While King struggles to cope with her sister's newfound independence, McKay brings Ogilvie along to help treat a patient in the field. Later, both patients and staff are put on edge by an unexpected presence in the ER.
Is Robby's behavior threatening to force Mohan out of the profession? He belittled her panic attack. His advice is to create a force field around the ER meant to keep everything else out. It's impossible to keep their personal and professional lives separate. Mohan's in her fourth year of residency. She's not being treated with respect. She made a mistake. She listened to Ogilvie when he said the rest of the ultrasound on their patient with possible kidney stones looked fine. As far as he knew, he was only meant to look at the kidneys. He wasn't guided to the heart. That's where the problem lurked. It knocks Ogilvie completely back. He wanted to complete another intubation before his shift ended. When the opportunity arrived, he froze. He couldn't reckon with the consequences of his actions. He has some grace as a medical student. He's still learning. Robby sees Mohan as distracted. This mistake was made because she was panicking about her mother. When she questions if she belongs here, he offers no reassurance or guidance. He's off to the next emergency. The discrepancies in who is allowed to have a second chance are quite striking. Robby allowing Langdon back is seen as acceptance even though he refuses to talk to him. The truth isn't known about Langdon's behavior amongst the staff either. As such, Santos comes across as more combative when she simply did the right thing in reporting her superior ten months ago.
Robby's "heroic" moment kicking ICE out of his department even delivers unintended consequences. The mood shifts as soon as these federal officers enter seeking treatment for their detainee. Robby wants to treat her injuries as quickly as possible. It's all about making sure the hospital remains accessible to as many people as possible. He's not trying to help the patient though. Her care is compromised because of the agents towering over her. McKay wants to contact her loved ones. The agents saw no calls can be made until she's processed. That could be hours where her family doesn't know where she is. Al-Hashimi suggests obtaining counsel for the detainee. Robby says he's working on it when he clearly isn't. That's not his problem. He will sacrifice one person to preserve the system for everyone else who needs it. He's frustrated when the agents don't recognize that kindness. He aims to contain them to where they can do the less amount of harm. Patients and staff flee fearing the worst. The hospital is no longer safe. It's been compromised by those who don't see their humanity. Robby sticks up for his staff. The agents are just as demanding with their authority. Jesse is arrested simply for trying to provide care. That's seen as interfering with the official duties of the agents. It's all driven by ego. Robby will help his nurse. That too will take hours to resolve. He didn't manage this situation well. He wasn't looking for a confrontation. One occurred nevertheless. He's not trying to make anything better. He's just trying to survive this shift.
Dealing with ICE prevented Robby from also lecturing McKay about abandoning her patient in the hospital to see someone in the park across the street. She was still providing healthcare. She's a member of the street team. She meets people where they are. She's encouraged by her patient coming this far. It serves as the latest example of Ogilvie not having much empathy. He needs to understand why someone behaves the way they do. If he can't make sense of it, then he doesn't connect with them. It's awkward. He doesn't have much real-world experience. This job is meant to forge him into a better person. The grind is overbearing. McKay takes time to provide the care her frequent patient needs. Meanwhile, Roxie dies. Robby has to write up the death note. He's more than capable of doing so. He's frustrated McKay couldn't be found in that moment. She was surprised by how quickly Roxie's passing was. It was a brutal case. One where she tried to provide as much comfort as she could. Ultimately, she couldn't give everyone the attention they deserved. That's part of the job. Everyone has to carefully balance their time. They have to decide where they can do the most good. McKay made a choice. It wasn't even the wrong one given the street team is affiliated with the hospital. Robby's simply at his breaking point where he lashes out to maintain some sense of authority.
Early on, multiple people comment on how they only have two hours left in the shift. Robby can keep up his facade long enough to make it through. Al-Hashimi wonders how Robby handles the transition between shifts. The job isn't going to end in two hours. The audience is aware that there are four episodes left after this one. Plenty of dramatic things will still occur. That requires the staff to be even more giving of themselves. Dana promises to stay until she can find someone to cover for Lena. Santos will have almost an entire shift of charting to catch up on. Sudden departures leave the department even more understaffed. No one can ever fully tame the chaos. That requires balance to be struck. Robby ultimately decides he can't leave until Duke receives all the treatment he needs. The chest x-ray shows he potentially has lymphoma. A more detailed CT scan is required to confirm. Robby isn't going to abandon him. He can't leave for his sabbatical while his VIP patient doesn't have full clarity on his health. That awakens some humanity within Robby. He understands that there's more important things than him getting out on time. He sacrifices himself for someone else. That's noble. It's unevenly applied though. He's selective in who he choses to support. That makes him a key ally to those who need it. His job requires him to support everyone though.
Dana actually makes the system run as well as it possible can. She's not naive about what it can and can't handle. She does her best to manage it. She knows where Mel escapes to when she needs a moment to decompress. In their conversation, Mel opens up about being alone. She depends on her sister for a sense of life outside the hospital. At work, she still struggles making connections. Now, she missed something important with Becca. Her sister chose to keep her relationship a secret. Mel only fears the worst. It's the only way it makes sense. It's a reflection of how she has limited herself while caring for her sister. She has prevented herself from having a life. That's why the lawsuit struck a nerve. She needs validation at work. The lawsuit suggests she isn't good at her job. This shift has been stressful. It all hits her now too. She can't leave quite yet. She doesn't have the patience to deal with Whitaker and Santos' bickering. She gets back to work. She stops feeling sorry for herself. Instead, she does the job she knows how to do. That's an uplifting note. And then, the episode ends with Emma being assaulted by an aggravated patient. Dana has been frank about what this job entails. She's also been a fierce defender of her nurses. She's quick to action whenever someone gets aggressive. She won't tolerate that. But now, Emma is left alone when an altered patient wakes up. It's a horrifying sight.
Some more thoughts:
- In recent episodes, Joy has come across as the perfect medical student who should consider a career in the ER. She isn't perfect. That's seen in her doubting the story of the mom who brought her son in after he was trapped in a hot car. She can't reckon with a parent losing their child while at home. Al-Hashimi's glances suggest she knows all too well what this pain is like. It remains a private part of her story. She at least caught the mother before she succeeded in a suicide attempt.
- Whitaker and Santos deal with a patient whose entire personality is loving baseball. He needs to be the one to catch the balls from home runs too. He can't let go. It's an extension of his obsession with the game. He denies painkillers because he must remain alert. It's impressive while completely unnecessary. The doctors abide by his wishes despite their skepticism. Donnie isn't even fazed when the screams echo through the department.
- Santos doubts Langdon is genuinely sorry for what he did. He believes she's upset with him because he treated her poorly in their one shift together. He hasn't taken full accountability for stealing from work. He deserved so much more punishment. Al-Hashimi overhears the conversation. That should reflect in how she approaches both of them moving forward.
- Langdon's wife threatened to divorce him. He was at risk of losing his children. He shares those updates with Santos as evidence that he has suffered. She only sees them as consequences for his actions. He's previously expressed gratitude for how his wife has handled his behavior. Now, it's clear that wasn't an easy decision. It's one Langdon resents for almost happening though.
- When Shamsi hears another mistake was made in the ER, she immediately assumes it was Javadi. That was her instinct. She expects better of her daughter. Yet she also criticizes her for not being perfect. Javadi wasn't to blame. Instead, she handles herself well in front of her mother. That's aided by Robby actually demanding Shamsi witness Javadi as she actually is.
- Howard survived surgery! Dana provides that update early on. She still hasn't made any progress in getting Baby Jane Doe a place to stay though. That baby will likely still be around in the season finale. I would bet on that.
