Anonymous wrote:Kudos to HBO/Max for going old school with an episode release once a week vs a whole season drop. It allows a “water fountain” discussion so we can see everyone’s ideas. So much going on during each episode. I might have to do a re-watch this summer.

+1, I love getting it one episode at a time.

Anonymous wrote:Robby's not going to do that, for the effects on the audience alone.

Agree this show is much better if you watch a few in a row or a whole season.

More Mel. Less Dr. Santos. Bring back the male nurse one of the doctors flirted with.

Mateo (the nurse Javadi has a crush on) is coming back at some point, as he's still listed in the cast for this season. I believe he had a scheduling conflict that made it impossible for them to write him into the first half of the season, because he couldn't film. But they keep mentioning "calling in reinforcements" to deal with the extra workload from other EDs being closed and from going analog -- I am certain Mateo will be one of those reinforcements and that we will see him and Javadi together, especially since it's her birthday.

I'm guessing we will be seeing plenty of Mel in upcoming episodes, since her sister is in the ED and I'm guessing there will be drama with her deposition as well.

I personally like the Santos stuff this season.

^ without a helmet

Anonymous wrote:He’s going on sabbatical and leaving it open ended in case a new space calls out. This guy is burnt out and considering a career change. I don’t see suicidal.

I don't think he's going to attempt suicide on the show but there's no question to me that we are supposed to see suicidal ideation in his behavior. Especially in the last episode. There was an exchange between Robby and Abbot where it is clearly that Abbott was concerned about his friend self harming. Abbot notes that Robby hasn't taken a vacation in a long time, and that it will be a lot of time to "self-reflect" which can be hard. At this point Robby completely stops making eye contact. Then Abbot says "Just make sure you come back, and if it gets dark, call me." At which point Robby gets clearly emotional, is looking down but is clearly upset, yet has a defensive smile on his face, and walks away.

That scene reads as someone in a very dark place, emotionally and mentally, being scared to acknowledge it to a friend who is reading it correctly. Also Abbot is speaking from a place of experience, and last season that had him standing on the edge of the roof and Robby giving him a very similar "pep talk".

Suicidal ideation doesn't mean suicide. But it can mean self-harm and self-destructive behavior. Like riding a motorcycle like a helmet, as Robby does in the first scene of the season. You should be concerned about someone acting the way Robby is acting, WELL before it gets to a point where they might make a suicide attempt. And multiple people close to Robby (Abbott, Dana, the staff psychiatrist) have openly expressed concern about his behavior and mental state. This is more than burn out.

Robby's not going to do that, for the effects on the audience alone.

Agree this show is much better if you watch a few in a row or a whole season.

More Mel. Less Dr. Santos. Bring back the male nurse one of the doctors flirted with.

He’s going on sabbatical and leaving it open ended in case a new space calls out. This guy is burnt out and considering a career change. I don’t see suicidal.

Kudos to HBO/Max for going old school with an episode release once a week vs a whole season drop. It allows a “water fountain” discussion so we can see everyone’s ideas. So much going on during each episode. I might have to do a re-watch this summer.

I do think Robby is displaying suicidal ideation, but I don't think they are going to have him attempt suicide. In part because it's logistically challenging on a show premised on following the doctors through a single hospital shift -- unless he leaves his shift early for some reason and then his attempt is discovered before the end of the shift (which sounds like a horrible stretch even for a show that, yes, does play a little fast and loose with the time line sometimes), how could this work?

But I also think the Pitt tends to focus a lot on the realistic consequences of real life challenges faced by emergency doctors and nurses. They want to explore realistically how issues ripple through the staff and impact the functioning of the ED. So for instance, with Langdon, they didn't have him ODing at work or screwing up while high in a way that cost someone their life. Instead, the drama came in a younger doctor figuring out how to raise her concerns about Langdon despite being very junior, and Robby's sense of betrayal as he realized it was true, and also showed how Langdon leaving impacted someone like Mel, who had only had positive experiences with him and was negatively effected.

So I think it's more likely that they will address Robby's mental health problems not with a big dramatic crisis like Robby attempting suicide, which would bring everything to a crashing halt, but instead something still serious but easier to absorb into the day. Like him snapping and really crossing a line with a patient or colleague in a way that necessitates discipline, or another doctor becoming concerned enough even without him doing something like that to file a formal complaint that might initiate a mental health inquiry or even an involuntary hold. Something that will cause ripple effects for everyone in the ED but still necessitate people doing their jobs and having to carry on.

If Robby does attempt suicide, it would have to be the last thing that happens this season, because there's just no way they will show the rest of the cast continuing with their shift after that. But that would be such an upsetting place to end, I don't think the Pitt would do that to people and make them wait until next year to find out what happens. That would be cruel.

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]I think Robby is going to attempt suicide.[/b] The foreshadowing is there. The motorcycle is just another symptom of being suicidal. He could even be planning to use that in his attempt.

They have been showing other characters mental health issues to prepare us for how this will impact them. They brought Abbott back to reinforce how close they are because it will be relevant when Abbott is the attending when he is brought back in that same night. I don’t think Robby ever planned to actually go on a trip. That’s why Duke isn’t showing up. Robby wanted 30 days of nobody checking on him.

I think they decided to set this on July 4 because they are planning to go straight to the night shift in season 3. The date will make the ER and even more hectic with what you expect to see on the holiday: firework injuries, alcohol poisoning, drug overdoses, car accidents, heat strokes. The doctors and nurses on the night shift will have to deal with an already crazy holiday night while treating a beloved member of their staff. [/quote]

I completely disagree.[/quote]

He just told the other doctor that if he doesn't come back he could have his sweet bachelor pad...[/quote]

Meaning he’s tired of working. He’s not suicidal.

Anonymous wrote:Why did Westbrook close? Why not just go paper? Where are the doctors and nurses that work there?

That's an interesting question. Usually they do but can handle like 1/4th of their normal patient load.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Robby is going to attempt suicide. The foreshadowing is there. The motorcycle is just another symptom of being suicidal. He could even be planning to use that in his attempt.

They have been showing other characters mental health issues to prepare us for how this will impact them. They brought Abbott back to reinforce how close they are because it will be relevant when Abbott is the attending when he is brought back in that same night. I don’t think Robby ever planned to actually go on a trip. That’s why Duke isn’t showing up. Robby wanted 30 days of nobody checking on him.

I think they decided to set this on July 4 because they are planning to go straight to the night shift in season 3. The date will make the ER and even more hectic with what you expect to see on the holiday: firework injuries, alcohol poisoning, drug overdoses, car accidents, heat strokes. The doctors and nurses on the night shift will have to deal with an already crazy holiday night while treating a beloved member of their staff.

I completely disagree.

He just told the other doctor that if he doesn't come back he could have his sweet bachelor pad...

Anonymous wrote:I think Robby is going to attempt suicide. The foreshadowing is there. The motorcycle is just another symptom of being suicidal. He could even be planning to use that in his attempt.

They have been showing other characters mental health issues to prepare us for how this will impact them. They brought Abbott back to reinforce how close they are because it will be relevant when Abbott is the attending when he is brought back in that same night. I don’t think Robby ever planned to actually go on a trip. That’s why Duke isn’t showing up. Robby wanted 30 days of nobody checking on him.

I think they decided to set this on July 4 because they are planning to go straight to the night shift in season 3. The date will make the ER and even more hectic with what you expect to see on the holiday: firework injuries, alcohol poisoning, drug overdoses, car accidents, heat strokes. The doctors and nurses on the night shift will have to deal with an already crazy holiday night while treating a beloved member of their staff.

I completely disagree.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Mel’s sister has a urinary tract infection. But they didn’t show her anymore later in the episode.

I think they might have been forshadowing sexual assault.

It's just a mechanism to have us understand Mel better and their relationship. That's what drives this particular story; there doesn't need to be another major story line there and not SA, since they just did that.

I thought it could be foreshadowing a sexual relationship, but not sexual assault.

Aha! I bet you’re right. She’s in a sexual relationship at her daycare place. With another resident!

Or she could just have a UTI which gets her in the ER and advances Mel’s storyline and gets us to see how good Langdon is.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Mel’s sister has a urinary tract infection. But they didn’t show her anymore later in the episode.

I think they might have been forshadowing sexual assault.

It's just a mechanism to have us understand Mel better and their relationship. That's what drives this particular story; there doesn't need to be another major story line there and not SA, since they just did that.

I thought it could be foreshadowing a sexual relationship, but not sexual assault.

Aha! I bet you’re right. She’s in a sexual relationship at her daycare place. With another resident!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Mel’s sister has a urinary tract infection. But they didn’t show her anymore later in the episode.

I think they might have been forshadowing sexual assault.

It's just a mechanism to have us understand Mel better and their relationship. That's what drives this particular story; there doesn't need to be another major story line there and not SA, since they just did that.

I thought it could be foreshadowing a sexual relationship, but not sexual assault.