ST. ELSEWHERE: THE IDIOT AND THE ODYSSEY (TV)

Summary

One in this medical drama series set in St. Eligius hospital in Boston. In this episode, Ehrlich attends a rehearsal for his wedding to Lucy Papandrao, and then hurries off to a night shift. Craig, annoyed at receiving phone calls for his estranged wife, learns interesting news about a patient. Morrison and Joanne move into a hotel with Joanne's three children, much to everyone's frustration. Westphall greets a patient who is a friend of his, a Judge Farnham, who notes that the hospital is "all spruced up," though Westphall tells him that they still need funds to add a clinic. The men ponder a bachelor party for Ehrlich and meet a patient of Kiem's, a large man named Barry Haus, who checks in to have a tumor removed. Elliot happily tries out the fancy new ATM as Kiem leads rounds, and Chandler arrives to tell Elliot that he will soon be moving out, as Elliot is a rather annoying roommate. Elsewhere, Ehrlich spies an attractive redhead on the train and impulsively pursues her, though she disappears before he can speak to her. Craig meets with a Dr. Werner at another hospital and checks on a patient who has received an artificial heart—a cow. Haus reveals that, because of his size, he cannot be properly anesthetized, so he will be hypnotized into a relaxed state for his surgery. Fiscus and Ehrlich talk in the steam room and Ehrlich admits that he thinks he is in love with the redhead and not with Papandrao, and Fiscus encourages him to "take a chance." Gideon asks Judge Farnham for his help in funding the AIDS clinic, and then asks if he has had an MRI to investigate his physical pain. Westphall deems this unnecessary, saying that as an oncologist, Gideon is too quick to think of cancer as a possibility.

Kiem explains the hypnosis plan to Craig, who is not at all convinced, and he is further displeased when he learns that his own psychiatrist, Dr. Watson, will be performing it. The hypnosis appears to work, though, and the surgery goes off well. Ehrlich then tells Craig that he has no best man, and Craig grudgingly agrees to the position. Joanne's ex-husband Hugh unexpectedly comes to visit, and she brings him along to the hospital with the children. When Morrison hears that Pete is downstairs with "some guy," he immediately runs to the scene and attacks Hugh, as Pete was once kidnapped, and Joanne quickly intervenes and explains. Hugh then tells them that it was selfish to return to Boston and declares that he intends to take Caitlin and Christopher back to Seattle with him. Ehrlich sees the redhead against whilst out shopping, but once again fails to make contact. He goes to a bar to drown his sorrows, eventually passing out, and the woman appears again, leaving her card with the bartender for him. When Ehrlich awakens, he takes the card and travels to her home, only to be punched out by an unknown man. Westphall discovers that Gideon ordered an MRI for Farnham behind his back and confronts him about it, but they are both dismayed to learn that the judge has pancreatic cancer. Gideon also tells Westphall that he cannot have his pricey AIDS clinic after all. Mrs. Craig stops by to collect her mail and Craig presents her with an expensive coat, and he is angered when she turns the gift down.

Elliot is incensed that the ATM seems to have "stolen" his money. Morrison talks to Hugh, who tells him that the kids have "once chance to grow up" in a safe town and produces a court order that will allow him to take them with him. Hawkins warns Haus about the dangers of his obesity, and then makes matters worse when he accidentally speaks the "magic word" that sends Haus off to sleep. Westphall talks to Farnham about the cancer, and he assures Westphall that they are still friends, though he is no longer his doctor. Ehrlich runs around in a panic, having been mugged while unconscious, and hurriedly finds a tux as the others wait at the church. When he arrives there, he sees the redhead outside the church in her car, and he agonizes over the decision as everyone waits inside, and the woman drives away. Morrison tries to comfort Joanne, promising they will get the children back, but she is despondent, saying they made a mistake coming back to Boston after all. Commercials deleted.

Details

NETWORK: NBC
DATE: September 23, 1987 10:00 PM
RUNNING TIME: 0:50:00
COLOR/B&W: Color
CATALOG ID: B:67146
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, Dancer
Abby Singer … Coordinating Producer
John Tinker … Producer, Writer
Channing Gibson … Producer, Writer
Steven Milkis … Associate Producer
John Masius … Developed by, Writer
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
Ronny Cox … Cast, Dr. John Gideon
Bonnie Bartlett … Cast, Ellen Craig
Ed Begley, Jr. … Cast, Dr. Victor Ehrlich
Steven 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
William Daniels … Cast, Dr. Mark Craig
Allen Williams … Cast, Hugh McFadden
Jack Dodson … Cast, Judge Farnham
Patricia Wettig … Cast, Joanne
Kavi Raz … Cast, Dr. Vijay Kochar
Reuven Bar-Yotam … Cast, Nikos Papandrao
Bryan Clark … Cast, Dr. Watson
Paula Hoffman … Cast, Caitlin McFadden
Brandon Call … Cast, Christopher McFadden
Gregg Berger … Cast, Dr. Van Werner
Frederick Long … Cast, Barry Haus
Frederic Cook … Cast, Greek Orthodox Priest
Jack McGee … Cast, Bartender
Edward Paul Allen … Cast, Technician
Anne Lindland … Cast, Redhead