ST. ELSEWHERE: SWEET DREAMS (TV)
Summary
One in this medical drama series set in St. Eligius hospital in Boston. In this episode, Morrison participates in a sleep study at the hospital and experiences disturbing dreams, though Dr. Ellis urges him to continue with the appointments. Fiscus attempts to aid a Filipino man, Ferdinand Cantancio, when he arrives at the hospital with heart trouble, and Craig is annoyed to hear that Ehrlich is also participating in the "flim-flam" sleep study. Ehrlich has a black-and-white dream involving some demanding Amazonian priestesses, though Craig awakens him and orders him back onto his service. He chastises Ellis for wasting the residents' time, though she is unintimidated by his "windbag tactics." Westphall struggles with insomnia as he cares for Tommy, and a Mr. Stovall collapses at the bus stop and is admitted to St. Eligius with a lack of obvious symptoms, prompting Cavanero to order a neuro consult. Craig declares that Ferdinand is a faker and accuses Fiscus of falling for his ploy, and Ehrlich overrides Chandler's ideas as he suggests that Stovall has sleep apnea.
Rosenthal seeks Westphall's advice about possibly splitting with her latest husband, though Westphall is overwhelmed by a sudden wave of claustrophobia. Caldwell consults on Stovall's case and orders surgery for his apnea, and Fiscus is shocked when Ferdinand suddenly dies of a heart attack while sleeping. He suspects that the man was literally scared to death by his own dreams in a phenomenon known as "bangungut" in Filipino culture, though Craig naturally rejects the idea. Auschlander questions Westphall about his sleeplessness, and when Ehrlich displays his usual crass sense of humor in the ER, Caldwell finally kicks him off of his service, exasperated with his tactlessness about patients. Hawkins falls asleep and has an elaborate musical dream in which the members of ZZ Top and the Eliminator girls help him to finally get satisfying revenge against Craig and the other bullying doctors, and Craig studies Ferdinand's scans, determined to find a logical cause of death. Westphall marvels at his ability to compartmentalize his work duties upon returning home to his family, and Craig points out that Westphall's loneliness is likely contributing to his anxiety.
Mrs. Stovall seems largely unconcerned with her husband's condition, though Mr. Stovall reveals that he did, in fact, hear Ehrlich's rude comments in the ER. Morrison tells Ellis that he is through with the study, though refuses to explain why, and Westphall's sleepless night is cheered by a phone call from Lizzie. Craig finally finds a small defect in Ferdinand's heart, though his uncle Marcos is content to accept that he died of bangungut and nothing more. Morrison returns to the study after all and has the same dream, but this time he encounters his former friend White, who regretfully states that he is not allowed to describe the afterlife, but assures him that Armstrong, Nina and Eve Creighton are all doing well. He tells him that he, Morrison, is "doing okay" in his life, and states that while the identity of his shooter is irrelevant, he deserved the grim fate he was given. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: November 14, 1984 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:48:46
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:14450
- GENRE: Drama, medical
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - Drama; Drama, medical
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1982-1988
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bruce Paltrow … Executive Producer
- Abby Singer … Coordinating Producer
- Mark Tinker … Supervising Producer, Director, Developed by
- John Masius … Producer, Developed by, Writer
- Tom Fontana … Producer, Writer
- Beth Hillshafer … Associate Producer
- Joshua Brand … Created by
- John Falsey … Created by
- 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
- Stephen Furst … Cast, Dr. Elliot Axelrod
- Mark Harmon … Cast, Dr. Robert Caldwell
- Terence Knox … Cast, Dr. Peter White
- Eric Laneuville … Cast, Luther Hawkins
- Howie Mandel … Cast, Dr. Wayne Fiscus
- David Morse … Cast, Dr. Jack Morrison
- Christina Pickles … Cast, Nurse Helen Rosenthal
- Cynthia Sikes … Cast, Dr. Annie Cavanero
- Denzel Washington … Cast, Dr. Philip Chandler
- William Daniels … Cast, Dr. Mark Craig
- Chuck McCann … Cast, Mr. Stovall
- Carol Arthur … Cast, Mrs. Stovall
- Patricia Harty … Cast, Dr. Linda Ellis
- Byron Stewart … Cast, Orderly Warren Coolidge
- Chad Allen … Cast, Tommy Westphall
- Muni Zano … Cast, Marcos Cantancio
- Jesse Dizon … Cast, Ferdinand Cantancio
- Dallas Cole … Cast, Amazon Priestess