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Summary for "Chicago Hope," the Premiere 10 pageIn Short: The doctors race to save a boy who was submerged in icy waters for over three hours. An AIDS patient fights for his life and Dr. Infante has a startling request for Dr. Geiger. Guest Starring: Diane Venora (as Dr. Geri Infante), Peter Berg (as Dr. Billy Kronk), Jayne Brook (as Dr. Diane Grad), Vondie Curtis-Hall (as Dr. Dennis Hancock), Robin Lively (as Maggie Atkisson), Obba Babatunde (as Charles Ellis), Mary Kay Place (as Joann Kenneally), Johann Carlo (as Mrs. Concannon), Sherman Augustus, Gerry Del Sol, Lorey Hayes and Matt Koruba Story: David E. Kelley and Dennis Cooper TOP Summary: TOP Facts: TOP Quotes: Geri teaches Jeffrey how to kiss TOP Transcripts: Geiger is in Autopsy 124 examining a corpse's heart when Geri Infante walks in: Geiger and Shutt walking in the hall: Geiger and Shutt run into Geri in the hall: Kronk and Watters discuss Brian, the boy who was trapped beneath a frozen pond for three hours: Jeffrey and Geri are back from their date in Geiger's office. They kiss and suddenly: Jeffrey: Yeah. OK, OK. (but they resume until... Jeffrey starts to gag.) Geiger's on a gurney, as Watters and Geri wheel him to X-ray:. Looking at Geiger's X-ray:. 17. Summary for "Growth Pains" CHICAGO HOPE, EPISODE 1.17"Growth Pains"Air date: 2/27/95 Written by David E. KelleyDirected by Thomas Schlamme INTRODUCTION: Dr. Billy Kronk enters the E.R., exchanging greetings with otherpersonnel. He finds Louis Bagley, an odd-looking man with hair thinningbeyond his young age, sitting on a bed, appearing to be choking onsomething. Kronk asks Nurse Maggie Atkisson what the problem is, and shetells him Mr. Bagley is suffering from abdominal pains. "I think he swallowed something," she assesses. Mr. Bagley denies having swallowed anything, but Maggie mutters, "I stillthink he did." Kronk gives her a look and thanks her. Suddenly, Bagley begins to convulse, his hand to his throat. As Kronkand Maggie work to help Mr. Bagley, paramedics bring another patient tothe next cubicle. Dr. Danny Nyland attends him, and Kronk hears hisstunned, "My God!" In disbelief, Nyland asks the patient, Dalton Robertson, "You're notfeeling any pain?" "You want me to scream?" Mr. Robertson asks sarcastically. "I'll screamthen!" Over the scream, in the next cubicle, Kronk uses a forceps to pull out asmall hairball. "Have you been eating hair?" he asks Mr. Bagley. But Nyland's loud demands to page Dr. Shutt distract Kronk and he walksover to check out Mr. Robertson's situation. He is stunned to see a manin his forties with a large steel rod sticking through his head, one endthrough his cheek, the other through the top of his head. "Wow," Kronk breathes. ''Are you in any pain?'' "Get it OUT," Mr. Robertson demands. ACT ONE As Mr. Bagley is being wheeled to his room, chief O.R. nurse CamilleShutt accidentally bumps into him. She apologizes with a warm smile, andwalks away. But Bagley seems smitten and stares after her as she leaves. * * * Dr. Aaron Shutt stares at Mr. Robertson in the E.R. in thinly disguisedhorror. Weakly, he stammers, "Uh, Mister . . ." he glances at Nyland, whotells him the patient's name. " . . . Mr. Robertson, uh, we'regoing--I-I-I'm going to have to. . . um, remove that rod from your head." To Nyland he asks, "Any idea how . . . any idea how it got there?" Nyland tells him that Mr. Robertson works at a dry cleaners, and that asteam explosion had caused it. "Ah," Shutt says. "Oh, OK, um . . .we're gonna have to, uh, get you upto, uh, O.R. Three . . . and uh . . . I'm going to, uh . . . remove the,uh . . . hard body." Just then, psychiatrist Dr. Kadalski arrives in answer to his page. Seeing Robertson, both hands shoot to his temples in sympathy pain. "Hoh! Gee! This is not psychiatric!" Kronk soothes him as he leads him away. "Did you see . . .?" Kadalski asks him weakly, pointing behind him. Unfazed, Kronk answers, "Yeah, I've seen it, Kadalski, let's go. I wantyou to take a look at this X-ray." Kronk explains to him that the obstruction he sees is human hair andsuggests the two of them have a conversation. * * * On her way to the elevator, Dr. Geri Infante explains to Dr. JeffreyGeiger that Shutt needs her in the Robertson procedure. As she enters anelevator, she pulls his arm, and with a quick glance to the side to see ifanyone is watching, she kisses him. The elevator doors close, bump them,and spring back open. Pulling away, Infante wipes her lips and cheekilytells him goodbye as the elevator doors close again. Geiger is left towonder at this, looking down at the floor with a contemplative scowl. * * * As Shutt removes the last piece of broken skull from Mr. Robertson'shead, he sighs, "OK." Nyland is incredulous. "OK? Whaddya mean OK? Now what?" Shutt attempts to appear in control, saying, "Try to . . . pull it out. Same way it went in." He looks to the doctor to his left forconfirmation, and this man looks to the doctor to his left. Shutt looksagain at Nyland, who turns and looks at Infante behind him. Then theentire scrub team looks at Shutt, who defensively says, "That's the waythis is done . . . OK?" * * * Geiger enters the cardiac unit where Dr. Phillip Watters is attending toAlan Birch's baby, Alicia, who is in cardiac arrest. Birch enters anddesperately tries to approach the baby, but Geiger pushes him backoutside, where he waits, his expression a mixture of horror, terror andhelplessness. * * * "It's called tricotillomania," Dr. Raymond Kadalski, a psychiatrist,explains to Mr. Bagley in his room. But Bagley refuses to admit he has aproblem. ''I don't want to talk to you!'' he protests. ''Well, you're gonna have to talk to me, sir,'' Kronk says as he enters.Kronk tells him that he's going to need abdominal surgery, but Bagleydoesn't want to hear it. He pulls the IV needle from his arm and gets up,saying he wants to check out. Kronk tries to stop him. ''I don't give you consent,'' Bagley howls, then stops abruptly when hesees Camille standing in the doorway, carrying a vase of flowers. Hestares at her as though she were a long-lost friend. Camille laughs nervously as Mr. Bagley stares at her. "What?" she asks. "Judy Garland,'' he breathes. ''You've come back!'' * * * Shutt gently removes the rod from Roberston's skull. As Infanteirrigates the wound, Shutt marvels that the steel rod totally missed theman's optic nerve and sagittal sinus, calling it a miracle. * * * Birch demands to know what is wrong with his daughter. Geiger complies,and tells him Alicia is suffering from congestive heart failure. Birch struggles with tears as he tries to remain calm. ''Is she gonnalive?'' Geiger explains to him that he's going to have to patch the heart andthat surgery on an infant won't be easy. "I won't lie to ya. But I'm gonna take care of it, Alan," he tells himgently, his hand on Birch's shoulder. "That's a promise from me to you. That's a promise." Birch wipes his eyes bravely, then asks, "Can I see her?" Geiger takes him to see Alicia, but stays by the door, watching silently. Birch leans over the side of crib, trying to be strong for her, tellingher she'll be just fine. "Not to worry . . ." he tells her. * * * ACT TWO In recovery, Shutt tells Mr. Robertson he seems to have suffered nocognitive disability as a result of the accident, but he will need toperform more tests. "When can I go back to work?" Robertson asks. His wife Eleanor chuckles softly, "You just had a *thing* stuck in yourhead!" Shutt emphatically reiterates the need for more tests, but Robertsoninsists, "I'll get better if I can get back." His wife and Shutt bothnod, smiling mildly, but both deeply concerned. * * * In surgery, Geiger tells Watters, who is assisting, that Alicia has morethan the one hole the prenatal echocardiogram had shown. Watters glancesup at Birch, who is watching from the observation room above their heads. Geiger turns to offer a concerned look as well, which alerts Birch thatthere is something wrong. He puts his hands over his face, then standsthere with his hands together in front of him, as though praying. Grad enters the Observation room to offer support. She tells him shedoesn't think it's doing him any good to watch the procedure. "Well, it's . . . uh . . . I had no plans," Birch mumbles distractedly. He continues to watch for a moment, then remarks, "So . . . he's notsinging." Grad is confused, and Birch explains that Geiger always sings duringsurgery, but this time he is not singing. Grad assures him, "Well, he's good . . . ." "Yeah, he . . . he is," Birch says, as though trying to convince himself. "He's the best . . . So not to worry. 'Cause he's the best . . ." * * * Bagley tells Camille that the spirit of Judy Garland lives in her. "Idon't know if it's psychic or if it's intuitive, but at least part of you*is* Dorothy Gale!" "Dorothy Gale is a fictitious character, *played* by Judy Garland,"Camille points out gently. "What, do you think I'm crazy?" Bagley asks scornfully. "You pull out your hair and you eat it" Kronk reminds Bagley. Sounding quite articulate, yet slightly manic, Bagley explains: "Dorothy Gale, *though* *fictitious,* was a . . .*persona*. That personalived through Judy Garland, and I *believe* she lives through you." "Buddy, she is not Judy Garland," Kronk tells the man, "and you are not acat. Hairballs can kill you . . . If I don't cut it out, you're nevergonna get back to Kansas." But Bagley refuses to grant consent to the surgery. "I think you're just a surgeon who probably got a new scalpel forChristmas," Bagley shoots back, causing Camille to look away to hide asmile. ''I don't believe a *hairball* is grounds for surgery!'' All the while, Kadalski has been silently watching, weighing thesituation. As Bagley vociferously refuses to give consent, he gentlyobserves, "You're touching your hair . . ." * * * Shutt wheels Mr. Robertson to his hospital room from X-Ray. As theyenter the room, they hear a cheerful, "Surprise!" A group of friends from Mr. Robertson's dry cleaners fill the room,carrying flowers and balloons. Shutt tells the group that this is moreexcitement than Robertson is ready for. But Robertson has only one thingon his mind. "Who's running the shop?" he asks brusquely. Robertson stands up, gets into bed, and demands that they all leavebecause he needs his rest. No one knows how to react to this, and Eleanortries to smooth it over, telling them they can all come back later. Robertson calls back one man, Walt, and tells him that he wants him tofire Sandra, Eve and Marcia. Walt protests that these women have workedfor Robertson for twelve years, and Robertson argues that he can no longertolerate their incompetence. It has kept the cleaners from expanding. Hetells Walt that when you run a business, you can't always do the popularthing. * * * As Birch continues to watch the operation, "Just My Imagination" plays onthe speakers. The Temptations sing "To have a girl like her is truly adream come true. Out of all the fellas in the world, she belongs to me. But it was just my imagination running away with me . . ." * * * Kadalski asks Camille to dress as Dorothy Gale from "The Wizard of Oz,"in order to gain Mr. Bagley's trust enough to give consent to surgery.Camille balks at making a fool of herself. As they walk down the hall tothe main desk, they see Kronk, sitting on a stool eating a hamburger anddrinking a Coke. "Help me out here," Camille beseeches him. "Sure," Kronk agrees, his mouth full, "Camille, this is Dr. Wacko." Kadalski tries to make her see the logic of this attempt, and they bothturn to Kronk for support. Kronk swallows and says, "All I know is the guy has got a bowelobstruction that's gonna kill him. Be Dorothy. Be a flying monkey. BeGlinda, come down in a bubble, I don't care. Someone's gotta convincethis kook to let me operate." Camille knows she is beaten, and with a final look at Kadalski, she walksaway. Kadalski turns to Kronk, gives him a thumbs up and whispers,"Thanks!" They both turn and watch Camille, as though wondering just what she'lllook like in blue and white gingham. * * * In Shutt's office, Eleanor tells him that her husband's personality haschanged since the accident. Shutt tries to dismiss this as emotionalstress and trauma. But she says this is not the way he deals with stressand trauma. "We're talking about different things," she tells Shutt. "I'm not sayingthat my husband had a cathartic revelation, or that he *decided* to change. . . He *is* changed. He's another person." Shutt tells her that he has been a neurosurgeon for fifteen years, andthat Robertson is his first patient with "a steel rod in his brain." Hetells her he will look at the X-Rays again, and run more tests, but hehelplessly admits that he simply does not know what to do if she is right. * * * Outside recovery, Birch looks through the window at his baby. Geigerapproaches him and tells him there were actually *four* holes in thebaby's heart, not just one. He tells him he is sure he's got hercompletely repaired, but that she is still in critical condition. Allthey can do now is wait. * * * Later, Camille stoically teeters down the hall in ruby slippers towardLouis Bagley's room, as various personnel watch in amused disbelief. Inhis room, she sings "Over the Rainbow" to canned piano accompaniment. Outside the room, chief of staff Dr. Phillip Watters asks Kadalski, ''Youfeel this is apprpriate?'' Kadalski admits that this therapy is "unorthodox, but potentiallyfruitful." "David Stadson from psychiatry is incensed, '' Watters says. ''He'scalled a board meeting, I think to have you thrown out." Kadalski demands to know why Stadson wants him thrown out. Mildly Watters answers him, "Well, he maybe thinks you're *too*fruitful." "This is a complicated situation, Phillip. The answers aren't alwaysfound in conventional treatment," Kadalski protests. "I think they're objecting to your finding them in Oz." Kadalski firmly states that he stands by his decision. * * * That night in Geiger's office, Infante asks him if Alicia is going to bemake it. Geiger is distractedly looking through various textbooks andmedical journals, as though searching for the answer to a question thathas been eluding him. He tells her he doesn't know, and asks her absentlyhow her day was, whether the steel rod had come out all right. "Yeah, fixed his face too," she answers. "Amputated a coupla toes off anoctogenarian, other than that, pretty slow." Geiger heads toward the door, saying he wants to check on Alicia one moretime, but Infante stops him. "You've been to the ICU three times, and you are now going home," shetells him firmly. She gets his coat and tucks his arms into the sleeves as if he were asmall boy. "Whaddya say?" she asks. " 'My name is Jeffrey Geiger. Idevoted a full day to saving people, and even perhaps the world, I am noweating supper.' " Geiger scowls at her. She smiles at him, wheedling. "And if you're good, I'll take you to seeBen E. King on Thursday. He's in town." "Ben E. King? He's not dead?" "Not yet," she answers. He smiles. She has broken through. "I love Ben E. King." "I know you do," she smiles, and kisses him lightly, then more deeply. Birch enters the office, sees them, and backpedals out. * * * ACT THREE In the hall later that day, Camille tells Kadalski she will not defendhim to the Executive Committee. She complains that she has beenhumiliated, and that he never would have asked a surgeon to dress asDorothy Gale. "I happen to love the outfit," Kadalski counters, stating that he woulddress as Dorothy Gale himself if he thought it would help. "This isn't funny," Camille fumes. "Do you see me laughing?" Kadalski asks. "They're trying to get rid ofme here, and nobody's backing me up." Camille tells him she will continue to help Bagley, but she can't defendKadalski because she wouldn't know what to say. * * * Geiger runs into the pediatric ICU. Kronk tells him Alicia has beenbradycardiac for ten minutes, that her pacemaker won't capture, and thather lungs are wet. Birch desperately points out to Geiger that Alicia isblue. "Yes, I can see that," Geiger says. He backs Birch away from the bed,speaking quickly but calmly. "Now listen to what I'm about to tell you.Notice that I'm speaking in a calm voice, which suggests that I'm calm,which suggests that you should be calm." He tells Birch that Alicia's sutures are swelling, which is causing aproblem with the electric conductions, and that her pacing wires havebecome dislodged, so he has to go back in. Birch is terrified, and begins breathing very deeply to calm himself. * * * In Radiology, Shutt tells Robertson that some of the connections betweenthe ventromedial hypothalamus and the front of his brain have beendestroyed. Eleanor asks him if this is what has been making her husbandfoul-mouthed and "nasty." Robertson denies being nasty, saying, "It'scalled wising up." Shutt interrupts their arguing to tell him that people with tumors inthis region "often display a loss of social skills." Robertson laughs rudely. "You're saying that I have the kind of injury that makes me forget to usea napkin?" "It might make you forget to be courteous. Like you're forgetting rightnow," Shutt tells him. Robertson is taken aback. "That can happen? You can have an injury toyour personality?" He turns to Nyland for confirmation. Nyland, who wasn't expecting to be involved, hesitates, then answers, "Um. . .Yeah?" In the hall, Shutt says sarcastically, "Thank you very much for thatunflinching confirmation." "I'm sorry," Nyland returns, "I never heard of this, apersonality-ectomy?" Shutt reminds him of Phineas Gage. As they near the elevator, Camille steps out, again in the blue and whitegingham. "Don't even say it," she warns through clenched teeth. "Honey, you look . . . great!" Shutt calls after her. Nyland gives her a leering grin, looking her up and down. "You reallydo," he says. Shutt notices his look. "What are you lookin' at?" he demands. Nyland shrugs and says, "Well, that was an unflinching confirmation." * * * In the O.R., Geiger fires Alicia's pacemaker, and it takes. * * * In the conference room, Dr. Stadson accuses Kadalski of being anembarrassment to the hospital. Watters asks him not to make it personal,but Stadson argues that it is. Kadalski perpetrates the stereotype of abumbling psychiatrist "with his very being," Stadson says. Dr. Halpern scornfully makes reference to Kadalski singing "High Hopes"to a paralyzed boy. "And I believe that boy walks today," Kadalski replies. Dr. Diane Grad cuts in, asking how Kadalski's "individual practice bearsagainst the practice of psychiatry in general." "He personifies the ugly caricature of the therapist quack," Stadsonanswers. "He prances around with platitudes like 'get in touch with yourfeelings,' and 'I'm sensing hostility.' Frankly, we're sick of it." Watters asks Kadalski for his response. "First off," he begins, "I'll try to make my comments unclinical so asnot to unnecessarily perpetuate any negative stereotypes victimizing ourbeleaguered profession." He turns to Stadson. "You flaccid little man. "How's that?" he continues. "Nothing touchy-feely there, was there,fathead? You're sick of psychiatrists being maligned? I'm sick ofthin-skinned brooding little eggshell-heads carrying around the complex,'Oooh, treat us nice! Treat us like the other doctors, we're realdoctors, too, be nice!' Grow up! You're in the business of mentalhealth, at least summon up the fortitude to be an adult, you whiny littleroach." He turns back to an amused Watters. "Let me know when I've prevailed,I'll stop." "I think you should, perhaps, keep going," Watters says. Kadalski continues, "no two cases are alike 'cause no two minds arealike." Much of it is anecdotal, he says. "Malpractice would be more along the lines of forming a medical opinionwithout even interviewing the patient, which is exactly what you twoarrogant farts have done in condemning me. 'Oooh, don't make fun of thepsychiatrist, we bruise, let us be.' *You* bruise. The good ones don't. It's waffling little gnats like you who give the profession its limpreputation." Stadson merely looks up after this long speech and states, "This is notthe way a psychiatrist should talk." * * * The next day, Geiger is finishing up another procedure in the O.R. Anurse informs him that Birch is outside waiting to see him. Geiger tellshim that Alicia's heart is pumping fine, that all she has is a smalleffusion, which should resolve itself. Birch tells him he wants the casereassigned to another doctor. Geiger is taken aback, but realizes he cannot reason with Birch at thispoint. "You want another doctor? Get yourself another doctor." He starts to walk away, but Birch isn't finished making his point. "Problem with you is, you're *happy.* That's the problem with you,"Birch accuses. "I beg your pardon?" "Infante. She's knocked you off your game," Birch says bitterly. Hegoes on to say that Geiger has always been angry, and has channeled thatanger into his work. "That's what makes you brilliant," Birch says. "You told me one of thereasons you sing in the room is to fight off the rage. Well, you haven'tbeen singing in the O.R., Jeffrey." "When things are deadly serious, I usually don't sing, Alan," Geigerresponds, intensely quiet. "That was me concentrating in there. Concentrating, on your daughter." Birch is in denial. "I don't think so. The old Jeffrey Geiger wouldhave fixed Alicia, simple." Geiger approaches Birch, scowling at the floor, but still deadly calm. "With all due respect to your emotional predicament, the old JeffreyGeiger is about to emerge and step on your head." Birch restates that he wants another doctor, wheels around and passesInfante, who has been standing at the door, listening. As he passes her,he mutters, "You're ruining him." Infante walks toward Geiger with a little shrug directed behind her, andsoothes, "His child's in critical condition. He's upset. Let him be." "Geri, don't handle me, OK?" Geiger snaps. ''I'm not trying to do that,'' she says. ''Yeah, right,'' Geiger says and leaves. * * * Bagley and Camille (still dressed as Dorothy) are laughing in his room. She admits she pretended to be Dorothy as a little girl, so when he hadcalled her Judy Garland, "it was a little spooky." Gently, she asks himwhy he loves the movie so much. He becomes very nervous, fiddling with his hair surreptitiously. He tries to explain that it was a classic, that he used to watch it everyyear with his family. Camille gently prompts, "Tell me about your family." He brushes off her question, and begins to talk more about the movie. Hegets up and walks to the window, sadly singing "Over the Rainbow" tohimself. Kadalski listens outside the room, contemplating his next stepin Bagley's treatment. * * * ACT FOUR Shutt is in Robertson's room, telling him he'd like to run another MRI todiscover the problem with his personality change. Robertson, who iscalculating the day's receipts in bed, denies having a problem. He pointsout that his business has already done better in one day. He says thatbeing "Mr. Teddy Bear" hasn't gotten him anywhere, and adds, "Fear is amuch better motivator than kindness." Eleanor reminds him, "Honey. It's a *dry cleaners*. And we were*happy*." "Yeah, well, now it's time to get some respect, right?" He looks toShutt for approval. Shutt does not provide it. Back in his room, Bagley and Camille are singing, "It really was notmiracle, what happened was just this . . . ." They argue good-naturedlyabout the order of the words, and suddenly Camille gets serious, askinghim about his family. She tells him that he has mentioned his parentsfought a lot and hit him, and that every time she brings this up, helaunches into another game about "The Wizard of Oz." Bagley feels betrayed, asking her if she's wired for sound. She tellshim she is not, and asks him why his fixation on "The Wizard of Oz." Kadalski enters as he explains that as children, they all gathered aroundthe television to watch the movie, and eat popcorn. "And it would allstop," he says. Kadalski enters the room and prods him gently. "The fighting? Theabuse? For two hours you were a happy family. And it was magic. That*movie* worked magic." Bagley gives him a look and asks, "They pay you a lot for that kind ofpsychobabble?" Kadalski, who has just been accused of this at the Executive Committee,hides his hurt and answers him lightly, "Not too much, but I . . . I'vemade some savvy investments, and I'm financially secure." Feeling ganged up on, Bagley asks them to leave. Camille soothes him, saying that he is "a pretty smart guy" and shouldrealize the operation is necessary. "Let us help you, Louis." * * * In the Pediatric ICU, Birch is talking to Alicia. "Here I am. Daddy's right here. Can you see me, honey?" Geiger appears behind him and says quietly, "I see you . . . Honey." He checks her heartbeat and tells Birch that she is doing well, thoughshe is not out of the woods yet. Birch apologizes for his outburst earlier, and assures Geiger he is gladthat he's been happy. "I got rounds," Geiger says gently. "Stay here and love your kid." * * * In the O.R., Kronk is removing the hairball from Bagley's intestines, andNyland is assisting. Kronk sings "Start the Car." (coincidentally, thetheme song to a movie called "Aspen Extreme," starring Peter Berg.) Nyland looks at Kronk and says, "Could you not sing?" "What, Geiger sings," Kronk protests. "Nobody tells Geiger not to sing." "Yeah, but Geiger can sing. You suck." Kronk looks to the nurse, who confirms, "You do." Kronk ignores them Meanwhile, in the Observation Room, Camille asks Kadalski what he plansfor the ongoing treatment of Bagley's illness. Watters walks in, andinforms Kadalski that although he had fought hard for him, the ExecutiveCommittee had voted to terminate his employment. Kadalski assures himthat he has had no shortage of offers, and tells him, "Don't worry aboutme." * * * As Robertson checks out, Shutt wishes him and his wife luck. Robertson looks happy and excited. "New life, new me!" But Eleanor looks nervous and depressed. "Like he says . . . new life . . ." she echoes. * * * Later that night, Birch is exhausted as he watches Alicia. Wattersenters with a soft, "Hey." He tells him that everyone says she looksgreat. Birch smiles tremulously. "One of the nurses, who, um . . . she didn't know the adoptionstory? She thought Alicia looked like me, and I thought . . . I dunno,it's a little silly, but . . . maybe . . ." Watters tells him he can see it. Suddenly all the waiting and worrying and lack of rest gets toBirch, and he begins to weep. Watters gives his shoulder a paternalsqueeze. Birch apologizes, but Watters tells him he doesn't have to besorry. He pulls himself together enough to say with confidence, "She'sgonna be OK." "Oh . . . Yes, she is. Oh, yes, she is," Watters says. Birch breaks down again, and Watters pulls his head to his chestwith his left hand, and embraces him.* * * Ben E. King is singing "Stand By Me" in a nightclub as Infanteand Geiger dance. "You dance a little . . . rigid," Infante says. "That's the way I dance. I'm a rigid dancer." "Can I ask you a small favor?" "Sure." "Can I lead?" Geiger responds gravely, "Geri?" "What?" "You've been doing *all* the leading." Infante is silent for a moment. "Well, can I ask you a bigger favor?" she asks. "What?" "Could *you* lead?" Geiger looks at her seriously. "That could be a problem, too. See, this is . . . I dunno, thisis new for me. It's not that I haven't dated. I went out on dates whileLaurie was . . . but I . . . um . . . This is different. You're different. . . Leading with you is different." "Well, how 'bout neither of us leading. How 'bout we just . . .hold onto each other and see if we can make it to the end of the song." "That I can do," Geiger responds. "Then if there's another song after this one . . . Great. Onesong at a time." Geiger is starting to feel a little freer. "Who knows how manysongs there'll be?" "This could be the last," Infante says. "Or there could be more, we don't know," Geiger says. "We don't know." Geiger smiles, an enormous burden lifted from his shoulders. Hekisses her. "Thank you," he says. They kiss again. He kisses her cheek, nearing her ear, and sheshrinks back slightly. "Stay away from my earring!" "You got it," he assures her, as he continues to tease, thenkisses her softly as the music fades. END **********************************************************JEN'S RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS Louis Bagley is in many ways a typical DEK* "wacko," in that heseems to know himself, and speaks very articulately and lucidly. If youdidn't know better, you would think he were mentally healthy. Nyland subtly demonstrates his womanizing nature when he bumpsinto the candy striper's balloon after the "unflinching confirmation"about Camille, turns, and gives her a look similar to the look he gaveCamille. To me, the theme of this episode is the dichotomy ofHelplessness and Empowerment. Birch cannot help Alicia, but Geiger hasthe power to save her. When complications arise, Birch blames his hero,even though he knows logically that it is not his fault. He grasps atstraws in order to feel he has some control over his daughter's fate, andhe asks that another doctor be assigned to her case. Shutt feels powerless to save Robertson's personality, eventhough he was able to save his life. That the man did not suffer morecognitive damage than he had, was deemed a "miracle" by Shutt, somethinghe would have no control over. Even when he offered to try more tests todetermine a way to get Robertson's personality back, Robertson refused hishelp, and Eleanor is helpless to convince him otherwise. Kronk is unable to help Bagley until he gives his consent tosurgery. It is the memory of a children's movie, and of his happierchildhood memories, that have the power to change his mind. Kadalski, even though his treatment of Bagley worked, ishelpless to save his own job, and Watters, despite his authority as Chiefof Staff, is unable to argue successfully in his favor. Infante treats Geiger as though he were a helpless child,constantly mothering him, doing "all the leading." Geiger debatesinternally whether to submit to her maternal powers, or reject her, as hehas rejected everyone else since Laurie. In retrospect, after having seenthe last two episodes of the first season, it is clear that Infante'smothering nature appeals to Geiger, but ultimately costs them theirrelationship. The episode is also about trust. Camille, unlike Stadson andHalpern, trusts Kadalski and Kronk's assessment that risking humiliationand dressing as Dorothy will save Bagley's life, and in doing so, Camillemust earn the trust of Bagley for him to consent to surgery. Birch has ahard time trusting Geiger, when complications arise in Alicia's condition. Robertson wants Eleanor to trust that his personality change is for thebetter. Another recurring theme in DEK's works is that of Respect. Robertson wants it, so he goes from "Mr. Teddy Bear" to a foul-mouthed,hard-edged businessman who fires his friends in order to profit. I have read comparisons between "Chicago Hope" and "M*A*S*H." Geiger is compared with Hawkeye and Birch is compared with Radar. Thescenes between Geiger and Birch in this episode remind me of an episode of"M*A*S*H" in which Hawkeye walks out of the O.R. because he is drunk. Radar, who worships Hawkeye like a hero, becomes very angry anddisillusioned, saying very hurtful things to him. Similarly, Birchbecomes very angry with Geiger on a personal level, not just because hisdaughter's life is at stake, but I think because he is disillusioned byhis hero. *David E. Kelley, creator and executive producer **********************************************************YOLETTE'S RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS: Peter MacNicol in this episode demonstrated what I sincerelybelieve should have been an Emmy award-winning performance. The depth ofemotion, the fear, the panic, the confusion and hope that he communicatedto the audience was truly moving, as well as awe-inspiring. Afterwatching this episode, I was stunned at by his sheer talent. This is also the first episode that we see Geiger truly unwind.Dancing stiffly with Geri to Ben E. King with a big grin on his face andexchanging silly banter, we'd never seen him happier. It was nice to seethe dimples."Growth Pains" Date: 2015-12-11; view: 530
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