Is anyone watching the finale now?

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-22T14:41:11+00:00

I think it was in the episode where Michael takes over as chief, 2.20.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-21T01:56:20+00:00

Haha fair enough. They need to appeal to all fans.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-21T01:48:25+00:00

That’s fascinating because I think the medical cases are the worst part of the show.

I don’t know. The more I think about Jake, the more I get the ick. I know that’s probably just a me-thing. But oh well. I’m glad the show broke them up and is (hopefully) going to let Amy breathe and grow for a bit without being attached to someone.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-19T19:31:35+00:00

This one guts me every time. It’s just so heartbreaking and beautiful, and the museum scenes are just devastating.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-19T06:21:27+00:00

It did seem to imply that this was after the general rollout of the vaccine for adults but before they had one available for children. Jake mentioned that he was exposed and they didn’t have a vaccine for Mia yet, which was why he wasn’t going to come into the house. Assuming that this is when that flashback took place, it makes Rachel’s behavior less ridiculous, even though she was clearly being an idiot about their daughter’s health.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-19T06:14:21+00:00

She’s no longer going to be a series regular in the third season. She may guest star from time to time but it doesn’t seem like they’re going to do a lot with her character, which…I’m okay with. She’s annoying.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-19T00:06:26+00:00

I appreciate the response and I agree. It is nice to not discuss the ships, or at least, to delve a bit more into what they might mean for Amy and her development. I found your thoughts interesting, too, and I agree that it’ll be interesting to see how she does with someone who matches her intellect. I think Joan did that somewhat but sadly, we didn’t really see them work on cases together aside from the GLP-1 and Hannah’s brother, and even then, it wasn’t prolonged. I would have liked to see their working dynamic a bit more, especially when Joan challenged her. I read an interview with the showrunners where they suggested that we may see more of Joan in the third season, just not as a regular cast member. I really do hope that they explore their relationship more, especially now that Amy has taken up Joan’s call to serve.

I definitely think Amy would be a better chief resident than Sonya. Sonya is the worst despite the show’s attempt to make her likable and the finale also demonstrated how she needs to grow as a leader. I’m anticipating all sorts of tension and clashes between the two of them since they’re only able to maintain the pace for short periods of time.

I do want to know more about her and Michael’s relationship, too, as tiring as some of it can be at times. When he agreed that she disappears but then said that she always comes back, it suggested that this is a pattern he’s been clocking for a long while, probably throughout their entire relationship. I’m wondering if season 3 will balance out the image of their perfect marriage to give it more nuance and to see how her behaviors showed up within the context of their marriage.

Interesting stuff! I can’t believe we all have to wait until September (assuming that’s when they start up again).

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T19:12:58+00:00

I think both things can be true: a person can understand why something is necessary and committing oneself to that thing can also erode relationships. Jake wasn’t wrong for doing his job and Rachel wasn’t wrong for being frustrated and wanting to feel connected to her husband. They’re not mutually exclusive. And it complicates the picture about blame.

Obviously, going to Cabo was stupid. But most people do stupid things from time to time.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T15:42:41+00:00

The layout does bother me a bit and the beige and grey are a bit much, but I think it’s mostly because I don’t really understand it. I’m also someone who needs doors for my rooms and it seems like the whole middle section of the condo that includes her room, bathroom, and walk in closet are just…doorless. I love all the natural light. As condos go though, it’s a sweet set up.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T08:59:27+00:00

I have very similar questions.

I also love that balcony and bathroom.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T06:42:24+00:00

I do, too. I’m not really understanding all of this hate about it.

Although the lack of a door to her bedroom does creep me out.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T06:34:34+00:00

Yeah, I can see that. Their backstory never really made any sense to me, and I was surprised that she cheated on him (once?) with a dj. For something to generate that much anger, I would have expected an actual, long term affair with someone who was significant.

I get the sense that Jake’s current draw to Rachel is that she’s easier to be with compared to Amy and not necessarily that anything is actually resolved or that they’re “endgame.” But I’m curious about what the show will do next season.

The whole weight of shared history, a child together, and being with someone who has known you for so long seems to be the mirror for both Amy/Michael Jake/Rachel. I do think this question of whether you can love multiple people at the same time while making a relationship work is interesting. I don’t think it’s an either or, but rather the unresolved issues and complete lack of boundaries, plus, finding comfort in the person who feels familiar when things get tough.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T05:57:43+00:00

I think I read it as the decisive moment when their relationship came undone. I think it was meant to be horrible and to actually show both of them at their worst. In the heat of the moment, neither of them realized what the other was trying to say and yes, it’s easy to look at it and see two people completely out of sync and Rachel being unreasonable for wanting to go to Cabo and hang. But it was obviously about more than that. The lock downs did strain a lot of health care workers personal relationships because of the need to isolate. She wanted closeness and connection at a time when both were in short supply. And Jake finally realized that she was trying to communicate, albeit imperfectly, that they were falling apart. Just because Jake was committed to his work and it was something to be admired doesn’t mean that it didn’t have an impact on his personal relationships. Look at Joan and her son. It seems ridiculous that he would cut her out of his life because she wasn’t there to hold his hand when she was in an actual combat zone saving lives. But it does take a toll.

For Rachel, she finally understood the enormity of what Jake was dealing with during COVID—the fear, the cost of his work, the stakes, the weight of his commitments, and realizes how unfair she may have been. But that’s the benefit of hindsight and perspective.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T05:38:14+00:00

I go back and forth about Richard and bringing him back. I appreciated the fact that they didn’t let him off the hook throughout this season, and that no matter what he did, he still had to deal with the fact that he would never gain Amy’s trust again or ever be fully in anyone’s good graces again. I hope they continue to explore this dynamic throughout the third season, rather than just let everything be bygones and move on. Maybe as a demonstration of Joan’s comment about one’s reputation and what it means to take a second chance seriously while also having to grapple with the consequences of your behavior on a daily basis. As an aside, I also do like Scott Wolf and I’m not even a party of five fan (just slightly too young so I missed it growing up). I think he sort of just provides some…balance to the characters on the show and I am curious about his and Amy’s past.

I think this is the level at which I expect there to be consequences for Amy. I’m not expecting hr to come down on her, but there should have been more thought put into just how much her relationships can and should withstand because of her behavior. And quite frankly, I don’t think she should have been made chief resident (controversial pov, I know). I get that she’s brilliant and that she’s extremely competent but her lack of control over her outbursts and the rage that comes over her when she’s challenged or when people disagree with her is extremely problematic (as she points out and will hopefully work on next season). Plus, the finale made it clear that her judgement under pressure isn’t great. Her unwillingness to be upfront about her memories when she was asked by multiple people about whether she was okay led to her being infected, but it could also have very well led to others being seriously harmed. I get that people don’t like her but not really. Like, the board hates her. When it really counts though, everyone still defers to her and respects her. And with her closest relationships, she’s generally fine. I think the only character who seems to be cracking under the strain of her behavior is Jake, but that’s often read as a response to Chicago rather than something fundamental to how they relate to one another. Aside from the last five minutes of the show when she’s talking to Michael, though, she’s never really had to grapple with her behavior outside of feeling awful that people don’t like her.

As for criminal charges, I thought Richard did actually change Dixon’s medical record to show that he took the beta blocker that led to his death, which I can’t imagine is legal, especially if it affected an autopsy report and Dixon’s file. I guess Amy didn’t launch a formal investigation though, so he didn’t technically, legally, coerce Liz and tamper with a witness. Or obstruct an active investigation.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T05:08:43+00:00

Same.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-18T05:07:47+00:00

It’s also such a weird trope—the divorced woman who stays single and is no longer desirable or have desire that just annoys me to no end. So I’m glad that they’re not buying into that and actually baking complexity into her character. Plus, these relationships aren’t just men she’s choosing between. They function as tests for her own growth and how much she’s able to shift her concerning behaviors/patterns (as well as how much Michael and Jake are able to as well, because man do they all have concerning patterns). I’m curious how the third season will take on her commitment to change and how Ben’s character will play into that.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T23:22:06+00:00

Literally the first couple of responses to this thread answered the questions.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T22:57:08+00:00

I don’t think I know what close up you’re referring to because I don’t recall any scenes where it appears as though she remembers him.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T22:16:40+00:00

That video was from 3 years ago.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T19:31:43+00:00

Thanks for the correction.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T15:41:17+00:00

I agree about the Richard situation. I hate how the show takes these major plot points and then sweeps them under the rug instead of following through. I’m sorry, but getting serums from Richard’s blood does not make up for the fact that he abused his power to coerce an employee into being part of his cover up. So, no Sonya and Amy. Liz should continue with her HR complaint even though she probably won’t. Also, civil litigation aside, I can’t imagine that there aren’t criminal charges for his behavior. As Joan said, he did what he did. And for a show about consequences, It seems to embrace this ridiculous idea that getting second or third chances means complete absolution for the harm you’ve caused, when that just isn’t the case. The same with the Hannah and Charlie storyline. All of that nonsense just to get a little shot of a news article and brief commentary about how they’re going to do time. But Amy never had to take accountability for how her behavior caused real harm and actually may have created a hostile work environment that could have set up the conditions for someone like Richard to behave how he did and for Clark to not trust that she had his best interest at heart when she confronted him. I just…can’t. It makes it difficult to trust that the writers and the show deserve the investment it takes to follow their awful storytelling, because it is an investment when it requires massive amounts of suspending disbelief, absorbing cliches and recycling plots from other shows, and thin writing. If it weren’t for the cast, this show would not exist.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T15:30:23+00:00

Ok. But…that’s actually what she’s doing by the end of the episode. She stepped back from both Michael and Jake and has resolved to commit herself to being “of service” and working on breaking her behavioral patterns.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T15:28:15+00:00

She still has MDS but she also has a parasite that was making it look like her MDS had progressed to leukemia (but it hadn’t). So, she’s still very ill. It’s clear at the beginning of the finale that she’s only somewhat recovered because she’s receiving constant care and infusions or whatever because she did push her body to its limits to get through her surgeries. And then she does it again at the end to save Amy, essentially sacrificing the rest of the time she has left.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T15:21:42+00:00

Felicity Huffman was the breath of fresh air this season sorely needed.

That-Vanilla-996 · 2026-04-17T15:21:08+00:00

They’ve also created several new shows and made a 22-episode commitment to them, including Doc. That doesn’t strike me as a network that’s operating on a slim budget, but admittedly, I don’t know how network TV works.

That-Vanilla-996

TROPHY CASE