Dark secrets were uncovered this week on Good Sam. Secrets that could easily ruin not just the doctors of Lakeshore, but the hospital itself.
But what really stood out to me in this week’s episode was the amount of time dedicated to learning more about various characters. We found out that Griff isn’t the only parent with something to hide, that Caleb wants a fresh start with Sam, and that Joey is more than just a surgeon.
Without these layers being added onto these key characters, I don’t think I’d be nearly as invested in the show as I am. And with still half a season left, it leaves me even more excited to see what happens next. But for now, let’s dive into what happened this week.
Off to the Races
The episode starts with Sam and Ronda working together to take down Griff. And according to Ronda, the big play is to find out who the hospital’s biggest donor is and flip them. Kind of expected Ronda to come up with a more devious plan based on how devious she sounded in the last episode. But I guess this is only the first part of her plan as the second part involves Vivan.
As a start, it does make sense that if Sam brings in the most money she should become the chief. So Sam conspires to have lunch with this billionaire, Helen Fletcher, who happened to give the hospital $7 million the last time around. However, Helen throws Sam off guard by offering her $14 million…but for her to quit the race.
But why would this seemingly random donor care so much about whether Griff is reinstated as chief? Well, it turns out that in return for her millions, Griff altered the results of one of her drug trials. And it looks like Vivian was in on it along with another big secret to which we don’t know yet. I guess the perfect mother the show has led us to believe so far is no more.
The question then remained: will “good” Sam use this information to get ahead in this chief race? The answer is yes. Thank god. If she sat on that information, her chances of winning the role of chief would be slim. Now that she has Helen’s $14 million dollar donation along with her backing, the odds are definitely in her favor.
Triangles
I can’t say I particularly enjoy love triangles, yet here we are. Have to say I’m not opposed to the triangle between Caleb, Malcolm, and Sam. Maybe it’s because I actually like all of these characters, or maybe it’s because it hasn’t gotten to the point where it’s annoying.
Until it gets to that point, I’ll sit back and happily watch Malcolm and Sam in bed together as well as Caleb trying to win Sam back.
We learn in this episode that Caleb and Sam weren’t some fleeting hospital romance. In fact, they dated on and off for years according to Sam. This changes a lot because up until now, I thought Caleb was just a fling that couldn’t commit. Now, it becomes more complicated. Maybe he was afraid because the next step was most likely getting down on one knee. Now, regretting letting Sam down, he’s doing everything he can to win her back.
But he makes it clear that he doesn’t want to just go back to the way things were. He knows he screwed up. Instead, he’s asking for a new start in their relationship. And I think it could actually be a good thing for Sam. However, she’s sees getting back with Caleb as a step backward and who could blame her?
Also can someone please explain to me how jumping into an ice bath is relaxing?
Not a love triangle, but Lex and Griff seem to be getting along a lot better. In fact, I dare to say that Lex maybe rekindles her relationship with her best friend’s father in the near future despite her saying she doesn’t. I said this before, but it’s hard to blame Lex for falling for Griff. The heart wants what it wants after all.
But what she needs to do in order to ensure that her relationships with both Griffiths succeed is honesty. If Lex even thinks for a second about getting back together with Griff, she needs to tell Sam. The last thing that needs to happen is for Sam to be kept in the dark once again.
Honestly, I’m intrigued with Lex and Griff’s relationship. It feels like it’s the only time when we get to see the more human side of Griff. You could tell that they both really cared for each other – maybe even loved each other. Right now, we’ve only really seen Griff as this narcissistic man who doesn’t care about anyone else. It’ll be nice to see what Griff is like when his walls are down.
Grand Gesture
Do you know what job needs teamwork? A doctor, apparently. And thanks to Joey’s lack of teamwork, he gets cut from sewing back on an arm.
For Joey, being a doctor is all about medicine. For the aspiring plastic surgeon, he admits that it’s hard for him to connect with other people. And honestly, I think that’s okay. Not everyone has to be extroverted and get along with everyone. It’s okay to want to compartmentalize and to keep your circle of confidants small.
I commend Joey for admitting something that was probably very hard to share. The great thing is that it could be what leads Joey to have more people to confide in than just his boyfriend. This group has the potential to become a family. And given the often tragic nature of their job, they need to be able to rely on one another.
This episode reminded us that life can be fleeting. One minute you are sitting in a car with your best friend, and the next minute they’re gone. These doctors need to relish in the wins especially if it involves giving a woman their arm back. Not dwelling on the negative and leaning on one another will be the only way these doctors can survive their chosen profession.
Catch Good Sam on CBS on Wednesdays at 10/9c.