This best sums up my immediate reactions upon learning the news....
OK, enough of that (but everyone else feel free to abuse the GIFs in comments :). Getting back to the actual VERY EXCITING Monday Mornings news, TNT released a bunch of press material today. All of the information can be found at the TNT Newsroom. Some of the 'new' information, such as Jamie's bio, I think we know pretty well. ;) The best of the press pack is the descriptions for all of the first season episodes. Which, thankfully, included upcoming guest stars so we weren't forced to endure a looooooong wait as to who the very exciting guest star we'd be uber excited about would be that Kerry hinted at some weeks ago. And, yes, Kerry was right to use "uber excited" in reference to Ioan! :D
Now, for the sake of those wishing to remain unspoiled, I'm putting the episode descriptions behind a cut. If you choose to read them, do feel free to discuss in comments since, if you also read the book, it's interesting to see how DEK & Co. are approaching the material in the series. As for the non-spoilery bits about Ioan's guest turn, he'll play Dr. Stewart Delany in episode 107, "Truth or Consequences". A Doctor! We can only hope there will be some heated discussions between he and Ty. And if there are no TNT pre-emptions, the episode should air in late March.
Series Premiere: "Pilot"
Chelsea General is home to some of the top surgeons in the world, thanks in large part to the hospital's notorious Monday morning morbidity and mortality – or "311" – conferences. In these legendary meetings, Chief of Staff Harding Hooten (Alfred Molina) leads a harsh, closed-door review of the complications encountered and mistakes made during the course of patient care. As the series opens, Trauma Chief Jorge Villanueva (Ving Rhames) treats what appears to be an attempted suicide by car only to discover that the crash victim suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm. Renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Ty Wilson (Jamie Bamber) is shaken by the case of 11-year-old Quinn McDaniels (guest star Mason Cook), whose soccer injury reveals a much graver problem. Workaholic Dr. Sydney Napur (Sarayu Rao) solves a case that had the rest of the hospital staff stumped. Meanwhile, Dr. Sung Park (Keong Sim) performs high-tech deep brain stimulation on a patient with uncontrollable hand tremors. Jennifer Finnigan, Emily Swallow and Bill Irwin also star.
Directed by Bill D'Elia
Teleplay by David. E Kelley
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
101: "Deus Ex Machina"
Sung, Hooten and Villanueva join forces to convince Trisha Miller (guest star Cozi Zuehlsdorff), a 13-year-old girl with an advanced brain stem glioma, to try surgery one last time before giving up. Shaken from losing a patient, Ty turns to Dr. Tina Ridgeway (Jennifer Finnigan) for support. Meanwhile, Dr. Buck Tierney (Bill Irwin) tries to bully resident Michelle Robideux (Emily Swallow) into pronouncing a potential organ donor brain dead. And Sydney enlists Villanueva's help diagnosing a patient under the care of internist Dr. John Lieberman (guest star Jonathan Silverman).
Directed by Bill D'Elia
Written by David E. Kelley & Sanjay Gupta
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
102: "Who's Sorry Now?"
Sung is forced to meet with Risk Management's Fran Horowitz (guest star Valerie Mahaffey) after refusing to apologize to the wife of a patient who died on his table. Ty and Michelle face a moral dilemma when a seemingly schizophrenic homeless man cannot provide the informed consent needed for life-saving surgery. Sydney and Lieberman can't leave work behind during their date. And Buck is forced to evaluate his callous behavior after being named in a lawsuit by malpractice attorney Mitch Tompkins (guest star Anthony Heald).
Directed by Bill D'Elia
Written by David E. Kelley & Karen Struck
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
103: "Forks Over Knives"
Tina's proposal to use an unorthodox procedure to treat a young man with extreme O.C.D. divides the surgeons at the 311 conference. At the same time, Villanueva must find a way to treat a girl with critical internal bleeding who refuses care because of her religious beliefs. Sung discovers that no good deed goes unpunished when a former patient sues him after her successful surgery creates an unforeseen side effect – abnormally increased sexual appetite.
Directed by Mike Listo
Written by Amanda Johns & Karen Struck & David E. Kelley
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
104: "The Legend And The Fall"
Hooten's mentor, Dr. Arvin Wayne (guest star Hal Holbrook), walks into the wrong procedure on the wrong day, leading the surgeons at Chelsea General to question the cognitive abilities of one of the hospital's elder statesmen. When a top competitive swimmer suffers a seizure in the emergency room, Villanueva follows his gut – leading to a surprising diagnosis. Tina must perform a risky transvenous thrombolysis with Ty and Michelle's help. And Sydney implies that Lieberman (guest star Jonathan Silverman) might be a crummy doctor for missing the signs of bacterial endocarditis in a former patient.
Directed by Greg Hoblit
Written by Amanda Johns & Sanjay Gupta & David E. Kelley
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
105: "Communion"
When paramedics rush in with a stabbing victim, Villanueva is stunned to realize that the patient is his own son, Nick (guest star Denzel Whitaker Now it's up to Sydney and Hooten to save the young man. With Ty's help, Sung attempts to restore a concert violinist's perfect pitch by removing an astrocytoma that is pressing on the musician's brain. And Buck receives a strange request from the donor in a failed kidney transplant.
Directed by Colin Bucksey
Written by Karen Struck & David E. Kelley
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
106: "One Fine Day"
Ty and Tina receive a late night call from Afghanistan, where Corpsman Jacob Gold (guest star Reiley McClendon) desperately needs help when his fellow Marine suffers a traumatic head injury. Sydney believes a happy infant's unnatural laughter is related to an undiagnosed neurological problem. And Sung and Hooten attempt to reconcile the husband and sister of a brain-dead gay patient, only to find themselves caught in the legal crosshairs of the situation.
Directed by Mario Van Peebles
Written by Sanjay Gupta & Amanda Johns & David E. Kelley
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
107: "Truth or Consequences"
During Monday's 311 conference, Hooten calls Dr. Stewart Delany (guest star Ioan Gruffund) to explain how a careless mistake killed Delany's young patient. But the outcome of the conference leaves the hospital's surgeons conflicted. Sydney and Villanueva operate on Keith Harriman (guest star Lukas Behnken), a young man with extensive injuries from an apparent suicide attempt. Sydney and Buck wonder about the resources wasted on those who cannot or do not want to be saved. And Mark Ridgeway (guest star Eyal Podell) returns, determined to make Ty and Tina pay for their adultery.
Directed by Arlene Sanford
Written by Karen Struck & David E. Kelley
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
108: "Wheels Within Wheels"
Ty and Hooten believe Supreme Court hopeful Judge Beverly Nathenson's (guest star Merecedes Ruehl) facial pain is the result of a brain tumor; upon operating, the surgeons discover a diagnosis much more shocking. Michelle struggles under pressure when a difficult E.R. case proves to be more than she can handle. And Sung and Tina disagree over the course of treatment for an obsessive writer suffering from a rare form of epilepsy.
Directed by Mike Listo
Written by Amanda Johns & David E. Kelley & Karen Struck
Created by David E. Kelley
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
109: "Family Ties"
Hooten and Buck find themselves facing off in court against attorney Mitch Tompkins (guest star Anthony Heald) after a grieving son refuses to comply with his mother's final wishes. Sydney's outrage over the health of a morbidly obese 16-year-old boy further strains her relationship with Lieberman (guest star Jonathan Silverman). And a seemingly harmless patient (guest star Kenneth Mitchell) puts one of Chelsea General's own in grave danger.
Directed by Bill D'Elia
Teleplay by: Amanda Johns & Karen Struck & David E. Kelley
Story by: Amanda Johns & Karen Struck
Based on the novel by Sanjay Gupta M.D.
And we're not sure where this originated from, but here is a brief scene from the Monday Mornings pilot:
Direct Link
