S02.E13: Unfinished Business

[thewhiteowl]

Quote

Guthrie becomes the hospital's new chaplain and considers undergoing a risky surgery to treat his Parkinson's. Meanwhile, the doctors treat patients involved in an apartment fire.

[starri]

1 hour ago, thewhiteowl said:

Guthrie becomes the hospital's new chaplain

Because he got ordained in the interim?

Sigh.

[kwnyc]

Or maybe he was always a deacon or something. I'm sure they will retcon it.

[Fireball]

Just started watching....

But Malaya's back! I guess I have to take it back that the show was trying to write her out; although, I still think they could have mentioned her last week.

[BooksRule]

I liked it.  At first, I thought that the events had actually happened, and then Guthrie was just connecting them to events from his own past.  It was an interesting episode that actually makes me want to watch it again to look for the little scenes that told the 'true story'.  I was worried for a couple of minutes that they wouldn't let him survive, though (first when he was imagining the church/funeral and then when he was talking to his son.  Speaking of his son, I wonder if there are plans to bring his character back to the show.

Finally, even though the whole apartment fire scenario turned out to be all in Guthrie's mind, I figured that it would turn out that the kid didn't start the fire and it would be the owner's fault somehow. 

Edited January 12, 2017 by BooksRule

[Fireball]

So was the whole episode all in Guthrie's mind? I wasn't sure if that was the case or if some of the events were true.  I'm a bit bummed that Malaya might still not be back; however, she was there at the end so hopefully the suspension is over. I also wonder if Cole will be coming back.

[kwnyc]

That was...pretty good. Possibly the best episode of the series. 

(Though everyone welcoming him back at the end, like the Wizard of Oz, was a bit over the top.)

In some respects, it reminded me of when House was shot and dreamed an entire recovery (and of course, a treatment). Just off enough to make you wonder what was going on, but willing to throw some curves in there.

[atiyah9369]

14 hours ago, BooksRule said:

I liked it.  At first, I thought that the events had actually happened, and then Guthrie was just connecting them to events from his own past.  It was an interesting episode that actually makes me want to watch it again to look for the little scenes that told the 'true story'.  I was worried for a couple of minutes that they wouldn't let him survive, though (first when he was imagining the church/funeral and then when he was talking to his son.  Speaking of his son, I wonder if there are plans to bring his character back to the show.

Finally, even though the whole apartment fire scenario turned out to be all in Guthrie's mind, I figured that it would turn out that the kid didn't start the fire and it would be the owner's fault somehow. 

I know towards then end I kept saying wait is this real or is he dreaming? Did that really happen?  WHAT is going on? I thought the were going to kill off Frank Mitchell (Moesha's daddy) don't play with me like that.

[Xantar]

I did ultimately like the episode, but I'm tired of patients flipping out and acting hysterically. This particular episode was imaginary, but the episodes that take place in real life pull that stuff quite a lot, too. Of all the hospital dramas out there right now, Code Black is the one with the most grating patients by far. I know this stuff does happen in real life sometimes, but it doesn't make it any less annoying to watch. 

And yeah, is Malaya back?

[Dowel Jones]

I'm drawing a blank on Dr. Dixon, Guthrie's name for his younger self.  Is or was there such a character on the show?

I think they brought Malaya back only because Dr. Guthrie imagined her, so as to throw a curve to the audience.  It worked on me.

Immanuel:  "I'm having trouble with my daughter."  God: "If raising children was easy, I might have had two."  Game, set, match.

[izabella]

I was thrown by this episode, though I can't quite say when I started wondering what was going on.  Very good episode - kept interested throughout, though the baby story broke my heart, as did Guthrie's story.

[TVForever]

I loved this episode, but it left me so very confused. What was real, and what was a dream? Believe it or not, I'm asking this seriously. 

[Fireball]

13 minutes ago, TVForever said:

I loved this episode, but it left me so very confused. What was real, and what was a dream? Believe it or not, I'm asking this seriously. 

I've been thinking about the episode and wow if one thinks about it to much talk about a headache. Since everything was in Rollins head should we view all the scenes as how Guthrie sees his peers or were they manifests as how he sees himself?

I think Elliot was suppose to represent how Guthrie reacted when he lost his daughter

The mother of the twins was also suppose to represent Guthrie and how he acted after the death of his daughter

The woman who committed suicide represented Guthrie's wife and the son was Cole

Angus having a hard time getting through to the woman who tried committing suicide represented Guthrie's inability to connect to his wife

The Twins were Guthrie's son (Cole) and his daughter (Lola) that died 

The kid who thought he started the fire represented Guthrie's subconscious blaming himself for Lola's death

The owner of the house represented that Guthrie wasn't actually to blame for Lola's death

The Pastor was Guthrie's father

the Pastor's daughter was? I guess Guthrie picturing what his daughter would have been like.

I'm probably completely wrong, but that's what I got from the episode.

Edited January 13, 2017 by Fireball

[TVForever]

52 minutes ago, Fireball said:

 

I'm probably completely wrong, but that's what I got from the episode.

I LOVE your analysis! It actually makes a lot of sense, and I'll rewatch the episode with this in mind. Like I said, I loved it (so glad Guthrie didn't die- until the very end, it looked like he was checking out), but wow, my head was spinning. Thanks, Fireball!

Edited January 13, 2017 by TVForever

[Fireball]

4 hours ago, TVForever said:

I LOVE your analysis! It actually makes a lot of sense, and I'll rewatch the episode with this in mind. Like I said, I loved it (so glad Guthrie didn't die- until the very end, it looked like he was checking out), but wow, my head was spinning. Thanks, Fireball!

Thank you! I was thinking about this some more and the scene where Eliot is sitting outside on the ambulance and Noa tells Guthrie that she can’t get through to him represents that the only one who can forgive Guthrie is Guthrie.

The Pastor and daughter fight about Lola going to New York represents that Guthrie needs to let go of Lola

Lola’s frantic need to tell her father that she loves him represents Guthrie’s frantic need to tell Cole the truth and also that he loves him

Of course the episode could be nothing more than Guthrie remembering a day at Angels Memorial with people like his father popping in because Leanna is prompting him with all those questions.

[Calamity Jane]

I was bothered (a lot) from the moment Guthrie was supposed to have magically become a chaplain.  There is no possible way a physician is qualified for that position without other certification, training, etc., and since none of that was mentioned, I was suspicious from that moment that we were somehow being played.   I was actually relieved when it all turned out to be in his head because, although I can forgive a lot of the crazy they foist off on us on this show, that would have been really over the line for me.  

Do public hospitals really not have chaplains?  Didn't Rorish or someone else say something like, "We don't have chaplains here!"?  I guess I've never been in one, when I come to think about it, always either Catholic or other private, and they always have not just one but a whole range.  Many years ago, I became very upset the night before a surgery, and first came the Protestant chaplain, since I was Presbyterian, then the Catholic, and even finally a Jewish chaplain.  They didn't make a dent, but in amongst my little breakdown, I was kind of amused that they kept sending in someone else to try.  (I was upset because two oncologists and an outside consultant had strongly recommended a small procedure during the big surgery to protect the possibility of future children, but the surgeon refused to do it, saying he did not think I should have more children.  In the end I got my way, and five years later gave birth to my darling daughter. So there.)  It seems very odd that public hospitals would not have chaplains, church/state separation notwithstanding, so long as it wasn't just one religion. Or did I mis-hear that?  

[Dowel Jones]

Leanne did say "We don't have a chaplain", but I guess you could take that two ways.  The alternate meaning, I thought, could be "We don't have a chaplain, we have a doctor - you."  I would think any hospital would have a chaplain at least on call if not on premise.  I'm glad you got the run of the menu, so to speak.  I was in the hospital for a foot infection recently, and the only non-medical person to come by the room was an administrator asking me to sign the Advance Health Care form, presumably if I crashed at any time.  Thanks, guys.

[starri]

Damn you show.  Damn you and your effective use of Coldplay.

And thank you for remembering Cole Guthrie actually existed.

2 hours ago, Calamity Jane said:

Do public hospitals really not have chaplains?

My hospital has a Catholic priest, a Russian Orthodox priest, a Greek Orthodox priest, a nondenominational Protestant minister, two rabbis and an imam.  

ETA:  I had a rough week,  Chicago Med and Code Black both got me this time.

Edited January 14, 2017 by starri

[SunnyBeBe]

Man, that freaked me out.  lol  I normally pick up on stuff like that, but, with this one, I ignored my instincts until Guthrie was talking to the Minister in his hospital bed and called him Father.  Now, granted, if cardiac man were a priest, I would get it.  But, I thought calling him father was strange.  Still, I was in denial.  Since it was a dream, then I guess I can't witch about some of the details that drive me crazy with ER shows. 

But, I will anyway.  Not just on this episode, but others, it seems that the ER staff are prone to let the agitated and questioning patient continue to call out. I wonder why they don't step in more. I mean, they could try to comfort an hysterical patient who is crying out for a loved one by assuring them they will check on them and let them know, but, often no one says anything.  I suppose it's for drama purposes. 

[Sandiscot]

This was a very good episode. It took a couple of seconds at the end to figure it out and I have to admit my first thought was "Bobby Ewing"!

[mojito]

Man, that was a bad day at the office. Attempted suicide, baby death, father death, guilt galore. Wore me out. Glad it was a dream.

Even more glad that Guthrie is back to stay....hopefully. 

No one's hatin' on Campbell this week. 

@Sandiscot, I'm with @kwnyc. My first thought was, "Dorothy!" He needed to point out everyone who was in his dream.

[Raja]

On 1/14/2017 at 0:17 PM, Calamity Jane said:

I was bothered (a lot) from the moment Guthrie was supposed to have magically become a chaplain.  There is no possible way a physician is qualified for that position without other certification, training, etc., and since none of that was mentioned, I was suspicious from that moment that we were somehow being played.   I was actually relieved when it all turned out to be in his head because, although I can forgive a lot of the crazy they foist off on us on this show, that would have been really over the line for me.  

Do public hospitals really not have chaplains?  Didn't Rorish or someone else say something like, "We don't have chaplains here!"?  I guess I've never been in one, when I come to think about it, always either Catholic or other private, and they always have not just one but a whole range.  Many years ago, I became very upset the night before a surgery, and first came the Protestant chaplain, since I was Presbyterian, then the Catholic, and even finally a Jewish chaplain.  They didn't make a dent, but in amongst my little breakdown, I was kind of amused that they kept sending in someone else to try.  (I was upset because two oncologists and an outside consultant had strongly recommended a small procedure during the big surgery to protect the possibility of future children, but the surgeon refused to do it, saying he did not think I should have more children.  In the end I got my way, and five years later gave birth to my darling daughter. So there.)  It seems very odd that public hospitals would not have chaplains, church/state separation notwithstanding, so long as it wasn't just one religion. Or did I mis-hear that?  

Rampart (County UCLA/Drew and USC composite) did on Emergency and Jack Webb productions are known for their semi documentary style. Most fire and police departments have chaplains.  As for Chaplains, different denominations have different "ordination" standards for pastors, deacons, elders....than the Catholic Church. I knew the Chaplain of Santa Anita Racetrack before he was transferred to Churchill Downs was not a "ordained" pastor of the Foursquare Church which he was a member of. And the senior pastor there was a chaplain with the police department where he served as a detective and bomb squad tech before being ordained by the denomination after his medical retirement from policing.

[Diana Berry]

On 1/13/2017 at 9:10 AM, Fireball said:

I've been thinking about the episode and wow if one thinks about it to much talk about a headache. Since everything was in Rollins head should we view all the scenes as how Guthrie sees his peers or were they manifests as how he sees himself?

I think Elliot was suppose to represent how Guthrie reacted when he lost his daughter

The mother of the twins was also suppose to represent Guthrie and how he acted after the death of his daughter

The woman who committed suicide represented Guthrie's wife and the son was Cole

Angus having a hard time getting through to the woman who tried committing suicide represented Guthrie's inability to connect to his wife

The Twins were Guthrie's son (Cole) and his daughter (Lola) that died 

The kid who thought he started the fire represented Guthrie's subconscious blaming himself for Lola's death

The owner of the house represented that Guthrie wasn't actually to blame for Lola's death

The Pastor was Guthrie's father

the Pastor's daughter was? I guess Guthrie picturing what his daughter would have been like.

I'm probably completely wrong, but that's what I got from the episode.

Great analysis.  I knew something was off when he said " father I"m scared" .  I thought it was a terrific episode and I got a bit weepy.

[Raja]

13 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

Great analysis.  I knew something was off when he said " father I"m scared" .  I thought it was a terrific episode and I got a bit weepy.

At first I thought it was the old trope that all Christians are Catholic but that didn't fit with the daughter as he kept saying father 

[juliet73]

I thought this episode was the best thus far! I admit,  I was crying. A couple of those scenes hit a little too close to home. Well done! 

[hookedontv]

I don't know what it is about this season but I am usually weepy at some point during each episode. I don't remember it being this way last season. Or it could just be subconscious tears of joy from seeing Rob Lowe once a week now...