Never doubt Code Black's ability to surprise and put some unexpected twists in some good old fashioned stories. Directed by PJ Pesce and written by David Marshall Grant, "Better Angels" had an unexpected start, beautiful finish, and a lot of self-discovery in between.
A very impactful and beautiful story that finally made me warm up to Noa. Previously, a not much observed or surprising performance by Emily Tyra. She was never a bad character; she just never stood out or delivered something overly emotionally gripping. Introducing Miles Glanton, a well-known ballet dancer (played by Will Kemp) finally gave Noa space to shine and make an emotional impression on me. Their interaction delivered some emotional resonance giving Noa some edges and creating a more complex character in the process.
Will Kemp also delivered a fairly impressive performance. He really found a deeply emotional place within himself so he could tell this story. Very nice to see this.
Also, compared to last week, where the Mario-Noa relationship drama was the main focus, this week it was sidelined and let them develop their connection within the character stories and not make their relationship the story.
On other news, I didn't see that opening sequence coming. I was fascinated by all the angles, sparkles, and outfit changes. The little musical performance by the whole cast of Code Black was one of the best performances TV gave us. The pipes on Marcia Gay Harden, William Allen Young, and Emily Tyra left me speechless and wanting more. The musical number was also a nice change of pace in the usually grim world of Code Black.
Mario and Angus handling the case of the psychic patient with a tumor in her abdomen was quite interesting, as it allowed us to delve into the beautiful relationship between the two work brothers. Their relationship is definitely one of the best parts of the show and both characters thrive as they share scenes together. Mario saying Angus just misses them and Angus squirming over the potential error he made just made me smile so much. The honesty and endearing energy they share on screen are just so enjoyable. Also, seeing them freak out over the psychic's words was hilarious.
This episode featured a good dose of Mama and Papa made this another winner in my book. Also, I sure didn't mind former Dina Meyer to push her way through this story. As the wife of a Congressman out there to protect her social position, Dina Meyer's Joan prepared her fangs and claws to do whatever she has to.
Leanne and Jesse interacting and fighting for the woman in need, had a nice emotional tie, as Leanne transferred this possibility to her adopted daughter Ariel. I'm glad we're getting this extra dose of Leanne this season and it makes this season so much better in general. Leanne is an integral part of the show and we need her in the focus. Her mentoring scenes with Elliott were great as well, and even though I found her response a bit cold in regards of the dead cop from last week, she is right. Elliott is overthinking the situation, and it makes him a lesser doctor and puts other patients in danger. Not to mention himself.
Avila continues to annoy but I think we should appreciate a character like this. Having completely B.S.-free workplace seems unlikely. Also, many different people enter the world of medicine out of the wrong reasons and Avila is certainly there for the wrong reasons. I do think he is in for a great character journey and wonder if they will be able to change the views on him.
And while we've only got one short Rox-Ethan scene this week, the interaction was enough to spark my imagination of a hot hook up between them. Still, Ethan' story with the BFFs in love and dying simultaneously had its charms. Abigail and Danny were a wicked pairing and they played well with Ethan and created a strong story to follow this episode. I was glad that both of them survived at the end and the scene where they release the ashes was perfectly shot with the background rendition of "Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene." Whoever chose the song for this scene deserves an award.
The psychic mentioning Ethan's brother was a very chilly moment, still, I'm very much excited to see how the story will unfold.
All in all, this was a very, very strong episode of Code Black. Next week can't come quick enough.
A very impactful and beautiful story that finally made me warm up to Noa. Previously, a not much observed or surprising performance by Emily Tyra. She was never a bad character; she just never stood out or delivered something overly emotionally gripping. Introducing Miles Glanton, a well-known ballet dancer (played by Will Kemp) finally gave Noa space to shine and make an emotional impression on me. Their interaction delivered some emotional resonance giving Noa some edges and creating a more complex character in the process.
Will Kemp also delivered a fairly impressive performance. He really found a deeply emotional place within himself so he could tell this story. Very nice to see this.
Also, compared to last week, where the Mario-Noa relationship drama was the main focus, this week it was sidelined and let them develop their connection within the character stories and not make their relationship the story.
On other news, I didn't see that opening sequence coming. I was fascinated by all the angles, sparkles, and outfit changes. The little musical performance by the whole cast of Code Black was one of the best performances TV gave us. The pipes on Marcia Gay Harden, William Allen Young, and Emily Tyra left me speechless and wanting more. The musical number was also a nice change of pace in the usually grim world of Code Black.
Mario and Angus handling the case of the psychic patient with a tumor in her abdomen was quite interesting, as it allowed us to delve into the beautiful relationship between the two work brothers. Their relationship is definitely one of the best parts of the show and both characters thrive as they share scenes together. Mario saying Angus just misses them and Angus squirming over the potential error he made just made me smile so much. The honesty and endearing energy they share on screen are just so enjoyable. Also, seeing them freak out over the psychic's words was hilarious.
This episode featured a good dose of Mama and Papa made this another winner in my book. Also, I sure didn't mind former Dina Meyer to push her way through this story. As the wife of a Congressman out there to protect her social position, Dina Meyer's Joan prepared her fangs and claws to do whatever she has to.
Leanne and Jesse interacting and fighting for the woman in need, had a nice emotional tie, as Leanne transferred this possibility to her adopted daughter Ariel. I'm glad we're getting this extra dose of Leanne this season and it makes this season so much better in general. Leanne is an integral part of the show and we need her in the focus. Her mentoring scenes with Elliott were great as well, and even though I found her response a bit cold in regards of the dead cop from last week, she is right. Elliott is overthinking the situation, and it makes him a lesser doctor and puts other patients in danger. Not to mention himself.
Avila continues to annoy but I think we should appreciate a character like this. Having completely B.S.-free workplace seems unlikely. Also, many different people enter the world of medicine out of the wrong reasons and Avila is certainly there for the wrong reasons. I do think he is in for a great character journey and wonder if they will be able to change the views on him.
And while we've only got one short Rox-Ethan scene this week, the interaction was enough to spark my imagination of a hot hook up between them. Still, Ethan' story with the BFFs in love and dying simultaneously had its charms. Abigail and Danny were a wicked pairing and they played well with Ethan and created a strong story to follow this episode. I was glad that both of them survived at the end and the scene where they release the ashes was perfectly shot with the background rendition of "Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene." Whoever chose the song for this scene deserves an award.
The psychic mentioning Ethan's brother was a very chilly moment, still, I'm very much excited to see how the story will unfold.
All in all, this was a very, very strong episode of Code Black. Next week can't come quick enough.
