Written by John Edward Betancourt Haley Louise Jones as Dr. Suzanne Parker in Episode 104 of ‘Berlin ER’ – ‘Treatment’. (Photo Courtesy of Apple TV+.)
Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Berlin ER’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
Over the course of the past two weeks, we’ve talked at length regarding the wondrous storytelling accomplishments present within the new Apple TV+ series, Berlin ER. Simply because, it has assembled a truly special story. One that is tense, gritty and engaging. Since it has plunged us into the heart of the emergency department at Berlin’s most infamously troublesome hospital, and in doing so, we’ve seen some hard sights and met some amazing characters. Whom we have also learned a great deal about when it comes to their goals and their wants. If anything, the only complaint one could make about these early episodes, is that they don’t go hard enough when it comes to what goes on inside a chaotic ER. Which is saying something, since there have been some shocking moments for certain. But truly, setting the stage for the characters and their wants and needs, and helping us understand why this hospital is chaos was all part of a greater plan. One designed to invest us in this world so that when the time was right… it could just let loose and plunge us into the madness, and it turns out, this week’s episode was the right time to make that happen. For ‘Treatment’ just let loose and showed us a long night in this ER and what we saw play out… was shocking at times. For instance, this was a story that informed us that sometimes, an ER of this caliber is filled to the brim with underqualified doctors. Since Dom had a rough night. Where he got little right and put some folks in jeopardy because he just doesn’t know what he’s doing. Plus, we saw shocking wait times, such as people sitting in chairs all night to get a doctor to visit them to heal, and we saw suffering and that truly set the stage for what life in a chaotic ER is like. Plus, we also came to learn working in one can lead to a lonely existence sometimes. For Susanna was working on her birthday and outside of Ben, no one knew. So, there was no celebration in the moment, just work, and more problems and they all fell to her to fix. Because that’s the gig for the head of the department, and she did her best to make that happen and definitely suffered for it. Since she struggled to find that juice that pain in the ass problems at work sap away, and while she did get some birthday love off site, the fact that work offered her no respite made the day tough. Not to mention, we learned through Ben… how this job in this scenario can drive someone to substance abuse. Since all he dealt with day and night was pain and suffering, and a good fix was the only real answer to it. Especially since Ben’s journey really dug deep into how no system is perfect. For while international countries offer free health care, there are caveats to how one attains it, and since Ben has been known to help those without those caveats, we saw a bevy of folks come to him for help, and trouble arise from it because of how it was grating against the system, and that hurt him. As did seeing someone die that could have benefitted from an exception to that rule. In fact, it was so jarring that it pushed Ben to harder drugs, because he truly wants to save all the lives he can and cannot cope with that impossible want. Sadly, a busted ER department won’t help with that, and it will be difficult to implement Susanna’s changes in making it less busted. Since there continues to be pushback on her changes, despite the fact that they will do the ER great services. In fact, a wedge is being driven because of it, since she stepped in over Dom and recommended surgery for a patient of his, and one cannot wonder if bad things will come of that too. For this is a drama at heart, and a busted ER can only bring about more chaos. But while we wait for that resolution, we can celebrate one sobering tale. For this one truly gave us what we wanted and that made for a tough watch. One that informed us that healthcare is no easy field and it will bring even the heartiest doctor to their knees, if the circumstances are just right. Until next time. Watch ‘Berlin ER’
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
April 2025
|
RSS Feed