From Christy Spratlin of The TV Junkies:
Link: Kristin Lehman brings no-nonsense confidence Saving Hope
“It’s almost a bit like that feeling like you’re good friends with someone and you’ve met their brother so you know them but don’t really know them. It was kind of like I was working with that brother. It was great. There was a real ease on the set, a real level of comfort and respect and caring. It was lovely.” Continue reading.
From Bridget Liszewski of The TV Junkies:
Link: How Saving Hope lived up to the Lexa Pledge
“I’ll be honest, it was a bit tricky getting everyone on board with changing the story. We talked a lot in the room about whether or not writers have an obligation to the audience beyond giving them compelling and entertaining stories.” Continue reading.Â
I’ve had a couple of readers comment they don’t like the up and down between Alex and Charlie during this final season of Saving Hope. They’ve commented about Alex smooching with Manny and how Charlie is being left in the cold. Well, Charlie gets his smooch on this Sunday courtesy of guest star Kristen Lehman, who plays someone from Charlie’s past. She’s not the only guest on Sunday: What Would Sal Do? co-star Jennifer Dale drops by in a memorable role as Martha, Alex’s mother.
Here’s what CTV says about Sunday’s episode “Doctor Robot,” written by Adriana Maggs and directed by James Genn:
When Dr. Alex Reid (Erica Durance) gets a call that her alarm is going off, she arrives home to an unexpected surprise. Then, with one of the participants in her cancer trial with Dr. Maggie Lin (Julia Taylor Ross) not responding to medication, Alex and Maggie are forced to turn to Dr. Charlie Harris (Michael Shanks), the newly-appointed Chief of Surgery, for his opinion when they can’t agree on a method of treatment. Meanwhile, Dr. Zach Miller (Benjamin Ayres) is reluctantly transitioning the E.R. to an Urgent Care facility, until a patient who challenges societal conventions persuades Zach not to settle for second best.Â
And, as always, a few more hints from us.
We love Jennifer Dale
If you haven’t seen her in CraveTV’s hilarious What Would Sal Do?, check her out there before Saving Hope on Sunday. She makes an immediate impact on Alex’s life in a surprising and funny way—she has opinions about Charlie—before things get very serious.
Cassie and Dev are having troubles
He wanted to keep things casual between them, but now that’s he’s gotten his way he’s not happy with that either. Dev needs to seriously make up his mind. Meanwhile, Thomas has got big plans for Cassie, but is she interested?
A patient makes an impact on Charlie
A man who is acting very unlike himself causes Charlie to rethink his decisions of late.
Saving Hope airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.
Images courtesy of CTV.
We were excited to see what Greg Bryk’s character would bring to Saving Hope when Erica Durance gave us the scoop on his storyline earlier this year.
“It was a little bit of a departure because he brought a little more danger to the episode and to Alex,” she told us last month. “She has to track this guy down and he’s in the witness protection program, and she has to try and convince him to save his son. Again, danger, and some comedy and a heartrending story. Greg is such a lovely actor.”
Not only does Bryk guest-star in Sunday’s new episode, “Tested and Tried,” but so does Wynonna Earp‘s Kate Drummond (listen to our interview with her from last summer). Here’s CTV’s official synopsis about the episode:
With a patient in desperate need of a liver transplant and no other options, Dr. Alex Reid (Erica Durance) is forced to track down the boy’s father Danny (Greg Bryk, BITTEN) who is in witness protection. As the new CEO, Thomas Leffering (Joe Dinicol, BLINDSPOT), sets out to make his mark on Hope Zion Hospital, he puts a moratorium on expensive transplant surgeries which puts him at odds with a defiant Dr. Dawn Bell (Michelle Nolden). As the cuts from Thomas continue, Dr. Zach Miller (Benjamin Ayres) sets out to have a perfect day in the E.R. only to be faced with trials of biblical proportions.Â
And here are some non-spoilery facts we can reveal after watching a screener!
A new story angle
Durance wasn’t kidding when she said tonight’s story was a departure for Saving Hope. The writers have gone all-in for Season 5 and Bryk and Drummond are a huge part of it. Alex has been showing her more daring side of late—hello, motorcycle—and that continues on Sunday. Drummond is so unlike Agent Lucado—which makes sense, she is an actress after all—and fans are going to love seeing her sensitive side.
Dawn on the warpath
“Defiant” is the word the network used in their synopsis to describe Dawn this week. We prefer “mad as hell,” and Thomas is in her sights, especially after he recalls the downfall of civilization on Easter Island.
Charlie vs. Alex
Remember when I wrote about how nice it was to see Alex and Charlie getting along for Luke’s sake. Yeah, that goes to hell on Sunday. In a big way.
The ER goes to the dogs
Literally.
Saving Hope airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CTV.
Images courtesy of Bell Media.
I love hospital dramas but I’m addicted to Saving Hope. I watched it from Season 1 again and the storylines are fantastic. You just don’t know what’s going to happen next, so it would be a sin for it to finish in Season 5. Surely you’ve got more stories in your head for Alex, Charlie, Dawn and Maggie, etc. You have to keep it going, it’s sooooooo good it would be a mortal sin for it to end so I’m going to pray to my guardian angel and all other angels out there to save Saving Hope. You just can’t let your FANS DOWN PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE —Angel
I’m in [on Frankie Drake]. I love Lauren Lee Smith and I have no doubt that this creative team can pull this off. —DMK
This new version [Anne] is neither feminist nor empowering. The message is that women have always been, and continue to be, defeated by the world. Although the acting is marvelous, the dark take does not express anything helpful, nor make PEI a desirable destination, more’s the pity. —Claire
As a lover of all things Anne, I turned to my husband today and declared that I was officially ‘in.’ I am really loving this version and I’m an islander (now living in Toronto though). I was s skeptical and anxious and even as I watched the first couple of episodes I was hesitant. Did I like it? I was thinking I did, but I have such an emotional connection to this series it took me a few episodes to fully accept that I was sold. Amy is brilliant as Anne. She’s truly captured the spirit. Her walk to school this episode, or soliloquy as you accurately called it, was very moving. I was so nervous for Anne. And there was such an earnest sweetness about her. R.H. Thomson is fantastic as Matthew (and I was a tough nut to crack on that one) and Geraldine James is really well cast as well. Heck, can we talk about Corinnne Koslo as Rachel Lynde!? I never thought I’d see another Rachel Lynde that I’d approve of but this episode I decided she was perfect. And Gilbert. Dear, sweet, lovely Gilbert, I SO approve … and I truly thought I never would because Jonathan Crombie was perfection. But this new portrayal has really has captured how and why Gilbert is Gilbert. —Ceecee
She is a wonderful actress. Enjoying this series as she sweeps you up with her emotions. —Jim
Got a question or comment about Canadian TV? greg.david@tv-eh.com or via Twitter @tv_eh.
