‘Saving Hope’ S5 Ep 2 review: Falling to pieces

Well, ChAlex still hasn’t made-up and we are more frustrated than ever before. You know that’s the main thing on all of our minds after “Midlife Crisis,” so I’m jumping into it head first. I’ll get to the side stories in a few, but we need to hash this out pronto.

Fix You

Honestly, Charlie and Alex have had their ups and downs. For the most part, we’ve been able to understand the reasoning behind their break-ups, but this one is just hitting a nerve. It has been four weeks and Charlie is still living in a hotel. Seriously, Alex?!

Everyone is concerned. Maggie and Shahir (#TeamShalex!) pay her a visit just to
check-up on her because her behavior is reaching a whole new level of weird. After
the flashback of ChAlex’s best and worst moments, it’s understandable. Shahir points out that Alex is too young for a midlife crisis. Nonetheless, she seems to be having one. Why is it that women always mess with their hair during distressing and transitional times in their lives? Chopping off a chunk of her hair is a clear cry for help.

The next day at work, Charlie says he thinks it is time to come home, but Alex still has her reservations. Poor Charlie! No one is taking this break well and all of their friends are trying to help them get back together.

It’s amazing to see how much of an impact ChAlex has made on others. Maggie (puts up with her attitude and sharp tongue in the midst of her own heartbreak post-Zach’s rejection), Shahir (fears his relationship is doomed to fail if ChAlex can’t make it work) and Zach (fixes her hair like a rock star) cover the Alex front, while Dana tells Charlie that it is sweet of him to give her space, but perhaps it’s time to force her talk about the problem. So he does.

Charlie goes to see Alex. She pours a couple of drinks and he cuts straight to the chase. What is going on? They’ve been through so much together and he can handle
whatever she has to say. He just wants to know why she’s pulling away. Alex states her case: she’s bad luck. When he blurts out how that sounds crazy, she quips back, “Says the man who sees ghosts.” Oh no. You can’t blame Charlie for wondering if this is about the ghost thing again. He thought they were past all of that. He lists reasons in which he is the cause for Alex’s withdrawal. When he questions her support over the years, Alex defensively chimes in.

She recounts all of the ways she has been there for him. “You couldn’t find a more supportive…” Charlie tells her to finish the sentence: “What?! Wife?” Yes, WIFE. Because she should be his wife. Why won’t she marry him?! Alex assures him, it is not his fault. She has a genuine, “It’s not you, it’s me” moment.

Alex tells him about the promise she made to God, the Universe, who/whatever. If Charlie lived, she’d leave him alone because she’s cursed. Everyone she’s ever loved has died. Sha can’t handle losing Charlie too. She’d rather not marry him and have him live than risk the consequences of this brutal curse. Charlie gently reasons with her. He knows she had a rough upbringing, but this is ridiculous. Yes, even more ridiculous than the thought of him seeing ghosts because his gift has been proven true. He wants to help her get over this fear.

Charlie says, “I’ll fix it, unless you don’t want me to.” She pulls away from him. Alex seems to have made her decision. Charlie can’t help if she insists on sabotaging her own life. He’s baffled and heartbroken. It’s like Alex thinks she doesn’t deserve to be happy. But in depriving herself of happiness, she’s also taking away Charlie’s. How can he help her if she refuses to look past the curse?

When it seems like there’s nothing more he can say or do, Charlie leaves their apartment in pure frustration and heartbreak. He takes a moment in front of her door and thinks about going back in. Maybe there is still something he can say that will change her mind? Or maybe not…Charlies is at a loss, so he walks away. Alex starts sobbing when it becomes clear that he isn’t charging back in this time.

Did she want him to come back? Would it have made a difference if he did? Is Alex the one who needs to reach out to Charlie and repair their relationship? Can any of her friends help her realize that what she’s doing is wrong? What’s going to happen with Baby Luke? How can they raise Baby Luke together with this rift between them? Charlie still calls him “my boy” regardless of the fact that he’s probably Joel’s. He kept all of the promises he’s ever made to Alex. What will Alex do now? Where will Charlie go now that he feels like he’s lost his home and family? Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself or being melodramatic, but I’m just trying to imagine how Charlie feels at this moment. I understand what Alex is thinking, but I’m on Team Charlie.

Sigh! I’m just so upset and annoyed by this. We need ChAlex to be happily together this season. They can’t end the series on bad terms. It would be way too devastating for all of us who have been invested in their relationship from the start. Please give ChAlex a happy ending!

Back in the Saddle Again

ChAlex drama aside, it’s another crazy day at Hope Zion and the doctors are bringing their A game. Charlie gets back to operating for the first time after the shooting. He’s been practicing on bodies in the morgue, with the approval of their ghosts…at least that seems to be the case for a Coach’s ghost who encourages Charlie to get back in the game. Let’s face it, Charlie probably wouldn’t have jumped in if his expertise weren’t sorely needed in this awful emergency.

Fernando is brought to the ER in very grizzly shape. This is the most gory sights we’ve
seen in the series and I winced throughout most of his operation. Despite the unpalatable visuals, this is still a great story and case.

We see Dana rise to the challenge as she works alongside Cassie and Dev in the OR. She needs to put in the time to be cleared for trauma work, so Dawn isn’t cutting her any slack. She keeps pushing Dana to work harder and faster. This isn’t like cosmetic surgery, lives are on the line and there isn’t a second to waste. The wonderful thing is that Dana still has a chance to shine.

The motorcycle accident took a chunk out of Fernando’s leg (ewww), in addition to causing other damage. His spirit begs Charlie not to take his leg. He tells his family story about how his father left and they just started reconnecting over motorcycles. He needs to be whole, so he can ride again. Charlie tells him to keeping fighting for his life.

Charlie is in visible pain as he operates on Fernando. Luckily, Dawn delegates Dana to help him with some of the more cosmetic aspects of the surgery. For a moment it appears that hope is lost. But Charlie finds the problem (a blockage in blood flow to his foot) and fixes it. That’s our man!

Afterwards, Fernando sees his mother sitting by his side. He kept asking if his father ever returned any of the hospital’s calls, but he never did. The only reason he was on that motorcycle was to bond with his father, who still isn’t there for him. He realizes what matters now. Fernando believes the people who truly love you, are the people who show-up and stay with you…like his mom.

The same is true for ChAlex, well, up until this new hiccup in which Alex thinks staying away is the best thing for Charlie. However, if it comes down to it again, I think Alex and Charlie can’t help but be there for each other. If something bad happens to Charlie during their break, I have feeling Alex would be there for him in a heartbeat. It would prove her silly theory false too (not that I want Charlie to experience anymore drama or trauma in his troubled life….geesh!).

This was also a big day for Dana! Despite the exhaustion, she hasn’t felt this kind of buzz in years. Dawn is happy for her and gives her a steady workload, so she can re-certify. Judging by how she’s excelling under pressure, I have a feeling she’ll be certified sooner than later. Go Dana!

While Dana recovers with a nap, Cassie and Dev find another way to blow-off some post-op steam. Seems like they are casually back together to have some fun. I’m just afraid Dev may end up getting hurt again. Unless Cassie has had a change of heart. Could she be fronting or is she really just in it for the hanky-panky?

Despite what’s going on his personal life, Charlie is handling his work-load with grace. Dana also jumped back into trauma re-certification with youthful vigor and poised finesse.  Unfortunately, the same can’t exactly be said for Alex, who crosses the line with a patient and insults Maggie.

Overstepping Boundaries

Bree and her fiancée, Violet, are brought in after getting into a car accident while planning their wedding. As they examine Bree, they discover that she has breast cancer. Her mother died of cancer too, so she would be an ideal candidate for Maggie and Alex’s fellowship study about hereditary cancer in women…except for one problem.

Violet wants to leave her, she even walks out on her after hearing about the diagnosis. She planned on calling off the wedding before any of this happened. Ouch! Since she’s in the wind, Maggie argues that Bree doesn’t have the proper support (family, friends, etc.) to undergo their trial.

Alex uncharacteristically snaps and says Maggie piggy-backed on her study anyway, so she doesn’t have equal say. It’s not Alex’s fault that Maggie tanked her presentation. Whoa! Not cool, Alex. Maggie (and we) are taken aback by her harsh response. 

To make matters worse, she tells Bree about the trial and that Violet is probably leaving her. Oh no! What are you doing, Alex? You are crossing too many lines…WHY?!

Of course, just as Alex breaks the news, Violet returns with a bunch of gifts from the hospital shop. You can’t blame Bree for being upset at Alex and asking for another doctor.  Way to kick a girl while she’s down, eh?

Violet is more understanding with Alex, either that or Bree didn’t openly reveal her conversation with Alex. Violent believes they both knew this was coming deep down. But now she can’t leave Bree. They’ve been together forever. Violet saw what Bree’s mom went through when she was dying of cancer and she can’t abandon Bree to suffer a similar cruel fate alone. All Violet wanted was to figure who she is on her own, since it’s always been “Bree and Violet.” Now she just wants to make sure Alex will take care of Bree is hse does the trial. ALex promises to keep her safe, so Violet says she’ll convince Bree to join. It is very strong, compassionate and loving of Violet to stay and be there for Breelike this. Those poor girls.

What’s a Bro to do?

Zach feels guilty over rejecting Maggie, so he’s trying to set her up with potential beaus on a dating site. He really is the sweetest. Maggie’s advances came out of the blue, but even if she made a move before Zawn, I think he still wouldn’t feel that way about her.

Maggie also seems to have the hots for Palmer, so maybe something will happen
there. Although he’s been extra kind and comforting to Alex. I know he wanted to be a priest once, but that ship sailed. Is he crushing on Alex or just being a good friend?

Maggie was a fantastic friend in this episode! Despite Alex’s attitude, she knows her gal-pal is in bad shape and just needs some TLC. She has Zach break out his secret skill to help Alex out. As it turns out, Zach worked at Supercuts to pay his way through med-school…and he was good at it too! His reaction to her chop alone is proof enough. The snafu got under his skin to the point that he almost gave his secret away by observing how cutting the hair at an angle would help fix it. Too cute! Yes, the haircut scene will be a fan-favorite for the series.

Lastly, we have sweet, sensitive Shahir. We know he wants the best for Alex, as one half of Team ShAlex. However, we learn that there is more behind his woefulness over their break-up. Shahir loves his boyfriend Jonathon. He recalls how difficult it was growing up with Aspergers and reveals the instructor who helped him the most was his behavioral aid. He learned how he’s supposed to respond to social cues. He felt like he spent his life at a disadvantage and now he’s found happiness with Jonathon.

Shahir fears: if a power couple like ChAlex can’t make it work, then what chance does he have with Jonathon? Awww, he’s breaking my heart. ChAlex has nothing to do with his relationship, but let’s face it…in many ways, ChAlex reflects real relationship goals for many people. To find a loving, loyal and passionate partnership like that is rare. Which is why we’re begging Saving Hope writers not to take ChAlex away from us!

What did you think of “Midlife Crisis,” Hopefuls? Were you shocked by Alex’s behavior? Will ChAlex get back together? How can this be fixed? Were you grossed out by Fernando’s wounds? Did you think Alex overstepped with Bree and Maggie? Should Zach feel guilty about Maggie? Share your thoughts below!