Code Black Season 2 Episode 9 Review: Sleight of Hand
Elizabeth Harlow
at
.
You gotta have faith.
Okay, that's a motto that was more applicable to the George Michael loving Eli Stone, but Code Black Season 2 Episode 9 was trying really hard to work that message in. Really hard.
I'm not really sure why Noa needed faith to suck it up and reach out to her patient's widow, but whatever gets the job done, right? Although honestly, I'm also not sure she should have felt as much guilt as she did. Maybe I just have the romantic range of a teaspoon, but unless they'd had a fight, "Tell my wife I love her" isn't earth shattering or unexpected.
No, if Noa was going to feel guilty about anything it should have been about not going back out and completing her ride along. And even that's a stretch. Recognizing your limits is as important a skill as anything else in medicine.
So Penn Jillette's Johnny Prentiss' whole spiel may have been apropos of nothing, but it was still really good. It's just too bad that line couldn't have been saved for a time when it had a little more contextual meaning.
Proof is easy. Faith...is hard damn work.
Johnny Prentiss
Did Fiona's injury remind anybody else of Grey's Anatomy Season 2 Episode 16? Undetonated explosive bullets are nothing to laugh at, especially when they're lodged in a patient's leg, but it's a pretty tame take on a pivotal episode of a long lived series. At least this had a happier (and cleaner) ending.
To be fair, the "red-on-blue" story did have a good number of really touching moments. I usually need to have a connection with a character before I get pulled into the sap, but Fiona's fellow officers stepping up to carry her gurney was really poignant.
I was pleased to see that the head docs all came together at the end. I can't decide if Campbell's mellowing or just giving up though. At least the workplace won't be such a contentious place for the rest of the staff going forward.
Remember, during the dark times, it's incumbent on all of us to conjure up a little bit of magic.
Johnny Prentiss
My favorite patient story was Julia, played by the lovely Sarah Lancaster from Chuck. I really wish we could have had more time with this story, but sometimes less is more.
Lancacster and Benjamin Ciaramello (who played her brother, Tim) did an awesome job with the roles. This was family dysfunction done right. We didn't get the whole story, but there was enough of a sketch for our minds to color in the holes. It was a great example of the writers and the actors trusting the audience.
It was a story that made me regret that Code Black doesn't follow the patients. I often admire the fact that the show reflects reality in this way, but this time I'm dying to know that Ronny and Tim are going to be alright together.
There's only one secret to being a good parent. You just gotta love that kid with all your might.
Julia Clark
Other Thoughts
- Is anybody feeling the Mario/Noa relationship that's being pushed on us? Because I'm not.
- Penn without Teller is just...wrong.
- What happened to Sugar Bear? One minute he was doing intake, next he vanished. That doesn't usually bode well for the docs at Angels.
- All I want for Christmas is for Xander and Karen to keep showing up in the ER with weird sex related injuries every other month. The writers need to mine this hilarious couple for all they're worth.
Jesse: Karen and Xander. My favorite couple returns.
Malaya: You know them?
Karen: Go ahead. Tell them how you proposed. [beat] Last time we were here, he put a ring on his...
There's going to be a mini West Wing reunion on Code Black Season 2 Episode 10! "Ave Maria" will feature the fabulous Marlee Matlin (also known from The L Word, Switched at Birth, Picket Fences, and being an all around inspiring human being) being checked into the Angels' ER.
I know I shouldn't begrudge a child, but I'll be seriously pissed if Ms. Matlin is overshadowed by the appearance of Campbell's daughter. Even more surprising to the staff that the fact Campbell spawned is that his daughter is suffering from spina bifida. This certainly brings a new perspective to his relationship with Grace and Rosaline last season.
If you missed "Sleight of Hand," not to worry, you can watch Code Black online. And as always, we'd love to hear from you in the comments section!
Elizabeth Harlow was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She left the organization in October 2018.
