Transplant 2×05 “Roads” finds the doctors navigating new roads amongst the chaos. While everyone’s personal lives interfere at work and with each other, the doctors push through to be their best selves. But sometimes, being the best in the chaos might not mean pushing ahead but rather taking a step back.
THEO MENTORS A MED STUDENT
Theo has it rough. But that never stops him from greeting everyone with a smile and treating his patients with patience and respect. In this episode, we see Theo taking on a leadership role as he mentors a third-year medical student named Jake. And for those of you who have seen My Babysitter’s a Vampire, Hello Benny!
Theo treats a patient who is new to Toronto for constant vomiting. All tests and previous doctors have deduced nothing medically wrong, but the dad will not leave until he has answers. At one point, the patient confides in Theo. He found this online forum that includes other kids who track what they eat and throw up if need be.
He explains to Theo that it allows him to feel in control amongst all the chaos in his life, even though he knows it’s not healthy. Theo understands that the problem is not medical but psychological. Unfortunately, before he tells the father, Jake accidentally lets it slip, causing a bit of a stir. This prompts Theo to unleash his anger on Jake, telling him he doesn’t have the authority and doesn’t know anything.
When Theo apologizes to Jake, Jake indulges in some wisdom with a bit of backstory about his parent’s divorce, “once the perfection was gone, [they] could just be themselves.” Theo holds onto this facade of perfection throughout his divorce, pretending that everything is fine. Finally, however, Theo feels his control slipping away.
Theo dives headfirst into his patient’s problems and tries to help them feel in control. Yet what has he been doing for himself? Unfortunately, not much. He’s not in control, but he’s also not completely lost. It’s as if the help Theo wishes for himself, he continues to give to his patients and continues to mask through them. Let’s hope that Theo can reach out to help himself.
BASH’S FIGHT FOR HOME
In this episode, Bash treats a patient with an unfortunate leg complication from a nail puncture. The patient seems to fluctuate in his recovery throughout his hospital stay after having to come back from initial discharge. Meanwhile, when his wife checks on him, she gets her blood drawn because she believes she is pregnant.
His wife believes that they could be better with their life back in Deli. She thinks that their dreams were not as they seemed after the move. He could be the engineer he is, and they have family there. The husband believes that if they go back now, he will have failed his wife by not fulfilling her dreams.
Bash understands the struggle of moving to a new country, having to transfer your credentials if you had a previous job, and settling down. The patient comments about how quickly Bash got a residency within two years of moving. Bash lets him know that it was all about the right people and timing. That he, too, could get there.
Bash’s friend Khaled is in a similar situation of finding home as Khaled’s new lawyer wants to try for asylum again. Unfortunately, because Khaled has a few warrants against him, he is detained and arrested after his meeting. As a result, we see Bash calling Khaled’s lawyer every day and worrying about him non-stop.
For Bash, home resides in his patients and his friends/family. We see this as he helps his current patients and family seek new lives (Rania, Khaled, etc.) He does his best to give them better lives, no matter where they want to be. Bash finds a home through adapting, and unlike his patients’ hope that Bash finds his way back home, Bash believes he’s right where he’s supposed to be.
MAGS MEET MAGS
Mags meet Mags. Mags meets a woman who brings in her elderly neighbour for a protruding abdomen wound and then refuses to leave. When Mags tries to get the woman to go home after his initial liver surgery, she refuses because she believes someone should be there. The woman monitors her neighbour when the doctors aren’t, stays overnight, calls his son, and takes notes as his blood pressure decreases.
The woman believes that his low blood pressure is a problem considering he usually takes blood pressure meds for high BP. So she continually posters the doctors and the residents until Mags finally promises to check him over once more. This results in Mags finding a fragment near his heart, meaning that the woman’s constant monitoring saved his life.
Literally, Mags meet Mags. Overcaring, constantly watching and saving lives. But, unfortunately, the man doesn’t make it, and the woman blames herself, wondering if she could have found anything faster. Mags is the same way. She tries to assure the woman that there is nothing else that could have been done. Mags cares so much, and despite her distance in this episode, she decides to forego others’ judgement and be herself.
JUNE MEETS PEOPLE HALFWAY
In this episode, June seems to be knocking out problems left and right with a baseball bat. She steps in to help Claire push back a dislocated shoulder and then admits the man in question because of an irregular heartbeat. However, when she treats him, she finds other issues under the surface, and while she tries to suggest solutions, the patient does not want to hear them.
June eventually tells Bishop that the patient’s testosterone is low and that he should communicate the news. Bishop gives her some advice; the patient is afraid, and instead of telling him problems and solutions, it’s best to be empathetic. Bishop then tells her that if she can’t be gentle, then find a way to meet him in the middle.
June takes this advice and conveys the news to the patient while finding a way to relate to him. She may be a pro at handling problems, but she is still working on understanding how others process emotions. June is learning how to lead, and part of leading is understanding how people process, whether your co-workers or your patients.
DOCTORS PERSONAL ANECDOTES
- Bash supporting his friends and being the best person just brings tears to my eyes.
- Mags doing well at all her checkups and having her pacemaker replacement pushed another year shows how she is taking care of herself.
- Also getting offered some resident time in cardiology, especially with her personal experience, like way to go Mags.
- Theo got served his divorce papers in front of everyone. OUCH.
- Jake is adorable and my childhood heart is nostalgic from seeing Benny from My Babysitters a Vampire on my TV
- In other news, both his characters are pretty similar: adorable goofs.
- Bishop telling everyone he is no longer hands on and will be asking for assistance just proves the board is making a mistake.
- Unfortunatley Bash continues to have flashbacks to his time in captivity in Syria.
- Listen, I know Bash is with Rania but the way he and Mags are constantly bantering is just adorable.
- Also that dig at Novak. Bash, is it possible to love you anymore than already?
- Speaking of Bash and Mags, ehem, that scene in the elevator.
- Like well done Bash for staying true to Rania, but Mags is right, the way you see her is unlike any other.
- Bishop offering Claire a spot at York to do her clinical hours is so cute.
- But Claire wanting to find her own footing is just… LFG. respect.
- Khaled’s lawyer telling Bash thanks on behalf of him when there is not much more he can do right now. spain without the s.
Roads lead to different paths, different obstacles, and hopefully better freeways. But, first, we’ll see where our York Memorial Team is taken.
Transplant airs Sundays at 10/9c on NBC.