The bad reviews are harsh, but with this episode, some of those reviews make very valid points. Parts of this episode are great. The Reynolds story was good. Helen's story was good. I don't care about Bloom having a relationship with a woman, honestly I like the girlfriend better than Bloom. The stuff with Iggy's former patient turned stalker is worrisome and probably building up to something for the finale. The story with his patient of the week felt half baked and poorly done. Max's story felt like a bad parody someone would write to mock this show.
I'm in favor of taking a stand for the environment, I was excited to see what would play out. The way they handled this was so heavy-handed and poorly done that I'm wondering who blackmailed who to get this presented on television. I've been cool with all the social justice stuff, like I really loved the stop asian hate episode and the episode with the indigenous woman was almost excellent, still really well done. The internet episode was fun and almost felt like something from season 1 or 2. But this, this was an utter failure and disservice to everyone involved and everyone watching. I kept waiting for Max to realize he was asking too much of over stressed hospital workers in an area where they experienced some of the worst of covid, on a very hot day, with an overcrowded ER, but he never came to his senses. He never looked for more viable solutions. He stuck to his good intentioned, but ultimately stupid ideas and made everyone miserable because if one hospital does four things for the environment and he stops using air conditioning at home, the world will be saved! "Pressure Drop" is well deserving of some criticism. Aside from the Reynolds/Sharpe/Bloom/Iggy's stalker scenes, this is with no contest the worst episode of the series.
Unfortunately, I worry the writers have put themselves in a position where because so much of the negative feedback this year has come from hateful places or people just not wanting to hear it, that they'll think this is the same case with this episode. The problem with this episode is that they made it so heavy-handed, stupid, impractical, lacking common sense, and there was no good reason for this. There were better ways to cut down the hospital's carbon footprint without playing keep away with gloves or changing the light bulbs at that very second while the ER was over capacity. There is no reason you can't cycle the AC on for an hour or so and sleep in a less uncomfortable apartment with your poor baby daughter. Max is often naive, but he's not flat-out stupid like he was written in this episode. Any other time, he faces opposition for anything he wants to change in the hospital. Magically for this episode the woman he typically has to answer to doesn't exist. His polar opposite assistant? She's gone too. With no one to talk a teaspoon of sense into him, Max can get away with these extreme and unreasonable because environment. I'm honestly mad there was no one in the chain of approval who spoke up and said that this was just too stupid to be made into an episode as is. These kinds of extreme ideas are why people are reluctant to change habits and work at making a difference. They make it sound like you have to be all in 1000% with no baby steps and no middle ground or whatever you do doesn't matter.
I love this show, but I loathe the way they basically guilted Max and made him act really dense for the sake pushing environmental ideas that aren't all practical for a HOSPITAL. You don't dumb down your main character just to make a point about your cause. I keep hearing, "the show always took a stand on important matters", but it wasn't always done the way it's been done this season. It was done in a more subtle and refreshing way in the past and it wasn't every single week. You want to take a stand? Great. But chill out because you're alienating the fans who have tuned in and supported your show. I'm not talking about the fans who may or may not have hateful issues in their lives ad/or opposing political viewpoints, I'm talking about people like me who recognize a poorly executed story that should have been way better. Or people who want to see the characters we've grown to care about, but feel more like we're being lectured about real life things that we already agree with you on! No other aspect of any episode of the series has been anywhere near as poorly done as this environmental story. This show had to skip an important episode last year and shove Daniel Dae Kim in with barely an introduction. They made that work. This did not work.
There's a difference between trying to showcase good values, and lecturing like a self-righteous moron. Hey, writer who I bet lives in LA? Do you sleep in 100°+ humid heat waves without AC? Are you cutting out all red meat? Do you want to go to a hospital where the doctors have limited gloves and additional stress because the well meaning boss has turned into an idiot with no one to answer to? I can only hope the show will move forward, and be willing to listen to objective criticism given by fans who truly do care about more than just Max getting together with Helen or who Bloom is sleeping with.
I loved seasons 1 & 2. I've mostly enjoyed 3. I really hope they get back to season 1 & 2 style stories with good values but done in ways that aren't in your face stupid and extreme like this episode. We don't need a current events related social lecture or two every flipping week. I'm not saying to strip away the show's humanity. I'm saying incorporate the issues without making it the point of 70% of nearly every episode. See seasons 1 & 2 for how you did this successfully and consistently in the past. There have been very well done episodes this season, but having lecture after lecture almost every week is wearing on us, even those of us who agree with you. "Pressure Drop" is the low point of the entire series. Here's hoping for a rebound and return to form.
*some of the photos listed under this episode are actually from an earlier and much better season 3 episode. Some video providers actually have a Real Housewives summary up for this episode instead of the actual synopsis. I'm wondering if someone DID pay attention a little too late and is embarrassed of this main story clusterflub.
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