St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 11 “This Isn’t Bingo” tackled that thing we don’t like to talk about: getting older. It’s time for the annual Senior Health and Wellness Fair. I enjoy these episodes because they bring the staff together on canvas. When big events occur, we see more of the cast together. And oftentimes, there are mashups we don’t usually see, like Alex, Serena, and Chaplain Steve. Elsewhere, Bruce and Joyce spent the episode coming to grips with their own aging and what that might look like at the end of their lives.
MORE: Need a refresher of the last episode? Read our review of St. Denis Medical Season 2, Episode 10!
The Senior Health and Wellness Fair, or “Old People Day” as Ron calls it, is a day when the elderly community comes to St. Denis for free medical screenings and advice. And of course, Alex was the one running the show. She’s an advocate for all things health, and this was her first time taking on this role. I’m sure you already know that, as usual, things didn’t go as she planned. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about.
After a botched bingo game, Chaplain Steve (Stephen Schneider) stepped in and saved the day. I was surprised because he’s always been one of those wildcard characters to me. I haven’t really figured out what to make of him. And I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what Serena saw in him when they hooked up in St. Denis Medical Season 2 Episode 9 “You’re In His Bubble Space.” He’s such a goofball, but apparently that’s why Serena likes him. And after seeing him interact with the seniors, I get it.
Don’t get me wrong, I still want my “Satty,” or “Matrena” (ship name is a work in progress, okay?), but Chaplain Steve is the “safe” choice for Serena. What I mean by that is there are no expectations of commitment with him. Serena is only looking for a good time with no frills or real emotion. That’s what Chaplain Steve provides. If she were with Matt, she knows it would be something more intense. And she’s just not ready for that yet. So, I’ll give her this because, as I have said before, she must work through her own hangups before getting into a relationship.
Throughout the event, Alex noticed some weird energy from Serena around Chaplain Steve. She was sticking up for him and joined in when he took over Alex’s event. When she called her out about it, Serena had no choice but to admit that she and the Chaplain had hooked up (can’t even believe I just typed this). What I found to be more interesting was the fact that Alex didn’t even ask Serena about Matt. I know she knew something was off when Matt asked to work in a different area for a while, but I think this would have been a good moment for Alex to ask Serena about Matt. But then again, Alex can be a little extra sometimes. So maybe it’s best she didn’t.
And now that Alex knows Serena and Chaplain Steve are hooking up, will she let it slip? Serena told her not to tell anyone, or she would “Skin her alive.” I love Alex, I do, but I feel like this may not be the last we hear of this. And I feel like it could even end up getting back to Matt. If Alex doesn’t let something slip, Chaplain Steve might. Obviously, that would suck for Matt to hear, but it would also make for some good TV.
Extra Time Is An Opportunity
When Bruce saves the life of an elderly woman named Eleanor and learns that she had a “Do Not Resuscitate” order in place, he enlisted Joyce to help him explain what happened. She is the administrator after all. What I liked about this was that we got to see Josh Lawson and Wendi McLendon-Covey work together. They’re both funny people, and we don’t get to see them onscreen together very often. Most of the time, it’s a brief run-in.
MORE: Check out our exclusive interview with Josh Lawson from St. Denis Medical.
Talk about a difficult situation to deal with. How do you apologize to a patient after you save their life when what they wanted to do was die? Joyce seemed to think it was to give her a complimentary lunch. As she and Bruce tried to convince Eleanor she still had a lot to live for, she informed them she was “Ready to die,” and they “took that away from her.” This is why it is so important to check for a patient’s Advance Directive. However, when a patient comes into the Emergency Room, especially as a trauma patient, things move quickly. And sometimes things get lost in the shuffle.
So, I saw both sides of the argument. I understand Bruce was in a tough place because it was an emergency. He did what he was trained to. Save a life. I also understood where Eleanor came from. People make decisions for their lives, and that includes going out on their own terms. And Eleanor felt she had lived enough life. What made me sad was that she didn’t feel entirely fulfilled. Joyce attempted to get Eleanor to see the bright side. But she was quickly shut down when she learned Eleanor didn’t have a husband or children. She spent her whole life being a workaholic, so she never made time for those things. At that moment, Joyce was once again confronted by her breakup with Sanderson.
Life Is Worth Living
Eleanor represents everything Joyce is afraid of. Getting older and being left totally alone. The same goes for Bruce, who realized this as well when Joyce reminded him that, like her, he is also alone. As I watched the two of them come to this realization, it hit me just how much they have in common, too. After they talked to Eleanor, they both went into panic mode. Joyce ran around the hospital looking for validation that her life is fulfilled. That was a mistake because she found out one of her nurses, Dakota, had just gotten engaged. That, of course, sent her again into a spiral because it made her think of calling off her engagement. Bruce was in his office calling up his mom and cousin to see if they wanted to spend some time with him. Unfortunately, they were both unable to.
Ultimately, both learn that nobody can tell you what a fulfilled life should be. And they try to plead their case once more to Eleanor, but when they head to her room, they learn that she’s in cardiogenic shock and the doctor is going to “Call it.” Eleanor is a patient who has had an impact on both, so they decided to stay behind and be there for her as she passed. It was nice to see them share that moment, and it put things into perspective for them. In the future, I hope to see more of them together onscreen for something not so somber.
St. Denis Medical airs Tuesday Nights at 8/7c on NBC.
