Every TV show that you watch usually has had a quote or two quotes that resonate with you on some level. I broke down the top six best quotes from the premiere of last week’s “Complications” and gave a reason why I believe that quote should resonate with each and every one of us.
“I don’t believe in violence. I mean nobody’s going to say they believe in violence. Nobody who’s not a sociopath anyways. But you work in an ER long enough, and you see all the terrible things people do to each other, you learn to hate it. I mean, we’re cleaning up this mess that starts out there. We act like people die at the hospital. Some do, of course, but for most of them there’s a time, a last moment when they could have been saved. That moment is long gone by the time they get here.”
When you think about what John’s communicating here in context with everything that’s been going on in his life – his daughter’s death a year ago and most recently with Antwone Tyler, you can tell that this isn’t the typical mindset most doctors are supposed to have. John clearly has doubts. He’s become disillusioned and the harsh perspective of his reality seeps out through his dialogue here. The audience can feel that weight that’s pressing down on him – that sometimes you just can’t save everyone no matter how much you wish you could.
“What do you think my job is? Everything I do is to stop something that was going to happen anyway. Everything…” and “…I’m a doctor. I’m the one who stands in the way of nature taking its damn course and stop it.”
John’s committed to helping everyone he can at this point. You see it first with the squirrel and now with Antwone. He wants to redeem himself for some past transgression. Maybe he feels that he should have been able to save his daughter. A penance of sorts, I suppose. When he says this to Gretchen, he’s letting her know that he feels responsible for everything that’s happened since he shot Antwone’s shooter. You can feel the emotion that Jason O’Mara puts into the character and you can feel that little bit of determination and belief starting to return to John even as the doubt remains.
“It makes you sick so it can make you better.”
In this absolutely heart-wrenching flashback between John and his daughter, Becky, on their way to treatment, John says this to ease his daughter’s fears and, for the rest of us, to foreshadow the things we know are in store for John. It directly relates to that old adage, “It’s always darkest just before the dawn.” In order for John and his family to move on, these events are something that has to happen. While we don’t know where the endgame lies for John and company, we can still watch and hope that things will eventually get better. Every choice has a consequence after all.
“It’s a favor when you do it for free. When you do it for 250mg of hydrocodone, it’s a job. Yes or no?”
During this give-and-take between Gretchen and the hospital staff worker who forged Antwone’s fake medical records in order to hide him, you’re able to see just how powerful a character Gretchen Polk really is. By taking matters into her own hands after her meeting with John, Gretchen has established that she’s a fiercely independent woman who will do whatever it takes to take control of things around her. Her sheer tenacity is what makes this scene memorable.
“You want out? Hell, we all do.”
Short and sweet. This brief exchange between John and Darius shows that for every choice there’s a consequence. Because of John losing Antwone for even those few hours, a few members of the gang went independent and shot their rivals. Nothing comes easy in life. While John had no control over what happened complications still arose. Just as John had no control over the events that transpired in his life, sometimes we have no control over what happens to us. We all get lost sometimes when all we want is to be found and that’s okay because this scene right here shows that we aren’t the only ones that are lost out there.
“We’ve had some hard times lately but we know you only send the challenges you think we can handle. That which will make us stronger.” – Samantha Ellison
This quote from the very final scene of Episode 2 shows just how tough Beth Riesgraf’s character is. While you see her talk to Kyle earlier on to get a police watch over their house, this scene is the one that reflects her belief that they’re going to be fine. She’s lost her daughter and the recent events with John have made it tough on their relationship, but she knows they can handle it. In a show filled with strong personalities, Sam stands out here as the one who’s not directly related to the events of the shooting, but who remains the strongest supporter John currently has despite not knowing what’s going on. We could all take a lesson from the resiliency this character shows and Beth Riesgraf does a wonderful job of portraying that.