Code Black Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Cardiac Support
Elizabeth Harlow
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Oh, Mama.
You'd think that beloved head nurse Jesse's heart attack would be drama enough for one episode, but Code Black Season 1 Episode 10 upped the ante as always, throwing in some touching side stories. Mario got to show us how much he's grown in his time at Angels, and Cole and Rollie came to a new understanding.
Obviously, the main case tonight was Jesse's heart attack. I hesitate to say that I "liked" this story line, because it seems really awful to "like" a nice person like Jesse having to go through that, even if they are fictional.
But it was well down, and not without purpose, so I suppose I'll just have to resign myself to Jesse's suffering serving the greater good. It highlighted his selfless generosity with Leanne in a truly touching way.
I loved how he was able to joke with her through it all. We may know next to nothing of Jesse's history outside of the hospital, but things like that tell us everything we need to know about him...for now at least.
I'm really hoping that his recovery allows us to know Jesse as a more complete character and not just as "Mama." Mama's great and all, but there's got to be more to his life than running the ER and being Leanne's personal cheerleader. He's the one preaching about living life after all.
Jesse Salandar: Before I'm dead, there's something I've got to tell you.
Dr. Leanne Rorish: Shut up, you're not dead.
Jesse Salandar: Neither are you.
With Leanne running off to supervise Jesse's care (a good thing, since he ended up having to diagnose himself), Neal was left in charge of the residents and the ER. Unfortunately, he doesn't quite have Leanne's skill at resident-wrangling or commanding authority.
He's definitely going to be rethinking his friendship with Christa after this. He had already gotten a little weird with her after their Bloody Mary brunch, but I suspect he'll take some giant steps back now that he thinks their relationship is interfering with the work. Definite awkwardness to come on that front.
I was a little surprised that he took such a hard line with Mario about leaving. He was right to insist that Mario stay at the hospital under the circumstances, but I expected some more helpful guidance from him than telling Mario to call social services to handle it.
You're the one that said that every resident is a lock, and you just have to find the right combination.
Dr. Leanne Rorish [to Dr. Neal Hudson]
I liked how Mario has finally made some real progress, and really hope that we don't have to watch him backslide again. It was great how the other residents supported him in spite of his previous behavior. They're really starting to come together as a team.
Elsewhere in the hospital, things went south for the Drs. Guthrie just as they were starting to connect. We still don't know the whole story of their falling out, or what happened to Cole at his last hospital, but I'm more intrigued by the minute.
Rollie finally figuring out that he couldn't just try and play happy families with Cole was a great moment, and I think it was actually what Cole needed from him. Totally switching up their usual dynamic was a total wakeup call for him. If he's going to succeed at Angels (and with Leanne), he's going to have to adjust that attitude.
Dr. Cole Guthrie: I don't need a father-and-son talk from you.
Dr. Rollie Guthrie: This isn't a father-and-son talk. This is a senior faculty member telling a new attending that his behavior is unacceptable.
Other Thoughts
- Is Leanne reacting to Cole because he's interested and the time is right, or is she really attracted to him? That kiss finally showed a bit of a spark between them.
- Gina seems to be settling in nicely. I like how she's not completely antagonistic, but she's also willing to challenge Leanne (and presumably the others). It's a nice contrast to Taylor's complacency.
- So Heather Pinkney definitely seems like she'll be sticking around for a while. What are your thoughts on the confident surgical resident?
- Did your heart just break when Aubrey confronted her mom?
- Does anybody wish they'd just stop with the time stamp and the "Code Black" titles in the lower corner? Oftentimes, it's not that noticeable, so why even bother?
Sir we're going to give you a chemically induced time out.
Dr. Rollie Guthrie
The docs will finally head off site on "Black Tag," scheduled to air on December 9th. The promo focused on the medical side of things, as always, but I'm curious about some of the more personal scenes I've seen previewed in breaks while watching other CBS shows with OnDemand. For better or worse, Code Black is going to be getting a little steamier.
You can always watch Code Black online if you missed the live airing of "Cardiac Support." Join us in the comments with your thoughts on "Cardiac Support." Do you think with Jesse's urging Leanne will finally be able to move past her grief?
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
