‘This Is Going to Hurt’ Recap: ‘Episode 5’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Five of ‘This Is Going to Hurt’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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The last time we settled in to discuss the wondrous AMC+ series, This Is Going to Hurt, we talked a little bit about the possibility that the good times that Adam Kay was finally enjoying in this story… weren’t going to last. For the universe is a place of balance and in order to achieve that balance, bad times have to accompany the good… but early on in the next episode of this show… it really didn’t seem as though that kind of tipping of the scales was remotely possible. For when we catch up with Adam, here, he’s basically on cloud nine and why shouldn’t he be? After all, he’s engaged and happy and his engagement party is drawing near and well… work was seemingly back to normal.
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After all, the complaint was gone, giving rise to just good times. That is until… a powerful letter arrived in Adam’s mailbox. One that immediately informed him that a formal complaint about him had been filed with the GNC and that put Adam in quite the sour place. Because he was indeed trying so hard to be a good doctor and recover from that mess, but this just put him in a dark place, as did the day’s events. To the point where he flat out began to accuse coworkers of trying to end his career. Which spoke to how much this job did matter to Adam at this point in his life and how much this rattled him, and what’s amazing is that difficult moments weren’t just extended to Adam in this tale.

For we would be remiss to not talk about Shruti and how she too was struggling with her job. Because the pressure continued to get to her and the endless waves of bad news needing to be delivered to families, combined with fatigue, frustration, and that very pressure… motivated Shruti to become quite glib and direct with her patients. Something she quickly learned only works with the right people when Vicky had to step in and handle a complaint regarding her and well… all of this was cause for concern. Because this just doesn’t seem like Shruti, and her odd behavior only accelerated at the end of the tale when she forwent studying to just get drunk at Adam’s engagement party.

Speaking of that party, well that was the true low point of this story for Adam. A place where everything that was wrong in his life at the moment boiled over completely. Because despite his best efforts to enjoy the night, Adam couldn’t let that complaint go and when he had a chance to confront anyone and everyone that he thought could have filed it, he did. Which led to some ugly words being sent Shruti’s way and the truth. In that, it was Tracy that filed the complaint because she had a great deal of concerns about Adam and how he conducted himself with patients and how he carried himself. Which was a humbling revelation that put him into a downward spiral, that led to an ugly end to the party.

Wherein he basically insulted his love and put the wedding and their future in doubt. Which was… quite the powerful way to end what turned out to be a dark tale. One that genuinely hammered home how the bad times are just as strong as the good and certainly provide a sense of balance. Not to mention, everything that happened here, should allow for both Adam and Shruti to take a moment and really evaluate the path they are on and if this is what they want or not. Either way, this was just powerful and realistic television, the kind that was raw, and visceral and relatable, and it will be genuinely fascinating to see what kind of fallout comes out of the ugly moments present here. Until next time.

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