Red Band Society season 1, episode 7 was probably the greatest episode yet, as the characters’ illnesses took center stage. Let’s dive in.
It’s probably not surprising that the best episode of Red Band Society is the one focusing on Nurse Jackson (Octavia Spencer). What is surprising is the fact that the best parts of the episode had nothing to do with her.
When the calling calls, does it always use a phone?
The main storyline of the episode is Dina’s brief reunion with her former passion, singing. (Or rather, backup singing. For some reason.)
At the hospital, Brittany (Rebecca Rittenhouse) and Kenji (Wilson Cruz) are struggling in her absence. They’re punishing McAndrew (Dave Annable) for suspending Nurse Jackson, and decide to confront her after she fails to answer their calls.
Dina is having a fuzzy flashback to her backup singer days, and ignores a call from Brittany. Is anyone else just waiting for her to say “It’s Brittany, bitch?” Oh wait, this isn’t Glee.
Dina is at home enjoying a visit from her super supportive niece, and complains about being disciplined for, er, “doing the right thing”… which we’re still questioning. Can we just state that sick kids saying they saw Charlie in a dream is not a solid reason for forging medical blood samples? Okay.
Kenji and Brittany stop by, and Dina wants to prove to Kenji that she can still “bring it.” And, well, she could. It’s pretty incredible. Backup singer, you said? I’m convinced that was only put in there to give her those 1920s-style flashbacks.
Speaking of: we finally learn why Dina gave up singing. In another flashback, we see the day she was called to the hospital, to find that her sister had died. She blamed her rehearsing for not getting to say goodbye, and because of TV logic reasons, quit singing altogether.
You see, to make sure she could take care of her niece, she took a whole new education which would train her for a job that’d keep her occupied 24-7.
Back in the present, Kenji reminds her why she’s a nurse: because she loves kids, and wants to be there for them. That’s why it’s her calling. And, perfect timing: her calling calls, and she rushes back to the hospital.
There, McAndrew lifts her suspension. Cause let’s face it, sure the kids need her, but the show needs her more.
It’s all fun and games until someone gets Cystic Fibriosis
The kids are missing Jackson too, and get together to write a letter about how angry they are (because that always gets results, as proven by the Internet). Hunter (Daren Kagasoff) crashes the party, and totally poops on it.
After Leo (Charlie Rowe) and Emma (Ciara Bravo) skedaddle, Hunter plays leader of the pack. Jordi (Nolan Sotillo) and Kara (Zoe Levin) are quick to jump on the cute new bandwagon, and Dash (Brian Bradley) reluctantly joins them too.
They break into an off-limits ward, where Hunter tells Kara that he didn’t have the surgery after all, because the liver he was supposed to have wasn’t useable.
In the hallway, poor Jordi feels alone. Meanwhile, Dash feels like dying. It’s a little bit hard to sympathise with the former.
Hunter takes the Red Banders to see McAndrew perform a surgery. He reminds them that this is why they’re here – it’s not to make a TV show. “All that side plot you’ve been weaving? Forget about it. Just start dying.”
And oops, Dash took the lesson a little too literally.
McAndrew is busy giving the kids a stern talking-to, when he is interrupted by Dash, who so rudely collapses.
Let’s hope they didn’t split the bill
Leo’s two random friends come to visit, and Emma reluctantly meets them. And then they go to… lunch. I’ll be honest, I was preparing myself for another terrible, semi-glorified display of Emma’s “ability to not eat,” but this time, it was actually handled halfway decently.
This was mainly because of the fantastic guest stars Allie Grant and Louis Hunter, who were both instantly likeable. The girl in particular had some great lines, asking questions that were completely valid.
As Emma struggles to get down even one bite of lettuce (has she eaten anything since we last saw her? Sorry to be callous, but shouldn’t her hair be falling out by now?), Leo’s friend is awkwardly inquisitive. “Clearly you’re smart. Intellectually you must get that you’re killing yourself with a slow suicide,” she challenges Emma, which is of course highly insensitive – and yet it was such a relief to hear that the writers actually realise these things about the disease!
After they’ve returned home, Emma is upset that Leo didn’t defend her, and Leo makes some excellent points about how he doesn’t understand her disease, either. And that’s exactly what Red Band Society got right this week: that to anyone who hasn’t suffered from an eating disorder, it’s very hard to realise that no, Emma isn’t just skipping meals to maintain her slim figure. No, she can’t just start eating again (though apparently… yeah, whatever). Yes, she could legitimately die and lose her teeth and stuff.
It’s still not quite managing to bring the viewers on board. Could you imagine if people watching this show actually came away realising how horrible anorexia really is? But you know what, it’s a start.
Rise and shine
The really good stuff happens towards the end of the episode. First of all, Kara is suddenly evolving at breakneck speed (uh-oh. Are they setting us up to be upset when she dies?).
She has some choice words for Hunter: “When you fall, we’re gonna be there anyways. Maybe we all die alone, but that doesn’t mean we have to live alone.” She also finishes the letter to Nurse Jackson.
Leo and Jordi have a reconciliation of sorts, and then Emma sees some chocolate things she likes… and actually eats one. Well, a piece of one. It’s something.
And finally, Dash appears in Charlie’s ghost hospital. He goes away from the light and into the darkness… and I was actually convinced that he was dying for a second. But instead, the cliffhanger is that Charlie is not there. Because Charlie is awake.
SPOOKY! Does this mean Dash will have to do the insightful voice-overs from now on?