Saving Hope Review: Miss Diagnosis

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Two weeks ago, Saving Hope left viewers on the edge of their seats. Would Charlie die? Would he wake up? Would Dawn change her mind? Would Alex punch Dawn in the face in Charlie's hospital room? And what about Joel's hand?

Tonight, "Bea, Again" answered all those questions and asked a few more.

Joel Breaks His Hand

All of the present day events in felt glossed over and somewhat contrived. The previous episode's cliffhangers were turned into non-starters, really. Where there could've been decent drama and serious consequences, it feels like the writers settled for somewhat happy endings. Or at least quick endings.

First things first: Charlie isn't dead. In fact, he doesn't seem to be dying at all, despite what his In Between friend "Mac" would have had him believe in the beginning of tonight's episode. So that's good news. But he's still not awake, so there's that. (To read some of Charlie and Mac's exchanges, check out the Saving Hope quotes page.)

Dawn's also not going to stop him from being revived should his condition decline. Since they know he's breathing well on his own, she's had a change of heart. There was way too much ex-wife face-touching going on tonight. Dawn's clearly not over Charlie even if she did just try to kill him.

Over in the In Between, Charlie and his former colleague discovered the patient's missed diagnosis before the other doctors did. Charlie's penchant for doing this is starting to bug me just a little bit. It's like the "A HA!" moment Dr. House had every single week. But, of course, Alex figured it out, so now she and Shahir are on a quest to find a new diagnosis now that one of Charlie's former patients has set them on that path.

In the rest of the hospital, Joel's hand is going to be fine after his drunken bar brawl. Gavin and Maggie had an awkward talk over croissants and coffee. Gavin thought they'd made progress but Maggie's "seeing someone." It's clear that she and Joel haven't had a chance to talk yet, not that he'll tell her about how he's still in love with his ex who is in love with a man in a coma. I really need her to wake up and realize the boy right in front of her is the right one for her. Or at the very least, the better one.

The best part of tonight was actually the flashback - and I'm not usually a fan of flashbacks. Here, however, Charlie was the jerk-yet-not doctor he seemed to be in the pilot. Alex was brand new to her surgical residency. It was intriguing to see their relationship literally from the day of their very first meeting. What we're now all pulling for (ChAlex, if I might) started as a mentor and his protege. He was married to Dawn, who was jealous and territorial even then, so some things never change, and Alex was an eager new doctor.

Now that we've gone back in time that far, I find that I want more of their story. There are gaps to be filled in. How did they go from that day to a cab on the way to their wedding? Or better yet, did Charlie leave Dawn for Alex?

We've only got a few more weeks of Saving Hope this season, and it's still kind of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, I think the cast is talented and there are parts of the show that are unique and interesting. But the storytelling is uneven and choppy, and there are far more questions than answers, and flashbacks only go so far before they start to feel like convenient plot devices. 

What did you think of "Bea, Again?" What do you think of season one so far?

Bea, Again Review

Editor Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
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User Rating:

Rating: 4.1 / 5.0 (47 Votes)

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

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Saving Hope Season 1 Episode 9 Quotes

Charlie: I'm not ready.
Mack: Nobody's ready. That's the point.

Mack: I've done this before and I have an impeccable bedside manner.
Charlie: Done what?
Mack: Help people cross over. Charlie, I'm here to help you die.