S01.E07: Blood Brothers

[photo fox]

When a small plane goes down near San Antonio, TC and Topher chopper out to the scene and retrieve the lone survivor. Back in the ER, they deal with his serious injuries but must fend off Milo, a menacing law enforcement officer with a hidden agenda. Paul is mesmerized by an injured exotic dancer who lands in the emergency room after falling during her performance. When her condition takes a mysterious turn for the worse, Paul, Kenny and Drew are baffled by her life threatening symptoms and must go to an already swamped Jordan for help. Krista tries to help a teenager with a serious eating disorder that her family refuses to recognize. Meanwhile, TC struggles with increasing flashbacks and the traumatic death of his brother in Afghanistan.

[Brattinella]

Dear God, this show is so horrible, so cliche-ridden, but I cannot look away!

[Sandman]

Well, shit.

[Brattinella]

They just better not kill him is all I have to say.

[LittleIggy]

::doing slow motion, falling to my knees, clutching my head action movie shot:: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Not Topher! They just better not! :-(

The local affiliate pre-empted the first 20 minutes for weather coverage (unnecessarily since it was just a severe T-storm warning. None of the other locals did this, and this is a market where the stations get into dick waving contests over who has the most cutting edge radar and shit). Anyway, what was the deal about the drug money? That guy wasn't really DEA, I assume. And was that girl dumb enough to gag herself with a fork and not a spoon? I'm still amazed at swallowing a scalpel!

[Brattinella]

No, he was just a moron bad guy, wanting the money.  I swear, we (my hubby and I) could write this script ourselves.  Every single line is a cliche.  Yes, she had been purging so long she had no shallow gag reflex and had to use something long to trigger it (ewww).

[thuganomics85]

Well, looking on the bright side of things, the good news for Paul is that Jordan is probably going to forget all about the whole "getting a lap-dance on the clock" stunt he pulled, thanks to the events that transpired.

 

Oh, The Night Shift.  I pretty much saw everything coming a mile away.  I knew Paul was going to get busted, after he confesses to save the stripper.  I knew that the girl was going to swallow something else, in order to get her parents to finally wake-up (well, that and after Krista gave them the third degree.)  And, I actually knew Topher was going to get shot.  I figured at least one person was going to get wounded in a cliffhanger, and, sadly, Topher is the only one that made sense.  Because, everyone knows TC and Jordan aren't dying.  But Topher?  Hey, it's perfect!  He's funny, likable, family man, whose wife just had twins, and is close with TC!  It certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility, that the show will kill him, in order to make everyone in the hospital cry, and give TC even more man-angst! Now, I hope that won't happen, because it would be foolish to get rid of one of the, IMO, better actors on the show, but it could happen.

 

Man, Texas is a dangerous place.  In a span of a few weeks, we've got a massive storm, a huge-ass bus crash, and now a chemical factory explosion.  Everyone is living on the edge over there!

 

Did like seeing Drew step up to the plate for a little bit as the leader, since TC and Jordan were "occupied", at the moment.  And Ragosa being truthful with the staff.  Landry would be proud!

 

Seeing Steven Bauer just reminded me of his role on Breaking Bad.  I kept waiting for Gus Fring/Giancarlo Espositio to show up and start some shit.

 

Despite my complaints, I still maintain that I have a bizarre fondness with this show.  I'm serious; I actually can't wait for the finale. This show just entertains me way too much.  But, of course, that can all change depending on Topher's fate.

Edited July 9, 2014 by thuganomics85

[ShortyMac]

I didn't really like any of the plots. The ones with the stripper and the bulimic girl were so contrived and I was rolling my eyes so hard. Krista just happened to be bulimic so she could help the girl...Paul is a virgin who wants relationship advice from the stripper. I just found them to be stupid.

 

They better not kill off Topher! 

 

(I'm not really sad that Dwayne was killed, he annoyed me.)

Edited July 9, 2014 by ShortyMac

[starri]

Whenever a TV show gets too ridiculous, I have a habit of muttering "pree-post-ter-us" really slowly at the TV.

 

I was saying that a lot.

[Ohwell]

I have a certain inexplicable affection for this show, so I'll just let some of the stupid plots slide.  I'll be sad if they kill off Topher though.

Edited July 9, 2014 by Ohwell

[Sandman]

I was surprised that the show dispensed with Dwayne so quickly. I mean, he's Annoying Tertiary Character Guy, he's not a redshirt! I will be truly shocked if Topher dies. I just don't think the show would go there -- especially since it would most likely send Tragic Consequences into a permanent tailspin that even Doctor Sexy couldn't fix.

[BindsTheTuna]

I missed the last 10 minutes! NO TOPHER NO. 

[VartanFan]

I can't believe they'd kill off Topher...especially when they've just tapped into his mad dance skills!

 

I don't mind the cliche stories - - with 80 million years of ER, St. Elsewhere, Grey's Anatomy,etc...I figure there aren't a lot of super new stories.

 

LOVED, loved, loved the Big Pun shout out.  

[starri]

I don't know what would be worse, just casually killing off Topher because this is like Game of Thrones and no one is safe, or killing off Topher in service of pushing TC's manpain closer to Jordan.

[Good Queen Jane]

The only good thing about killing Topher would be that I could finally stop watching this show.

 

Things I learned in this episode:

• There is only one trauma hospital in the ten counties surrounding San Antonio.Texas isn't as populated as I thought.
• The hospital's financial problems are so bad that there is no supoort staff to transport patients to testing/operating rooms so doctors have to do it.
• The way to learn how to satisfy your girlfriend sexually is to have a lap dance performed on you.
• SWAT teams in Texas shoot first before attempting negotiations with a hostage taker.
• Doctors in Afghanistan participate in armed search patrols.

 

Maybe it would be better if Topher dies.

[starri]

 

Doctors in Afghanistan participate in armed search patrols.

Yeah, I couldn't wrap my head around that at all.

 

I spent most of those flashbacks wondering if I'd missed something and he was just regular infantry in Afghanistan, and then trying to figure out when he would have had to do his tour in order to complete four years of medical school and a three year residency.  Then I realized the show just needed him there for dramatic purposes, sense be damned.

 

Pree-post-ter-us!

[Brattinella]

Yep, the death of Topher would most probably be my tip-over point.  Drew is the only other character I have affection for.

[Sandman]

That was Steven Bauer? Has he always been that bad? Jeepers.

[chaifan]

Not sure if that was Steven Bauer or not - sort of looked like him, but he doesn't show up on the cast list on IMDB...  Whoever it was, that was The Worst Acting I've seen on a prime time show.  Just awful.  Painfully awful.  I've only caught a few of these episodes, and each just keeps getting worse and worse.  I was hoping for a medical show that would be the Anti-Grey's - something that concentrated more on the patients, and not having the doctors/nurses go through the Grey's curse of bombers, shooters, whatever crazy disaster of the week they come up with.  But, no.  Topher is the only decent actor in the cast - hoping if they kill him off it was at his request to get off this horrible show and move onto something better.

[Sandman]

I think the actress playing Dr. Mole is actually pretty good. (That would be more persuasive if I actually remembered to call her "Krista," wouldn't it?)

[Cattitude]

Yeah, I couldn't wrap my head around that at all.

 

I spent most of those flashbacks wondering if I'd missed something and he was just regular infantry in Afghanistan, and then trying to figure out when he would have had to do his tour in order to complete four years of medical school and a three year residency.  Then I realized the show just needed him there for dramatic purposes, sense be damned.

 

Pree-post-ter-us!

 

I guess I'm just too shallow, All I could think about was that TC had WAY too much hair. No way active duty would allow his long hair plus the desert heat.

 

I just LOL rolled in the floor before the opening credits when OF COURSE DrSpecialistSnowflake just HAD to repell out of a helicopter to save the plane crash victim.

What the Fuck ever show!

Edited July 9, 2014 by Cattitude

[izabella]

At this point, Topher is really the only reason I keep watching.  I'm sure not watching it for Jordan and TC.  Where was her other boyfriend, Scott Wolf, btw?   Did he have the day off, or did I just miss him because I wasn't paying that close attention?

 

I don't believe that any parents who love their kid, and it seemed like bulimia girl's parents did love her, would just brush off fork-swallowing and insist on taking her home.  Ridiculous.

[starri]

At this point, Topher is really the only reason I keep watching.  I'm sure not watching it for Jordan and TC.  Where was her other boyfriend, Scott Wolf, btw?   Did he have the day off, or did I just miss him because I wasn't paying that close attention?

Ragosa had a line that Scott was on his way in when they were about to receive the first patients from the chemical plant.

[Dowel Jones]

I confess I actually FF through some of the more ridiculous scenes, i.e. the lead up to the lap dance.  Do strippers actually discuss their UTI with a customer while grinding that very region against his body?

I loved it when TC and Topher immediately look over Dwayne's body in close examination.  "He's dead".  You think?  He just took a bullet wound directly into his forehead.  I also got a kick out of everyone in that room getting slammed up against the wall, next to the FIRE ALARM. 

What happened to TC's nemesis Dr. Peckerhead?

[Julie23]

I will stop watching this train wreck if they kill off Topher, I swear. I will. I might. It's hard to look away. I do like Drew too though. TC bugs. A LOT.His "flashbacks" were just, well, dumb. Made no sense that he would be going in shooting on a mission as the medic. But then how else would we know what a "hero" he is? Ugh. 

[Sandman]

I don't believe that any parents who love their kid, and it seemed like bulimia girl's parents did love her, would just brush off fork-swallowing and insist on taking her home.  Ridiculous.

 

You know what? That part I had no trouble believing. None. Denial is a force to be reckoned with, people. Especially if the parents cast her illness in terms like "My daughter's not crazy" (which is another way of saying "You're implying this is my fault").

 

I was more skeptical of the idea that no one noticed Nina had cutlery jammed in her gullet until they reached the hospital. Wouldn't the EMT/first responder types have picked up on that relatively quickly? Isn't "Airway/Breathing/Consciousness" the ABC of urgent care?

 

It doesn't even bother me that much that Dr. Mo -- er, Krista can empathize with Nina because of her own struggle with bulimia. (I don't really think the actress looks like a long-term survivor of bulimia but this is the only trauma centre in ten counties ... to be staffed entirely by the breathtakingly beautiful.) I think Krista's emotional connection to her patients is sure to become over-used, but I did like the way the actress played the scenes with Nina. ::handwaves::

 

I do wonder, given her sudden turn for the suicidal, whether Nina had more happening than just bulimia. Borderline personality disorder, maybe? (I'm using my advanced degree in TV Psychology, of course.)

Edited July 9, 2014 by Sandman

[izabella]

You know what? That part I had no trouble believing. None. Denial is a force to be reckoned with, people. Especially if the parents cast her illness in terms like "My daughter's not crazy" (which is another way of saying "You're implying this is my fault").

 

You're right about denial, it's just...she deliberately swallowed a fork!  A fork!  It's not like a 2 year old swallowing a penny.  It means something.

 

I do wonder, given her sudden turn for the suicidal, whether Nina had more happening than just bulimia. Borderline personality disorder, maybe? (I'm using my advanced degree in TV Psychology, of course.)

 

And then there's that part.  Ok, so she was depressed and suicidal because her parents wouldn't let her stay in the hospital to get help because they didn't believe she needed help.  Girls can't speak up and tell her parents she's been binging and purging for years and that she really, truly does need help?  Girl can't tell them she's moments away from swallowing a scalpel and needs help? 

 

Maybe I don't understand bulimia, or why she couldn't speak up for herself.

[Sandman]

Well, maybe it wasn't one of the good forks.

[Ohwell]

It'll be bad enough if Topher dies, but if Kenny and Dr. Mole hook up, I don't know how much more of this show I could take. 

[fifty8th]

 

I guess I'm just too shallow, All I could think about was that TC had WAY too much hair. No way active duty would allow his long hair plus the desert heat.

That was my first thought as well, then it was why is a full fledged doctor going out on missions, I understand a medic would but he is a doctor. Sort of took me out of it but to tell you the truth I barely pay attention to the TC parts, and pay attention to Drew, Krista, Kenny, Ragosa and Landry. Nice scene with Drew and Kenny talking about the coming out. Would of liked more on it and what is going on with his boyfriend (or did I miss something?).

[I-Kare]

Can TC just have a meltdown and go away? I know he's supposed to have had some breakdown previously, but come on. This storyline feels more like a S3 thing, not a S1 thing. Too soon...we don't know/care enough about him at this point for this dramatic mental thing. At this point, I'm not sympathetic, I'm more like "there's no way he'd act this way and not be thrown out on his ass." 

 

I loved the Drew scene with Kenny, very realistic from both characters. 

 

And in the "blink and you'll miss it" cameo we have the very talented and underrated Rob Hoffman. Great dancer and very funny guy (not to mention handsome). Ellen fans will know him as the guy who she has scare people with sneak dance attacks. He also starred in one of the Step Up movies. If you get a chance, youtube him. Talented guy. 

[flyngzebra]

I'm glad we got to see Dwayne/MRI guy in a previous episode. He had time to develop a personality. I'm going to miss the cranky hypoglycemic. 

 

Thanks to I-Kare for pointing out who TC's brother is. It was driving me nuts. His Step Up was the best of all Step Ups. Step Up 2: The Streets!

[Happy Belly]

The thing I keep laughing about is the stripper , who we are told, just had a stroke and is paralyzed on the right side. if so, why was she moving her right hand and fingers as they loaded her up on the stretcher and were taking her out of the room?

 

Edited because I spelled some words wrong

Edited July 10, 2014 by Happy Belly

[dubbel zout]

Bulimia girl has been vomiting since she was 10, and she's 16. Did she not ever see a dentist in those years? 

 

Paul and the stripper was painful.

 

It was very satisfying to see the fake DEA agent pistol-whip and manhandle TJ. That was the most boring hostage situation.

 

TJ's constant MacGyvering reminds me of Hank on Royal Pains.

 

They're the only trauma center in TEN counties? A city the size of San Antonio should have at least two. Per Wiki, it's the seventh most populous city in the U.S. and the second most populous in Texas.

Edited July 10, 2014 by dubbel zout

[starri]

TC clearly has PTSD, which they've been telegraphing the entire season and especially so last night.  I can't figure out A) why Landry never really called him on that, as she's very perceptive and not shy about sharing her observations, B) why Ragosa wouldn't make his employment contingent on him getting in and staying in some kind of therapy.

[VartanFan]

I can't believe I didn't even recognize Rob Hoffman.  I just rewatched those scenes and it still doesn't really sound like him to me (though I know it is).  Glad to see him working since he is an amazing dancer and was totally hilarious in She's the Man as the crying ex.

[sheetmoss]

 

Not sure if that was Steven Bauer or not - sort of looked like him, but he doesn't show up on the cast list on IMDB..

That was him, I saw his name in the opening credits and said to my sis, that's the guy from Ray Donovam.

[I-Kare]

Totally agree, Rob's Step Up was the best Step Up. And omg! I totally forgot he was in She's the Man. I think that's where I saw him first and fell in love. I watched the cast commentary on the DVD and he was hysterical. 

 

I've read quite a few reviewers who think the weak link in the show is the TC/Jordan storyline as well, so it's not just the majority of the fans. I wonder, since they've been renewed, if they'll take the opportunity to retool that for next season. 

[StillCrazy]

It's interesting that I somewhat like all the characters on this show except TC.  Who do I have to pay to have him killed off?

 

I almost didn't recognize Steven Bauer.  He'll always be the guy from Thief of Hearts for me. I don't remember him as being such a bad actor.

[kwerkee]

It's this show. It brings out the over-acting in unsuspecting actors. Eoin Macken (TC) was my favorite part of Merlin despite being a mere recurring character. He was quite charming in that one. Or perhaps it was his hair.

Anyway, this show is definitely a guilty pleasure for me and I used to have none. It's fun how you can predict every outcome because of how unashamedly trope-y it is.

[LittleIggy]

When TC and Topher were working on that guy and the other guy was waving the gun around, I kept saying (yes, I talk to the TV) "You have scalpels! Use them to incapacitate bad guy!" They had him get shit for them like the clips so he was distracted at times.

[LadyMustang65]

You're right about denial, it's just...she deliberately swallowed a fork!  A fork!  It's not like a 2 year old swallowing a penny.  It means something.

 

 

Did she do it deliberately?  I thought she told Krista that she lost her grip on it when she was using it to try to make herself throw up.

[dubbel zout]

She did lose her grip on it, but she still swallowed A FORK. Even if the girl doesn't have bulimia, there's something going on if a fork is far enough down her throat to swallow it.

[izabella]

Did she do it deliberately?  I thought she told Krista that she lost her grip on it when she was using it to try to make herself throw up.

 

I meant it in the sense that she put the fork there herself, and no one else stuck it down her throat. 

[Ohmo]

NBC seems to have seriously miscalculated the draw for this show.  I don't know what I'm going to do if Topher dies.  I love Drew, and thought his comment to Paul and Krista about being scared was terrific.  I thought Regosa calling in the hostage situation was strangely "hot."  I like him with Landry.  There are many things that I like about this series, but killing off Topher might be the tipping point for me to leave.  I want more Topher, not dead Topher!

 

I mean no disrespect to any actual people who have served in the military, been in combat, and suffer actual PTSD.  However, I don't give a flying fig about fictional TC', his fictional PTSD, or his fictional dead brother.  Just stop.  Topher's injuries are also not about TC.  They are about Topher, Janet, and their children.

[Sandman]

When TC and Topher were working on that guy and the other guy was waving the gun around, I kept saying (yes, I talk to the TV) "You have scalpels! Use them to incapacitate bad guy!" They had him get shit for them like the clips so he was distracted at times.

While I agree that they might have distracted him to greater purpose, I think it would probably be unrealistic, even for this show, for them to get the upper hand in a hostage-taking. Also, there might be something in the Hippocratic Oath about not using a scalpel to shiv a guy. I think.

Edited July 15, 2014 by Sandman

[Jordan27]

::doing slow motion, falling to my knees, clutching my head action movie shot:: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Not Topher! They just better not! :-(

The local affiliate pre-empted the first 20 minutes for weather coverage (unnecessarily since it was just a severe T-storm warning. None of the other locals did this, and this is a market where the stations get into dick waving contests over who has the most cutting edge radar and shit).

Yeah, I don't like it when they do that here either.  I'm watching a show at 10 at night.  Why do or anyone watching this show need to know about a thunderstorm warning.  I'm not going anywhere. 

[Brattinella]

Severe thunderstorms can turn into tornadoes at any time, they warn you so you can go into your basement for shelter.  I prefer that they tell me about severe weather so I can be safe, I'll watch the show later if necessary.

[DeLurker]

 

I can't believe they'd kill off Topher...especially when they've just tapped into his mad dance skills!

I kind of wished for Toph to die so Ken Leung could go to a better place...errr, show.   But no matter how bad the show is, I thank them for giving me that scene showing the dancing!  But was that Bust a Move from freakin' 1989?  Maybe I am having my own PTSD flashbacks from my clubland days.

 

Who did not predict fork girl was going to have more troubles once Krista "promised" she was going to be ok?

 

 

I don't believe that any parents who love their kid, and it seemed like bulimia girl's parents did love her, would just brush off fork-swallowing and insist on taking her home.

That was explained so neatly by Landry - because hispanic families don't want to admit there's a problem.  Her last name is de la Cruz so that's first hand insight into the culture, not a gross stereotyping.

 

I shamely admit that I was inexplicably enjoying the TOTAL CLICHED BADNESS of the first few eps - they were epicly awful!  And, to use another tired cliche, the epitomy of Go Big (Bad) or Go Home.