patient on the table, one with great insurance and who always seems to be back at Chastain demanding more surgeries. Bell seems uneasy with this, but doesn’t stop it. He seems afraid of Cain, will not contradict him, and that’s dangerous, especially considering the ego on the neurosurgeon.
Cain wins the hand, thus wins the patient, which does not fly well with Kit. As per previous episodes, they continue to argue on patient care. She pushes to avoid surgery when possible, but he doesn’t and it causes a lot of friction between the two. Upon examining the patient, Cain decides to do a very risky surgery, one that has never been done before, and even Bell seems uneasy with it. It makes Kit even madder, she wants to stop it. She wants to go to the board, but Bell advises her against it. He really does seem want her well being but he is not one to fight the power though.
After the operation, in a day where the nurses are rare, Nic acts as a surgeon to save a patient’s life, and performs an emergency tracheotomy when Cain is nowhere to be found. Kit brings the patient in the operation room and Bell joins, probably so Kit would not be alone against Cain when the time came. By the end of the episode Kit changed her approach towards Cain. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. That’s what she said.
Everyone knows that Conrad and Devon are having relationship issues; they will not be working together as much at the hospital. It was still good to see them being still friends with each other outside the hospital though. I liked seeing them together, but I was quite mad at Devon when he completely dismissed Nic for asking him if he knew of a doctor who might help them in their quest for answers. She was trying to get someone with more access, but he wouldn’t help. He is becoming such a wuss. Going through the traditional paths is taking too long. He makes me so mad. He doesn’t care that it’s personal for Nic, that she is trying to understand what killed her sister. With Devon not willing to help, it is good that Marshall is back in the picture.
“Did I tell you Nic and I got chickens?” –Conrad
It’s nice to see that Conrad and his father are still going strong. Marshal is on the medication that might have killed Jessie so they have him run some tests, and get him off of the medication. When Conrad explains what he needs help with, his father uses his connections to get them a meeting with some pretty influential people. He suits up and they fly to DC to attend the annual meeting of one of the top two dialysis companies in the US, hoping to get a face to face with the CEO. They would have a lot of data on patients currently on the drug, and is willing to give them access, but he wants something in return. Is Conrad ready to make a deal with someone he hardly knows for the information? The CEO seems like quite the persona.
It’s nice to see that Conrad and his father are still going strong. Marshal is on the medication that might have killed Jessie so they have him run some tests, and get him off of the medication. When Conrad explains what he needs help with, his father uses his connections to get them a meeting with some pretty influential people. He suits up and they fly to DC to attend the annual meeting of one of the top two dialysis companies in the US, hoping to get a face to face with the CEO. They would have a lot of data on patients currently on the drug, and is willing to give them access, but he wants something in return. Is Conrad ready to make a deal with someone he hardly knows for the information? The CEO seems like quite the persona.
The storyline with Austin and his family continues to progress as this week, he meets his biological mother, a pediatrician. Its uneasy in the beginning with his biological family, his father is still annoying, he has no tact. Austin resents them, he feels abandoned. While his father seems clueless on how to approach the situation, his mother says the right things to win his confidence even if Austin has his guards up. He doesn’t trust them. She loved him, still does. She lived all those years wondering what he had become. In an emotional moment, Austin’s walls fell down and they hugged. It was a great moment for the surgeon.
When Nic and Conrad host Game Night for their friends, it makes Irving think of hosting his own Game Night in the home he would like to share with Jessica. She’s not in the same headspace he is though; she doesn’t want to move in with a guy before marriage. She’s been there; she’s done that. This makes the doctor a little insecure about his own history, and oddly enough Devon is the one to reassure him. Irving comes to the conclusion that Jessica is the love of his life which meant for sure that something was going to happen to one of them.
It’s Nurses Appreciation Day at Chastain hospital, but it doesn’t feel very festive. The nurses are over booked and under staffed. The new policies from Red Rock are causing more and more nurses to leave their employment because of the horrible work conditions. The nurses are overworked and exhausted. The hospital and the operating rooms cannot function without them. Jessica covers for another nurse when Nic sends her home after getting the high from her fourth coffee. She rides the second wind, but her high not seem to follow her through her ride home because she falls asleep at the wheel, and next week should be emotionally charged.
This was a good enough episode, I give it a 6.5/10.
