Berlin ER, season 1, episode 4

Things are falling into place for our overworked and underpaid German doctors. But is that a good thing?

It’s Zanna’s birthday, and while she daydreams about cake and sparklers and her co-workers singing “Happy birthday” in a rosy and clean ward, what she gets is Ben taking her out for cocktails at a drag bar. Which is actually pretty fun, except that he’s ducking her questions and also just a few hours earlier was going through the rubbish in search of some tilidine he lost.

(Tilidine, if you’re wondering, is a synthetic opioid used mainly in western Europe. It’s comparable to tramadol in strength, so not as powerful as morphine or oxycodone. Which makes it particularly alarming that by the end of the episode Ben has resorted to injecting fentanyl.)

We finally learn why Zanna left Munich, and my complicated theory about her sister losing custody of her kids was completely wrong. It’s much more straightforward and sordid: Zanna slept with her boss, who is also her brother-in-law. That’s rough, man. Especially since it seems like she misses her niblings more than anyone else in the family.

On the work side, Zanna has a lot of ideas about how to get the ER’s budget in order, including things like “admit patients” and “make sure that patients who need surgery aren’t sent home”. I dunno, I thought that was just how hospitals work. But what do I know?

But Zanna might be pushing things too far. The main patient of the week is a drag queen suffering from kidney stones and minor gallstones. Dr Dom With The Good Hair thinks surgery isn’t necessary for the gallstones, but Zanna gently pressures the patient into going under the knife. That seems mildly sketchy to me, except that I’m still not convinced Dr Dom actually has a medical degree. I mean, he spent his break watching a YouTube tutorial on how to recognise kidney stones on an ultrasound.

On the other hand, he also managed a night shift solo with only two people being forgotten. That’s … good … right? RIGHT?

As for Ben, let’s play a game. Which ER character is most likely to run a secret off-books clinic for undocumented immigrants with syphilis, culminating in his buying fentanyl from the local drug lord? It’s a short list:

• Luka

• Luka

• 110% Luka

• Maybe Doug but only if Carol couldn’t stop him

• You’d think it’d be Carter, but this is a problem he can fix with money

I am a little puzzled by this storyline, but only because the undocumented men seem to be Romanian, and Romania is an EU country, which means reciprocal work rights. But a cursory google suggests that Germany has started going off and doing its own thing when it comes to employment rights of immigrants from eastern EU countries, and also it’s possible that I’ve missed something and they’re actually from Moldova — that is also a Romanian-speaking country, and Moldova has applied for EU membership but isn’t all the way there yet.

What’s important is that Ben has successfully treated two nice young men from somewhere in Eastern Europe, but along the way Cranky Dr Emina and her brother the work experience kid have found out about the secret clinic. Along with the sketchy drug dealer who employs the nice young men, and now she’s selling Ben fentanyl.

This cannot possibly go wrong, especially with Ben also having taken the local homeless woman back there for treatment, only to have her die of an overdose.

ER characters most likely to run a secret off-books clinic for undocumented immigrants with syphilis, culminating in his having to dispose of a body:

• Still Luka

A Devil in the Family: The fall of Ruby Franke

This is a three-part documentary about Ruby Franke, who went from Mormon momfluencer to being arrested and charged on six counts of child abuse. I’ve read and listened to a lot of material about this case, and it’s always heavy going.

This doco didn’t go as deep as I had hoped — it barely touched on the fact that Mormon women are encouraged to become influencers, and to incorporate their children into their work, or the very obvious (to me) fact that co-abuser/cult leader Jodi Hildebrandt was targeting women who were frustrated by rigid gender roles and full-time motherhood, whose religion and community made it hard to admit that even to themselves. Hulu has a lot of access to Mormon communities — it also produces The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which, yes, I have watched — and I wonder if the reticence on these topics was fear of giving offence. Or maybe it’s just a lot to cover in three episodes.

Given these limitations, I think A Devil in the Family was overall good. It heavily features the voices of Franke’s two adult children, and her former husband, and the names and faces of the minor children are concealed. It’s as victim-centred and respectful as possible, and I appreciate that.

The White Lotus, season 3, episode 5

With the first half of the season spent on leisurely set-up, The White Lotus is now setting its pieces in motion, sending them sauntering towards various disasters. Let’s check in with our friends and frenemies:

The Ratliffs

Unaware that her husband is contemplating suicide and her sons are getting freaky on a yacht, Victoria thinks her biggest problem is that her daughter wants to spend a year at a Buddhist meditation retreat.

Equally mystifying is the fact that lots of viewers, including professional critics, seem to think that Piper is the worst and least-sympathetic member of the family, or even of the whole cast this season. Given that her family includes Saxon and the cast includes a literal murderer, I find this puzzling, but people sure do hate young women.

For my money, Piper seems earnest in her quest for enlightenment and a path beyond working in her dad’s firm, marrying someone she met at the country club and popping out a bunch of mini-Saxons. Is she naive, sheltered, rich and probably a bit shallow? Absolutely. Are these criminal offences? No. She doesn’t want to become her parents, and who can blame her?

I wasn’t sold on Piper Posey’s performance at the beginning of the season, but I have come to accept, nay, embrace it for what it is. The contrast between Victoria and Timothy, who are equally checked out but in different ways, is deeply amusing to me.

And then there’s the boys.

I don’t want to talk about it. I just hope the feds leave the family with enough money for a few therapists.

Chelsea and Chloe

First of all, it is deeply irritating to me that their names begin with the same two letters. Phonically they’re different, but if you’re writing about them, it gets confusing.

ANYWAY. Chelsea says of Rick, “He’s like my child,” and Chloe points out, accurately, that he’s fifty. I love you, Chelsea, and I want better for you. I’m not sure that hanging out with Chloe is better than worrying about Rick, but at least it gets her mind off things, and Aimee Lou Woods makes a series of very entertaining faces.

As for Chloe, she is a side character in a true crime podcast, and that’s a problem, but she’s a grown woman and seems to have a pretty clear-eyed view of things even when she’s drunk and on molly. So good for her?

Belinda and Pornchai

GET IT, GIRL. With her son about to arrive, she’s only got one chance to hook up with Pornchai, and she’s gonna take it. I’m so happy. It’s worth having a lizard as a roommate for this; maybe not worth coming to Greg/Gary’s attention.

I will say that I think Belinda’s storyline has been too separate from everyone else so far, and I would like to see more intersections across all the groups. My solution to this problem: Piper should have a summer fling with Zion.

The staff

Gaitok almost confronts Tim about the theft of the gun, but he’s walking a fine line what with Tim being rich, white and a guest. I’ve seen people complain that Gaitok wasn’t forthright enough, but I assume those people haven’t worked in customer service. There are ways to get away with that conversation, but I don’t think Gaitok has the skills.

Mook continues to be a cypher. This far into the season, she’s the flattest character with the least interiority. What does Mook want? Maybe she should befriend Belinda, because so far we only see her through Gaitok’s eyes.

Fabian … is the worst. I’ve seen theories that he was in on the robbery, or he’s in cahoots with Greg/Gary, but I think the explanation for his behaviour is much more straightforward. He’s lazy, he doesn’t care about his staff, he is more concerned with sucking up to Sritala and the guests than managing and supporting the people beneath him.

I’ve seen Christian Friedel in a bunch of things, and I like him a lot, but I cannot with Fabian.

Rick (and Sam Rockwell)

Rick’s main role in this episode is to collect a gun from his buddy Sam Rockwell, and make a series of faces as Frank overshares about his journey from sexual exploiter to spiritual enlightenment via autogynephilia.

(And people say Piper is the most problematic character.)

I have some questions about Mike White’s choices here, specifically to include a paraphilia which has been largely co-opted as a transphobic talking point, but I would absolutely buy that he is not up on the unhinged rants of bigots, and thought he was just chucking in an interesting kink.

The Terrible Trio

You would never catch me dancing in public, doing shots or skinny dipping with some sketchy Russians, and YET Laurie was nothing but inspirational.

Truthfully, I would be Kate in this situation, minus the MAGA. But I would Kate EVEN HARDER, in that I wouldn’t just be in my jammies, I’d be in bed. Asleep. Snoring the sleep of the not-skinny-dipping-with-strange-Russians.

But there’s just something about Carrie Coon. Laurie needs better friends, ie, people who don’t treat her like a third wheel or tragic singleton while also sleeping with the Russian hospitality worker they’ve been encouraging her to throw herself at.

Anyway

In some ways, I think this season is a victim of the show’s success, and also its opening scene. Everyone wants to get to The Big Twist where the crazy stuff happens and we finally find out who gets shot by whom and why.

I think that’s missing the point. This is a show about slowly turning up the boil on the suffering until, FINALLY, the insanity spills over. And we’ve only just started to bubble.

Then I had ankle surgery

It went really well, and I cannot speak highly enough of the staff at the public hospital where I was treated. From the day I broke my ankle eleven months ago, the system has been incredibly proactive and good with my care.

Unfortunately, my brain is now mostly offline, and I have to communicate my television opinions in dot points:

Matlock, season 1, episodes 14 and 15

• If we don’t end the season with Olympia’s reputation and her friendship with Matty restored, I will riot.

Severance, season 2, episode 10

• I understand why this finale has been divisive, especially in terms of Who Is Mark Going To End Up With, but I loved it. Yes, I was on drugs at the time. That’s not the point.

• It feels like Mark S. is trying to save everyone, no matter how inconvenient or difficult it is, or how heartbreaking for Gemma, and I love that.

• We can talk about the radicalisation of Mr Milchick (and we should!) but also let’s talk about Helly meeting Gemma’s gaze and experiencing empathy for an Outtie for the first time.

• While Outtie Dylan remembers how to be the man his wife fell in love with, and gives his Innie the gift of choice.

The Pitt, season 1, episode … 12?

“This is an outstanding piece of television,” I thought as I watched it. I have no memory of anything that happened.

(I also rewatched episode 1 while I was in hospital, because how else would you spend your time? It’s good!)

American Murder: Gabby Petito

Three-part true crime documentary which did some things very well, including highlighting that women of colour do not get the widespread, automatically sympathetic coverage that the disappearance of Gabby Petito got. But also I think Brian Laundrie’s decision to murder his fiancee had more to do with power, control and fear, and less with the fact he drew Hellboy fan art when he was a teen.

In the second half, this incredibly attractive FBI agent turned up, and I’m sorry, I know she’s a cop, but I can fix her.

Yellowjackets, season 3, episode 7

Some stuff happened. As much as I say I don’t care, if Melanie Lynskey wanted to sit outside my house in the dark with a knife, I’d happily let her.

Berlin ER, season 1, episode 6

Guys, don’t take fentanyl and do brain surgery.

I asked a German friend if this was in any way whatsoever an accurate depiction of the German healthcare system, and she said no, of course not, that’s all terrible, and THEN she told me about her parents suffering and dying due to medical neglect in the German healthcare system.