I’ve had to sit on this review for awhile because I couldn’t watch this episode. I could not because I am a survivor of domestic violence and watching this episode made me feel like I was choking – as if the world around me was closing in and I needed to find a way to run. Only there was nowhere to run.
Domestic Violence isn’t an easy conversation to cover. Finding a way to navigate this hard conversation isn’t something that everyone can do. DOC gave a powerful hour of television that had to have made everyone stop and take a beat.
In DOC Season 2, Episode 7, Gina and Amy are faced with helping a victim of domestic violence who is terrified to ask for help, because she knows that her abuser has the money and connections to get himself out of trouble.
The truth – at least my truth – is that fear is so strong that it kept me from leaving. There was the matter of who else would be hurt, how I would suffer, who else would be in trouble, and what it would take for me to be free. Would I ever be free?
In this episode, the patient that Gina and Amy were helping, admitted that she wanted to leave. She just didn’t know how to. But Gina, who is on her road to redemption, is trying to do everything she can to force the victim to admit what happened to her. It was such a moment that both confused me and made me feel a little sick. Taking on the burden of guilt when someone is going through domestic violence – at least for me – made me feel even more guilty.
Gina and Amy were able to find an underground group that would help domestic violence victims get out of the situation that they are in. They are willing to go above and beyond to make sure that she is safe. However, as Gina is trying to get the patient to safety, the boyfriend shows up and takes her.
But eventually the patient calls and Gina goes to try and get her, and the man beats Gina. I was under my covers, crying and hoping that I didn’t have to see anymore. It was really hard for me to sit and watch, but also I was so thankful that DOC did its best to tell such an important story. It may have been a lot, but it was so important. Stories like these are sometimes so forgotten, but I could tell that DOC did the work to make sure that it was genuine and took care with the storyline.
I can appreciate that.
The secondary storyline involved another patient – one that involved a social media star and a misdiagnosis. The man live streams from the hospital and though he’s not supposed to tag the hospital or involve the doctors – but he does.
And that causes a lot of issues.
Though TJ will become Instagram famous from it – it does cause issues for Michael. It seems as though the board is always trying to get rid of him. Though I guess that is in any business – everyone is always looking for a fall guy. I just feel bad for Michael because he’s doing everything that he can in order to make everything okay for everyone, but the person he’s letting down the most is himself.
Michael is willing to stand up for what is right. He’s already corrected the situation and when the board member comes for him – he lays down the law. Stop threatening his job – if they are gonna fire him – well do it. But the threats need to stop.
The hardest part of TJ’s patient isn’t Michael – it’s when we find out that he was misdiagnosed with cancer all those years ago. Sincerely, it broke my heart, as I think all of us know someone that has been misdiagnosed in their lives. All of the things that he went through, thinking that he had cancer.
But it was also seeing him decide that he wasn’t going to tell his followers the truth. I believe that It’s a double edge sword – how the world wouldn’t believe him and how a lot of people don’t understand misdiagnosis. But him letting people believe you have something – its way beyond the ick and deplorable.
The world is a complicated place. Medicine is a complicated thing and it shouldn’t be the way that it is. It’s so deeply personal and yet something people need to be open about. Shows like DOC can remind you of how crazy that it can be.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- I can’t believe what the intern is trying to do to sabotage Amy. She doesn’t know what the whole story is about and she’s putting both her career and Amy’s into play
- Jake and Amy – I will take any and all scenes with the two of them together
- I really like how Amy and Gina are trying to restore their relationship and Amy is being a better friend
- Michael and Jake spending time together scares me
- Still don’t like Joan and never will
