Night Shift Episode 8: Pay It Forward

Previously on Night Shift: Saira overacted while telling Robin that she and Jagger kissed; Claire informed high school classmate Ryan that he has four kidneys, and he decides to keep two and sell the other two; “Leo” and Saira came to an understanding about the thing they’re doing; Robert hated the idea of a colostomy, but it turned out to be the only option they had to save his life.

In Robert’s room, Patrick is telling Robert that there is some good news: the cancer was confined to one part of Robert’s colon and all of it was removed, which makes Robert a pretty lucky man. He doesn’t look like he feels too lucky; “numb” is more like it. Patrick and Robin talk about the chemotherapy Robert is going to need, and he expresses skepticism over being pumped full of chemicals that will kill his healthy cells. Robin tells him, forcefully, that “we’re going to fight this. We’re going to beat this. You’re going to be fine.”

Perhaps sensing the need for some levity, Patrick adds, “That is, if you don’t pull a Houdini and hightail it out of here”. Robin threatens to handcuff Robert to the bed if she has to, and he scoffs at her, as if to say “Handcuffs? That’s the best you can do? I’m a mothereffing superspy” and laughs, which leads to a coughing fit. Patrick asks if he’s all right, and Robert tells him that he’s fine.

In Ryan The Hot Patient’s room, Claire is shocked that the eBay posting for his kidneys has attracted so much attention: it’s been online for three days, and they already have a high bid of $50,000. Kyle, ever the model student, is observing this and tells Claire that she could get in massive amounts of trouble for this. She isn’t concerned about that, and tells him that they can do a lot of good with the money they raise. Kyle counters that she’ll need to use that money to finance her unemployment, since she’s breaking all sorts of hospital policies. Claire and Ryan think this isn’t a big deal, since they’re not keeping the money, they’re giving it away.

Ryan tries to get Kyle to jump on board, asking if Kyle wants to help the whales. Kyle is dismissive of aiding mammals with blow holes and points out that such tricks don’t work on him: it’s not like he’s Claire or anything. Hee! Even funnier is the fact that Claire doesn’t even react.

Anyway, Ryan keeps trying to appeal to Kyle, saying that they can change the world, and Kyle can pick his cause, using the money to plant trees (only if they can get Marky Mark to take time out of his busy pants dropping schedule to help, I say) or work for marriage equality. The money is burning a hole in his pocket--or, as Claire points out in a line reading so creepily similar to Katherine Heigl that I wonder if Sri Rao and the producers had Carrie Southworth watch episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, in his back--and he has a hankering for some do-gooding, especially since $50,000 is the going rate for just one kidney and he has a whole other one to spare. Kyle points out that just because Ryan has extra kidneys doesn’t mean he needs to auction them off. Claire informs him that in just three days, there are already 100 bids. “Isn’t that beautiful?!” Kyle leaves, and Claire chases after him, trying to explain her rationale, and Kyle interrupts to talk about Ryan and not Ryan’s kidneys; he points out that Ryan is completely into Claire. She admits that he is super cute. They giggle.

“Leo” and Saira walk into the hospital with matching moony looks on their faces, talking dreamily about how it’s been 65 hours since they officially entered coupledom. “Leo” says it’s the longest date of his life, which Saira is unsurprised about, since “It gets pretty expensive when you’re paying by the hour”. …burn? “Leo” offers to meet her in the supply closet for a hookup, which is nixed for being too predictable, and suggests the MRI room as a possible liaison spot.

Saira: Just because I am your…whatever now doesn’t mean things are going to change here.
“Leo”: You’re my whatever?
Saira: I’m certainly not your girlfriend.

And, with a slap on his ass, she exits.

Patrick walks over to the nurse’s station and asks Epiphany when this shift is over, and she tells him it’s not for another 75 hours, which depressed me so much that I nearly went into the fetal position. But, she notes as she sees three men in suits, led by the dashing looking Jagger

Epiphany: things are starting to look up. Hello, there, Jagger.

Jagger is super serious and—okay, I can’t be diplomatic. What in the name of god and all things holy happened to Antonio Sabato Jr. in this episode? He’s never been a David Canary or Peter Bergman caliber actor. Hell, he’s never been an Audrina Patridge level actor. But he’s usually not as awful as he was in this episode! What happened? Is it because he had a handful of multisyllabic words to say? After the episode, Becca emailed me and said:

Antonio Sabato Jr. gave perhaps the worst performance I've ever seen on a soap.  This includes 20 years of Days of Our Lives, and several seasons of One Tree Hill. It was like he was thinking of his lines, translating them into another language, then translating them back into English but sounding out every syllable phonetically.

(She also lamented over the episode’s tragic lack of shirtlessness.)

It’s true, though. It’s like he was an alien who had no concept of verbal communication and learned how to speak by watching Steven Segal movies. I am going to try my best to convey how fucked up his acting was in this episode, but mere words don’t do it justice. I felt kind of like I was watching history in the making, like one day people will ask “Where were you when Antonio Sabato Jr. mangled the English language, sentence inflection and basic facial expressions?” My future children will be totally excited to hear that I saw it as it happened!

Anyway, Jagger grimly greets Epiphany.

Patrick: Well, look who’s here. You dressed up for me!
Jagger: I need to ASK a few QUEStions. (Long pause) on behalf of the FBI.
Patrick: Okay. About what?
Jagger: GeneRAL HOSpital’s involvement in HuMAN (Long pause) ORGan (Long pause) trafficking.

Patrick and Epiphany exchange an “Oh, shit” look.

In Patrick’s Chief of Staff (Hee! That will never not be funny), Jagger and his FBI co-agents are meeting with Patrick, “Leo”, Epiphany and Claire.

Jagger: HUMan ORGan traffickINg is a MajOR interNATtional CRIMinal operation.

Claire swears up and down that there is no organ trafficking going on, but Patrick hotly (literally and figuratively) tells her that she’s gotten the hospital in enough hot water and to can it. Jagger tells them that the FBI was able to shut down the organ auction but that standards on organ trafficking are very severe. “Leo” says that he had nothing to do with this and knows nothing about it, so he’s going to leave, but Patrick angrily says that as a resident, he’s supposed to know what his interns are doing, especially if they are selling human organs. He then tells Epiphany that she’s supposed to be his eyes and ears, and how did this pass by her attention? She apologizes. He asks Jagger what this all means for General Hospital.

Jagger: GENeral (Long Pause) HOSpital might LOSE its PRIVliges to perform (Long Pause) Organ transplants.

Christopher Walken speaks in a less tortured syntax than this man.

In Robert’s room, a nurse is setting up his IV, telling him that the drugs go into his system intravenously. He darkly says that she means poison, not drugs. Billy Dee Williams appears out of nowhere and chuckles in that creepy way that he does where he says “Ha ha. Ha ha ha. Ha” instead of actually laughing, and tells Robert to give the nurse a break. Robert sneers that doctors lie, and Billy Dee gets mock defensive of his new field. Robert tells him he should have stayed a rockstar. He asks how Billy Dee is doing, and Billy Dee admits that he has a lot on his plate right now. He asks the same of Robert, and seems to genuinely care, and tells Robert that if he wants anything, to ask.

Robert: Can you cure old? I don’t like it.
Billy Dee: (Laughs) We are old school, but we’re still singing.
Robert: No man should have to go through this. You know, I crap in a bag. They push and prod me 24 hours a day. I was cut up and gutted like a fish.
Billy Dee: Life deals you changes. You just gotta find a way to roll with it.
Robert: It’s so humiliating.

Awww! Robert!

Back in Patrick’s office, Claire is pleading with them to believe that she never meant to get GH in trouble. A knock at the door interrupts her, and Ryan walks in, trying to get the heat off of Claire, admitting that he’s the one they should be talking to, especially since Claire tried to stop him, so he’s the one who should be facing repercussions. Patrick snaps that this is official hospital business, and tells him to go back to his room; as he leaves, he and Claire exchange a smile. Patrick turns back to Jagger and asks if there is any way the FBI could drop this—he’ll deal with Claire and he’ll put his reputation on the line, but it can’t affect GH. “Leo”, Epiphany and Claire file out, and Claire turns to say something to Patrick, but he curtly tells her that she’s dismissed.

Jagger: LOOK, I WILL try to BUry this but Organs Watch is not going to LET it FLY. They’re (Long Pause) going to want to KNOW that the F (Long Pause) BI did their job and you HERE at GH did (Long Pause) yours.
Patrick: That’s fine, whatever you need from me—
Jagger: I am Going to have to monitor you for a few days.
Patrick: (Dumbstruck) …what?
Jagger: (All too familiar with not knowing what words mean) I am going to need to follow you around and make sure you are doing your job.
Patrick: That’s great. That’s wonderful.
Jagger: Hey, it won’t be so bad. You might enjoy the company.

Patrick smiles broadly at Jagger, and turns around and pouts hilariously.

In Ryan’s room, Claire is eating pie out of the pan, a fact that makes Kyle both curious and hungry. She tells Ryan and Kyle that she’ll need to present at the GH Organs Watch meeting and explain the standards to hospital staff. Kyle interrupts to ask where she got the pie. His fixation with the pie is reminding me of Keenyah on America’s Next Top Model when she became obsessed with food and couldn’t take her eyes off of Kahlen’s pastry during a conversation. Ryan tries to perk Claire up by saying that this could be fun, because she will be educating her peers, but she hates public speaking. She asides to Kyle that she stole the pie from the cafeteria, and he is horrified that she is continuing to break laws while the FBI is still in the building. Ryan suggests that she do a cheer like she did in high school (Kyle helpfully offers to let her borrow his pom poms) but she says this is serious, and probably the least of her worries, since “Leo” and Epiphany haven’t gotten to punish her in their own sadistic ways. Ryan takes a different route, saying that she gets to fight the establishment and stand up for what she believes in, which gets him an offer of a psych evaluation from Claire. Kyle sighs that they should have expected this since, again, they were attempting to sell human organs, but Ryan has a lightbulb go off over his head and says that selling organs may be sketchy and punishable by jail time, but giving them away could be okay, especially if they were given away for a good cause. Kyle hits us with the episode title and says “You mean like the worst move ever created and how it got greenlit is still a mystery because a movie with Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt and Haley Joel Osment doesn't seem like entertainment as much as it does a crime against humanity Pay it Forward?” He and Claire are thoughtful.

Patrick and Jagger exit the elevator and Jagger amiably tells Patrick that he’ll be back in the morning to start officially shadowing Patrick and get a sense for what Patrick does. Patrick is already defensive and assumes that Jagger will tell him that he sucks as a Chief of Staff, and also at life, but Jagger says that it won’t be bad. Robin greets her “two favorite men” and Patrick musters up all his faux politeness and says “Your friend is going to be monitoring me. Isn’t that fun?” Jagger recaps the situation and Patrick adds, “Kind of like ‘Bring Your FBI Agent to Work Day’”. I want one of those days!

Robin: I don’t think hanging out with Jagger is necessarily punishment.

Right on, Robin. As long as he doesn’t talk, that is.

Jagger makes his exit, after asking Robin

Jagger: Would YOU let ME know (Long Pause) when IS a good Time to VISit your (Long Pause) father?

Patrick is peeved, but Robin tries to calm him down, saying that Jagger will smooth it all over. Patrick asks about Robert, and Robin is all “Oh, right, can you go visit him?” She’s up to her ears in reading about colon cancer, and he asks her to go over to him and gives her a big hug.

Robin: Why does everyone keep hugging me?
Patrick: You’re getting hugs behind my back?!

He reminds her that they have a great staff of oncologists, and he says Robert will be all right.

In the locker room, Kyle is coming around on Ryan’s Kidney Scheme and says that as long as money doesn’t change hands, things should be all right, and he points out that Oprah says we should always find more ways to give. Claire raises an eyebrow and says she thinks Kyle is falling for Ryan, too. He smiles and gives her props for choosing a good guy this time and that the fact that Ryan saw Claire gorging herself on pie without running in horror says a lot about him. Claire swoons that he should have seen the way Ryan defended her in front of the FBI. Kyle is shocked that he sees Claire smiling a “for real” smile, and says she must really like Ryan. She confirms that she does.

Patrick is giving Jagger the list of patients currently on the transplant registry and this leads to an exchange that I am still giggling about:

Jagger: Do you smell that?
Patrick: What?
Jagger: It smells like flowers or something.
Patrick: What? It’s (Fumbles and Points towards the window)—
Jagger: I think it’s your cologne.
Patrick: (In a loud, bravado filled voice) I’m not wearing cologne.
Jagger: Yes, you are.
Patrick: Okay, fine, I’m wearing cologne. But it doesn’t smell like flowers.
Jagger: …it smells like jasmine.
Patrick: Okay, you know what, Jagger? This whole following thing around business does not include smelling me.
Jagger: It’s fine. I kinda like it. It’s not bad.
Patrick: Oh. (Proudly) Thanks. I think I put on Robin’s.

Hilarious. Patrick’s nervousness and outrage, compared to Jagger’s…I think it’s supposed to be “mildness” but it’s kind of “poorly articulated blankness”. It’s funny, at any rate. Intentionally so, even!

“Leo” and Saira are happily chatting as they walk into Robin, who is dumbstuck that Leo is in a relationship. He goofily says that he doesn’t know who Saira is, and they smile dopily at each other. Robin adds that she’s surprised that Saira is dating someone so different than her usual type (in Saira’s own words, that type is “sweet, smart and well mannered) and they giggle. Robin then seriously tells “Leo” that Saira is a catch, and that he better not screw it up. Robin and Saira leave together, and “Leo” gets a very serious look on his face. I’m instantly reminded of the season finale of Gossip Girl where Chuck’s dad compliments him on settling down with Blair and then Chuck sets his whole life on fire. The only question now is when in this episode will “Leo” set his life on fire.

Kyle and Claire are in the hallway, waiting for Patrick to approach them and Kyle gives her the time honored advice: “What Would Oprah Do?” Patrick sneers at them as they walk up to him and suggests that he get rid of one of the interns in the program if they don’t have enough work today, and Kyle runs as far away as his legs will carry him. Claire babbles about how much she values Patrick’s hard work and may have a way to fix everything. Patrick’s not interested and says he’s had enough of their schemes and doesn’t want to hear any more about kidneys.

It’s unfortunate, then, that they walk into Ryan, with a large group of people, welcoming them to “The Pay It Forward Kidney Competition”. He ends his introduction with a painful “Woooo!”

Billy Dee is pouring coffee in the break room. Epiphany walks in and groans at the sight of him, muttering that she’ll come back for her break later. Billy Dee tells her that the hospital is too small for them to be able to avoid each other and besides, there isn’t anyone in the break room to spot them together. Epiphany wearily asks him not to start that again and then the douchebaggery starts:

Billy Dee: All this time, I thought you’d be jumping out of your skin to go out with me.

Pip looks like she’s about to breathe fire and hits him with some knowledge.

Epiphany: You’re not doing me any favors by asking me out. I was doing fine on my own, thank you very much.
Billy Dee: (Douchily raising his eyebrows) Sorry I asked.
Epiphany: You know, I am starting to be, too. This is exactly the reason why I didn’t want to tell anyone about my personal business. This is my career. I’ve worked too long, and too hard to risk it on some silly romance drama.
Billy Dee: And I’m too old to waste my time on someone who is going to lie about me.

He then starts to channel Jim Carrey in The Mask as he adds, “Or call me silly”.

Pip looks as confused by that as I feel.

Claire is trying valiantly to spin the Pay It Forward fiasco to Patrick as good PR for the hospital, and Jagger points out that it’s not actually illegal:

Jagger: UNorTHOdOX, SURE, But not NECESSARILY (Long Pause) ILLegal.

Patrick is sold on this plan when he realizes that it will get Jagger out of his personal space sooner than anticipated.

In Robert’s bathroom, he silently stares at his reflection in the mirror. Slowly, he drags his IV with him back to the bed and collapses. It was kind of a haunting scene. Zero dialogue, and Tristan Rogers hits it out of the park.

Back in Ryan’s room, he and Claire are, um, interviewing people for his kidney. This particular man is trying to get a kidney for his music teacher who he hasn’t seen in twenty years, because after the man got clean, music was all he had. He’d set up a music program at his old school in honor of his music teacher.

Robert is on the floor of his room, and Patrick walks in to visit him (calling him “Mr. Scorpio”, hee!) and rushes over to help him up and into bed. He wants to take his blood pressure, but Robert asks him not to fuss over him. He tells Patrick he had just been trying to brush his teeth when he fell. Patrick, trying to be helpful, says that the hospital has people to help with this, but Robert explains that nobody wants to have someone brush their teeth for them. He tries to convince himself, too, as he tells Patrick “I’m okay”. Patrick looks hotly concerned.

Jagger and Saira run into each other and awkwardly talk about how they kissed. She mentions that she’s in a relationship type thing, and he…doesn’t actually seem to react, but I think that’s an ASJ thing. He tells her that the most important thing is that she remains in Stone’s life.

Izzy Claire sits on Denny's Ryan’s bed, and wonders how they can make the choice of who gets his extra kidneys. Ryan, very zen, tells her that they’ll know. He grabs her foot and tells her that she has cute feet. She giggles and says that he has cute…everything. True, Claire. She’s rocking the side ponytail in this scene, by the way. Represent, Claire! He asks her what it’s like to be a doctor, and she doesn’t know, because she doesn’t consider herself a doctor. Unlike Kyle, who knew as a zygote that this is what he wanted to do, she’s not sure she even wants to be a doctor, or what she wants to do with her life, and she’s just trying to hold it together. Aww, she sounds like everyone I know who’s in the midst of a Quarter Life Crisis. He cheers her up by telling her his favorite high school memory of her: it was 10th grade, and he saw her in the hallway wearing a pink mock turtleneck (she interrupts to echo my thoughts and says “Oh, dear lord”) and he didn’t want to say anything to her, or even look at her, because she was Claire Simpson, but when she approached him, she said hi and looked at him, and really saw him, even though she didn’t know him. He strokes her face, and they kiss.

(Um, he’s totally going to die, isn’t he?)

Robin is at a computer, typing furiously and looking at the screen intently. Patrick walks over and gives her the news that Robert fell. She looks up for a second and asks if he’s okay, and Patrick confirms that he didn’t break any bones. He asks when she last visited Robert, and she testily informs him that she’s been working nonstop, doing research and calling specialists. Basically, trying to save her father’s life.

Robin: I’m trying to be a doctor. Something you used to be before you became a bureaucrat.
Patrick: Okay, well, as a doctor, your dad’s not doing very well. I think you should go see him. He could die.
Robin: ::Can’t believe he just said that::
Patrick: ::Can’t believe he just said that::
Robin: Don’t worry about how I’m wasting my time, Chief. I won’t bill you for the overtime.

“Leo” jovially runs into his man crush, Jagger, and jokingly thanks him for not throwing him in jail. Jagger tells him about this soccer league he found that plays every Saturday and wonders if “Leo” wants in. “Leo”, always up for quality time with Jagger, readily agrees but realizes that every Saturday won’t work for him, since he has, um, a whatever now. He tells Jagger that he’ll need to check with Saira, and Jagger says that they must be getting serious. “Leo” expresses some doubt about how fast things are moving, and doesn’t know if he’s “That Guy”. Jagger says that nobody is “That Guy”, but says “Leo” should figure things out because Saira “is a hell of a kisser”. Okay, who says that to someone’s boyfriend?

Jagger runs off to catch the elevator, calling out to Patrick to hold the elevator, but Patrick says, “Oh, I can’t find the button”. Ha! Jagger makes it onto the elevator and tells Patrick that he finished his evaluation. Patrick does that thing that television characters do when they assume that a conversation will go one way and start to rant and rave about how “You don’t know me! I don’t want your life!” and it turns out that the conversation was going to go in a totally different direction. Oops! At any rate, Jagger tells him that he’s doing a great job as Chief of Staff, but that he earns some demerits for the lameness of the elevator prank.

Claire is helping Ryan put on his hospital gown, and he gets her to admit that he looks hot. She wonders if they made the right choice about who is getting the kidneys, and he thinks so. She says that the guy with the music teacher may name the music program after Ryan, but he’s holding out hope that the people with the housing development will name it after him, since he’d love to see his name on a building.

Claire: To match the size of your ego?
Ryan: The size of my something.

Epiphany comes in with a wheelchair, ready to bring him to surgery. Ryan asks her what it would take to get a date with Claire, and, not caring one iota, she tells him he should try asking her. Ryan says he can’t, on account of how cool she is, but wonders if Epiphany can at least find out of Claire likes him. Claire tells him that she’ll leave a note in his locker with her answer. As they leave, she smiles to herself because she loves him and wants to have a million of his babies.

(He’s TOTALLY going to die, isn’t he?)

In Robert’s room, Saira is telling him that they’re increasing the dosage with each infusion. He dismissively says the dosage is of orange juice, and she corrects him that it’s Vitamin C, but he doesn’t care. He knows that Robin put her up to this and thinks it’s kind of bullshit. She says he should think of it as an experiment, which is something that I would never want to hear. “You’re kind of a guinea pig, actually! Hee!”, and she follows up by telling him, in a sing-song voice, to give it a chance, as though she’s talking to a toddler. Kyle comes in and greets “Agent Scorpio”, who groans and says he doesn’t want to deal with Kyle and being poked and prodded. Kyle says Robin asked him to get some blood samples, but Robert says “Not tonight”. They struggle for a minute, and Robert yells louder “I’ve had enough”. He knocks over the implements and tries to run as shouts, “I said I’ve had enough. I’ had enough. No more.” Saira calls for help as she and Kyle try to restrain him.

He’s still screaming when Robin and Billy Dee run in. She looks terrified as Billy Dee runs to calm Robert down, telling Robert to hit him if he wants a fight. Poor Robin!

Claire is eating potato chips when Patrick and Epiphany approach her somberly. Pip starts to speak, but can only manage “Um”. Patrick jumps in and very gently tells her that there were complications with Ryan’s surgery. They did everything they could, but he didn’t make it. Aww. RIP Hot Guy with 4 kidneys. Sad face.

In the hallway, Robin is babbling at Billy Dee, finally opening up after spending the rest of the episode immersing herself in books and research. She’s terrified that she doesn’t know how to help him. Billy Dee hopes she doesn’t think an orderly is giving her advice, but tells her that what Robert needs right now is his dignity. He doesn’t need a doctor: he needs his daughter. Robin mulls this over.

Claire looks shell shocked as she sits with Epiphany, who quite kindly asks if she wants any water. Patrick leads Kyle over, who grabs his friend into a big hug and she cries in his arms.

Pip and Billy Dee run into each other, and she apologizes for the lying and the hiding their relationship. He’s sorry, too. She says she should know what’s important in life, but that Claire’s patient died and all she can think about is Stan. Billy Dee agrees with her that life is too short and too precious, and points out that Robert is fighting for his life while they bicker like kids. Pip tells him that she’s blessed to have him in her life, which…I don’t know, after the staggering displays of dickitude this season, I’m not so sure about that, but who am I to argue? Billy Dee says that they have no business not taking advantage of life. They embrace. I still think she can do better!

In Robert’s room, Robin is next to his bed, and she sighs heavily. He asks what she’s doing

Robin: Thinking. About all the times that you rescued me from every bad guy that came to Port Charles.
Robert: (Smiling matter of factly) You’re my little girl. I had to.

She tries to casually suggest that Robert come live with her, an idea that makes him burst out laughing. She points out that it would do him good to get away from the machines and adds, heartbreakingly,

“You’ve rescued me plenty of times. Here  I am, all grown up, a doctor, even. But even with (her voice breaks) all the search in the world, I may not be able to cure you, but I can love you”

When he realizes how much she means this, he agrees to come live with her, although he worries that it might kill him before the cancer does. Hee! They laugh, and Robin kisses her father’s hand.

Man, the two of them have always been, continue to be, and will always be so good together.

Claire is looking at Ryan’s body. Kyle asks her if she’s okay, and if she needs anything. She asks to be left alone. She strokes Ryan’s face, and kisses her fngers, then putting her fingers up to Ryan’s lips before she walks out of the room to find Patrick and Kyle in the hallway outside. Patrick walks back into the room where Ryan’s body is, and Claire looks completely shellshocked. Kyle asks again if she needs anything, and she asks him to call Ryan’s parents, since she can’t do it. From the hallway, she looks into the room as Patrick covers the body, and sighs, as she leans her head against the wall. After a moment, she walks away…

…and walks right into Jakes, where she orders shots of vodka. “Leo” is sitting at the other end of the bar, and is surprised that “Blondie” is ordering such strong drinks, especially “Without [her] gay husband to drive [her] home”. Charming! I do have to admit, in the interest of full disclosure, that even though “Leo” is back to his arrogant, asshole ways in this scene, Ethan Rains looks scorchingly hot, which I’ve never really thought before.

He sits next to her and asks why she’s drinking hard liquor, and she tells him that she lost a patient. He, seemingly genuinely, apologizes and says that it’s the hardest part of their job, and that he can’t tell her it gets any easier. She suggests that they toast the fact that she is horrible at her job, which he awkwardly does before telling her that she’s being too hard on herself. He tries to tell her that he remembers losing his first patient, and she angrily says that this wasn’t just a patient. He says that he may be a rude, horrible, immature egomaniac (he may not have said it that way, but it’s what he meant) but she’s not a half bad doctor.

She asks if he’s for real, and he tells her not to tell anyone he said that, as he rubs her back…and strokes her cheek…and, after a long, tension filled pause, they totally make out.

Comments

[Christina]

I LOVED this show the first time I saw it...when it was called GREY'S ANATOMY.

[karen b]

Did anyone else notice that Claire gave permission for ALL of Ryan's organs to be donated? And that they didn't have his body hook to life-support machines to keep his heart beating to make his organs viable for donation? Just a little thing, but it bugged me.

[Jude]

I just assumed they had already removed the organs before they let her go in to say goodbye. And technically, she can't give permission because she's not the next of kin. The only thing that bothered ME is that she barely knew the guy and she's acting like they were married 10 years.

[junie]

I completely adore Robin and Robert together. Now that this show is in existence and the writers can do more than the same conversation in different clothes, regular GH makes me even more angry. Even with the Gray's Anatomy rip off storyline, this show is still worlds better than the pile of crap called General Hospital.

[Christina]

RU kidding, Jude? The guy lasted twice as long as other "guest stars". In "Night Shift" years they were an old married couple. But I agree..why try and get us interested in something and then just pull the rug out? Would it have killed them to build that story more so we actually cared when he died? The actor was appealing too, I thought. So is Claire now gonna whine about him for the rest of the series or is she gonna forget him as fast as she fell for him? C'mon.

this episode really bored me. im sure it will be better next week but i almost fell asleep watching it. i did do a double take when "leo" and claire started making out. i didnt see it coming

[Cathy]

I love NS2 a thousands times better than NS1 and GH. Let me change that to I hated and turned off NS1 because I didn't recognize Patrick. There was NO way Patrick on NS1 would have bedded a whore in place of his love for Robin. Robin being made to love crazy while a whore crazy nurse took no blame for letting Stacy die.

I would like to see more of Robin and Patrick and their story on NS2 and some Scrubs love scenes but I am loving the Robert and Robin scenes and even Patrick with them.

Kimberly and Tristan really seem like daughter and father.

Kimberly and Jason Thompson are so realistic and believable. I just LOVE them together as a couple with a baby on the way.

I'm done with Patrick the manwhore and ready to move on with the NS 2 Patrick and Robin acting like adults.

Scrubs can have problems but I like how Sri writes them as adults and NOT sleazy

[Tania]

Robin&Patrick/Kimberly&Jason is LOVE! Seriously the BEST thing about GH and NS2, with the exception of Robert who justs ADDS to the awesome. They weren't on NEARLY enough for my liking but they can't always be on for 40 minutes together!:p In anycase I loved them in this episode.

On the subject on ASJ uhhhh, let me say that honestly I don't give about his chracter in the slightest. Like he could throw himself off a building for all I care, but ASJ is a really bad actor. Like I've seen that since the beginning but he was REALLY bad here. Like he's not the worst ever(*cough*Leyla/NB*cough*) but he's still pretty bad. And I can't even say I find him to be attractive cause I don't IN THE SLIGHTEST! I can't even say back in the day either b/c I've seen this one picture of him and EWWW, maybe it was that one day but he looked like a not-hot mess! I swear it looked like he had lip implants in this picture!

But ASJ kinda lost my respect after I read that he would be getting his own VH1 show like Rock of Love or Flavor of Love, etc. I mean while those shows make for hilarious tv they are GOD AWFUL!

On a non-ASJ note... let me have a shallow moment to just say JASON THOMPSON IS SO FREAKIN' HOT! He is by far by favorite on NS and GH and he is just so beautiful, incredibly talented, and a down to earth AMAZING person. Seriously I would marry him if I had the chance! I &heart; JT <3

[lisa f]

Your ASJ comments always make me chuckle.

Seriously, I don't remember him being that bad back in the day. Was he?

Anyway...as for the whole of NS2, the Robert storyline is magnificent. TR is phenomenal in it. The Patrick and Robin relationship is finally rootable and heartwarming again (that alone has me worshipping Sri Rao) and the side stories aren't hideous (though sometimes I can't help but still FF). All in all, Sri Rao has himself a fan for life...hopefully we see more of him somewhere soon.

[Sarah B.]

I have to admit that I never agreed with all the bad acting references about ASJ in previous recaps--perhaps I was just mesmerized by the hotness--until this week. Before I always thought those "looks" he would give were thoughtful/meaningful (I'm so embarassed to admit that now) but now I TOTALLY get what you all have been saying this whole time. Wow. It was bad. I'm sort-of embarassed for him actually. He's still hot though imo lol.

I really liked this episode and thought it was solid acting- and writing-wise.

I've never seen Grey's...was this kidney story exactly the same? Just curious.

Woody, if you're out there, I have to say that the editing was a lot better this episode (until the last couple scenes)...which actually tells me that I was right in my feelings before :). I don't think it has anything to do with it being more like "film" style because I've seen films/movies...also, I've been paying more attention to shows and movies this past week with regard to editing and I don't really see actors mentioning time of day or changes in that regard so that makes me think that there are visual elements that indicate time/day changes but I'm not sure whose department that is.

Tristan Rogers was phenomenal. It's GH's loss that he's not on there. I hope we get NS3 just so we can get more Robert. And more Mac...last week was not enough :(.

I am a huge Scrubs fan but I have to say I love that NS2 is an ensemble show. One of my biggest complaints with GH is how only a select few are shown day-in day-out so I appreciate that we get to see a lot of characters interacting in each show. Plus Scrubs are happy and in love and having ups/downs together. I can't ask for more. I'm just going to enjoy what Sri Rao has to offer for the little while longer that it lasts :).

[BarbE]

This NS2 writer is great...at some stories. Although I'm convinced he didn't write episode 4. The Robin/Patrick, Robert stuff, great consistently. The Epiphany/Toussaint stuff is making a good use of these characters. For the writer to be so great with dialog and some characters it makes you wonder about the rip-off of Grey's and Will & Grace. And what really takes the cake is what has been nagging at the edge of my mind. It finally hit me that he is using the Robin/Patrick love story in a much tamer version with Saira/"Leo, I think. I kept feeling that I'd seen this before, he has sped up things and diluted a form of Scrubs. Anyhoo with all that I still love this show cause of the new writer/s(still) with Kimberly McCullough, Jason Thompson and Tristian Rogers! I reccommend anyone watch it. I look forward to Tuesday nights and buying this season's dvd!

[Tania]

Sarah B. Grey's is AMAZING. I feel in love with it during Season 2. When I had to split my time between The Office and Grey's I chose The Office but Season 2 is forever my favorite. To answer your question, no it wasn't the same. Short version(spoilers): A patient, Denny, waiting for a heart comes in to Settle Grace, falls in love with Izzie, eventually gets a new heart and then dies. Thus giving me one of my all time favorite scenes because it was THAT GOOD.

Season 2 rocked it. I don't think that any other season of Grey's will have me like Season 2, the ending was amazing. You should really watch the show, at least until there, it won't disappoint(hopefully :P). Hope that helps.

[Sarah B.]

Thank you Tania, that does help. I've been debating putting it on Netflix but that sounds good :).

So it doesn't sound like it was the same story though similar. But then, how truly unique can medical dramas be these days? I'm sure GA has recycled stories from ER or St.Elsewhere or any of the million other medical shows :). I know it's easy to draw comparisons but to me just because there is a straight woman with a guy friend who is gay, for example, does not make them Will & Grace...even if it's easy to make that link just because that was the "first" time most people saw it on tv :).

And I have to give Rao credit for giving us some unique or "unusal" (for lack of a better word) medical stories like the french girl with the brain thing and the irritable bowel masking depression story, etc...and especially the whole Robert has a brain tumor but really it's colon cancer...I didn't expect that at all.

[junie]

I agree Sarah B. A lot of medical shows and all shows in general borrow ideas. To be honest I was kind of glad they didn't drag this storyline out because although Ryan was a character with a lot of potential, he wasn't around long enough to get the viewer really attached. I was pretty pissed when they killed Denny off on Grey's after setting the viewer up to believe he was going to make it. Anyway, I have to say again that this show is so much better for me and I will take it any day over Guza's GH. Thanks for the recaps!

For some one like me who suffers from cronic kidney failure and had actually just come off dialysis when the show started airing, the show sucked. I'm not rich, I can't buy myself a kidney, I have to wait and wait for one to become available. If one of my loved ones or friends come forward and decide to donate one of their to me. Will I be fearing the worse that in doing so they just may die on the operating table?
That's what I got from last night's show.

[Sarah]

I beg you, less summary and more snark...please!

[jbj]

While ASJ was not at his best this epi, I would like to remind people criticizing his parsing that English is his second language and he did use to learn his scripts phonetically (or transliteratively?) back in the day.

I'm having trouble watching the Jagger/Leo clip, but your transcript reminds me of old school Jagger who managed to be the only one to "get" both of the girls in his love quadrangle (Jason didn't even get any after he married one of them). He seems shy and pleasantly aloof now, but I think his conversation with "Leo" was a hint that he can still throw down when there is competition for a girl.

BTW, Leo looks hotter because he got a haircut.

[Robyn]

If all the made-of-awesome Scorpio writing and acting is leading up to Robert actually dying this time, I will freaking blow up ABC studios.

[Woody]

Lisa F...Woody here. I can't argue how you feel about the "editing". I just put it out there that what you might be responding to is the amount of material and not the technical editing itself. I haven't done a real study of all the episodes but there seem to be a number of different writers so maybe the shows you feel jerky are just too full of stories they are cramming in? This week seemed to focus on fewer stories or the scenes themselves seemed longer...whatever the reason, I'm sure your criticism is valid - just seems to me the same editing team is credited every week so it doesn't make sense that they are good one week and bad the next...whereas the writers seem to change week to week. If something is hit or miss, I suspect it's a script issue. Just my 2 cents! (I still think it's one of the best shows out there, btw or I wouldn't be watching!)

[Nic]

I LOVE this season of Night Shift. I tuned in just to see Robert Scorpio, Robin and Patrick. They have been amazing! I could watch a solid hour of these characters. I snickered at some of the comments about ASJ. Usually I enjoy this guy but in this episode I thought he was off. Maybe it was the suit? He seems to be more real in regular clothes. Strange, but he sure looked good.

[amiejayne]

ASJ was never my favorite on GH, but I liked him well enough, and I am willing to forgive the mediocre (okay, terrible) acting because it is just so great to see his history with Robin and Stone being incorporated into the show.

And I laughed my ass off over Jagger smelling Patrick and that whole conversation. In fact, pretty much every scene of those two cracks me up. The dialogue is hilarious, and Patrick's pouting is ridiculously funny. Plus, ASJ's blank/clueless look makes him the perfect comedy "straight" guy. They're like the friggin' Laurel and Hardy of daytime. Er, nighttime.

I want Robert to give Toussant his colon cancer. Maybe if he did, Toussant could focus on his colostomy and quit implying that Piffy would be lucky to get with him. Douchebag, indeed.

Oh, I'm temporarily distracted by the hotness of Calleigh and Eric on a CSI: Miami rerun....

Okay, back to business. I find it so true to character how both Robin and Robert are dealing with his cancer. He is a very proud man, and she has trouble dealing with anything she can't control. Add to that the rich history they have, the beautiful chemistry they have, and the powerhouse acting talent, and I agree totally with whoever said they could just watch an hour of Robert/Robin/Patrick. Also agree with whoever said the rest of the epi was watching-paint-dry boring.

And I just ate a half a box of Triscuits while writing this, so I better stop there!