so i know ive already spoken at length about the symbolism and visual story telling choice to have kingdon ambulance bay conversations slowly get further from the ED as their conversations stray farther from work, but i wanted to point out something else because im insane.

not only do they just occur further away, but each time they speak in the ambulance bay, frank intentionally seeks her out, and each time he is willing to travel a further distance and cause more disruption to his daily routine for her.

now everything is a kingdon cathedral if you’re insane, but is this not progressive storytelling letting us know visually that as he continues to get to know her, he is becoming more and more willing to go out of his way for her and do things that don’t make sense for him to be doing unless his intention is to center her in his life?

kingdon will end season 3 leaving the shift together… here’s why!

i am fairly certain the image of kingdon that the writers knew from the beginning they wanted to end on is mel and frank leaving the hospital together.

i made a post a while ago unpacking the progression of kingdon ambulance bay scenes by noticing an important detail in each of them: how far away they are from the hospital. with each scene, they move a little bit further away from the ED, which is representative of the relationship becoming increasingly intimate and more distanced from work (as their conversations do as well).

the fireworks scene in 2x15 is the gift that keeps on giving, as we’ve discussed here, but one of the most critical points is the choice to have them walk out of the ambulance bay and turn towards it, facing the hospital together. they are framed as a unit, from behind as if we are intruding, as they discuss the difficulties and joys of working their uniquely challenging shifts, and the implication is clearly that neither of them will face the hardships waiting inside alone anymore.

visual storytelling wise, the next logical image to be stressed is both of them together as a unit facing AWAY from the hospital. after months together, their relationship will have a new level of intimacy, and they’ll be prepared to embark on a connection that is completely separate from their work in the ED. i think it’s likely we will get one or two scenes before the finale in the ambulance bay where they have deeply intimate conversations that reveal new information about their characters, particularly franks relationship to robby or his family and mel’s journey towards developing an identity outside of being a caretaker.

then, in the finale, i am placing my bet now that the final image will be a shot of them in the front seats of a car, the camera shooting from behind, as they drive away from the hospital.

yes i’m cornplating shhhhh it’s kingdon day idc

Rewatching this scene this morning, I noticed that throughout the entirety of Frank’s Mr. Darcy strut through the ambulance bay, the “y” is cut off on the emergency sign. This makes to word read (at least to me) as “emergence” and now I can’t stop thinking about it because is this not the most beautiful representation of their relationship?

1. the process of coming into view or becoming exposed after being concealed

- Frank is emerging into the newly vulnerable, authentic, honest, softer version of himself that Mel brings out of him. After hiding the truth and concealing his pain for so long, he is letting himself become exposed to her, showing her the way his hand shakes, admitting to her that he’s doubting himself, leaning on her with patients when he gets emotional.

2. the process of coming into being, or of becoming important or prominent

- Mel is on the precipice of finding worth in herself outside of her relationship to others, which is aided by Frank. After ten months of feeling left behind, ignored, and isolated by basically all of her other coworkers and now Becca, he is a presence that reminds her that she’s important on her own. She gets to the root of her fear with Becca’s relationship, she lets loose at the end of the day, she actually admits something she selfishly wants to Frank, for him not to leave.