"I want the whole enchilada"
There's so much I love in this episode, but also quite a bit that makes me want to do horrible things to the people who wrote it. But I long ago decided that the only way I could cope with this storyline is by ignoring... well, ignoring the parts that never happened. This is a happy place and I'm living in a happy little bubble where the bad parts that make me want to do horrible things to the writers never actually happened, so I'm just going to try to focus on the squeeful parts and do my best to ignore the parts that make me want to hunt down the writers and do things like this:
Although I doubt I'll be 100% successful at that! So, let's get started with the recap!
We start today finding out that Reid has at least a touch of OCD and that apparently some people's cooties are worse than others. Reid wants to know if "Goldilocks" used his toothbrush. He knows somebody used his toothbrush because it was on the right side facing right, and he always puts it on the left side facing left. I love the fact that, when he thought Katie was the one who used it, he was still planning on keeping it and just thought he'd need to sterilize it first, but when he found out it was Chris, that was just waaaaaay too disgusting for him!
After Reid takes a moment to be grossed out and toss the toothbrush over his shoulder, he asks why Chris would be brushing his teeth in Katie's apartment. When it becomes clear that Katie and Chris slept together, rather than repeating his "Ewwwww" (which would have been perfectly justified!), Reid makes it clear how bad an idea he thinks that was. He can't tell Katie why it's a bad idea, but he is obviously upset with Chris for being so reckless.
Next we are over at the hospital, where Luke runs into Chris, and Chris comments on the fact that Luke is there so often. (Hey, writers? having your characters point out that something in your storyline doesn't entirely make sense, doesn't mean that now it makes sense. It seriously fascinates me that writers that were such completely talentless hacks somehow managed to create one of the most compelling romantic couples ever on TV. How this was possible is one of the great mysteries of our times!)
Luke asks Chris how he's feeling, and Douche 2.0 makes like he couldn't possibly imagine why Luke would be asking him that question. Luke reveals that he knows what's going on with Chris, and lets Chris know that he's put Reid in an impossible position and that it has to stop, but sadly, he doesn't go all Grimaldi on Chris's worthless hide. Instead, after Chris pulls him into an exam room and asks him to repeat himself, Luke goes into detail about how much he knows about Chris's condition, and gives Chris pretty much the same lecture Reid has been giving him about how he ought to tell people about his condition. I'm sure it won't come as a major shock to anyone that Chris refuses and insists that Luke forget he even knows anything. Basically, Chris is continuing in in his efforts to steal the 2010 crown as Oakdale's Next Top Douche away from Noah.
Back at Katie's, Reid continues trying to convince her she shouldn't be sleeping with Chris, but can't actually give her a good reason why. Too bad he didn't think to say "because he's a total douche with a history of sexually harassing nurses", but I guess nobody's perfect. He does manage to call Chris a self-absorbed pediatrician, which was a good effort, but not good enough to convince Katie that she shouldn't be dating the guy. He is quite adamant, however, that if Katie insists on dating Douche 2.0, he'd better keep away from Reid's dental devices.
The doorbell rings and it's the self-absorbed pediatrician in question; he's there because he's going with Katie to check out pre-schools for Jacob. When Katie leaves the room, Chris jumps down Reid's throat about telling Luke. They argue back and forth and Reid points out how selfish it is for Chris to put Katie in a situation where she might have to watch another man she's fallen in love with die so soon after losing Brad. Chris insists that he's had the virus before and he beat it. Reid latches on to Chris's claim that he beat the virus and points out that Chris keeps upping the dosage of his antibiotics. (ANTIBIOTICS DON'T DO ANYTHING FOR A VIRUS!!! I understand Chris being too dimwitted to understand that concept, but shouldn't a genius brain surgeon like Reid know it?) As the doorbell rings again, Reid tells Chris he needs a reality check then goes over to open the door to Luke.
Luke starts trying to warn Reid that he'd told Chris he knows, but then he sees Chris there and realizes that particular cat is already out of the bag. So, of course, he says he's sorry and it's all his fault. I don't have the first clue what, exactly, Luke thinks is his fault. It's certainly not his fault that Chris is sick OR that Chris is a douche, so I'm just going to chalk this up as another case of Luke blaming himself for something even though he isn't really responsible.
He apologizes again, this time to Chris, says that he and Reid are both worried about him, and points out that Chris has put Reid in a really terrible position.
Then Chris goes into more of the same blah, blah, blah, about how he's fine and nobody else needs to know, and Reid responds with his same blah, blah, blah, about how Chris doesn't know if he's fine or not, and I swear the writers just used the same script over and over for half the scenes Chris and Reid shared for several weeks running.
Katie comes back out and gives Reid a brand new toothbrush, apparently believing that's what they've been arguing about all this time and now they don't have to argue anymore.
After Katie and Chris leave, Reid goes into a tirade about "the downside of love," saying "This whole people-caring-about-people business -- it's insane." Luke can clearly tell that this is all coming from a place of Reid being upset on Katie's behalf and he thinks it's adorable, so he smiles and tells Reid that love has its good points, too.
Reid says that the greater you care about something, the greater your chances are of getting hurt. Luke admits that that's true and, when Reid asks how you live with that, Luke says that you're just grateful that you have that in your life, for as long as you have it, even if it is just a short while. (And just so you know, there are NO ANVILS AT ALL in this scene; NONE NONE NONE!!!)
Reid hears that "short while" and finds that idea unacceptable. He's not willing to invest so much to get so little in return, then says one of my favorite Reid lines ever, "I want the whole enchilada, you hear me?"
Luke (who will never make a living as a poker player, because everything he's feeling is written all over his face) definitely likes what he's hearing, but he prompts Reid to clarify his meaning. Reid says that Luke better take care of his kidney, because, "If I'm going to put myself out there, fall in love with you, I am not going to lose you."
All Luke heard was "fall in love with you" and he liked it. He asks if Reid plans to fall in love with him. Reid starts out saying "no" but as he goes on, he makes it clear that it's not that he's planning to NOT fall in love, just that it's not the sort of thing you can plan, that it just happens and you're powerless to stop it. Then he stops himself, surprised that he'd just said he'd be powerless, because he's never been powerless, he's always in control of everything.
Luke's face makes it clear that every word Reid is saying is making him all kinds of giddy and happy inside, and he smiles as he asks Reid if he's okay (I guess with the whole being powerless thing). Reid just sort of looks at Luke and asks the question back at him. Luke is all smiles as he nods his head, and Reid's eyes kind of sparkle as he and Luke reach for each other and begin to kiss.
And what a kiss it is. It gets hot and heavy pretty quickly, and they end up on the sofa, where they encounter the stupidest cockblocking device in the history of scripted drama -- a baby rattle. Seriously? They're alone in the apartment and, considering Katie and Chris just left, they will probably be alone for hours, and they have to stop kissing (and moving on to more) because of a baby rattle? What the fucking hell were the writers thinking with that one? Actually, I'm probably giving the writers too much credit by assuming they were thinking at all. :|
But it was a great kiss, so why don't we sit back and enjoy it and just stop watching at about 35 seconds in:
http://youtu.be/A8ZlWNALGCc
Of course, if you're like me, watching just once isn't enough. So rather than hitting "replay" a couple dozen times, let's watch this instead:
::sigh:: Where were we again? Oh, right! Recap!
So, anyway, because the presence of a baby rattle for some inexplicable reason made that perfect opportunity to be together "the wrong place and time", Reid sort-of half-jokingly says that Luke probably prefers candlelight and soft music. Luke, however, is clearly good to go (AND THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST GONE RIGHT THEN!!!!) and says that all he needs is a bed and some privacy.
Then Reid says he needs to get to work and they don't want to be rushed. And, okay, the fact that Reid doesn't want to rush through their first time together but rather wants to savor every second of it actually is a good reason to put things off for the moment.
So, Reid says "to be continued" and Luke agrees, and they smile at each other. I think we definitely need lots of people to write comment fic about what would have happened in this scene if there was no rattle and Reid didn't have to get to the hospital.
Back at the hospital, we see that Luke went along with Reid. Reid says his rounds shouldn't take too long and asks if Luke wants to stick around so they can go grab a bite to eat when he's done. Luke says only if Reid's paying, and Reid insists that Luke is the one with the deep pockets. Luke points out that Reid is the candidate for chief of staff who needs Luke's vote... I don't know about you, but I think Luke was implying that part of Reid's interview process might involve him demonstrating skills that aren't traditionally associated with being chief of staff.
Reid smiles in amusement and asks Luke to meet him in the waiting area. Luke agrees then checks out Reid's ass as Reid heads off to do his rounds.
The stupidest doctor in Oakdale Illinois America THE WORLD (you know, the one who's completely fine and has no reason at all to tell the people he cares about that he's got some kind of tropical virus that's destroying his heart), comes up to Luke looking like he's about to pass out. Luke asks if he's alright, and of course the answer is that he's fine, he just needs some oxygen. (Yeah, um, Chris? I know they had to have taught you in medical school that people who are just fine rarely need any oxygen beyond that readily available in the air around them.)
Katie comes up to Luke and asks if that was Chris he was just talking to. Luke takes a moment to answer because he knows Chris doesn't want Katie to know anything, but he's clearly not comfortable lying to her. He manages to tell her that Chris had to check in on a patient... which I guess isn't exactly a lie, as long as you tell yourself that Chris is the patient in question. Katie babbles a bit about how doctors have such long hours and how Luke understands that now, and how it will get worse for one of them when either Chris or Reid is selected as the new chief of staff. When one of the nurses comes over and tells Luke Reid is waiting for him in the on-call room, Luke is clearly relieved for the excuse to get away.
(Wow! Reid is already done with his rounds? In addition to being a genius, Reid must be the fastest doctor on the planet. He left not quite 60 seconds ago! Lets just hope, for Luke's sake, that Reid doesn't do everything that quickly!)
He goes into the on-call room just as Reid is finishing up some dictation and tells Reid about how Chris needed oxygen and about how he had to lie to Katie about it. Now he understands what Reid has been dealing with and why he's been so upset. Because, you know, he's a HUMAN BEING who feels compassion for his fellow human beings (and unlike the asshole jerk moron pumping himself full of oxygen down the hall, is IN NO WAY in need of redemption). Luke feels bad for both of them, because he's Luke and he's made of love. Reid says that if Chris wasn't sick he'd strangle him for the way he's been acting.
Reid explains again, for all the viewers who have been asleep for the last few episodes, that Chris won't tell Katie the truth, and he doesn't know what he supposed to do. Luke says that Reid should just keep doing what he's been doing. Reid takes that to mean that he should keep lying to Katie and he clearly isn't happy with that idea. Luke clarifies that he meant Reid should keep helping Chris, and I really like that Luke makes it clear he's not saying it for Chris's sake but because he thinks Katie is in love with him.
Reid asks what about the consequences and Luke says to deal with them later. So, a short while later we see Reid on the phone asking to speak to Dr. John Dixon, who I guess is supposed to be to cardiology what Reid is to neurosurgery.
http://youtu.be/BysOMIM6ImQ
Although I doubt I'll be 100% successful at that! So, let's get started with the recap!
We start today finding out that Reid has at least a touch of OCD and that apparently some people's cooties are worse than others. Reid wants to know if "Goldilocks" used his toothbrush. He knows somebody used his toothbrush because it was on the right side facing right, and he always puts it on the left side facing left. I love the fact that, when he thought Katie was the one who used it, he was still planning on keeping it and just thought he'd need to sterilize it first, but when he found out it was Chris, that was just waaaaaay too disgusting for him!
After Reid takes a moment to be grossed out and toss the toothbrush over his shoulder, he asks why Chris would be brushing his teeth in Katie's apartment. When it becomes clear that Katie and Chris slept together, rather than repeating his "Ewwwww" (which would have been perfectly justified!), Reid makes it clear how bad an idea he thinks that was. He can't tell Katie why it's a bad idea, but he is obviously upset with Chris for being so reckless.
Next we are over at the hospital, where Luke runs into Chris, and Chris comments on the fact that Luke is there so often. (Hey, writers? having your characters point out that something in your storyline doesn't entirely make sense, doesn't mean that now it makes sense. It seriously fascinates me that writers that were such completely talentless hacks somehow managed to create one of the most compelling romantic couples ever on TV. How this was possible is one of the great mysteries of our times!)
Luke asks Chris how he's feeling, and Douche 2.0 makes like he couldn't possibly imagine why Luke would be asking him that question. Luke reveals that he knows what's going on with Chris, and lets Chris know that he's put Reid in an impossible position and that it has to stop, but sadly, he doesn't go all Grimaldi on Chris's worthless hide. Instead, after Chris pulls him into an exam room and asks him to repeat himself, Luke goes into detail about how much he knows about Chris's condition, and gives Chris pretty much the same lecture Reid has been giving him about how he ought to tell people about his condition. I'm sure it won't come as a major shock to anyone that Chris refuses and insists that Luke forget he even knows anything. Basically, Chris is continuing in in his efforts to steal the 2010 crown as Oakdale's Next Top Douche away from Noah.
Back at Katie's, Reid continues trying to convince her she shouldn't be sleeping with Chris, but can't actually give her a good reason why. Too bad he didn't think to say "because he's a total douche with a history of sexually harassing nurses", but I guess nobody's perfect. He does manage to call Chris a self-absorbed pediatrician, which was a good effort, but not good enough to convince Katie that she shouldn't be dating the guy. He is quite adamant, however, that if Katie insists on dating Douche 2.0, he'd better keep away from Reid's dental devices.
The doorbell rings and it's the self-absorbed pediatrician in question; he's there because he's going with Katie to check out pre-schools for Jacob. When Katie leaves the room, Chris jumps down Reid's throat about telling Luke. They argue back and forth and Reid points out how selfish it is for Chris to put Katie in a situation where she might have to watch another man she's fallen in love with die so soon after losing Brad. Chris insists that he's had the virus before and he beat it. Reid latches on to Chris's claim that he beat the virus and points out that Chris keeps upping the dosage of his antibiotics. (ANTIBIOTICS DON'T DO ANYTHING FOR A VIRUS!!! I understand Chris being too dimwitted to understand that concept, but shouldn't a genius brain surgeon like Reid know it?) As the doorbell rings again, Reid tells Chris he needs a reality check then goes over to open the door to Luke.
Luke starts trying to warn Reid that he'd told Chris he knows, but then he sees Chris there and realizes that particular cat is already out of the bag. So, of course, he says he's sorry and it's all his fault. I don't have the first clue what, exactly, Luke thinks is his fault. It's certainly not his fault that Chris is sick OR that Chris is a douche, so I'm just going to chalk this up as another case of Luke blaming himself for something even though he isn't really responsible.
He apologizes again, this time to Chris, says that he and Reid are both worried about him, and points out that Chris has put Reid in a really terrible position.
Then Chris goes into more of the same blah, blah, blah, about how he's fine and nobody else needs to know, and Reid responds with his same blah, blah, blah, about how Chris doesn't know if he's fine or not, and I swear the writers just used the same script over and over for half the scenes Chris and Reid shared for several weeks running.
Katie comes back out and gives Reid a brand new toothbrush, apparently believing that's what they've been arguing about all this time and now they don't have to argue anymore.
After Katie and Chris leave, Reid goes into a tirade about "the downside of love," saying "This whole people-caring-about-people business -- it's insane." Luke can clearly tell that this is all coming from a place of Reid being upset on Katie's behalf and he thinks it's adorable, so he smiles and tells Reid that love has its good points, too.
Reid says that the greater you care about something, the greater your chances are of getting hurt. Luke admits that that's true and, when Reid asks how you live with that, Luke says that you're just grateful that you have that in your life, for as long as you have it, even if it is just a short while. (And just so you know, there are NO ANVILS AT ALL in this scene; NONE NONE NONE!!!)
Reid hears that "short while" and finds that idea unacceptable. He's not willing to invest so much to get so little in return, then says one of my favorite Reid lines ever, "I want the whole enchilada, you hear me?"
Luke (who will never make a living as a poker player, because everything he's feeling is written all over his face) definitely likes what he's hearing, but he prompts Reid to clarify his meaning. Reid says that Luke better take care of his kidney, because, "If I'm going to put myself out there, fall in love with you, I am not going to lose you."
All Luke heard was "fall in love with you" and he liked it. He asks if Reid plans to fall in love with him. Reid starts out saying "no" but as he goes on, he makes it clear that it's not that he's planning to NOT fall in love, just that it's not the sort of thing you can plan, that it just happens and you're powerless to stop it. Then he stops himself, surprised that he'd just said he'd be powerless, because he's never been powerless, he's always in control of everything.
Luke's face makes it clear that every word Reid is saying is making him all kinds of giddy and happy inside, and he smiles as he asks Reid if he's okay (I guess with the whole being powerless thing). Reid just sort of looks at Luke and asks the question back at him. Luke is all smiles as he nods his head, and Reid's eyes kind of sparkle as he and Luke reach for each other and begin to kiss.
And what a kiss it is. It gets hot and heavy pretty quickly, and they end up on the sofa, where they encounter the stupidest cockblocking device in the history of scripted drama -- a baby rattle. Seriously? They're alone in the apartment and, considering Katie and Chris just left, they will probably be alone for hours, and they have to stop kissing (and moving on to more) because of a baby rattle? What the fucking hell were the writers thinking with that one? Actually, I'm probably giving the writers too much credit by assuming they were thinking at all. :|
But it was a great kiss, so why don't we sit back and enjoy it and just stop watching at about 35 seconds in:
Click to viewhttp://youtu.be/A8ZlWNALGCc
Of course, if you're like me, watching just once isn't enough. So rather than hitting "replay" a couple dozen times, let's watch this instead:
::sigh:: Where were we again? Oh, right! Recap!
So, anyway, because the presence of a baby rattle for some inexplicable reason made that perfect opportunity to be together "the wrong place and time", Reid sort-of half-jokingly says that Luke probably prefers candlelight and soft music. Luke, however, is clearly good to go (AND THEY SHOULD HAVE JUST GONE RIGHT THEN!!!!) and says that all he needs is a bed and some privacy.
Then Reid says he needs to get to work and they don't want to be rushed. And, okay, the fact that Reid doesn't want to rush through their first time together but rather wants to savor every second of it actually is a good reason to put things off for the moment.
So, Reid says "to be continued" and Luke agrees, and they smile at each other. I think we definitely need lots of people to write comment fic about what would have happened in this scene if there was no rattle and Reid didn't have to get to the hospital.
Back at the hospital, we see that Luke went along with Reid. Reid says his rounds shouldn't take too long and asks if Luke wants to stick around so they can go grab a bite to eat when he's done. Luke says only if Reid's paying, and Reid insists that Luke is the one with the deep pockets. Luke points out that Reid is the candidate for chief of staff who needs Luke's vote... I don't know about you, but I think Luke was implying that part of Reid's interview process might involve him demonstrating skills that aren't traditionally associated with being chief of staff.
Reid smiles in amusement and asks Luke to meet him in the waiting area. Luke agrees then checks out Reid's ass as Reid heads off to do his rounds.
The stupidest doctor in Oakdale Illinois America THE WORLD (you know, the one who's completely fine and has no reason at all to tell the people he cares about that he's got some kind of tropical virus that's destroying his heart), comes up to Luke looking like he's about to pass out. Luke asks if he's alright, and of course the answer is that he's fine, he just needs some oxygen. (Yeah, um, Chris? I know they had to have taught you in medical school that people who are just fine rarely need any oxygen beyond that readily available in the air around them.)
Katie comes up to Luke and asks if that was Chris he was just talking to. Luke takes a moment to answer because he knows Chris doesn't want Katie to know anything, but he's clearly not comfortable lying to her. He manages to tell her that Chris had to check in on a patient... which I guess isn't exactly a lie, as long as you tell yourself that Chris is the patient in question. Katie babbles a bit about how doctors have such long hours and how Luke understands that now, and how it will get worse for one of them when either Chris or Reid is selected as the new chief of staff. When one of the nurses comes over and tells Luke Reid is waiting for him in the on-call room, Luke is clearly relieved for the excuse to get away.
(Wow! Reid is already done with his rounds? In addition to being a genius, Reid must be the fastest doctor on the planet. He left not quite 60 seconds ago! Lets just hope, for Luke's sake, that Reid doesn't do everything that quickly!)
He goes into the on-call room just as Reid is finishing up some dictation and tells Reid about how Chris needed oxygen and about how he had to lie to Katie about it. Now he understands what Reid has been dealing with and why he's been so upset. Because, you know, he's a HUMAN BEING who feels compassion for his fellow human beings (and unlike the asshole jerk moron pumping himself full of oxygen down the hall, is IN NO WAY in need of redemption). Luke feels bad for both of them, because he's Luke and he's made of love. Reid says that if Chris wasn't sick he'd strangle him for the way he's been acting.
Reid explains again, for all the viewers who have been asleep for the last few episodes, that Chris won't tell Katie the truth, and he doesn't know what he supposed to do. Luke says that Reid should just keep doing what he's been doing. Reid takes that to mean that he should keep lying to Katie and he clearly isn't happy with that idea. Luke clarifies that he meant Reid should keep helping Chris, and I really like that Luke makes it clear he's not saying it for Chris's sake but because he thinks Katie is in love with him.
Reid asks what about the consequences and Luke says to deal with them later. So, a short while later we see Reid on the phone asking to speak to Dr. John Dixon, who I guess is supposed to be to cardiology what Reid is to neurosurgery.
http://youtu.be/BysOMIM6ImQ