ER: "Day for Knight" Summary/Review
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"Day for Knight" - Season 5, Episode 1 - Original Airdate Sept. 24, 1998
Written By: Lydia Woodward
Directed By: Christopher Chulack
The show begins with Lucy attempting to help a man lying on the sidewalk by the
El station. She learns that he probably fainted, and lifts his head to place
her coat under it. A bus driver asks if she should have moved his head and she
panics. Mark and Carol come over a few blocks from the hospital to get the
patient. Lucy follows them, and while in the exam room they assume she is a
relative. She tells them that her name is Lucy Knight, she is a third year
resident and today is her first day in the ER. Mark sends her to wait in
chairs until he is through.
While Lucy is waiting she sees her friend Bernard, who is another third year
resident in the ER. Bernard is carrying a Walkman, taking Kerry Weaver's audio
tour. Lucy finds the lounge and sees Lilly, Chuny, and Yosh preparing for
Jerry's "surprise" birthday party. Lucy then winds up at the front desk, and
Mark's daughter Rachel shows her where to get a new lab coat. Mark finds Lucy
and he gives her a brief tour of the ER, introducing her to people along the
way. They find Carter sleeping in an exam room. Carter explains that he
hasn't been getting much sleep since he became an RA in the dorms. Maggie
Doyle is suturing a drunken patient; Doug is treating a child with an ear
infection. Doug quizzes Lucy and finds out she's very bright. Corday is seen
in the hall, arriving back from an interview in Denver. Kerry, Benton, Malik,
and Lydia are treating a multiple gun shot wound patient who dies. Lydia tells
Lucy she'll show her how to do the death kit, so Lucy is alone with the patient
for a few minutes. His cell phone rings, and Lucy reluctantly answers it and
says she'll "take a message".
Lucy then attempts Kerry's audio tour, but winds up in the wrong places. Lucy
and Bernard agree that the tour is awful, but when Kerry finds Lucy, she
assures her that it has been very helpful. Doug stops Kerry and tells her that
he is doing a lumbar puncture on a child to rule out meningitis. Doug
complains about this, but Kerry reminds him that the fact that he now has to
clear procedures was Anspaugh's decision.
Mark sees Lucy at the front desk, and suggests she follow Carter around.
Carter mentions a pediatric patient he has with a strange rash. Lucy diagnosis
the disease based on information in a small computer that she is carrying.
Carter looks annoyed and takes her with him to treat a new patient.
Lucy and Carter meet with Mr. Zwicki, who has been having blood in his urine.
Based on lab tests and diagnosis, Carter and Lucy agree that Zwicki must be
admitted for further tests, it is possibly cancer. Zwicki doesn't want to
stay, so Carter tells Lucy they need to explain the situation to his wife.
Lucy misunderstands him, and goes to find Mrs. Zwicki herself. Lucy uses
meaningless medical jargon, and Mrs. Zwicki is unable to convince her husband
to stay. Carter intercepts them as they are leaving, but Mr. Zwicki is adamant
about not staying. Carter tells Lucy she shouldn't have explained in medical
terms, but in layman terms. Mark reminds Carter that Lucy shouldn't have been
talking to Mrs. Zwicki at all. Mark tells Lucy to accompany himself and Carol
up to the roof to greet an incoming trauma via helicopter.
On the roof, Lucy watches as Mark and Carol transfer the patient from the
helicopter. Lucy's paper coat blows away, and she runs to catch it. As she is
starting for the door to get back in the hospital, the door shuts and she is
locked out on the roof. She finally makes it downstairs, where Mark teases her
that he thought she left on the helicopter. Carol tells Lucy that she was
locked out once. The patient is a fire fighter named Emile Fernandez, who fell
twenty feet onto concrete. Benton and Corday arrive briefly, and ask to be
consulted when the CT is complete. Mark teaches Lucy how to assess a patient
using the Glasgow coma scale; Fernandez gets a four out of possible fifteen.
Mark speaks to two firemen who are waiting for results. They argue about
whether it was wise to bring him in on a private chopper, but Mark assures them
that he would have probably done the same thing.
Carter finds Lucy attempting to work in the noisy lounge. He comments that at
least she has a locker, he didn't have one for his first two months. Lucy said
that she heard that a resident left, and Carter tells her that it was Anna Del
Amico. Anna went back to Philadelphia to work in a pediatric ER, which their
hospital still doesn't have. Carter further explains that it was a better
opportunity, plus her family is there, as well as a guy she was seeing. Lucy
apologizes again about Zwicki, and Carter recommends that she study in the
suture room - it's quieter in there.
Lucy is starting to study in the suture room, when Benton and Corday walk in.
Lucy is behind a screen, so they don't see her, but she peaks through the
screen and observes them. Benton tells Corday that Reese had an ear infection,
but once that clears up he will be able to have the hearing test. Corday tells
Benton that she didn't like the hospital in Denver and that she is working
harder to stay in Chicago. Benton is glad to hear that and tells her he missed
her. Corday says she missed him too, and draws the blinds. They kiss, unaware
that Lucy is peaking at them behind the blinds. Lucy crawls out of the room
and runs into Malik, who tells her that Carter is looking for her.
Lucy, Carter and Carol treat Mrs. Draper. She has had two previous
miscarriages and is pregnant for the third time. Mrs. Draper is currently nine
weeks into her pregnancy but is experiencing spotting. An exam reveals that
she did have a miscarriage. Carter tells her that she will need to stay for a
few hours to make sure the bleeding subsides, and tells her that an ob/gyn
doctor will be down to talk to her. Carter tells Lucy to wait with Mrs. Draper
so Lucy stands helplessly while Mrs. Draper sobs.
Mark shows Lucy Emile Fernandez's CT, which shows basically that most of his
brain is destroyed. There is nothing to surgically fix, so the options are
extremely limited. One of the firefighters returns and thanks Mark for his
help. The firefighter offers Mark a part-time job as district medical director
for EMS. It would be for a few hours a week, with no pay.
Lucy observes Doug getting both Kerry and a patient's mother's permission to do
a procedure. Lucy asks Doug if he needs an attending's signature because he's
a fellow, and Doug explains that it is because he is on probation following the
baby Josh detox. Lucy then helps a young patient named Roxanne into a room.
She had dropped a weight on her foot at the gym. Mark determines that her
little toe is broken, and tells Lucy to tape that toe to the next one. Lucy
sloppily does this, while Roxanne, who sells insurance, explains the benefits
of different policies to Jerry.
Lucy then observes Mark speaking to Mrs. Fernandez. Mark explains that her
husband is in a coma, that he cannot breathe on his own, and that the prognosis
is not good. Mrs. Fernandez asks if he is brain dead, and Mark says they will
determine that after a few days. Lucy finds out from Mark that there is a
possibility that Mr. Fernandez could hear voices, so she takes Mrs. Fernandez
to see him, and encourages her to talk to him.
Carter, Lucy, and Carol then treat a scuba diver named Mr. Reinhart, who cut
his foot while exploring a shipwreck. Carter asks Lucy to start and IV and
leaves. Lucy hesitates, and then asks Carol to do it so she can observe.
Later Carter compliments Lucy on the IV. Lucy accepts the compliment but does
not acknowledge Carol, who is standing between her and Carter. Mrs. Fernandez
stops by and tells Lucy that she is taking her children home - she can't stand
seeing her husband like that. She tells Lucy she will return the next day to
discuss his options.
Kerry tells Jerry to take a body to the morgue. Kerry pulls back the sheet and
it is Malik, with Jerry's birthday cake. The moment of surprise did work on
Jerry, so everyone gathers to sing "Happy Birthday" and have a piece of cake.
Mark comments to Carol that he has to go pick up Rachel, and Carol invites them
back to "our" house for a cook-out. Lucy and Bernard watch everyone, and Lucy
comments "I can't believe they're having a party - it was such a horrible day".
Bernard tells Lucy that he has been assigned to Maggie Doyle and she to
Carter. Bernard goes to get a piece of cake, but Lucy returns to Mr.
Fernandez's bedside, and talks to him as the show draws to a close.
Review
This was another unusual way for ER to open their season. I had to take a
departure from my regular style of summary since basically Lucy was the only
character with a storyline. I understand now why on the Larry King interview
Kellie Martin said that she was overwhelmed when she received the first script.
I am not very familiar with Kellie's earlier work but I thought she did a
great job with her portrayal of Lucy Knight. It was certainly a different
perspective to see the ER through a new person's eyes. I was really amused
with Kerry's audio tour - could there be a more annoying way to orient yourself
to a new workplace! That simple device also illustrated the differences
between Mark and Kerry --she would tape a tour while Mark takes Lucy on a
personal tour. The other new med student, Bernard, apparently won't be seen
much since he is assigned to Maggie Doyle. It was no surprise that Lucy was
assigned to Carter; it's interesting to see Carter assume the mature position
as teacher.
After four months of reruns I was eager to see a new ER, but I wish that the
usual characters' stories had been explored a bit more. Apparently, as with
"Ambush" last year, we will have to wait until episode two for a return to
standard format. We did catch glimpses of what has been happening. Carter is
still not drawing from the family trust, as evidenced by his taking a resident
assistant position in the dorms (not the most pleasant way to earn free room
and board!). I was disappointed that Anna wasn't on the first episode to say
goodbye, all we heard was Carter's increasingly bitter monologue as he
explained her wanting the job, her family, and her boyfriend.
As far as the romantic couples go, it appears that Benton is more into his
relationship with Corday than he was at the end of season four. His seeming
indifference is gone, evidenced by him telling her that he missed her. Doug
and Carol did not have any romantic scenes at all, but Carol inviting Mark to a
cookout at "our" house surprised me. It would appear that Doug and Carol are
living together, hopefully paving the way for a wedding before George Clooney
departs in May. Finally, we see that Doug is still employed, but on probation
following the baby Josh detox. You could just see him gritting his teeth every
time he had to get Kerry to authorize a procedure, and I'm anticipating seeing
a blow-out between the two again in the near future.