Private Practice – Recap & Review – Blind Love

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Private Practice
Blind Love

Original Air Date: Feb 10, 2011

Farrah Kaye – Sr. Editor
farrah@thetwocentscorp.com

The OWPW (will they just change the name already?) group has a lot going on right now. They always have a lot going on.

When we last left them, Susan collapsed at her wedding after admitting she signed a DNR and that her cancer was back (neither of which Bizzy knows), Charlotte had a breakthrough in her post-rape healing and everyone was getting along just fine.

But this week? It’s all about love, trust and ethics when Lee McHenry is brought into the hospital (and since apparently the PP docs are the only ones on staff, Sam is his doctor) while Pete and Amelia work on a patient who has shrapnel on her optic nerve and have different opinions on her life.

Amelia and Pete: Lizzy, a former soldier who has shrapnel on her optic nerve, comes to Pete for help. Not sure why, but Amelia gets in on the case. While they are talking, Lizzy accidentally suffocates her baby (they resuscitate her). Lizzy’s boyfriend was killed in the explosion that caused her to become blind and she is all alone. Somehow, Amelia calls his mother and she comes to take away the baby. A fight ensues and Amelia decides to do a very – VERY – risky surgery to restore her eyesight. Before the operation, Lizzy gives Amelia this speech about how she can be a good mother, even if she can’t see 100% (or at all). After the surgery, Lizzy says she can see and her sort of mother-in-law leaves, upset that she will lose her granddaughter. But there’s a twist: she can’t really see. Pete coached her on what colors everything would be and Amelia could see that the surgery didn’t take. Pete asks her to keep the lie going so Lizzy could keep her baby. Finally, the docs break their silence and the two decide to work together instead of against each other to raise the baby. Amelia is NOT happy with Pete (or the rest of the practice, it seems).

Lee McHenry is back: After attacking his girlfriend, Lee McHenry is stabbed with a knife and is pretty close to death. Of course he’s brought to Charlotte’s hospital and Sam is her doctor. Everyone puts in their two cents on whether or not Lee should live or die. In the end, Naomi gives Charlotte the best advice: the worst thing you can do to Lee is forgive him. He will live, knowing you have your power back and he has nothing (she referenced the man that killed Dell and nearly killed Maya and Olivia). Everyone struggled with Lee being back. Cooper had to be physically held back from killing him and Sheldon finally opened up about his feelings from that night (um hello, does anyone remember that Lee tried to kill him, too??). In an odd twist, Lee’s girlfriend Nancy goes to visit Charlotte – and she knows EVERYTHING about what he did. Woah. Charlotte tells her she needs to leave him, to run away to take care of her son. Nancy tries to defend Lee because he’s got two sides to him but Charlotte tells her to run. When Lee is finally stable enough for surgery, Charlotte makes sure hers is the last face he sees, in case he doesn’t wake up. But he does, and he’s handcuffed to his bed. What for? Nancy took Charlotte’s advice and told the cops everything Lee did. The best part of everything? Charlotte has her power back.

Susan and Bizzy (and Addison): Susan signed a DNR (or a sort of DNR?) so no heroics can be taken to save her life. No crash carts, no CPR, but she can have oxygen and an IV with drugs. The problem is Bizzy has zero clue about it – or the cancer. So when Susan is finally resting comfortably, Addison tells her to go home and change. When she comes back and Susan is crashing – and Addison is doing nothing – Bizzy doesn’t want to hear it. Susan dies, despite Bizzy trying to save her. Addison had to respect Susan’s wishes (and it’s sort of the legal thing to do…) but Bizzy didn’t care. Dr. Rodriguez tries to comfort Addison but nothing helps. Addison goes to visit Bizzy to talk to her and she’s packing to leave. She asks her to stay and she agrees, after a long conversation about Bizzy being alone (no wonder Addison is so screwed up). They agree to meet for coffee but Addison comes back quickly because she doesn’t want to wait and finds that Bizzy has killed herself, after nicely cleaning up the room and leaving a tip for the housekeepers because of the mess she has made. Woah.

Next week, Addison keeps her mother’s real cause of death a secret and becomes unhinged.

So Lee lives while both Susan and Bizzy die. Did you see that coming? I didn’t. Nor did I ever think Amelia would have an unsuccessful surgery. Here’s a few of my thoughts:
– Nancy knowing what Lee did and staying around? Horrible but realistic. Watching her defend him while her face was beaten up was heartbreaking. But Charlotte’s speech to her, the empowerment, was amazing.
Why does this show constantly throw at us the “ethics” question? No one is going to kill a patient just because someone asks them to.
– I really enjoyed Amelia answering the above question in her yelling at Pete. Calling him out and saying “you people” clearly shows how she still isn’t at home at the practice and isn’t a part of their clique – and she’s okay with it (as am I). Her number one priority is the patient, not pleasing the other doctors.
– Susan dying was expected. But Bizzy too? So did NOT see that coming. Addison is going to lose her mind. Although now I understand why the rumors of her brother coming back started. I just don’t see how this is going to be good.
– Over/under on how many days it takes before Addison turns her grief into lack of control and beds Dr. Rodriguez?

So those are my thoughts. What about yours? Leave your two cents below!