ST. ELSEWHERE: CURTAINS (TV)
Summary
One in this medical drama series set in St. Eligius hospital in Boston. In this episode, Morrison talks to Joanne in Seattle, frustrated that he cannot be with his family, and Craig hurriedly tends to Flash, his beloved test sheep, when her Craig 9000 seemingly falters. Ellen confides in Kiem about her challenging divorce process, and Craig is upset to see Ellen and Gideon sharing a romantic moment. Rosenthal, still secretly abusing painkillers, begins to make errors with patients, and Morrison talks with Mrs. Callan about her kids' upcoming Huntington's tests. At home, Papandrao chides Ehrlich for overworking himself, reminding him that he must make changes before the arrival of their child, and Hawkins and Auschlander attend an unusual modern art show and watch as performance artist Alex Corey is accidentally shot with an arrow. Kiem checks on Rosenthal, who casually states that her excessive drug use is behind her, and Judge Farnham learns from the doctors that his cancer is spreading rapidly. Annie Callan panics and opts out of the Huntington's test at the last second, and Ellen visits Craig in the lab and attempts to apologize for the awkward encounter with Gideon.
Corey broods about his artistic "defeat" as Annie's brother David urges her to go through with the test, but she reveals that she is pregnant and has not yet told her husband about her potential illness. Gideon proudly tells a group of reporters that Ecumena has been renamed "Weigert," though they are interrupted by the sudden collapse of the unfinished parking garage. Craig and Ellen meet with an appraiser to determine the worth of their many belongings as they prepare to divide their assets, and the doctors learn that while no one appears to have been killed, their cars were all destroyed in the collapse. Morrison, Ehrlich and Novino discuss the merits of genetic testing, wondering if it is preferable to know of one's fate, and Rosenthal talks with Farnham as she administers his morphine treatment. Annie tells her mother that she is considering terminating her pregnancy, but Mrs. Callan urges her not to make any decisions until she has undergone her own test and determined her feelings. A disillusioned Corey frets that he is merely "flotsam," but Auschlander provides him with some unexpected artistic inspiration.
Griffin and Axelrod find that Farnham has died of a morphine overdose, though the chart does not name the nurse who made the error, and Ellen and Craig share some final fond memories at their home. Papandrao guesses that one of Rosenthal's trainees is to blame for Farnham's death, and Craig, rather unmoved by the judge's demise, recruits Kiem to cover for him as he heads to divorce court. As Annie awaits her test results, the Callans learn that David is indeed positive for Huntington's, and Ehrlich takes Papandrao's words about "precautions" to heart and suggests that they be cryogenically frozen – and eventually revived – in order to prolong their lives together as a family. Auschlander orders Rosenthal to thoroughly investigate Farnham's death, and Ellen tries to explain her mixed emotions to Gideon, who is overwhelmed with work. Morrison commiserates with Annie when she worries that her family is falling apart, and a distressed Rosenthal finally flushes all of her pills. Hawkins and Auschlander head to Corey's new art performance, though everyone is stunned when he shocks himself with paddles, and Ellen and Craig head to court and, having assured the judge of their "irretrievable breakdown," are officially granted their divorce. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: February 3, 1988 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:56
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:14438
- GENRE: Drama, medical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, medical; African-American Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1982-1988
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bruce Paltrow … Executive Producer
- Mark Tinker … Executive Producer, Developed by
- Abby Singer … Coordinating Producer
- Channing Gibson … Producer, Writer
- John Tinker … Producer, Writer
- Steven Milkis … Associate Producer
- Joshua Brand … Created by
- John Falsey … Created by
- John Masius … Developed by
- John Heath … Director
- Lydia Woodward … Writer
- J.A.C. Redford … Music by
- Dave Grusin … Theme Music by
- William Daniels … Cast, Dr. Mark Craig
- Norman Lloyd … Cast, Dr. Daniel Auschlander
- Ronny Cox … Cast, Dr. John Gideon
- Bonnie Bartlett … Cast, Ellen Craig
- Ed Begley Jr. … Cast, Dr. Victor Ehrlich
- Stephen Furst … Cast, Dr. Elliot Axelrod
- Bruce Greenwood … Cast, Dr. Seth Griffin
- Eric Laneuville … Cast, Luther Hawkins
- Sagan Lewis … Cast, Dr. Jacqueline Wade
- Howie Mandel … Cast, Dr. Wayne Fiscus
- David Morse … Cast, Dr. Jack Morrison
- France Nuyen … Cast, Dr. Paulette Kiem
- Cindy Pickett … Cast, Dr. Carol Novino
- Christina Pickles … Cast, Nurse Helen Rosenthal
- Jennifer Savidge … Cast, Nurse Lucy Papandrao
- Denzel Washington … Cast, Dr. Philip Chandler
- Jeff Allin … Cast, Alex Corey
- Lynn Whitfield … Cast, Annie Callan
- Ketty Lester … Cast, Mrs. Callan
- Jack Dodson … Cast, Judge Farnham
- Stephen Burks … Cast, David Callan
- Tony Mockus … Cast, Appraiser
- Henry Sutton … Cast, Oscar Kino
- Francesca Poston … Cast, Cleo Sellers
- Rafael A. Nazario … Cast, Man at Art Gallery