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Review: Saving Hope peels back the truth

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They say that what was lost can be found, but that certainly didn’t seem to be the case with Thursday night’s Saving Hope (“Stand By Me”). With multiple characters walking out on loves by the final few minutes, it was hard not to leave the episode feeling like a kid who just spent 50 or so minutes rummaging through a Lost & Found bin and turning up with nothing but sad memories of the things that used to be something to someone.

First and foremost, we have to talk about the fact that Alex blew out whatever flame her and Charlie had left by admitting that she doesn’t love him “anymore.” It’s something that we’ve seen coming given her post-coma behaviour, but hearing her actually say it was a whole other matter entirely, sparking what could be a whole new, spark-less chapter for the couple. Seeing Charlie’s–or more accurately, Michael Shanks’–face as it all went down was truly wrenching (he gave her his heart and breakfast in bed and she gave him … the worst relationship diagnosis ever!) too. It’s quite impressive that Shanks was able to pull that level of emotion off while also directing the episode, his first of the series.

With Shanks in the director chair, it’s not really a surprise Charlie was more of a side character this episode, making way for more Alex, Gavin and Joel. While she might not be doing so well in the personal department, it’s great to see Alex doing the opposite professionally, finally finding her way after some minor back-to-work struggles. Our girl came back to some interesting cases (a man with organs on the opposite side!) for sure, but what was more engaging about her return to Hope Zion was her small side issues, including a minor incident involving her being afraid of her own underboob blood (OK, that sounded crass, but that’s the quickiest–and dirtiest–way to describe it). It’s always weird to consider the fact that a doctor might not be interested in their own biology, but Alex has every right to be worried about minor injuries right now. I can only hope that after this she invests in a sturdy, non-wire sports bra while her stitches fully heal.

It’s going to be hard to heal after the other lost love-themed plotline played out, with Gavin leaving Maggie and Hope Zion behind after having a mega breakdown. His story was the most poetically erratic one of the episode, starting out more or less hilarious as he accidentally got high on LSD tablets (Kristopher Turner really knows how to play ridiculous stoned, saying lines like “I’m an orange!” with both infinite sadness and glee) and finishing things in the most depressing way possible. Taking a break from things might be the best decision for Gavin as a character, especially given how much he broke down over Maggie and the baby that could have been, but it doesn’t make it less upsetting. Turner brought some nice comic relief, as well as total adorableness, to Saving Hope, not to mention some really sweet jackets. At least he got to go out in a blazer of glory (seriously though, that grey one was way sharp).

I joke, but only as a defense mechanism. Gavin truly was one of the more interesting Hope Zion regulars, and seeing the series without him is not something I’m looking forward to doing and living. But at least we still have Joel around for some interesting side action, as evidenced by his compelling solo piece this episode.

Although there is plenty of compelling relationship drama to be had in the Hope Zion canon, sometimes it’s nice to see a non-romantic subplot take centre stage. We got to see that here first as Alex tried to get back into the professional zone and Joel was forced to do deal with a clinic patient’s emotional trauma in addition to his physical one. The latter plot had a nice mixture of medical and personal reactions, as Joel had to deal with a Ugandan man’s bullet wound and scarring past with homophobia. I almost wish we could have spent more time learning about that man and his brother, who fled their home country to try to avoid getting persecuted for his sexuality. But perhaps this episode already had enough harsh reality to go around.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I’m going to peel an orange as well as my emotional security blanket (literally my blanket) back and attempt to find a way to deal with all the loss I experienced last night.

Saving the best for last:

  • Patient: “She just called me fat!” Alex: “I mean fleshy!”
  • “I’m just not a big fan of poo.” Maggie might be best out of context.
  • Zero to Horny in 2.5 Beers. Joel, we all know you’re keeping that shirt.
  • For those wondering if Turner will be back on the show this season, I’m very sorry.

Saving Hope airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on CTV.

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Bachelor Canada, Saving Hope

Tonight: Saving Hope, Bachelor Canada, Nature of Things, Doc Zone

Saving Hope, CTV – “Stand By Me”
Alex (Erica Durance) is introduced to her “buddy colleague” on her first day back to work since her stabbing. Joel (Daniel Gillies) finds himself involved in a deadly situation at a local street clinic, and Gavin (Kristopher Turner) has a euphoric experience with the help of an unlikely ally. Encore presentation of SAVING HOPE airs Saturday, Oct. 11 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.

The Bachelor Canada, City
Bachelor Tim and the remaining bachelorettes travel to paradise, but the Bahamian waters prove perilous. As Tim attempts to revive his fizzling connection with one bachelorette, two ladies contemplate their fate as they face a dreaded two-on-one date. But it is the final rose that literally stops the show.

The Nature of Things, CBC – “Stonehenge Uncovered”
Radar technology and a new age of archeology reveal the most complete picture yet of Stonehenge in its heyday.

Doc Zone, CBC – “State of Incarceration”
Crime rates in Canada are plummeting, so why are we spending billions on new prisons?

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Ratings, Saving Hope

Ratings: Saving Hope nabs 1.3 million viewers

From a media release:

SAVING HOPE Grows to 1.3 Million Viewers as CTV’s Female-Driven Thursday Night Lineup Reigns

  • With only two episodes left until its Fall Finale, SAVING HOPE leads GRACEPOINT simulcast by double digits

Halfway through its fall event, CTV’s own SAVING HOPE solidly owned its Thursdays at 9 p.m. timeslot last night with an initial audience of 1.3 million viewers, preliminary overnight data from Numeris (BBM Canada) confirms. Along with the Top 2 programs of the night – HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER and GREY’S ANATOMY – SAVING HOPE allowed CTV to claim the Top 3 programs of the night among F18-49 and F25-54, as well as three of the Top 4 programs of the night for total viewers and all key demos.

With preliminary Playback + 7 data now in, last Thursday’s (Sept. 25) female-driven lineup on CTV saw the series premiere of one of this fall’s biggest new series HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER climb to 3.1 million (from 2.4 million), the season premiere of GREY’S ANATOMY grow to 2.2 million viewers (from 1.8 million), and the second episode of SAVING HOPE increase to 1.5 million (from 1.2 million).

Winning its timeslot at 9 p.m., the stand-alone broadcast of SAVING HOPE (1.32 million) led the simulcast series premiere of GRACEPOINT (1.1 million; Global/FOX) by double-digits with total viewers and in all key demos (+19% P2; +25% A18-34; +86% A18-49; +54% A25-54). With only two episodes left before its Fall Finale, SAVING HOPE grew 10% with total viewers and 7% among A25-54 over last Thursday’s episode. SAVING HOPE also more than doubled SCANDAL’s (510,000; City/ABC) audiences with total viewers (+158%), as well as in the key A18-49 (+129%) and A25-54 (+145%).

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Featured, Saving Hope

Review: Instinct takes over on Saving Hope

You’ve gotta give it up to Saving Hope for keeping Alex’s post-surgery amnesia condensed to one episode. Although a part of me wouldn’t have minded seeing a post-surgery Alex draw her own, fresh conclusions about her feelings for Charlie and Joel, it’s far too often the amnesia trope is introduced and dragged out to an excruciating, mind-numbing length.

In fact, pretty much everything about “Awakenings” was moving at a timely pace, all thanks to a condo explosion as the case-of-the-week that put Hope Zion on high alert. While the doctors were all busy trying to treat patients, Alex was able to do her own thing when it came to her injury and her memory loss, getting the space she needed from an overbearing Charlie. My heart certainly went out to Alex, bombarded by the pressure to remember from colleagues and loved ones when she needed to simply concentrate on her own health. But while she suffered through the majority of the episode, I was pleasantly surprised to see her instinct while helping another patient be what ultimately brought her memories back.

Her memories may have come back by the end of the episode, but we viewers pulling for Alex and Joel were certainly treated to a few heartwarming scenes while they were still gone. The condo explosion forced Charlie and Joel to channel their pissing contest over Alex through competing over ways to perform surgery on a couple of burn victims fused together (serious props to the makeup department for THAT messy looking ordeal). And while Charlie was awarded the surgery by Dawn in the end, it gave Joel a moment to check in with Alex while Charlie was busy, ending in a cute exchange that made Alex smile for the first time since waking up.

Speaking of the burn victims, I found myself particularly invested in the storyline of the duo as we learned more about their relationship as the episode went on. I had to give it up to how calm and sweet Marshall (Republic of Doyle’s Mark O’Brien) was to Anna (Cristina Rosato) even before we knew they had romantic feelings for one another, telling the doctors to peel her out of the binding before him even though he was the one suffering from paralysis. Way to take one for the girl you love, man. By the time Charlie found the box with the ring and we heard the whole story of the couple I couldn’t help hoping the two got a happy ending. Is it too much for the writers to give me a check-in on the couple later on?!

“Awakenings” also gave us a bit of development on Maggie, still suffering physically and emotionally from the miscarriage. As much as I loved Zach’s fake laughing technique to try and help her get her emotions in order, I couldn’t help but feel a little annoyance that Maggie kept her patient on edge about the mystery ailment they found while treating him from the condo incident. Her suffering was sad, but making someone else think they’re about to be told they’re dying is so not cool. That is, until we found out he wasn’t dying, but suffering from, well, a leftover from his “recreational activities.” In all seriousness, I’m glad she was able to write her feelings down to try and deal with her loss and emotions. No more crying in the ER, yeah?

So Alex may be back, and we’re not quite sure where she stands in the love department, but now the big mystery we’ve been delivered is the question of what exactly Alex “left behind” and what that will mean going forward, the mystery I’m assuming will be dragged out rather than the amnesia. Nothing’s ever easy at Hope Zion, is it?

Saving Hope airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on CTV.

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