This entire season has been a roller coaster ride that I have thoroughly enjoyed. The best part, the character development of the ensemble of characters. What stood out the most to me this season is the story arch on Robert's character, Paul. It was the most inspiring and heartfelt in my opinion. To see where he came from and the confrontation with his father was incredible. I'm sure most of us were sitting at home saying, "Give 'em hell Paul! Lay into your dad and tell him what he really needs to hear." But, he didn't. The writers kept him true to his character and handled things with grace and dignity. I can't wait to see next season and how he handles his current issues.
I have to admit that I have been putting off watching The Night Shift season finale, not because I didn't want the season to end (I don't) but because of the subject matter. As soon as they revealed that Jordan was pregnant, I knew the storyline was headed in this direction. It's been 13 and a half years since I had two miscarriages back to back. Even now the pain of those losses runs deep. That being said, I was afraid of two things, either it would be written in way that would lessen what it is to lose a baby before it was born or that it would tear my heart in two because of the acting abilities of the two wonderful actors, Jill and Eoin. I'm glad to say that I was genuinely moved by both the writing and the actors.
The one line that Jordan said about how she didn't want people to tell her she could get pregnant again was genuine and heartbreaking. That is absolutely the WORST thing someone can say to anyone who has had a miscarriage. It's like saying to someone who lost a child, "Meh, that's ok. You have another one." Harsh, but true. That entire scene was so sincerely intimate with the writing and with the outstanding skills of Jill and Eoin. It touch my soul. After all these years, it was a relief to know that I wasn't alone in what I was thinking. I knew that I would be blown away by Eoin's performance. His ability to harness and draw on his own raw emotions comes through in those performances. I will always be moved and awed by his ability to do that. Being honest, I wasn't sure how Jill would be able to handle the task of that scene. I've enjoyed her work, but I couldn't recall any truly emotional scenes that she's done. Well, I was impressed beyond words. Thank you for making that moment real, Jill. The chemistry between Jill and Eoin has been phenomenal this season. The connection they have is great and I look forward to next season to see where they are headed.
Thank you Gabe, Eoin, Jill, JR, Brendan, Robert, Freddie, Jeananne and Scott for a wonderful ride this past season. My wish for next season is this, more character development. Don't get me wrong, the off the wall medical cases are really cool, but the heart of the show are the wonderful characters of the outstanding ensemble I listed above. I truly hope that The Night Shift will be able to have the longevity of the great medical dramas that have come before i.e., ER and Grey's Anatomy. The Night Shift is the next big thing and I look forward to watching in the years to come.
