There were a lot of parallels between the medical cases and the personal lives of our doctors of Hope Zion.
Dev and Shahir
Shahir is sporting what he calls his dad look that includes a short sleeved shirt with golf shorts that show off his legs. This look was to hopefully impress the adoption agency. However, Shahir believes he blew the interview when he went into neurosurgeon mode and quoted a study on how adopted children would experience behavioural problems in their teens.
Shahir is then called into consult on a case involving a high school friend of Dev’s. Justin was brought in by Officer Bauer claiming that gang members were beating him up. Justin has a hematoma pressing against his brain. Sahir and Dev work on relieving the pressure and during the surgery we learn that Justin is a satellite kid meaning that his parents are overseas and was sent to live with a cousin who started charging rent. In order to make ends meet, Justin started selling drugs and fell into a gang.
When Justin wakes up, he and Dev catch-up and we learn that it was actually the police who beat up Justin. Justin explains he was racially profiled and that the police wouldn’t let him go so he shoved one out of the way which resulted him getting beat up. This explains to Dev why Officer Bauer is sticking around to ensure that Justin doesn’t say anything against the police.
Dev and Shahir confront Bauer who tries to explain his side of things. Shahir brings Bauer to see Justin but he takes a turn for the worse as his hematoma is bleeding out and he dies.
Dev is mad but Shahir stops him from making the situation worse. Dev wonders what would Shahir do if his son was racially profiled. Shahir then talks to Bauer to ensure that he tells the truth in what happened. We later see Bauer call into his sergeant to report what happened but we don’t know what will be in his report.
Later on we see Dev all his mother, whom he has been avoiding, to re-establish a relationship with her.
Zach and Dawn
It is funny when this show started the couple that we wanted to ship was Alex and Charlie but as soon as the show introduced Zach and Dawn as a couple, these two have totally become my favourite ship on the show.
Last episode, Zach told how his kids do not like Dawn. Zach tries to explain to Dawn that it was him that screwed up saying that he just thrusted Dawn on his kids with little preparation. Zach wants to make it up to Dawn with a romantic dinner. All seems forgiven as Dawn thinks it is sweet and gives him a kiss. But things turn south when Zach’s thoughtful gift of diamond earrings turn into a discussion of marriage when Dawn thinks the box was a ring. Zach notes the look of horror on Dawn’s face when she thought he was proposing. Zach wonders if marrying him is so bad and she tries to say that their previous marriages weren’t successful. Zach says his divorce was not his fault and she thinks he thinks her divorces was her fault. Before Zach can say anything, Dawn takes off.
Luckily Dawn is distracted by Elias, a patient waiting for a heart transplant. Elias takes a turn fo the worse when his heart stops beating for him and Dawn and Cassie put him on a machine that helps it beat for him. Elias is concerned that he won’t live long enough to realize his dream of opening an animal sanctuary. It seems that Elias is a lottery winner that wants to use his money for good while family members wants his money to fund their own projects.
When Cassie thinks she is found a donor heart for Elias, Dawn tells her that it isn’t viable because Elias will probably reject it because of some antibodies he built up. Until they can find a suitable heart, Dawn decides to put in an artificial heart in Elias where he would carry around the mechanics for it in a backpack. This would allow Elias to live a life for 18 months and hopefully within that time a heart will be found.
Michelle Nolden as Dawn Bell and Kim Shaw as Cassie Williams
During the surgery, Cassie tries to bring up Zach’s gift but Dawn shoots it down as his poor attempt to get back into her good graces.
The surgery is a success and Elias is grateful to Dawn for allowing him to realize his dream.
Later, Dawn and Zach have a talk. Dawn tells Zach that he makes her happy. Dawn explains how when she and Charlie got married, they lost the fun they had together and didn’t want that to happen to them.
Dawn then gives Zach a ring (really a fancy donut) and asks him to still be her boyfriend. All seems forgiven and I have a feeling that the series will end with them being engaged or them getting married.
Alex and Charlie
Alex is facing behavoural issues with Luke in daycare and is at wits end at what to do.
It so happens that Alex’s patient, Hunter, a teenager who was brought into the ER by his parents because of his behavoural issues. Greg and Lindsey Rush tell Alex that Hunter of late has become extremely hungry all the time and has anger-management issues. Greg and Lindsey brought in Hunter to the ER because he hurt his arm breaking into the neighbours to steal food.
Before Charlie is brought in to consult on the arm, he meets the new staff psychiatrist, Dr. Amos Carver (Don McKellar) who introduces himself after watching Charlie sleep.
Meanwhile, the Rush’s think that Hunter is on drugs as that can be the only explanation for his sudden change of behaviour. However, Greg is a little proud at his son for standing up to himself as that was something he couldn’t do when he was younger. Greg seems to be happy that his son won’t turn out like him but still is worried over his health. Alex isn’t so sure it is drugs that is the issue and a psych consult is called in.
Charlie examines Hunter and sees Dr. Carver lurking in the background. Carver had a bad experience with a violent patient in the past and is a bit skittish so observes from afar. Charlie starts asking questions but gets no where as Hunter is quite surly.
Michael Shanks as Charlie Harris
When the blood results come back negative for drugs, everyone is at a loss for what is wrong. Hunter then collapses and his spirit appears to Charlie.
At his office, Hunter explains what he experiences before he gets angry: headaches, blurred vision and extreme hunger. Before Charlie can ask more, Hunter’s spirit disappears.
Don McKellar
Carver drops by Charlie’s office and thought he was in a meeting. Charlie explains he was on the phone. Carver informs Charlie that he was looking over Dr. Murphy’s old files (I miss Gavin) and learns that Charlie was a patient. Carver wants them to continue the work Gavin was doing with Charlie but he seems non-committal.
Charlie then lets Alex know what spirit Hunter told him about his symptoms. Alex and Charlie figure out it is a tumour on his pancreas. In surgery, Alex removes the tumour successfully when she is informed of Luke acting out in daycare. Before Hunter wakes up, his spirit lets Charlie know that he doesn’t want to go back to being the docile self he was and liked the fact that his father respected him more for standing up for himself. At the same time, Hunter felt his dad was pushing him to being something he wasn’t by getting him a football instead of comic books he wants.
When Hunter is okay, we see Greg realize that he rather have the old Hunter back instead of projecting his fears on him. As Hunter recovers, we see his dad give him his comic books that he had wanted.
Michael Shanks as Charlie Harris
Back at Charlie’s office, he opens his door and is greeted with his spirit form but before he can make heads or tails of it, Carver returns to take about the day and wants to discuss continuing on his treatment. Charlie differs and says he is off to see Luke.
At Alex’s, we see that Luke is crying his head off and she is trying to be patient with her son. Alex then breaks her resolve and goes to Luke. Luke seems calmer as Alex plays with him.
So what does it mean that Charlie is seeing his spirit? Can Carver help Charlie? And will Zach and Dawn get married by series end? We have 5 more episodes to find out.
