So apparently I’ve decided to cope with the last few days of work by rewatching the first season of ER, which I haven’t seen since it first aired in the mid-nineties or so. I remember the later seasons going completely off the rails, as was the case with entirely too many shows of that era (WE DO NOT TALK ABOUT THE LAST FEW SEASONS OF THE X-FILES IN THIS HOUSEHOLD), but...I dunno, after so many years of getting mad at things like Grey’s Anatomy and House and Nurse Jackie and Code Black, I was curious to see how well it held up.
The answer, I’m delighted to report, is surprisingly well. There are nurses and CNAs that do nurse and CNA things! No one has tried to shock an unshockable rhythm! Adjusting for changes in practice over the years, the orders and medications and procedures actually make sense! Radiologists, imaging techs, lab techs, and unit clerks are not only depicted, but they’re shown doing their actual jobs! The staff all work together as a well-functioning team focused more on the patients than their own egos or personal drama! NO ONE HAS TRIED TO SHOCK AN UNSHOCKABLE RHYTHM!
Seriously, half the reason I opted for a medical show in the first place was because I wanted to see fictional people having a worse day than I just did. It’s kinda refreshing that I don’t also have to turn off the part of my brain that gets mad about fictional code blues all the dang time.