runkonir

I CAN make gifsets without meta-yapping...but where's the fun in that!? So yappage/some expansion and explanation on each of these beats and maybe some talk around bits I didn't end up including (curse u 30-image limit!!) but that are still relevant. Bc this is another one of those 'if I had a nickel for every one...it's weird it's happened x number of times tho' situations.

So I'm not saying it's absolutely definitely for sure a solid 100% canon thing that Frank has some kind of connection to/experience with a close family member/friend with some sort of psych/neurological issue... But I AM saying I'm willing to put a reasonable little chunk of money on it at this point.

Esp when you factor in Joe Sachs saying that, "The secret of our success is we always start with the dramatic needs of our character, and then we go to the well [...] of hundreds of thousands of medical stories."

Which I always factor in bc 1)- it's a great quote/philosophy and 2)- it legitimises my inclination to seek out patterns in the kinds of patients/illnesses the characters treat multiple times and/or how they react to certain kinds of patients/illnesses. So we're gonna talk about both of those things!

We'll go patient-by-patient and in chronological order. Bc I'm a crazy motherfucker like that:

1x02 + 1x06: Beto

First and foremost: I never EVER as long as I LIVE E V E R want any of y'all to come at me and attempt to convince me that Frank Langdon (yes, even season 1 Frank Langdon!!) didn't care/had no compassion or empathy or genuine concern for people/that he had to "learn empathy" between seasons or whatever shit.

That man recognises Beto, an EVS worker who he hasn't seen IN YEARS (and who's implied to have worked night shift previously - so either my 'Frank used to work nights/Robby stole him from Abbot' headcanon may have some merit OR he's just got: that good a memory (his memory is p fucking great btw) REGARDLESS - he recognises him pretty much immediately, remembers him by name (and is HAPPY to see him!!!), remembers that he retired, and remembers him well enough to judge pretty much straight away that he's not himself/that there's something a little bit off here.

At which point he: immediately becomes protective/wants to make sure that he's okay and is being taken care of and goes to check-in with Dana. (That unimpressed/mildly disbelieving 'really?' at Beto's family not coming to collect him for a few hours is also v interesting - keep that in ur back pocket, we shall return to it later).

That and his lil check-in with Beto again in 1x06 is v sweet - and that line to Robby re "that'll be us one day" is....well it takes on a slightly different cast/tone if Frank DOES have any connection to/family history of psych/neurological issues. And Frank? Making jokes/light of a very real situation to #Cope?? Noooo!! He would N E V E R. /s

1x08 - Willie Alexander

I love Willie's case for a lot of reasons - Frank does some EXCELLENT teaching as part of it for a start, but it's also one of the patients we get to see him spend some time with and really get to know/bond with rather than ping-ponging from issue to issue as he's prone to. I also love the way he sits and very obviously eagerly learns from Willie and his history with the Freedom House ambulance service. I also really enjoy the little beat that I've giffed - which is relevant for the discussion of memory/forgetting things vs 'remembering what's important'. But also the fact Frank is obviously happy to see the joking between father and son re Willie's condition/that he Gets that joking and his reaction to it makes him feel included in it/part of it. He feels comfortable and familiar with this sort of thing.

He's also great with Willie re explaining to him the procedures that are going on, and talking back and forth with him re his medical knowledge and giving repeat reassurances - but he doesn't dismiss him or not explain things to him, or simply talk to Eli (his son), he makes sure Willie's kept in the loop and is aware of what's happening with him and why (which sounds hella basic/like it should be a given but it is: not. Esp not for older adults/those with problems like dementia or otherwise).

2x02 The Hansens

I got a lotta thoughts re this family and their gift that keeps on giving to the ED, keeping 'em ticking over through the hours. And I see a lot of parallels/things to yap about with regards to Frank's interactions with them. But for the purposes of this I'm honing in on Frank: dissociating to fuck/zoning the heck out and just doing his job in a v mechanical way until we start getting 'crazy' and 'psycho' thrown around - and he picks up the connection to the racing family, but he also definitely reacts to those terms/the idea of it running in the family. Those lines feel Deliberate/we could've said anything here to bring up the grandads names but instead we dropped more breadcrumbs.

2x11-2x12 Micah Azurmendi

Frank and Baran share many #SignificantLooks between these cases, but this is one where I think Frank's reactions are more telling than what's going on. But first off, the look between Frank and Baran re potential damage to Micah's brain is Interesting (Baran's connection to this case/to neurological complications is fairly obvious, given her seizures - Frank's less so). But both he and Baran are fairly firm in not judging Brenda or jumping to the conclusion that she harmed Micah deliberately (both are actually fairly firm on NOT making that judgement in how they speak about the case/react to others, which feels v interesting to me).

I will acknowledge here, too, that there are obviously some parallels/connections to be drawn between a parent accidentally (or otherwise) harming their child and being unable to see them with the potential for what might have happened to either Tanner or Penny had they ever found/taken any of Frank's benzos during his addiction/the fact that at some point over the 10 months, Abby apparently threatened divorce/Frank was afraid he might lose his kids. I'm sure there is definitely an element in there (esp with Micah being around Tanner's age) but I think there's more to this case, largely around how Frank behaves with regards to Micah's mum.

ESPECIALLY because of the difference in how he reacts with Brenda/her case here vs how he responds towards Tyler (pot-gummy boy from s1) and his parents. In that case he's a lot more cynical, after Mel expresses concern over seeing families torn apart, he assures her that they'll be fine, and she asks how he can be so sure, to which he replies, "They're white. Probably get off with a slap on the wrist. If they weren't, she'd probably lose her child and he'd end up going to jail, but–" - I've commented on this scene before and it's INTERESTING, because it's a side of Frank we don't see all that often (not so much the cynicism/snark) but there's....there's definitely a feeling of something like bitterness in him here. He knows the system prioritises/will let white families away with things others won't get away with and there's a feeling like he knows this to his cost/it's definitely not something he approves of.

For the purposes of this, tho, it's night and day vs how he reacts towards Brenda's case/circumstances.

2x11-2x12 Brenda Azurmendi

Frank is shown numerous times (which I giffed above for ur consumption and enjoyment!) to be very concerned about/protective towards Brenda. As stated he repeatedly avoids casting doubt/judgement on her for having intentionally harmed her son - he also advocates for her/asks after her multiple times.

-The very obvious concern he shows when Brenda has a 302 called/is placed on a hold and his first query is whether or not she's going to be able to see her son (which, interestingly (to me) he directs towards Baran, not Robby, even though Robby is his typical/instinctual go-to for answering questions/fixing things that have gone wrong in the world. Then the follow-up on what happens if Micah is ready to be discharged before Brenda is herself? - That second one is actually almost more interesting to me than the first; because it DOESN'T align (at all) with Frank's life/experience with HIS kiddos. Because even if/while he was in rehab and unable to see or look after them - he knew that they had Abby.

-Then the question (again to Baran) on if she thinks that Brenda will be okay. Frank... I don't think we've seen Frank question this about any of his patients before (most of them I think he KNOWS how they are/how they're going to be because he's worked on them and knows the next steps. Brenda's case is a bit more up in the air/uncertain - this isn't something with an easy fix or answer - but it also feels like he's seeking reassurance/this is a situation that he's worried about/that he's dwelling on a bit and wants to talk about, and he knows Baran cares as well and that she's spoken to Brenda at this point, so he's looking for a follow-up on the case, but it's obvious he's concerned/this is more than just a purely clinical 'what are the next steps' kind of a question - he's obviously worried.

-More #SignificantLooks exchanged between him and Baran when Brenda asks if she killed her son. I think, again, worried FOR her rather than worried at what she might have done (even after this he still doesn't cast judgement/in the next beat where they talk about her husband visiting he's still very clearly feeling protective towards Brenda/isn't seeing this as an admission of guilt but rather an indicator that she's not okay/needs help herself).

-Aaand yes there we go that brings us onto him obviously feeling Some Kinda Way about the fact her husband didn't come to see her or check-in at all about her but just went directly upstairs. And we get a reprisal of that disbelieving/judgemental 'really???'. Which, okay, the one word is a fun lil connection/parallel but not necessarily deliberate, however, the TONE/this being the second time Frank expresses fairly obvious judgement/disapproval (which - is actually NOT that typical for him at all, honestly, he doesn't tend to show particularly strong feelings/reactions towards any of his patients regardless, he just treats them).

But THIS? This is something that GETS him and that draws a notable response/judgement from him both times, and in both cases, it's a scenario involving a person with likely psychiatric issues and their family not coming to see them/get them straight-away/perhaps not showing enough concern for or acknowledgement of the seriousness of the issue? Uncertain. Either way, in both cases Frank is obviously Concerned/not a happy bunny, and there's definitely an instinct of care/protectiveness towards both of them.

I just. I Feel it, people, i Feel It, Frank's close with someone who's had additional care needs - maybe where those WEREN'T respected/he/they had to fight for that. I FEEL IT OKAY.