St. Denis Medical has become one of my favorite shows. I love how relatable the storylines are. The characters are enjoyable to watch. And I have so many favorites. But if I’m being honest, Matt has stolen my heart.
Each week, we get to learn a little more about him. And on St. Denis Medical Season 2, Episode 6, ‘I Left A Woman on the Table,’ we got quite the shocker when it was revealed that he was married before. We also got something else in the episode that I really enjoyed, which was Joyce having to spend a day in Alex’s shoes.
MORE: Need a refresher of the last episode? Read our review of St. Denis Medical Season 2, Episode 5!
Matty The Kid Was “Wifed Up”
When a patient came into St. Denis complaining about right upper quadrant pain, and that patient turned out to be Matt’s ex-wife, Violet (Jessica Lowe), I was stunned. And I loved it. That bombshell happened within the first five minutes of the episode, and it was a great way to kick off the drama.
As I watched the reactions of Alex, Serena, Ron, and Bruce, I found myself wondering if it was always the plan of the showrunners to have Matt’s character be married. That was a big secret to keep, and it came at the right time. I love it when a show keeps the audience on their toes with surprising twists, and this one was unexpected. It was also a good way to bring in some angst and tension for Serena and Matt.
As mentioned in our previous reviews, Serena has been in denial about her feelings for Matt. Violet forced her to come to terms with them. Violet and Matt were married until he left to become a nurse, so there wasn’t necessarily closure for them. Because of this, Violet was hoping that she and Matt could get back together. In her mind, there is still hope for the two of them, but for Matt, the feelings are no longer there.
Liar, Liar Pants on Fire
After Ron informed Matt that Violet had a serious gallbladder infection and needed surgery, this presented a challenge for him. Because the community he came from does not believe in doctors, he had to do everything he could to convince her to stay so that Ron could run some tests on her. This included making her believe that he wanted to give their marriage another try. Apparently, Matt was far too good an actor because Serena saw them holding hands, looking like a happy couple. That brought out some jealousy, which I enjoyed watching.
Matt is a sweetheart, and he’s honest. I wasn’t surprised that he let Serena know right away that he was pretending to be with Violet. Obviously, he didn’t know when he told Serena it was going to make her feel relieved. Remember, Matt is supposedly over Serena. So, it’s easy for him to say what’s on his mind and not even think about how Serena receives the information he’s giving her. What I didn’t expect was for Serena to blow up his spot and tell Violet he was lying to her.
Unfortunately for Serena, it backfired on her.
The Truth Hurts
Violet decided to confront Matt for his lie. And when she did, she told him he needed to admit exactly how he felt. This also included them sharing a kiss. In a very Saved by the Bell-like moment, when Jessie and Zack kissed, they tested it out to see if they still felt anything. As this happened, Serena and Ron had a front row seat. It was like watching a TV show you can’t look away from.
The kiss proved they no longer had those same feelings. Violet did agree to get her infection treated, so some good did come of the situation. And she realized Matt was right where he was supposed to be at St. Denis. As for Serena and Matt’s relationship, there’s still more to come, but this was such a good episode, and it gave me what I wanted in the best way.
More Pep
Time will forever be a challenge for nurses. There never seems to be enough, and management is always telling nurses they need to get things done quicker. When Joyce approached Alex and addressed her concern that the turnover in the ED was too slow, Alex told her that they needed more nurses. Of course, this is the thing that an administrator never wants to hear. You know why? Because that means more money. Joyce doesn’t think there’s a numbers problem. There’s an attitude problem. She feels the nurses “need more pep.”
When Alex told her they were averaging 40 patients in a 12-hour shift, Joyce said it needed to be 50. You read that right. 50 patients in 12 hours. That is a lot. Joyce believes it’s doable, so she decides to step in and help by getting right into the trenches to move patients out. And Dr. Henderson is activated.
Almost Impossible
Throughout the shift, Joyce sees and discharges patients quickly. She gets close to the goal of 50 patients, and Alex and Val become concerned. They know that if Joyce reaches the 50-patient goal, she will expect that of the nurses. So, they devise a plan to slow her down. Alex has her take a call with a patient’s insurance company because they know that talking to an insurance company is not a quick process. They also assign her their worst patients. Or rather, their more time-consuming patients. That was probably one of my favorite moments.
Joyce is stuck in the patient rooms for a long time, and each patient she deals with is more challenging than the last. She doesn’t get a chance to eat or even take a bathroom break. That gave me joy. I know that sounds crazy, but I have always wanted administrators to step into our shoes to see what we go through on a day-to-day basis. It’s known that nurses rarely have time to do the most basic things, which include eating and taking bathroom breaks. That probably sounds like an easy thing to do, but it’s not.
You’re dealing with humans, not machines. Humans have emotions and different health needs. Your day is contingent upon how your patient is doing. If you’re assigned very ill patients or they have a lot of demands, that leaves less time for the nurse to have their own moments to stop and breathe. That was all Alex wanted Joyce to see. She wanted her to know that attitude has absolutely nothing to do with the care. And Joyce realized this.
The Demands Are Too High
After spending hours on the floor helping the nurses, she learned how demanding their job is. And she acknowledged that the demands are almost impossible. But, she also said that they are possible because she was able to do it. When she said that to Alex, it made me mad. But, at the same time, it was exactly what I would expect. Joyce is an administrator. So, she will never see things the way the nurses do. Even if she literally spends a day in their shoes.
Because she reached her goal of 50 patients, she assumed, “Hey, if I can do it, so can you.” That was also a selfish mindset to have. That is not something that will happen every single day. They reached 50 patients because Joyce was there. She’s a doctor. But she’s not always going to be on the floor.
I also need to point out the fact that she had no real bedside manner with the patients. She was running the emergency room like a factory. She was getting patients in and out without really seeing them. That’s the difference between what Alex and her team do. They spend the longest amount of time with the patients. A nurse can’t just yell “DISCHARGED!” like they’re scoring a touchdown on a football field.
When Joyce debriefed with Alex at the end of the day, it felt like nothing had been accomplished. At least not for Alex. Joyce got what she wanted. To prove that they could get patients moved faster. But Alex was left disappointed. All she got was one more half shift per week. That’s not a compromise.
Unfortunately, the outcome was a real one. And I think St. Denis Medical Season 2, Episode 6, nailed it. The cycle is never-ending, and so much still needs to be done to make real change in healthcare.
Other Thoughts About The Episode
- Really want to know how Matt got the nickname “Stink” from Violet.
- Bruce, how are you trying to get Dr. Emerson (Ariana Madix) to date you again, but you don’t even remember her first name is Brooke? No wonder she dumped you.
- Bruce and Chaplin Steves’ dance off to Brandy’s song “Baby” was highly entertaining.
- “I’m not blaming you, Alex, I’m blaming the nurses working under you.” Really Joyce?
- I’m now going to be using the phrase “Jalapeno in your banana split” to describe any plans ruined.
- “Matthew Ebenezer Charles Jedediah Pearson.” That’s really Matt’s full name.
- I will also be using “Son of a bouncy bunny.”
- Joyce. Ma’am, we remove our gloves and do hand hygiene when we leave a patient’s room.
- Chaplin Steve is wild.
- That Northern Montana Homestead Community living was looking real good to Ron.
- Ron was really eating a whole apple fritter while doing an ultrasound. So many violations in this episode. Tsk tsk.
- Matt said he didn’t give Violet the “Matt Magic” with that kiss. He only gave her 25%. Well, we can’t wait to see what 50% “Matt Magic” looks like. Or is it 100%? TBD.
- Matty is getting cuter and cuter every week.
St. Denis Medical airs Tuesday Nights at 8/7c on NBC.
