1.
Charlie’s coma is finally explained.
Charlie’s father was distracted unbuckling his seatbelt so Charlie could lie down and was hit by a truck. His mom took out a restraining order, but discovered he was visiting when she noticed a toy he left; why go through all the trouble of sneaking around and then leave an obvious sign? With hospital lawyers suggesting Charlie be moved to long–term care, Nurse Jackson switches blood samples to trick the tests; it’s great to see her determined to be there for a patient, but it’s crazy the professional risk she’s taking with such an unethical decision.
2.
Dash leaves his mark.
After weeks of being a supporting player, it’s good to finally see Dash with a plotline of his own. When Kara learns that Dash has been placed on the transplant list (for lungs), he uses her desire for advice to achieve his own goal. Kara uses her moms’ connections to get Dash into an apartment building where Dash paints a gorgeous mural, which the kids are able to see from the roof of the hospital. For a kid who often goofs around, Dash demonstrates mature insight with the idea that he may not want a transplant, but he may go through with it for his parents. Rather than focusing on his health, Dash was more concerned about leaving a legacy and the mural accomplished just that.
3.
The Leo/Emma/Jordi love triangle drives around in circles.
Ruben pops back up after a few episodes off just to say that he’s leaving to travel the world, a sign that the show doesn’t entirely know what to do with all the adult characters they’ve introduced. As he’s bequeathing his possessions to the kids, he allows newly–emancipated Jordi to have a driving lesson in his fancy car, with only Emma and Leo to help him. Considering Jordi passed out after chemotherapy last episode, allowing him to drive with two other teenagers in the car seems dangerous and a very odd to choice for the same episode that reveals Charlie’s car accident. The love triangle is starting to get a bit repetitive with Emma seeming undecided, sharing a kiss with Leo after a heated confrontation and holding hands with Jordi. Eventually someone is going to get hurt, but the show seems to be spinning its wheels getting there.
4.
Odds and Ends
It’s established that Charlie and Leo have been in the hospital for four months, which is much shorter than expected considering how much history the group seems to have together. If (hopefully when) Charlie wakes up, is he going to be all–knowing since he manages to narrate events throughout the hospital or only remember stuff that happened in his presence?
