S02.E06: Nightmares

[Bort]

Quote

Halloween at Chastain proves to be just as spooky as ever when Conrad is tasked with diagnosing a young woman admitted to the hospital with extreme night terrors. Meanwhile, Devon faces his first Halloween in the ER, Nic panics over her decision to bring her newly sober sister to Mina's epic annual Halloween party and Bell finds an interesting way to make use of his new assistant.

Airdate: Monday, October 29, 2018

[TimetoShine]

2 hours ago, kariyaki said:

Bell finds an interesting way to make use of his new assistant.

That doesn’t sound good. 

[yourdreamer]

Does anybody know the name of the actress who played Vivian, Bell’s date?

This episode was pretty creepy with the hallucinating brain lady and the severed limbs. Am thinking that guy is going to wish he was dead when he gets the hospital bill. 

[Bazinga]

27 minutes ago, yourdreamer said:

Does anybody know the name of the actress who played Vivian, Bell’s date?

Julia Campbell.

[izabella]

Mina's Halloween costume was magnificent!  Her party looked like fun, though I wondered if someone spiked Nic's drink.  I didn't realize panic attacks made people dizzy - just racing heartbeat and feeling out of control - so I learned something.

[rhys]

Ugh that broken neck on Conrad's mom. So disturbing.

i thought Conrad's POTW might have had some disease from being a farm kid. The teratoma was awful. 

[Happy Harpy]

I really enjoyed this one.

The first minutes (before the Myers appeared) were genuinely scary. Nice wink to Halloween with "Laurie". I liked the COTW, both of them, because they weren't there just to squeeze teardrops out of the audience.  Laurie didn't jump but her hallucinations got her seriously hurt, which I found more realistic than if they never had consequences.

The operation scene with the four surgeons was gold. The Hands of Death and Destruction are still at it -as much as I love it when Bell is a rock-star, I appreciate that his tremors aren't forgotten. They don't only tell you that Austin is a great surgeon, they show it. He was actually not annoying this week. There was a nice chemistry going on in the OR.

I liked details like the brunette nurse being incompetent/having one of those days when you aren't up to the job, the med student being immature, or all the doctors and nurses not always on the same shift.

I'd watch the hell out of "Mina: Warrior Princess". Bow to the Queen of Halloween!

Nic and her sister is foreshadowing some plot arc, surely? It was a believable portrayal of sisterhood, especially one where parents were gone early. I don't know what to think of the sister. She seems well-intended, she had a point with Nic but she read her the riot act with pills in her costume and she didn't kick Tarzan out after publicly shaming him for proposing drugs. Which she should have done, and then I'd have been sold.

4 hours ago, izabella said:

Her party looked like fun, though I wondered if someone spiked Nic's drink. 

I thought the same, and I suspected Tarzan (to get Nic off their back).

About foreshadowing, nurses aren't keen on Dr Nolan. Another red flag.

Now, Conrad and Marshall. The later seemed once more sensible and I agreed 100% with him about hypocrisy. His missing the appointment reinforced my suspicion that he's sick. Then, Conrad's dream shaded once more a sinister light upon him. The more direct interpretation is, Conrad's mother was drinking (was she an alcoholic?) accidentally killed herself falling down the stairs. But it isn't going to be as simple. From where he was downstairs it doesn't seem that young Conrad could see her at the start of her fall. Was it truly an accident? Was the man there Marshall, or someone else? Because if Marshall blamed Conrad for her death or knew he knew something was amiss, he wouldn't ask him why he disappeared for ten years.

It's very important imo that there are humorous moments yet it feels flat when they use Feldman as pure comic relief. It's innocuous maybe, but tedious at this point. I preferred his scene with Dev in the beginning. I laughed at Campbell, but at the same time I understood his reaction. The assistant basically pimped his mother.

Edited October 30, 2018 by Happy Harpy

[cathmed]

Interesting episode!   First, didn't know Nic had panic attacks; I, too, thought maybe someone had spiked er drink initially; glad her sister was there to support her.   Agreed - the poor patient that lost an arm and leg; he's just might have been thinking he's better off dead.  I thought at first it must be some type of Halloween prank for Pravesh--especially since those fingers kept changing but sadly, it was real.    Bell  - first:  engaging in risky behavior?  WTH - he can't get a woman so he's trolling porn sites and going out with hookers?  Thought he was such an eligible bachelor?   Didn't really make sense he'd sink to those depths, but I thought it was hilarious his assistant set up Bell with his mom - good one!   Bell just becomes more immoral and unethical with each episode.

The woman with night terrors - that was just plain scary but happy they figured out what was wrong.

But on to Conrad and his dad - agree - not sure which direction the writers will go with  on this one.   If Marshall truly raveled/worked extensively, had he just gotten home to the tragic accident and, as HH states, blamed Conrad for her death?    Does he blame himself for his wife's death?   Conrad looked really frightened when looking (back) at the man--or WAS it his dad--as the mom lay on the floor.   I'll have to rewatch that scene to see if she truly tripped (drunk) or if there was something else there.   I also think Marshall is being too  secretive as to where he was with this "missed appointment"--so, is he ill?   Foreshadowing again with how much time he spent working and not taking the time with his family, having second regrets, e.g., no work/life balance--and he sees that taking a toll on Conrad? 

6 hours ago, Happy Harpy said:

Now, Conrad and Marshall. The later seemed once more sensible and I agreed 100% with him about hypocrisy. His missing the appointment reinforced my suspicion that he's sick. Then, Conrad's dream shaded once more a sinister light upon him. The more direct interpretation is, Conrad's mother was drinking (was she an alcoholic?) accidentally killed herself falling down the stairs. But it isn't going to be as simple. From where he was downstairs it doesn't seem that young Conrad could see her at the start of her fall. Was it truly an accident? Was the man there Marshall, or someone else? Because if Marshall blamed Conrad for her death or knew he knew something was amiss, he wouldn't ask him why he disappeared for ten years.

[Lovecat]

8 hours ago, Happy Harpy said:

Nice wink to Halloween with "Laurie".

Also nice wink to Frankenstein with "Frank".  I think Austin (is that not!Theo's name?) was reading the book at the desk while they were waiting for the rest of Frank to arrive.  

Anecdotally, this year marks 200 since Frankenstein was published; our local library is celebrating tomorrow with an all-day read-aloud of the entire novel, which is being recorded and will be knit together into an audiobook for the library's collection.  It seemed like fun to be involved in such a project, so I signed up for a 10-minute reading slot!

[Risky Librarian]

8 hours ago, Happy Harpy said:

Now, Conrad and Marshall. The later seemed once more sensible and I agreed 100% with him about hypocrisy. His missing the appointment reinforced my suspicion that he's sick. Then, Conrad's dream shaded once more a sinister light upon him. The more direct interpretation is, Conrad's mother was drinking (was she an alcoholic?) accidentally killed herself falling down the stairs. But it isn't going to be as simple. From where he was downstairs it doesn't seem that young Conrad could see her at the start of her fall. Was it truly an accident? Was the man there Marshall, or someone else? Because if Marshall blamed Conrad for her death or knew he knew something was amiss, he wouldn't ask him why he disappeared for ten years.

The way I interpreted it was more along the lines of, Conrad's mother was definitely an alcoholic, but Conrad and Marshall parted ways because Marshall was...the Nic in his marriage, but in a much more outwardly stern way. He threw himself into his business as his own way of coping (and having control over SOMETHING in his life) and did what he could to keep his much-too-young child from seeing the mother he loved at her worst. But BECAUSE Conrad was so young with all of that happened, he only saw his father as being too strict and controlling, and possibly abusive to his mother. It's not unusual for kids of parents with issues, before they could fully comprehend, simply thinking of their parent of being "sick." It's possible that his nightmare is filtered through what were his child's eyes. His father was trying to cover his wife's drunken shame, but to him, he was being prevented from caring for his sick mother. I assumed it was partially metaphorical in that way, that Conrad wanted to care for his mother, but his father often prevented it. To him it would have likely been because Marshall was cold and cruel, when it could just as easily have been because Marshall didn't want his son to get stuck in the loop that he had been in for so many years. That's a humdinger of a conversation to try to have years after the fact, for both of them I'd imagine. 

In other news, Bell is just one laughably unfortunate decision after another, isn't he? I get the impression that wasn't the first time that kid's set up his mom like that, not even by a long shot. 

[Happy Harpy]

40 minutes ago, Risky Librarian said:

I assumed it was partially metaphorical in that way, that Conrad wanted to care for his mother, but his father often prevented it. To him it would have likely been because Marshall was cold and cruel, when it could just as easily have been because Marshall didn't want his son to get stuck in the loop that he had been in for so many years.

It's an interesting theory. Everything will depend on the proportion of metaphor/reality the writers choose. All options are open for now and I'm curious to see which one they'll go for. I expect a couple of twists.

[Mellowyellow]

Enjoyed this ep so much but it was so scary and gory I could only listen to the sound for several parts of it. I probably missed out on a bunch of stuff.

The actor who plays Bell does humour very well. I cracked up at that first scene with Bell and the kid.

So glad we took a break from the Devon and shady medical device lady this week. I liked that they rotated him to Austin this week and gave Mina a break from Austin. This cast has great chemistry. Every pairing works beautifully.

Also appreciated the Mina and Nic scenes. Mina is a Goddess and her Halloween costume did not disappoint. 

I really like Marshall so I hope they give them a reconnecting storyline! I don't want him to be a murderer or something! That said time away alone with a previously estranged child seems like a recipe for a lot of awkwardness! They should ease into the vacationing and go somewhere less confronting! 

Edited November 1, 2018 by Mellowyellow

[Texasmom1970]

Did I miss it before or all of a sudden does Nic have anxiety and Conrad Night terrors? Have they touched on them having these issues before?

[Xantar]

That was the most half-assed attempt to stop a terrified runaway patient ever. But I liked the rest of the episode, so I'll let it slide.

What kind of car accident causes a leg and an arm to be amputated and brought to the hospital hours before the rest of the person is brought in?

Quote

Did I miss it before or all of a sudden does Nic have anxiety and Conrad Night terrors? Have they touched on them having these issues before?

Conrad wasn't having night terrors. He had a plain old nightmare which he snapped out of when he woke up.

Edited November 1, 2018 by Xantar

[kirkola]

When Marshall was willing to miss the evening appointment, I assumed it was related to his wife's death, in that she was still alive and in an asylum or something.  And in that case, it was much easier to let Conrad think his Mom was dead rather than deal with "crazy".

The nightmare didn't do much to dissuade that theory, but my screen didn't show the twisted neck as clearly as some of you did. If she's alive (coma maybe) it would cause further drama in an already contentious family dynamic.    And it would explain why Marshall returned and bought into the hospital.
 

So either Marshall is sick, or he's hiding a spouse.  Either way, Conrad is not going to be thrilled with whatever Marshall is doing.

[luvapickle]

On ‎10‎/‎31‎/‎2018 at 8:37 PM, Mellowyellow said:

Enjoyed this ep so much but it was so scary and gory I could only listen to the sound for several parts of it. I probably missed out on a bunch of stuff.

The actor who plays Bell does humour very well. I cracked up at that first scene with Bell and the kid.

So glad we took a break from the Devon and shady medical device lady this week. I liked that they rotated him to Austin this week and gave Mina a break from Austin. This cast has great chemistry. Every pairing works beautifully.

Also appreciated the Mina and Nic scenes. Mina is a Goddess and her Halloween costume did not disappoint. 

I really like Marshall so I hope they give them a reconnecting storyline! I don't want him to be a murderer or something! That said time away alone with a previously estranged child seems like a recipe for a lot of awkwardness! They should ease into the vacationing and go somewhere less confronting! 

Bruce Greenwood(Bell) is gold. Love him in everything, since St Elsewhere.

[sempervivum]

On ‎10‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 10:46 AM, cathmed said:

Bell  - first:  engaging in risky behavior?  WTH - he can't get a woman so he's trolling porn sites and going out with hookers?  Thought he was such an eligible bachelor?   Didn't really make sense he'd sink to those depths, but I thought it was hilarious his assistant set up Bell with his mom - good one!   Bell just becomes more immoral and unethical with each episode.

I thought Bell was on Tinder or something (not really porn), which most work systems would block-maybe I missed something, though?

He might be eligible, but I don't know how much time he has to meet women the usual way (his last GF was met at work and how well did that work out?).

I actually thought he was being presented pretty positively in this episode.

[Bobcatkitten]

For anyone interested in the teratoma case there is a great book called Brain on Fire that is about this specific kind of disorder. Absolutely fascinating. Let's just say some people suffer for months before anyone figures out what's going on. 

[SnarkySheep]

On 11/1/2018 at 10:36 AM, Xantar said:

What kind of car accident causes a leg and an arm to be amputated and brought to the hospital hours before the rest of the person is brought in?

I wondered the same...thought maybe one of the others had swiped a couple of amputated body parts just to mess with Devin, since they made such a big deal about it being his first Halloween in the ER.

Re: Conrad and Marshall - When Marshall mentioned not seeing his son for a decade, and only then because of a private investigator, I wondered if perhaps that's why they have different last names, as Conrad would've wanted not to easily be found.

[yourdreamer]

On 10/29/2018 at 11:07 PM, Bazinga said:

Julia Campbell.

I recognized her from Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion!

[Paloma]

On 10/30/2018 at 11:46 AM, cathmed said:

The woman with night terrors - that was just plain scary but happy they figured out what was wrong.

I was truly terrified by those night terrors, partly because they were so convincing (I thought she actually fell in the opening scene and would be brought to the hospital with life-threatening injuries) and partly because I have had terrifying nightmares--though not technically night terrors--all my life. Also terrifying was the possibility that she had schizophrenia, so I was happy that it was something that could be cured. However, when Conrad said that she would still have night terrors for a while until she was fully cured (I forget what the treatment was but I assume there was medication), I couldn't help but wonder if she would be seriously hurt or even die before the night terrors ended.

On 10/30/2018 at 11:46 AM, cathmed said:

First, didn't know Nic had panic attacks; I, too, thought maybe someone had spiked er drink initially;

It kind of bothered me that we've had no hint before this that Nic had panic attacks. She's certainly been in very stressful and anxiety-provoking situations before in this show, so I feel like the writers just introduced this to increase the drama, and I think it's unnecessary since she already has enough drama with her relationships with Conrad and her sister. 

On 11/3/2018 at 11:33 AM, sempervivum said:

I thought Bell was on Tinder or something (not really porn), which most work systems would block-maybe I missed something, though?

He might be eligible, but I don't know how much time he has to meet women the usual way (his last GF was met at work and how well did that work out?).

I actually thought he was being presented pretty positively in this episode.

Much as I love to hate Bell, one thing I have to give him credit for--actually, the writers get the credit--is that his love and sex interests have been age-appropriate (except for the hooker, I guess) rather than the decades-younger trophy girlfriends that are often seen in real life with powerful men and also shown in TV and movies. Both Lane Hunter and his assistant's mother are beautiful women but look like the actresses' real age (mid-50s for Melina, early 60s for Julia). 

On 11/13/2018 at 9:35 AM, SnarkySheep said:

On 11/1/2018 at 10:36 AM, Xantar said:

What kind of car accident causes a leg and an arm to be amputated and brought to the hospital hours before the rest of the person is brought in?

 

I wondered the same...thought maybe one of the others had swiped a couple of amputated body parts just to mess with Devin, since they made such a big deal about it being his first Halloween in the ER.

I was sure it was a Halloween prank until they finally brought the guy in, but the explanation for the delay was that the victim had to be extricated from the vehicle. I still don't understand how an arm and a leg on opposite sides of the body were amputated. It also seemed unbelievable that the arm and leg were just left lying around in the unsterile environment of the ER, not even fully covered in ice and stored in a secure container.