A Man. And His Blog.

Another great episode. And now I know the answer of my unasked question why Simon’s curse episode wasn’t the season finale: This one was much more fitting. It had drama again, a bunch of emotions again, and even though Cath (Kezia Burrows) kinda overreacted in my opinion (yet I was never a first-year resident in a hospital, so I don’t know how I would react in her situation), I loved that she got the emotional part of the story. When she was about to break down right after Gabby (Ella Peel), I wanted to watch a similar feature, just to connect with the characters.

The story was alright. It was Cath’s birthday, she had this experience at work, she wanted to quit, and she needs the whole night, and the visit of Gabby’s father Tom (Richard Harrington) to realize that quitting isn’t an option, and that the work of a doctor begins now. The part of Cath quitting was a cliché (of course), but I can’t stop repeating that the writing just works here – not overdone, not too complicated, it feels authentic, and since I care about the characters, the stories work automatically.

The episode could have paid more attention to the actual birthday party though. Somehow it became a story between Simon/Rhian and Ameer/Cath, with Cath still having her own story thanks to the beginning of the episode. At least the writers finally brought the kiss between the two love birds Simon (Gareth Milton) and Rhian (Elin Phillips), because I was waiting for it. But one thing was ridiculous though: The whole LOVE POTION NO. 9 quotes here were redundant. It was already good enough, when Simon told her he loved her, I didn’t really need the whole drinking thing (though Rhian looked funny dancing with a bra on her head).

The final scene was good-looking. Of course the season ended this way, and of course it kinda looks like the opposite of the last scene of the GREY’S ANATOMY pilot, when the friends were walking away from the hospital. But now I wish that BBC would renew this show (I looked for information on the web, and found nothing). 8.5/10

One life ends, the other changes

The moment of happiness. But only if Rhian can remember

This is why I love this series, and watch it. This is why a few more people should be aware of this little show. And this is why HBO and Showtime should think about producing half-hour dramas (and not dramedies). Though I still think that CRASH would work much better in an hour-long format. After the last episode, which was near as almost perfect, this episode brings emotional storylines, and the fact that not every story has a happy end.

I wonder why the writing brought me the third pregnant woman in this 6-episode-season. There must be something going on behind the camera, or there wouldn’t be so many pregnancy storylines. And like the previous two, it was the highlight of the episode. And finally the writers managed to bring some life-danger into this story. The drama between Mary (Nia Roberts), Rachel (Alys Thomas) and Anthony (Keiron Self) was touching, and I could understand Anthony’s worries of not wanting to lose the baby, since it was his last chance to have a family. And I loved how this story wasn’t overdone with much chaos and drama: Rachel and Anthony could have been the “crazy couple”, wanting to have different opinions about the upcoming operation and the chance of losing the baby, and though they were discussing about it, it looked just damn authentic that Anthony was quite and calm about the situation (though inwardly disintegrated, because of his leukemia).

The case of Bryan (Gareth Wyn-Jones) was nice too. Though the writing went much into the emotional world of his grandson Ralff (Geraint Owen), I liked how the writers handled this story. Again, not overdone at all, and I was asking myself when an episode started to treat the belief-story, and characters asking about the existence of God. It was nice that Ameer (Simon Rivers) got this storyline, though it would have been better suited for Simon, especially after the last episode, and his emotional state of mind (regarding Rhian). The non-happy end, the final decision, was touching too. Finally CRASH goes this way one time.

And finally the writers included Mary and Hill (Mark Lewis Jones) into any story. I’ve had the feeling they were just random background characters this season, and I was waiting for something to happen. But now I don’t know what to make of the Hill/Cath (Kezia Burrows) situation. Is she still in love with him? The little moment between the two on the stairs seems to tell me something…

Another great episode. How I wish the series would live a bit longer… 9/10

Praying for a life and a decision: Ameer and Ralff

Hoping for the family's survival: Anthony

YES! This episode was exactly what I’ve always wanted to see in the show. A somewhat surreal story, mixed with humor and emotions, and a feeling of watching a dramedy, instead of a drama cut together under 30 minutes. Now I would wish that the next two episodes (and probably the last of the series, though I wouldn’t wish) would be like that.

The story totally worked. This time the writers didn’t waste time with real patients, they went into the world of Simon (Gareth Milton), who was cursed in his teen years, and always thought to die of young age. And the first half of the episode really was misleading at first, giving us Simon’s emotional state of mind, probably thinking about suicide (at least that’s what I was thinking). It was reason enough to deliver a real tragic story, where Simon’s friends tried to help him, and reasons enough for it to be a groundbreaking episode. Luckily the writing went to a different path, and showed what the series is actually about. And it still was one of the best episodes of CRASH. The first half scored with the tragically themed death-storyline, the second half scored with the surrealism of Simon believing in the curse, his friends trying to help him, nurse Penny’s (Kezrena James) “doll room”, and the fake funeral – sometimes hilarious, sometimes even sweet.

But I would have wished that the episode went a bit more into Simon’s state of mind. He still is in love with Rhian (Elin Phillips), but the writers don’t pursue that storyline anymore (and the episode would have been a good opportunity to do so). And the second half could have gone even more hilarious, when the friends were about to examine Simon without him knowing what is actually going on. But then I was thinking about the series’ genre again, and was happy that the writers didn’t overdo the episode.

And I was saying to myself that this has to be a great episode, when the producers used Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” during the beginning. And hell, it was. 9/10

And Rhian is just looking into a room, where nurses can train their treatments

"We hereby say goodbye to fake Simon..."

Sometimes it can be awkward to see an awkward storyline, which actually shows a bunch of drama. And sometimes it can be bad to watch a show, where characters have a story, but you don’t know the characters at all. Like in this episode of CRASH: The story of Cheryl (Erin Richards), and Vern (Gareth Potter) were both targeted by me, and I don’t know what to make of them.

First: Who exactly is Vern, and why do the characters care that he saddens the end of the relationship with he woman of his dreams? Why is Rhian (Elin Phillips) the only one in the hospital, who seems to care about Vern’s state of mind, letting her stay in front of the barricaded door of the room Vern is in, listening to music? Am I not having the best (memorizing) days of my life, or did the writers never introduced Vern properly. Though the name tells me something… Anyway, since I don’t know what was going on here, I couldn’t connect with that story.

At least Ameer’s (Simon Rivers) story had something of emotions. Cheryl was an alright character, maybe a bit psychotic in her behavior to Ameer, maybe even crazy after the loss of her husband. Furthermore, it didn’t work for me that she “suddenly” was “in love” with Ameer, and that she was thinking he wants her (yep, she definitely is crazy). But Ameer’s efforts of making clear to her that he isn’t free for any kind of relationship was nice, though it could have been a bit more funny, after Simon (Gareth Milton) gave him the “get out of jail free”-tips. And like Simon, I first thought that Ameer really was gay, but the arranged marriage-thing was a nice way out for the writers not to get things too complicated. Though the arranged marriage-thing is way too much of a cliché.

Cath’s (Kezia Burrows) story was nice though. Helping out Dr. Howard (Pal Aron) have the best memories of his dead wife was good, but it didn’t bring anything for anybody.

It was a good episode, but really forgettable. Maybe the writers should put more into the relationships between the characters and the patients – that one seemed to be more interesting than anything else. 7/10

Cheryl learns that her doctor of love handles things a bit different than others...

"Break down the door!" Rhian has enough

Well, maybe I just needed to get back to the “normality” of non-US shows – the second episode of this season was much better than the season premiere. Why? I’m back to understanding the characters, I’m back to accepting the stories, and I can even live with the pretty much mediocre representation of drama. Hell yes, I like the characters again. Maybe it wouldn’t have been bad to rewatch the first season, before beginning the second.

And again I want to say that CRASH would probably suit better in a one-hour format. 28 minutes are just too short for a Rhian/Dylan breakup, and for Simon (Gareth Milton) to find out what true love is. I especially wanted to see more of Rhian’s (Elin Phillips) drama, since the episode didn’t tell me, if she was expecting for the relationship to end with Dylan’s (Alexander Vlahos) trip through Europe, and since the episode couldn’t sell me the true love between the two. I’m still into a Rhian/Simon couple to have noticed that Rhian actually had a boyfriend already. The final scene was emotionally mad though, minus Rhian’s fake crying through the door. I loved that Simon wanted to be there for her, and I loved how Cath (Kezia Burrows) and Ameer (Simon Rivers) had to hold him back – are they knowing about Simon’s feelings for Rhian, or was it just a predictable move of “let Rhian cry her soul out, she needs it”? By the way: It reminded me of Izzie’s storyline during the beginning of the third GREY’S ANATOMY season.

The patients-storylines were alright. We have the pregnant girl again (and again with a happy end), and Ameer is rather cursed to have the “hilarious” part of the episode. Mr. Parry (Hugh Thomas) was a somewhat boring patient, whose character only survived thanks to the relationship to his dog (again: 30 minutes were too short to build that relationship and an understanding of Parry), and the writing could have brought more Ameer/dog-cuteness into the episode. Sera (Elizabeth Day) was an interesting patient, though I wonder why every young pregnant woman has to have some emotional trouble, before the baby is born. The happy end with her boyfriend was cute, despite Rhian being a bit too close to that guy – there was a dialog missing between the two anyway.

A good episode. I hope the rest of the season can live it up. 7.5/10

The experts of true love: brains in a jar

Sera, Ian and the luck of having a family now

Again, I’m not talking about Starz’ remake of the CRASH movie, this is the Welsh BBC medical dramedy I surprisingly loved during its short first season. And even though I was eagerly waiting for the six new episodes to be aired this year, I completely missed and forgot all about it, when BBC finally aired the six-pack in May and June. Well, at least I have them all now, and don’t have to wait for the next episode. But judging from the season premiere, I wouldn’t have mind to wait a bit longer for the next episode.

Either I can’t remember anything what happened in the last season, or the writing kinda changed into a new direction. I didn’t see this episode like I wanted it to have (a surprising good half hour of entertainment), instead the first 10 minutes completely bored me, while the second half of the episode picked up my interest, when the young doctors were finally into treating their patients.

Ameer’s (Simon Rivers) efforts to get Melissa (Alexa Jones Young) to talk was nice, though the whole clown thing could have been exaggerated a bit more. After all I still believe CRASH to be a dramedy in GREY’S ANATOMY style, just in a half-hour-format, but somehow the episode was completely freed of any humorous scenes. At the end of the episode, it was fortunate that Ameer’s minutes of being a clown weren’t that exaggerated, because I loved the moment, when he got Melissa to talk, and when he went a step further with her mom to give the little girl a feeling of being safe in the hospital. A reason of Melissa not talking would have been nice though – the episode didn’t even say, if she was just scared, or didn’t like the hospital, or something similar…

Simon’s (Gareth Milton) patient was the most interesting part though. Erin’s (Amy Morgan) story reminded me of good drama in US television, and it was a shame that her story didn’t get much attention, or the attention of the whole episode. Or maybe I was expecting to see much ER or GREY’S here, when Simon was talking to her about her new-born baby (Erin breaking together, because she isn’t ready for being a mother, or not having help from her boyfriend and parents at all). But how Simon tried to help her was nice and touching for a few moments – like he was telling Erin about Rhian (Elin Phillips).

The rest of the episode was okay. The Mr. Bond thing was practically nothing, and the clash between Cath (Kezia Burrows) and Dylis (Olwen Medi) was lame. I have to say though, that Cath looked hot as hell in her dress here. The dress department obviously wanted for her to have a low neckline, and it worked for me.

Well, though the stories were nice, the first half could have introduced the stories a bit better. An almost good episode. 6.5/10

Ameer goes to awkward mode, just to help a little patient

Erin hopes for some help in her life

Don’t confuse this little TV show with Starz’ remake of the same-named movie from 2004.
The plot of the show follows the lives of junior doctors Cath (Kezia Burrows), Rob (Gareth Jewell), Rhian (Elin Phillips) and Ameer (Simon Rivers) as they start work at the fictional Cardiff City Hospital. The show will focus on the main characters personal relationships and not on medical issues, as creator Tony Jordan states “…it’s not a medical show, it’s just set in a hospital.”

Episode 01
Well, the first 24 minutes I thought this is another one of those now stereotype medical dramedies (thanks to Grey’s Anatomy for that) with a bit of character development and a bit of interesting medical cases. Okay, the characters weren’t that interesting, and medical cases were rare in here; and the writers don’t know if the should write a drama show, or more a comedy one. But judging after the soundtrack of this episode, they try to find the path in the middle.
But the last 4 minutes were really interesting, because I didn’t see any of this coming. Rob was treated as the main character of this episode, he had the most screentime and it looked like he would have a proper relationship story with Cath – but no, the writers had to shock and let Rob die at the end of the episode. And this was really a shocker. Now I know what the pilot of Lost would have looked like, when the writers would have let Jack really die (like it was planned).
This story practically sets the tone in the series. Now the new doctors not only have to deal with the stress of their job, but with the death of one of their closest friends as well.
For the rest of the episode: Ameer’s panic attacks were too much of a cliché and over the top; and Rhian seems to be very cute.
Not really a must-see series, but the first episode was alright. 7/10

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