Code Black Season 1 Episode 16 Review: Hail Mary
Elizabeth Harlow
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We can all be a little bit selfish sometimes.
Code Black Season 1 Episode 16 tried to explore whether we really have the right to be, and what impact that has on the people around us.
The patients were the ones learning the lesson this time, while the docs were too busy dealing with hospital politics and interpersonal relations.
I actually found the theme of this one to be interesting considering that it was only two episodes ago that Christa was confronted with accepting a patients DNR. The writers came down pretty heavily on the pro side of respecting patient wishes with that one.
But here, several of our patients were confronted with the fact that their "selfish" decisions about their treatment would have a lasting impact on those they loved. Of course, not everyone really got the message.
I felt really bad for the husband whose wife was going through with cryogenesis – she's completely keeping him from the grieving process and the rest of his life.
It was also interesting that this theme had more to do with the patients than with any of our docs or their character development. Still, I really liked the theme – it was a different take than what we usually see.
Odell: You need the surgery.
Coach: Why?
Odell: Because if you don't, you'll die.
Coach: Maybe I'm okay with that.
Odell: That's selfish. You never taught me about giving up, and now you're giving up.
Odell Beckham's guest spot went really well. It's always a bit of a crap shoot when athletes step in front of cameras like this, but ODB really pulled it off. His style was flamboyant, but the delivery of his lines was all heart.
I don't know much about football (and even less about players that aren't on my local news station constantly), so I can't say how much of his performance was just pure Odell and how much was, well, a performance, but he was certainly pulling at my heartstrings.
Of course, having Beau Bridges to play off of undoubtedly helped. His appearance might have been overshadowed by the NFL star, but he played the gruff but scared Coach to perfection. He balanced the stubbornness of a "constipated mule" with the terror of a man facing death due to his own inaction beautifully.
Odell: You're just gonna keep talking, huh?
Coach: The more I talk, the less I have to listen to you trying to convince me to go under the knife.
While the patients all came to grips with the consequences of their (in)actions, the docs were dealing with their own problems. We all saw Neal's transfer to surgery, but since Campbell only showed up in Code Black Season 1 Episode 15, we couldn't have know how miserable it was going to end up being for him.
And to have his ex show up on top of that? Talk about a rough day. He didn't even have the time to figure out that Christa may be less than happy with his thin explanations.
It's more than a little surprising that all of these new players are coming in so late in the game. The writer's must have been feeling hopeful about renewal to introduce Grace so late. She seems rather likable so far – except for the mysterious cause of her breakup with Neal. Something is going on there.
In my experience, we heal better from the things that are done to us than the things that we do to others.
Rollie
Malaya and Angus both made a little bit of progress in their healing, but quite frankly I was surprised that Malaya was allowed to just jump back into the deep end of the ER after her ordeal.
Her freak-out not only highlighted how unprepared she really was, but gave us a taste of how good a teacher Mike is. Bravo to the writing team for that one.
Angus may need some more lessons from his big brother on how to keep a secret though. Granted he and Rollie have a special relationship, but this is the second time that a staff member intimated that they suspected his MOAS.
You know how the saying goes: Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead. This doesn't bode well for dear Dr. Leighton.
Other Thoughts
- Tourist visas are usually six to nine months, and can be up for a year if you're seeking medical treatment. So what took Grace so long to get Roseline to a hospital?
- Where was all the Christa angst that the episode description alluded to? She seemed a little peeved that Neal wasn't being open with her about Grace, but didn't seem like she about to break up with him or anything.
- Will Angus crack before the season finale, or will he find his own form of redemption and push through his guilt?
- Watching Jesse carry that baby around was a highlight for me. Mama really took to motherhood, huh?
- Who approved Malaya coming back to work and just jumping fully back into the fray?
- Did Odell Beckham get to pick his own wardrobe? He looked fly in that tux.
- How did Heather get the job with the cryogensis company? I would love for some back story on that.
I could throw a tennis ball off the roof of this hospital and hit about thirty little girls that need our help.
Campbell
Code Black Season 1 Episode 17 (the penultimate episode of the freshman season) airs February 17th at 10 pm. Apparently that's when the Christa/Neal/Grace drama is really going to heat up...or will it? Maybe Grace's new suitor will keep the situation from getting too heated.
It's a bold move to shift to more relationship based storylines this late in the game, but I'm interested to see where it's heading. How will this effect ratings, and thus renewal chances? We'll just have to watch and find out!
You can watch Code Black online if you've missed any of the episodes, and our comments section is open for your take on the Eye's medical drama. feel free to start laying odds on renewal – all in good fun of course!
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
