Last night, “R3BOOT” gave us a heart pounding hour of action and medical dilemmas. The Night Shift staff handled the hospital hack extremely well, managing not to lose a single patient, even when Drew had to perform one emergency surgery in a stuck elevator, and TC and Jordan had to save Rick’s Partner who had been hit by a bomb blast at a SWAT raid without all of the proper supplies and equipment they needed.
Drew really got to showcase his talent as a doctor in “R3BOOT,” although we all know he’s amazingly skilled, this brought his talents to a whole new level. We also learned that Drew applied to Ranger school and was accepted, so he will be gone for about 3-6 months for training. Hopefully this extended period of absence will take place over the break between this season and next (I’m assuming “The Night Shift” will be renewed for season 5) and we will pick back up with Drew’s story after he returns from Ranger school at the beginning of next season.
Unfortunately, Drew’s application to Ranger school led to an argument with Rick, because Drew did not tell him that he had applied or that he was accepting the position. This is a big commitment, and a decision that he really needed to discuss with Rick first, as Drew being absent for 3-6 months would require Rick to take care of Brianna for that time all by himself. That’s not a decision that you should just make for someone without telling them. Rick was understandably upset, and getting stabbed would hurt less than watching these two argue.
Especially after Rick had just started the conversation by suggesting that he and Rick should add a baby to their family. Don’t even talk to me about the look on Rick’s face when he realized that Drew hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him. Rick wants to focus on the life they have together, while Drew decides that he wants to go to Ranger school out of nowhere without telling anyone. I’m hoping they will be able to figure out this dilemma without anyone getting hurt too badly, but “The Night Shift” is a dramatic show, and I don’t see them passing up the opportunity to have some quality relationship drama between our two favorites. As long as Rick and Drew end up happy, it will all be ok, but it might not be a fun ride in the mean time.
TC is also still struggling with the decision whether or not to go back to Syria or stay at SAM. in “R3BOOT” Jordan made a compelling case for him to stay and lead a training program for doctors to get battlefield medical experience so they have more tools to work with in their every day routines at the hospital, and suggested that he work with Drew as well. It seemed like he was leaning towards taking this offer, until he got a phone call from Amira telling him to go back to Syria with her. I swear if he goes back to Syria with her instead of staying with Jordan and the rest of his night shift family at SAM I’m going to beat him up myself.
In “R3BOOT” We also were privileged to have another display of TC’s loving (but often misguided) personality. Before the SWAT raid that he went on with Rick, he rigged the coin toss to make sure that Rick wouldn’t be the first one into the breach. Rick’s partner had to go in first, and that is how he ended up getting so badly injured by the bomb blast. TC later said that he did this because he had lost too many brothers, and “wasn’t going to lose another one” (meaning Rick).
Rick then told him that his partner who was now gravely injured was expecting a child, and he and Drew were the god parents. TC apologized for making a decision that he shouldn’t have, but I can’t say that I disagree with what TC did on this one. Drew and Rick are two of his closest friends, and almost the only family members he has left. If he has the opportunity to make sure Rick stays safe, even at the cost of someone else, he’s going to take it, and I would too. Also I’m extremely biased towards Rick and Drew, and I would rather have almost anyone else in the world get hurt rather than the two of them.
There was also, surprisingly, a touching scene between Scott and Paul’s father Julian in “R3BOOT.” The hackers had demanded 50 million dollars from his medical company in order to release the hospitals from the hack. Julian paid the ransom using loans that he is never going to be able to pay off. His company was already not turning a profit, largely because buying San Antonio Memorial had over extended his budget, and SAM is a sinkhole for expenses anyway.
Although it wasn’t a good business decision, he had bought SAM because he knew that Paul wanted him to save the hospital. He did it because he wanted to be his son’s hero, just for once. Even though this doesn’t excuse Julian’s incredibly rude behavior to almost everyone on the night shift staff, it does make me feel bad that I thought the worst of him just like everyone else. As Scott left, he told Julian that he too had hit rock bottom, and gave Julian some touching words of encouragement that he had learned from his father:
“Sometimes you get to start over from scratch.”
Scott is really just killing me with all of the emotional scenes and character development this season.
Next week is going to be another action packed episode as the hospital deals with a patient (looks like an injured FBI agent or something) loose in the hospital with a gun trying to kill everyone. Seriously, SAM has faced so many bizarre problems that you really think a hospital would never face.
Check out the trailer for “Land Of The Free” and I’ll see you all next Thursday!
The Night Shift airs Thursdays at 10/9c on NBC.
