S01.E08: Reunion

[WendyCR72]

Dr. Manning returns from maternity leave and helps treat a teen with a long history of medical issues. Dr. Choi attends to a former Navy shipmate with a potentially life-threatening ailment and goes above and beyond the scope of his duties to ensure he gets the proper treatment. Saudi Prince Faisal arrives at the hospital for a planned surgical procedure, but only from Dr. David Downey, the hot-shot surgeon who takes a shine to the work of Dr. Rhodes.  Meanwhile, a budding romance between Sarah and hospital lab tech Joey looks hopeful, but April might think otherwise.

[Chas411]

I haven't seen the episode yet but can someone tell me if there was a time jump or did Manning actually take the shortest maternity leave ever.

[starri]

She had taken a month off. Maggie seemed surprised she hadn't taken more time.

Ah, one of my favorite character types, the Enigmatic Surgeon. Also, what was the point of that?

[katycat74]

Time jump..it was mentioned that she had been gone a month.

[betsyboo]

The bloody glove from the rectal exam was unnecessary. 

 

Dr. McDouche: cut your hair.

Dr. Choi in uniform: swoooooooooon

Dr. Charles: You're all the things.

Dr. Intern: You and splendorkable are, well, splendorkable.

[MakeMeLaugh]

More, much much MUCH more, Dr Choi, please.

[Noirprncess]

She had taken a month off. Maggie seemed surprised she hadn't taken more time.

Ah, one of my favorite character types, the Enigmatic Surgeon. Also, what was the point of that?

Great question. I thought they were going to reveal that he didn't actual perform the surgery. He picks the "brightest star" at the hospital, flatters then into doing the surgery then takes credit. It was a fantastic waste of story telling filler time.

Loved Dr Choi too.

Maggie, you look great for a lady that just took off your fake pregnancy belly!

[Lady Calypso]

Ok, so since I don't have a TV, I had to acquire the episode through streaming. Unfortunately, the versions I had missed the last act or so. I kind of read up on them but can anyone tell me what I missed? Like with Reese and Splendorkable? And Choi? Oh, and with the abuse story (which I argue isn't abuse but whatever). 

 

So, Reese was kind of an asshole to Splendorkable. I mean, it's in his right to still be dating around since it seems like they haven't defined anything there. I would love to know if she apologized or not. I don't want to add Reese to the 'asshole' list. 

 

Choi! It was nice to get a subplot all for him, although he also turned out to be an asshole with the 'screw protol, you should have broken the rules' at that other nurse. But I feel like I could give him a pass because a) the nurse called him out on it; and b) His friend was close to death and it could have been prevented, so he lashed out. 

 

Ok, the child 'abuse' storyline was dumb. Personally, I don't think what the father did is child abuse because he genuinely thought his child was sick, but I'm also not a medical expert so I don't know what constitutes as medical child abuse. Actually, I guess maybe the fact that he refused to let his daughter get more proper treatment and a proper diagnosis. Maybe it could be, but I just see a father genuinely caring for his child. I guess that's why Dr. Charles classified it as 'complicated'. Also, first time I liked Manning when she yelled at Charles and Dr. McDouche. I think it's because she was forced to take the blame from the father when she had nothing to do with their methods. I would be peeved if that happened to me. 

 

Rhodes and that bigshot doc...what the hell was going on with that? I feel like I'm definitely missing something. So Bigshot takes a shining to Rhodes, brings him up to meet the Prince of somewhere, and then...forces him to make tea and leave? What? I think I need the conclusion to that storyline. 

[betsyboo]

Great question. I thought they were going to reveal that he didn't actual perform the surgery. He picks the "brightest star" at the hospital, flatters then into doing the surgery then takes credit. It was a fantastic waste of story telling filler time.

 

 

 

Rhodes and that bigshot doc...what the hell was going on with that? I feel like I'm definitely missing something. So Bigshot takes a shining to Rhodes, brings him up to meet the Prince of somewhere, and then...forces him to make tea and leave? What? I think I need the conclusion to that storyline. 

I was wondering if Mitchum Huntzberger was watching Rhodes's hands while he was making the tea. Steady/firm/gentle/holds kettle at right height...? I did expect him to invite him into surgery. Maybe the surgery is next week. If i was Rhodes I wouldn't have been "shrug" about it and would have been very angry for pulling me from the ER to first translate - and then not translate - and then make tea. WTF?

[Lady Calypso]

I was wondering if Mitchum Huntzberger was watching Rhodes's hands while he was making the tea. Steady/firm/gentle/holds kettle at right height...? I did expect him to invite him into surgery. Maybe the surgery is next week. If i was Rhodes I wouldn't have been "shrug" about it and would have been very angry for pulling me from the ER to first translate - and then not translate - and then make tea. WTF?

 

That's what I thought. Hotshot was staring at Rhodes the entire time, so I figured this was, like, Karate Kid-style training, but with docs. You know, if you can make the tea precisely, you're capable of doing the surgery type thing? Which is dumb, because mind games are dumb and it's easier to say 'yo, I want you in my surgery but I'm going to test you before you actually do it, so make some tea'. And I'm pretty sure this is exactly what it is. Rhodes will probably get one more 'test', then he'll confront Hotshot and Hotshot will declare him fit to do the surgery. 

[LittleIggy]

I'm glad that wasn't another Munchausen by Proxy case. That has been done to death. I'm still confused about the dynamics there. Had the girl convinced herself that she was sick in order to give her dad a purpose? BTW, I heard something on Morning Edition about approval for gene splicing therapy to treat Mitochondrial Disease. The treated embryo would have genetic material from 3 people in it.

Yes, Dr. Choi was swoon worthy in that uniform!

[izabella]

That child abuse story line was confusing.  I was left wondering if the girl was pretending to be sick so she could have her father's attention, not that he was so invested in her being sick that he kept pushing treatment on her for a non-existent condition.

[sheetmoss]

That child abuse story line was confusing.  I was left wondering if the girl was pretending to be sick so she could have her father's attention, not that he was so invested in her being sick that he kept pushing treatment on her for a non-existent condition.

The girl saw her father grieving over loss of wife, so she faked sickness  to try to help him refocus, but in turn I imagine the girl enjoyed the attention she was losing  from her dad' too w/the grieving.

The dad got so into treating his daughter that he could cause ream harm -- that's why CPS had to intervene as   time-out  to stop their dysfunctional relationship and so both then could get help.

Edited February 3, 2016 by sheetmoss

[betsyboo]

The girl saw her father grieving over loss of wife, so she faked sickness  to try to help him refocus, but in turn I imagine the girl enjoyed the attention she was losing  from her dad' too w/the grieving.

The dad got so into treating his daughter that he could cause ream harm -- that's why CPS had to intervene as   time-out  to stop their dysfunctional relationship and so both then could get help.

I agree this is what happened, and it was approp to step in. But where was the father getting the meds?????? What doctor before wrote them a script for anything without all the tests?

[gaby4ever25]

I think the hotshot surgeon was testing Rhodes' patience and personality. He's probably looking to mentor someone who is calm and cool headed.

I was amused that Dr Lulu Spencer expected to be called next with her comment about learning to make tea. I expect jealously/competiveness to get in the way of her personal and working relationship with Rhodes.

[izabella]

I agree this is what happened, and it was approp to step in. But where was the father getting the meds?????? What doctor before wrote them a script for anything without all the tests?

 

Yes, this.  What were these 4 years of treatments FOR, what were the drugs for, why all the previous MRI"s when nothing showed up on them, ever?

 

Since they couldn't confirm mito because dad didn't allow anyone to give her the muscle biopsy test, what drugs and treatments was she getting for 4 years from which doctors who gave her drugs for what reason? 

[MakeMeLaugh]

I really hope the eccentric Dr Hotshot Cardiac Surgeon will be a recurring character.

It was nice that the VA doc subtly pointed out to Dr Choi at the reunion that she actually had blown off official protocol with Dr Choi's friend by sending him to Chicago Med when she realized the wait time to get a VA scan (at least I think that was the point of their encounter).

Natalie is just never going to seem like a real doctor to me. Nor is Dr Halstead's wig. Reese has turned out to be totally adorable and I loved the dating site stuff--where Dorky said happily, "Cool, you're on that too?" like it was something they could share.

[Aurora2]

I think the hotshot surgeon was testing Rhodes' patience and personality. He's probably looking to mentor someone who is calm and cool headed.

I was amused that Dr Lulu Spencer expected to be called next with her comment about learning to make tea. I expect jealously/competiveness to get in the way of her personal and working relationship with Rhodes.

 

I agree that the hotshot doc was testing Rhodes - for patience, personality and ability to follow the hotshot's EXACT orders.  I don't think "Dr. Lulu" (love this name!) expected  to be called next.  I think she was being sarcastic - already reacting out of that jealousy and competitiveness that I agree are going to be iissues for them.  Although the number of women surgeons is increasing, surgery is still a male-dominated field and I expect that male dominance is one reason we see Sam Zanetti so insistent on being in control and so upset about missing surgeries.   The show could have a interesting theme running here - if they choose to focus more on "Dr. Lulu." 

[Chas411]

Zanetti and her jealousy continues to grate. I don't think Rhodes should have to feel bad for progressing just because she has a chip on her shoulder.

[starri]

The girl saw her father grieving over loss of wife, so she faked sickness  to try to help him refocus, but in turn I imagine the girl enjoyed the attention she was losing  from her dad' too w/the grieving.

The dad got so into treating his daughter that he could cause ream harm -- that's why CPS had to intervene as   time-out  to stop their dysfunctional relationship and so both then could get help.

"Faking" isn't exactly the right word here.  She didn't seem to be aware that she was faking the symptoms.  Dr. Charles (who increasingly is the person I want to be when I grow up) identified her as having "conversion disorder," which is symptoms without any organic cause, without her being aware she was doing it herself.  If she'd been actively faking, she'd have been diagnosed with "factitious disorder" (which used to be called Munchausen Snydrome when done to the self, or Munchausen by Proxy when done to another) in order to get attention.  If she'd been doing it to get something like missing school, that's "malingering."

 

Although, frankly, it seemed like they were feeding on each other.

[Texasmom1970]

To me Dr.Choi is swoon worthy in anything he wears! Maybe in the future there will be some odd reason he has to take his shirt off. Maybe to improvise a tourniquet in the field or something!

[izabella]

Maybe Dr. Choi and VA doc could be the first medical show tv couple that doesn't work together right in the same hospital!

[candall]

"Faking" isn't exactly the right word here.  She didn't seem to be aware that she was faking the symptoms.  Dr. Charles (who increasingly is the person I want to be when I grow up) identified her as having "conversion disorder," which is symptoms without any organic cause, without her being aware she was doing it herself.  If she'd been actively faking, she'd have been diagnosed with "factitious disorder" (which used to be called Munchausen Snydrome when done to the self, or Munchausen by Proxy when done to another) in order to get attention.  If she'd been doing it to get something like missing school, that's "malingering."

 

Although, frankly, it seemed like they were feeding on each other.

Wait.  Now that we're all fluent in medical Munchausen's, they've changed the name to "factitious disorder"?  (Interesting breakdown on the disorders, though.  Thanks, Starri.)

 

I foresee Gregg Henry (Henry Gregg?) having a tremor.

[MizArk]

And once again a fourth year med student who should probably not even still be on this rotation is prescribing meds and barking orders at nurses while diagnosing and treating very sick patients on her own. At one point she even said she isn't a doctor, so why do the writers continue to think she is? When she said maybe she should consult an attending, I yelled, "You think???" so loudly it startled my cat. I can give a lot of leeway on these soapy medical shows, but for some reason she's pushing all my can't-deal buttons. I wish they'd made her an intern. I like the character fine, it's the fact that she's openly practicing medicine without a license that bugs the hell out of me. Oh, and I wish I'd looked like Dr. Mom four weeks after delivery, haha, but that's easier for me to accept for some reason.

[statsgirl]

Boo on the writer of this episode for making my Dr. Charles suddenly incompetent.  Not only was that not a conversion disorder as he said, he not only talked to the father in the middle of the ER (confidentiality!) but approached him all wrong.  "Mr. X, we've found out some things that are making your daughter sick.  Maybe we could talk somewhere more private." Father: you're saying "I'm to blame".  Instead of saying "if you'd just hear me out", Charles should have replied 'No, not at all.  Let's talk and maybe we can make her better.'

 

Charles is one of my favourite characters on this show and up to now, he's also been the best doctor.  There's no excuse for doing that to him.  Also no reason to charge the father with abuse just for the sake of drama.  It could have been handled by explaining it to the father and getting to reinforce the behaviours where she does things for herself.

 

Bringing in Child Services and taking her away from her father was completely unnecessary.  Way to traumatize a child. And Sharon was wrong talking to the police without the father there because it just isolates him more. I hope he sues the pants off the hospital.

 

Saving Hope did the "child makes self ill for parent's sake" two weeks ago, but did it much better. In that show, the boy was deliberately making himself sick by drinking lots of salt so that his mother would have something to focus on other than the father walking out. 

 

 

I agree this is what happened, and it was approp to step in. But where was the father getting the meds?????? What doctor before wrote them a script for anything without all the tests?

Exactly (except taking the child away was way inappropriate).  The father had to figure out the diagnosis on his own because the doctors couldn't. And then the mito wasn't confirmed because the doctor said the test would harm the girl but they just kept giving her drugs anyway?  The only truly innocent people in this story were the father and his daughter, and they were the only ones who ended up punished.

 

Worst episode  yet.

 

In other thoughts, it's nice to see Cynthia Addai-Robbins get a new job after Amanda Waller was killed last week.  Yay Arrow cast.

 

I know why Manning's maternity leave was so short but why did the show do an immediate time jump to bring her back?  Is it because they needed Torrey DeVitto to humanize Halstead?

 

Gregg Henry better be back or what was that randomness?

 

I liked the Choi/Chief story. I would have liked it more if someone had suggested that the Chief should have been getting colon exams since he turned 50.  That way they would have caught the cancer at the start.  (I miss ER's PSAs.)

Edited February 4, 2016 by statsgirl

[starri]

Boo on the writer of this episode for making my Dr. Charles suddenly incompetent.  Not only was that not a conversion disorder as he said, he not only talked to the father in the middle of the ER (confidentiality!) but approached him all wrong.  "Mr. X, we've found out some things that are making your daughter sick.  Maybe we could talk somewhere more private." Father: you're saying "I'm to blame".  Instead of saying "if you'd just hear me out", Charles should have replied 'No, not at all.  Let's talk and maybe we can make her better.'

I'm still giving him at least half-credit.  "Somatoform Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" is kind of a mouthful.  

[betsyboo]

Boo on the writer of this episode for making my Dr. Charles suddenly incompetent.  Not only was that not a conversion disorder as he said, he not only talked to the father in the middle of the ER (confidentiality!) but approached him all wrong.  "Mr. X, we've found out some things that are making your daughter sick.  Maybe we could talk somewhere more private." Father: you're saying "I'm to blame".  Instead of saying "if you'd just hear me out", Charles should have replied 'No, not at all.  Let's talk and maybe we can make her better.'

 

Bringing in Child Services and taking her away from her father was completely unnecessary.  Way to traumatize a child. And Sharon was wrong talking to the police without the father there because it just isolates him more. I hope he sues the pants off the hospital.

 

Exactly (except taking the child away was way inappropriate).  The father had to figure out the diagnosis on his own because the doctors couldn't. And then the mito wasn't confirmed because the doctor said the test would harm the girl but they just kept giving her drugs anyway?  The only truly innocent people in this story were the father and his daughter, and they were the only ones who ended up punished.

I understand why you think removing the child was inappropriate. And I don't know if i think that was the best outcome, either. But I do think it was the hospital's responsibility to step in and/or raise it with CPS if only because the child was at risk. Maybe the father didn't need to be kept from her or led from the hospital by Security, but the doctors def had a responsibility to do something.

 

that being said, I will echo your "don't screw up Oliver Platt" plea from above  - not for handling the father inappropriately - but for recording them without their knowledge!!! I know why he did it, but holy cow.

 

This is why i'm in a job where my decisions have absolutely zero effect on life and limb.

[statsgirl]

Hee, I didn't have a problem with the recording although it would be hard to justify ethically.  But he needed to see how they interacted without being influenced by his presence.  Normally there would have been an observation window so they wouldn't need to record.

 

The hospital's responsibility is to first do no harm.  If you accept that the father wasn't hurting her on purpose (the dreaded Munchausen by Proxy) which the Chicago Med doctors seemed to,  then what seemed to be hurting her was all the drugs she was being given.  They could start by taking those away. 

 

The father did want to take her out of the hospital so that would have been a problem but one I think could have been solved by a more understanding way of speaking to him.  Tell him that they were concerned about the side effects of the medication and so they wanted to monitor her with a clean slate, and to do it in the hospital so medical help would be close if anything happened.  Calling in CPS was a huge over-reaction for dramatic purposes. And bad psychiatry.

 

I'm still giving him at least half-credit.  "Somatoform Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" is kind of a mouthful.  

Yeah, that would be a lot.

 

I was thinking that what it really was is an anxiety disorder (far more common than somatoform disorders).  She was scared that her father was abandoning her in his grief but when she got sick, she got his attention. The times the girl worsened in the episode, it was when the doctors were arguing with her father or  times when there was a chance of being separated from him. That's why calling in CPS and taking her away from him was going to harm her even more than it would hurt him.

 

He was scared he was going to lose her too and so he reinforced her illness.  At worst, it was a state of folie a deux, not child abuse.

[Jordan27]

This show, like many ER shows, seem to have the same characters....let's see if this show has them..

 

A wise and emotionally balanced doc who helps patients and doctors through crisis.....Check

 

A break the rules, solves some situations with something he learned in the war badboy.....check.

 

A pretty doctor who has lost someone and is liked by most....check...

 

A by the book doc who clashes with bad boy and others....check...

 

A good looking doc who likes to be friends with his patients...check...

 

A nerdy beginner...check...

 

This show seems to have them all, but I still enjoy it....nothing great, but interesting...

Edited February 12, 2016 by Jordan27

[awaken]

So true!  Most of these character types are in Greys Anatomy too!