We have been learning a lot about Alex since the start of St. Denis Medical. We know a little about her family life, but we know more about her professional life. During this week’s episode of St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 5, ‘A Strong Cup of Coffee,’ we met the person who was her mentor. And we’ve got to say, we’re surprised. We also got our favorite will-they-or-won’t-they pair, Serena and Matt, working together again.
MORE: Need a refresher of the last episode? Read our review of St. Denis Medical Season 2, Episode 4!
“She’s Spicy”
When Alex’s old charge, Nurse Pam (guest star Lauren Weedman), stepped foot into St. Denis, the dynamic shifted drastically.
Alex was super excited that her mentor was going to be running things for a while, but she was quickly hit with a dose of reality. Unlike Alex, Pam is a hardcore Charge Nurse. She rules with an iron fist and doesn’t let anyone get away with anything on her watch. Alex seems to love this about Pam. She believes Pam is just like “A strong cup of coffee.” And I’m like, yeah, a cup of coffee that’s been sitting out for way too long because whew, is that woman bitter.
I’m going to keep it a buck. Pam is a jerk who talks down to the doctors and nurses. She told Bruce he was “Big, dumb, and slow.” She flicked Holly’s ears because she was wearing earrings, and she made Keith cry. Bullying in the workplace is real. And it does happen in healthcare. I’ve dealt with my own experiences of bullying from other nurses, and it’s never okay. None has been as extreme as Pam, though. This behavior from Pam is why I was so surprised that she was Alex’s mentor.
Alex is kind, and she cares about her team. She helps them out when they need it, and she’s always there to give words of encouragement. Which is why her trying to justify Pam’s behavior was frustrating. I do understand. Slightly. Because in Alex’s mind, Pam was doing her job. And if Pam made her the nurse she is today, how could she be a bad person? Here’s the thing: you can be a great nurse and still be the nastiest person. So, while Alex may have learned her skills from Pam, she clearly didn’t become a good person because of her. Alex is naturally good. And she knows it doesn’t take bullying to have a great team.
MORE: Read our review of one of our favorite Alex episodes St. Denis Medical Season 1 Episode 11!
When Alex reached her breaking point with Pam and told her that what she really learned from her was how to be the opposite of her, I loved it. Pam tried to make Alex appear as if she weren’t a strong Charge Nurse. I honestly think Pam was impressed and a little jealous that she was able to manage her team without using cruelty. People don’t respond to being bullied. If you want your team to have good morale and a strong work ethic, they need encouragement. Sure, you can also discipline them when it’s necessary, but just being mean for the sake of being mean gets you nowhere. And I think Alex has found the perfect balance in the work she does.
Matt and Serena
Since Serena learned that Matt had feelings for her on St. Denis Medical, Season 1, Episode 18, ‘This Place is Our Everything,’ things got weird. Because of this, they hadn’t been working together. But now that Matt is over her, or so he claimed, they’re back to working together. I’m happy to see it because I love them both. And I think they make a great team. And obviously, I ship them even if they frustrate my soul.
The duo is tasked with taking care of Kyle (Jonah Beckett), a guy who has been recently diagnosed with a form of narcolepsy that is triggered by experiencing extreme emotions. Matt decides to help him figure out what those emotional triggers are so he can manage them. Serena, of course, thought it was silly to do because that’s not the nurse’s job. To Serena, the job is to “stabilize and move on.”
Even though she says this, we know Serena doesn’t truly believe that. She wouldn’t have chosen to become a nurse if that’s all she thought about the work she does. And that becomes clear when she admits she’s impressed by how much Matt cares. This even encourages her to help with Matt’s plan. They have had many failed attempts. But when Kyle’s roommate Jeff (Love Island USA guest star Jeremiah Brown) shows up, they learn he is the trigger because Kyle has a crush on him.
Serena encourages him to tell Jeff how he feels, but Kyle is afraid because Jeff is his friend, and he doesn’t want to make things weird. Sounds a little familiar, right? I thought it was hilarious that Serena was giving this advice, considering the way she reacted to finding out Matt had a crush on her. Things got weird. And their friendship hasn’t been the same. Yes, they are talking to each other, but you can feel the way things have changed.
I wonder how much longer it’s going to take Serena to admit she does have feelings for Matt. I also wonder if Matt will admit he still has feelings for her, too. Despite the back and forth with them and their emotions, I enjoy watching everything play out. It’s a slow burn of sorts because the showrunners are not just throwing them into a relationship for the sake of putting them together to make the audience happy. And I do appreciate this. I want a foundation for them. And one that makes sense. And I think they have a lot to work on internally before they even approach each other with their true feelings.
Other Thoughts About the Episode
- If Alex hated Pam so much, she should have pushed for her not to come to St. Denis.
- Pam made Alex cry, too, so she already knew she sucked as a person.
- Seeing someone gag Bruce was quite something. Even if what Pam said wasn’t cool.
- Why didn’t Alex go to Joyce with her concerns about Pam? Why didn’t anyone, for that matter? I kept waiting for someone to complain to Joyce about her. I can’t believe they didn’t.
- Joyce and Ron’s argument over how they feel about celebrity deaths was honest and real.
- Seriously, though, Ron would probably be sad if Stevie Wonder died.
- Kyle passing out when seeing Jeff, yeah. Makes sense.
- “You have to play a lot of roles when you’re a boss. Sometimes you’re a teacher. Sometimes you’re a therapist or a cheerleader. And sometimes you’re just a friend.”
St. Denis Medical airs Tuesday Nights at 8/7c on NBC.
