ST. ELSEWHERE: ROUGH CUT (TV)
Summary
One in this medical drama series set in St. Eligius hospital in Boston. In this episode, Ehrlich panics that he will be cut from the residency program, surely that he did badly on his boards, though Wade assures him that Craig "loves" him. Caldwell and Halloran decide to take a spontaneous trip to Paris, and Craig, Westphall and Auschlander begin the difficult process of selecting which residents will move on to their second year. Westphall, still sure of White's guilt, coldly informs him that he has been reassigned, and Fiscus' pal Bruce persuades him to take part in an "eligible bachelors" photoshoot for a local paper. Craig lectures Morrison about his lack of "common sense" when he questions him about the post-op treatment for a recent bypass patient, and Caldwell suffers an embarrassing injury as he and Halloran hastily pack for France and is forced to head to the ER for treatment. Armstrong attempts to talk to Mrs. Chambers, but the woman furiously rejects her apologies, still devastated by the loss of her child. Ehrlich frets to Chandler that his "coach," Craig, has not been his usual tough self towards him lately, suggesting that he no longer believes in his potential, and Hawkins shows White his new assignment: paperwork in a tiny closet "office."
Rosenthal checks on a distraught Armstrong, who admits that she suffers from bulimia and has long believed that she is "never good enough," and as the attendings attempt to make two more cuts to the program, they agree that Morrison's poor technical scores are somewhat ameliorated by his compassionate nature. Ehrlich attempts to talk Fiscus out of doing the photoshoot, though Fiscus hopes that doing so will finally land him a date, and Armstrong talks bitterly with Martin about White's ongoing presence in the hospital and the D.A.'s inability to convict him of raping them both, though Martin seems to have moved on emotionally from the trauma. Fiscus goes through with the photoshoot, which turns out to be more risqué than he expected, while elsewhere the attendings make their final decisions about the residents. Westphall tells Armstrong that she has been invited back to the program, and when Wade receives the same good news by telephone, Ehrlich panics and desperately questions Craig, who exasperatedly tells him that he too is safe. White, unsurprisingly, learns that he has been cut, and he rants to Morrison about the "conspiracy" against him and his hatred of women, whom he blames for his troubles. Morrison then reveals that he too has been dismissed, though admits that he deserves the loss.
Halloran reschedules the Paris trip, but Caldwell shocks her by explaining that their purely "external" relationship is no longer enough for him. Later, the residents' relieved celebration is cut short when Armstrong is brought into the ER, having intentionally taken a fatal overdose. In the morgue, Westphall tells a grieving Martin that she received the highest board scores in her class, and she tells him that she intends to switch to psychiatry. Westphall tells Morrison that he made the cut after all, though Morrison expresses a sense of guilt in taking Armstrong's now-vacant slot. The others are somewhat cheered by the amusing article about Fiscus, though he is annoyed to receive calls from a number of male suitors, and Martin confronts White, informing him that she forgives him but adding that someone will surely "get back at him" someday for his cruel behavior. White angrily tells Westphall that he plans to sue to regain his spot in the program, and the other residents gather to reminisce about their stressful first year and toast to Armstrong's memory. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: May 9, 1984 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:46:51
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:61632
- GENRE: Drama, medical
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1982-1988
- COMMERCIALS:
CREDITS
- Bruce Paltrow … Executive Producer
- Abby Singer … Coordinating Producer
- Mark Tinker … Supervising Producer, Developed by
- Tom Fontana … Producer
- John Masius … Producer, Developed by
- Beth Hillshafer … Associate Producer
- Joshua Brand … Created by
- John Falsey … Created by
- Eric Laneuville … Director
- Mitchell Fink … Writer
- Susan Lindner … Writer
- Steve Lawson … Writer
- Steve Bello … Writer
- J.A.C. Redford … Music by
- Dave Grusin … Theme Music by
- Ed Flanders … Cast, Dr. Donald Westphall
- Norman Lloyd … Cast, Dr. Daniel Auschlander
- Ed Begley Jr. … Cast, Dr. Victor Ehrlich
- Ellen Bry … Cast, Nurse Shirley Daniels
- Mark Harmon … Cast, Dr. Robert Caldwell
- Terence Knox … Cast, Dr. Peter White
- Eric Laneuville … Cast, Luther Hawkins
- Howie Mandel … Cast, Dr. Wayne Fiscus
- Kim Miyori … Cast, Dr. Wendy Armstrong
- David Morse … Cast, Dr. Jack Morrison
- Christina Pickles … Cast, Nurse Helen Rosenthal
- Kavi Raz … Cast, Dr. Vijay Kochar
- Cynthia Sikes … Cast, Dr. Annie Cavanero
- Nancy Stafford … Cast, Joan Halloran
- Denzel Washington … Cast, Dr. Philip Chandler
- William Daniels … Cast, Dr. Mark Craig
- Barbara Whinnery … Cast, Dr. Cathy Martin
- Joey Aresco … Cast, Bruce
- Sagan Lewis … Cast, Dr. Jacqueline Wade
- Starletta DuPois … Cast, Dora Chambers
- Rebecca Robertson … Cast, Nicki
- Robert Gribbin … Cast, Paramedic