Reviews

In case someone still has doubts regarding this show being copy of Grey's, episode 2 clearly puts the question to rest. It is so far off from the harlequin type Grey's Anatomy. Here, the doctors are real professionals, with genuine concern for patients and additionally, are held accountable for their decisions.

Episode 2, Deus ex Machina, illustrates it powerfully - the core theme for the entire series - doctors do care immensely for their patients yet make mistakes; they do happen. Like most of us, they get caught in the moment, and are required to make decisions that may or may not appeal to others. One doctor needs to make a difficult decision regard organ donations. Did he cross the line? Yes. Is that for his own benefit? No. Did it benefit a few others? Yes. These are the kinds of things sometimes individuals in hospitals or real life deal with. I think the episode presents various angles of this issue beautifully. That is what these series is about. I also liked the way the interpersonal relationships are being dealt. Doctors spend hours on end together in a hospital, inevitably, the come to care about for each other. Unlike the other show, the friendship or relationship between Tierney and Wilson is suggestive and somewhat elusive in this. What this show sets apart from other medical dramas is the seriousness with which the medical ethical issues are discussed. That helps both the doctors and patients. The episodes guide, it is obvious that the show will address the legal aspects as well. I can't imagine a more cogent, reflective show. This one is for keeps.

This show is about shedding some light on a process that is hitherto unknown or little known to public. As Sanjay Gupta, the author of the original novel by the same name (and a NYT bestseller) pointed out in one of his interviews, "As surgeons, we spend a lot of our time educating patients. If the show is authentic, then people may learn stuff from it and become more empowered patients. They may see what happens after something goes wrong and how the hospital and the doctors deal with it. It can be very humanizing. Often times when something goes awry in a hospital, the communication completely breaks down. (Read @: http://entertainment.time.com/2013/02/04/

We all visit doctors at one time or another in our lives, and most of the time, do not know what questions to raise. At least I did not. In the past 30 years, I have seen lot of changes in the medical profession. Now we have doctor's assistants, nurses, nurse's assistants and a host of others to whom we keep repeating our medical history before we actually sit down with the doctor. Dr. Wilson says the boy's father is out of the picture, which indicates that he has spoken to the mother about him. Between the two of them, the question of his medical records got lost. The point here is it is a slip up and it can happen. That is what the story is about. We need to know what all matters.

Dr. Gupta said that he originally intended it to be nonfiction, but later changed it to fiction. Naturally, fiction means creating tension, some drama. This is serious stuff. I have seen comments on other sites that seem to agree with me. I for one am looking forward to other episodes. One thing I could say is the length of commercials. The breaks are too long and hurt the flow of storyline. Cutting it to half will certainly improve the flow.