The Night Shift season 4 episode 9 review: Will TC and Jordan change the hospital?
To say that this story was political would be making a gross understatement. Yet, it was also human given that most of the patients at the hospital were just people who were in America to try and find better lives for themselves. TC, as an immigrant, wanted to do everything that he can in order to help them. However, the doctors and nurses had to deal with a horrible ICE agent who was there for one purpose and one purpose only. It’s interesting that there was another ICE agent who was disenfranchised with the job and felt like his role had changed greatly. He presented at least what the organization used to be in more of a sympathetic light. Not that sympathetic, though, given that we also saw this same agent bring in both a mother and her child just as they were testifying as a victim of abuse.
The doctors and nurses did their best to treat these patients, but what made matters so much worse was learning that there was an extremely dangerous man brought in among the group, one who was cocky and arrogant for a while thanks to a possible witness protection deal that he had. That didn’t come together, and what we saw unfold instead was TC and this guy chase each other through the air-ducts while he had the capacity to shoot many other people in the hospital.
In the end, the doctors have to chalk up much of what happened during this episode as a win. While they couldn’t help everyone stay in the hospital, the mother and child did manage to find a way to stay in the country thanks to the good-natured ICE agent finding a way to turn things around and change their fate.
Last minute revelations
At the end of the episode, we learned a few quick things. For one, TC wanted to bring Amira on board the combat training program … but he didn’t actually bother to tell Jordan or anyone else first. Meanwhile, Shannon seems to be looking for residency positions elsewhere, and Kenny is engaged to Paul’s sister after only one numb.
The end of the episode featured Jordan, TC, Amira, and Scott pitching their combat training facility plan. They got it approved, but the problem is that they were given a really short period of time to prove that the concept works. Given that there’s no guarantee in a season 5 at the moment, we don’t fault the writers for throwing everything on the table now.
What’s going on with Cain?
What we learned about him tonight is that the moment he saw some of the immigrants in town, plus some of the people they were connected to, he was ready to get out of dodge. He quit his job, and found himself running away for his life. Unfortunately, he still found himself stopped, and in turn, found his life in a certain degree of jeopardy.
Overall Take
With The Night Shift season 4 episode 9, what we saw tonight was a story stuffed full of intensity, but also one that gave us a chance to understand more of how characters are thinking leading up to the finale. It also, in the closing seconds, teed up a pretty profound shift in what the show could be with the hospital becoming more of a training facility than anything else. Episode Grade: B.
Want to preview The Night Shift and its finale?
Then be sure to head over to the link here! You can also share your thoughts on this episode in the comments. You can also check out our interview with Robert Bailey Jr. from earlier in the day. (Photo: NBC.)