If you would like to read my review of the last episode, click here.
Synopsis: Shaun and Claire devise an experimental procedure to save the leg and life of a young groom; Jared struggles to emotionally connect with a patient whose scars may prove too deep to overcome. (TV Guide)
Writer: Simran Baidwan
Director: Michael Patrick Jann
Rating: TV-14
Running Time: 41mins
Things have been rather tame so far but this episode changed things up for everyone as it found our trio of young doctors working a night shift. We also learned that Murphy doesn’t drink coffee. What looked to be a boring night quickly got more interesting as the hospital went into full trauma mode to handle a wedding bus crash with 20+ people injured.
This proved to be a challenge for Murphy as the situation did not immediately register with him. There definitely was a lot going on and he didn’t seem to have much of a reaction. Perhaps he was analyzing all the injured in his mind as he often did. Kalu was then given a burn victim to tend to, Browne got a woman with a punctured neck, while Murphy was needed to help stop a man with a severe leg injury from bleeding out. The paramedics were getting restless while Melendez was watching as well until Murphy managed to create a reboa to stop the bleeding.
The man who Murphy helped was the groom. Melendez and Murphy spoke with the bride and the groom’s parents about needing to amputate which was upsetting to them. Despite what was happening, there was still time for social situations. When a conversation about hospital administrator and Melendez’s fiance Jessica Preston’s (Beau Garrett) upcoming marriage to Melendez came up, Murphy was asked if he wanted love, he immediately said no. He just wanted to see his patient’s scans so he took Browne’s computer, prompting a quick apology. When asked why the parents cried, she told him that it was a sad thing even though amputation was a better option than death. She then suggested that they replace his entire femur.
Melendez conceded that it was a good idea which could work but didn’t believe that it was Browne’s. When consulting with the parents, they did not understand that his potential new femur was real (hence the episode title). He also told them that a surgery of this magnitude has never been attempted and there was still a slight chance that their son may die. This chance was still too much for the parents but his bride thought otherwise as she believed it was what he would have wanted.
As they were getting ready for to amputate the leg, Preston informed them that she had filed an emergency injunction to stop the surgery. The parents and the bride then argued to a judge. Before Murphy could answer the judge’s question, he noticed something wrong with the groom, prompting him to need surgery immediately. When pressed, the judge ruled in favor of the bride and femur replacement.
Kalu was unsure how to deal with the woman’s burns or communicate with her for whatever reason. Feeling overwhelmed, he stepped out for some air and Browne gave him some advice. He tried to connect with her using protocol but it wasn’t working. He then approached Andrews about an experimental treatment with tilapia skins that he could try. The problem was that it would take too much time to get it ready in time. Later, Kalu managed to get the tilapia skins thanks to a donation from his wealthy family.
The surgery on Browne’s patient was successful. The first thing she wanted to know was if her wife was okay. She wasn’t on the list of patients but Browne told her that she’d find her. When she couldn’t find her in the waiting room, she took a team back to the crash site to find her. Browne found her, however, she was in rough shape with severe head trauma. She alleviated the cranial pressure by drilling into her skull.
Now all the patients were in surgery. Glassman and Browne worked on her patient’s brain. Melendez and Murphy replaced the femur. Kalu was applying the tilapia skins on his patient. The femur replacement was successful, Kalu’s patient’s recovery remains to be seen, and Glassman and Browne’s surgery was not because their patient died.
After his patient died, Glassman received information about how she was treated in the field. He asked Browne about what she did and she believed she did the right thing but may have overlooked a secondary ailment which led to her being mis-intubated. Glassman consoled her and shared a story about one of his patients who died under his care who still haunts him. Browne got emotional when she watched Glassman tell her previous patient that her wife had passed away.
The episode ended with a conversation between Murphy and Glassman on a bench about love. He loved Steve and his rabbit but doesn’t now since they’re dead, however, Glassman still loves people he knows that are dead. They then discussed breakfast.
Overall, this was another good episode that was definitely hectic with the hospital in trauma mode but it was still mostly case of the week with the leg. It was nice to see Murphy challenged a little more as this is when he is most compelling to watch and so were the other subplots with Browne and Kalu. This helped bring balance and to prove that the other doctors could stand on their own. The show seems to have found its way and as long as it tells the right stories, it can continue being successful.
Score: 8.5/10
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The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.
