User Reviews

Curtis McClarin, in this episode, plays an old childhood friend of Dr Prentiss, and they meet in the E.R. where Curtis has been brought for treatment. This is an excellent series, with a terrific ensemble cast, and sometimes a guest on the show will really touch a nerve. Curtis did that with his performance here, memorably portraying someone who is told he has a very serious illness, that holds a potentially grim outcome. "We're not old man." he says, meant to underline how surprising and sad the revelation actually is. This scenario plays out in "Doctor shows" often; I've been watching it since Dr Kildare, and Ben Casey aired back in the 50's. But his reaction was so genuine, it defined what good acting is all about. Then, in the credits I saw that this episode was dedicated to his memory. An actor whose work I had never seen, who had touched me with his performance, that I discovered in almost the same moment had passed away. And I thought I was shock proof. Curtis looked like the kind of guy you would like to have for a friend, or a neighbor. A pity. In reality, a real pity. It reminded me of the time when I was 12, and had just come back from watching Rebel Without A Cause, still reeling with the emotional impact, when someone told me "didn't you hear that James Dean died in a car wreck out in California?"

I don't really understand some of the writing in this series. Jackie goes off the deep end and kicks Kevin out of the house for a short term indiscretion which he owned up to, having been cheating on him for years. Now she goes off on Frank for cheating on his wife, having done the same thing in her marriage. Why is she written as so judgmental of others, without ever reflecting on her own behavior in those moments?

That said, I really do enjoy this series.