Three words for you about tonight's Saving Hope: Shirtless. Daniel. Gillies.

It might've been a clunky hook-up, but I can't say I minded that things got a little steamy for Dr. Goran on "Contact."

Overall, there was a balance to tonight's episode. For everything I liked about it, there was something I didn't enjoy.

For starters, Charlie moved his hand when Alex played the song from the night they first said "I love you." I'm glad that he showed progress, as it gives viewers hope that he won't be in a coma for the entire series. That would get tiresome after a while.

But I didn't appreciate that the idea to play the track for him was delivered by his incredibly creepy ex-wife. Seriously. The rubbing on his chest and all Alex did was ask her to stop? There should've been a girl-fight complete with hair pulling. Show some emotion, Alex!

Introducing his ex-wife right now seemed unnecessary unless the idea is to paint Alex as cold, calculated and methodical instead of warm, caring and emotional. If that was the goal, they succeeded. While part of me likes that she only breaks down when she's alone, or when she's alone with Charlie, there's another part of me that wants to see her lose it because that's what's normal.

I certainly don't mind that Goran got some action! But I do mind that it was with Maggie.

There's nothing about this pairing, specifically the fact that she pursued him, that makes him seem like a womanizer, so that puts us right back where we were on the pilot when it didn't seem likely that he was a huge jerk surgeon. It was also out of character to have him attempt to sidestep Maggie's advances. For that matter, it seems out of character to have her be so forward. Last week she seemed like the timid, eager to please med student and this week she's a woman on the prowl.

I just feel like these characters either aren't well written or haven't been very well fleshed out for any of them to really fit yet.

And is it just me or is this the least medical medical drama on television?

Yes, setting the broken leg without painkillers was gruesome. The actress playing that guest role sold that. She screamed and I cringed. But the scenes with medical emergencies don't feel like emergencies. The language feels stilted, like the actors aren't comfortable with it, and no one seems to be in a hurry. The set feels like a set and not like a real hospital. It's too clean or too bright. Too something. And I'd be remiss not to mention the blue haze. Maybe I've just watched too many episodes of ER and House and my perception of medical dramas is skewed.

If it's not supposed to be a true medical drama and just happens to be a drama set in a hospital, then I like the idea of Charlie coming out of his coma and still being able to see those who are caught in-between. I don't know that that's the direction the show would take, but I like the supernatural element. If Charlie comes out of his coma and that element is lost, I think the show will lose some of its appeal.

The thing that stood out most, however, and which somewhat redeemed the episode, had to be Charlie's closing monologue:

Charlie: Basic human contact is bigger than any idea. It takes you outside yourself. It's more comforting than words. Without it, we'd die. Sometimes, it's not enough. And sometimes it's enough for now. Contact grounds you. It brings you back. | permalink

That line brought the disjointed pieces of the episode together. The little boy helped Charlie make contact with Alex, even if her thoughts were dismissed by the nurse. Because of the boy's drawing, she played the song despite the fact that she dismissed the idea when his ex-wife presented it. Because of the song, he moved his hand.

Human contact made the husband decide to save his wife's life despite the fact that doing so meant they broke with their religious ideology. And, well, Goran and Maggie made contact, too. (Check out the rest of the Saving Hope quotes on the quotes page!)

Miranda Wicker was a Staff Writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in 2017. Follow her on Twitter.