A Question of Death

While this is clearly a 'soapbox' episode of "Quincy" (where the point of the show is less to entertain and more to preach to the audience about some social issue), it's still well worth seeing. I noticed the other current review felt the show was just okay, but I appreciated it because it brings to the public the debate about the exact legal meaning of death (such as in the Karen Ann Quinlan and Terri Schiavo cases).

"A Question of Death" begins with a motorcyclist having a wreck. He's declared legally dead by Quincy but they keep the body on life support in order to allow for an organ donation. A couple problems ensue--the hospital gives the kidney to a different recipient than originally intended and an evil lawyer convinces to donor's family to sue. Now the lawsuit has no real basis--the man was brain dead. But, the lawyer is looking for a buck. And, sadly, the lawsuit against the hospital and coroner's office result in a cessation of transplants as well as the working relationship between the two organizations. So, naturally, Quincy is out to convince everyone that the death certificate was correct AND that the transplants need to continue.

Overall, not a great episode...but a very good one. A bit preachy, perhaps, but also very thought-provoking.