Code Black Season 1 Episode 6 Review: In Extremis
Elizabeth Harlow
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Love is love. But it also comes in a variety of forms.
On Code Black Season 1 Episode 6, it seemed like nobody was seeing eye to eye. While Jesse and Leanne had a tiff over differing perceptions of a patient, Cole and Rollie continued to stew in their inability to communicate with one another. Meanwhile, nothing was easy for Malaya this shift.
The police shooting and Leanne's relationship with the police officer clearly dominated the story of "In Extremis." The case kept getting more complicated as more patients were rolled in – not just medically, but ethically.
To be honest, I wasn't in love with this plot. Some of the medicine was interesting, but it with so many patients and all of them coding at once, I couldn't really appreciate any of them. It lacked the frantic pace that defined the first episodes, and I just couldn't connect with Leanne's cop friend Tom.
The reveal that the shooting was a result of Tom's bad personal decisions, and the lack of resolution, left me cold. The highlight of this plot was the discord between Jesse and Leanne over Tom's behavior, which gave us something new to chew on.
While Leanne struggled to do what she knew was right, Malaya's conflict was deciding which course was more right. She stuck to her guns in the end, standing up to Guthrie. Her speech to Victor's father was pitch perfect, acknowledging his feelings while asking him to reconsider.
Dr. Malaya Pineda: I didn't have to know Victor to know that the single hardest thing for him...for any child to do...
Mr. Jasso: What? Tell your father you're gay?
Dr. Malaya Pineda: No. To disappoint him.
I really liked the introduction of Malaya's ex, and can't wait to see where this story goes. We haven't seen too much in the way of recurring characters yet (aside from two or three nurses), so I'm glad that the amazing Shiri Appleby won't just be a one-and-done guest star.
I'm dying to find out more about their breakup, since it seems like they both regret one another, and am admittedly curious about how Carla ended up pregnant. Hopefully, Dr. Niven treats Malaya better than Appleby's other pregnant lesbian ex character treated Leslie Shay on Chicago Fire.
That's not the only relationship that I look forward to getting fleshed out in the future. I think we just saw the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems between the doctors Guthrie.
I started out loving Rollie, and I still think that the character is underutilized as a teacher, because he generally gives great advice. But it's a completely different story with his son. He really doesn't know how to relate to Cole, even at a pretty basic level.
Telling someone that they need to just get over their (pretty justifiable) feelings of resentment towards you is just plain dumb. Seriously, has that ever, in the history of mankind, worked? No.
Not that Cole is blameless. He's certainly not the easiest personality to work with, even if he is easy on the eyes. I was surprised at how he gave orders to Jesse, if only because he's not some cocky intern. His only excuse is being new to the hospital; maybe that was the standard at his old gig.
Dr. Cole Guthrie: You're a good surgeon.
Dr. Neal Hudson: So are you.
Dr. Cole Guthrie: But I actually am a surgeon. What are you doing down here?
Despite all of his brusqueness with his coworkers, he did find it in himself to compliment Neal (even if it was a little backhanded) on his surgical techniques. His question does have me wondering if we'll see Neal starting a trauma surgery program in the future.
Other Thoughts
- Why would you go to your ex-lover to confirm a diagnosis? There's more than two hospitals in LA, right?
- Will we ever get to know the real Jesse? The Jesse who has a life outside of the hospital?
- Would Neal have been as concerned if it had been Mario who received that little shock?
- It's completely plausible that Dr. Taylor does stand-up comedy as a hobby, right? Complete with magic tricks, of course.
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The blatant objectification of
Cress WilliamsCole Guthrie was too funny.
I went to an acupuncturist long ago for fertility -- Dr. Ho. He inserted one needle, and before you know it, I had my very own millennial. Which is Latin for "unemployed."
Dr. Mark Taylor
Will any of our questions be answered when "Buen Arbol" airs on November 11th? The preview didn't give us any insight to ongoing arcs, but the major case of a woman driving a car into a festival will be the first (unintentional) ripped from the headlines episode. Or maybe that's just how the network is promoting it. We'll all have to tune in to find out.
If you missed "In Extremis", you can always catch up and watch Code Black online with us. We love to hear your thoughts on Code Black, so be sure to join the conversation in the comments section!
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
