Original subtitles

[tape crackling]

[ominous music]

- Okay.

Here we are on Madeline Beyer.

Today, we're performing the revision surgery.

This whole midline structure has been severed

from the underlying spine.

I just grabbed the ligament and it's exposing the dura,

which is leaking spinal fluid.

I do see down here more bone.

It looks like putty.

It's just smashed in there.

What did he do to her?

* *

- I reviewed the photo you faxed over.

- And?

- That is Dr. Christopher Duntsch.

- Did you know? - No.

- Did you know what he was capable of?

- No.

The things he is reportedly doing there,

I never saw here.

[ominous music continues]

* *

- [under breath] Son of a bitch.

[grunting]

[shouting indistinctly]

[birds chirping]

- Here you go.

Thank you.

- One of those for me this year?

- I know better than that.

- Here, trade me.

You doing okay?

Yeah, me too.

[machine beeping]

- [sighs]

I get what they've been telling me.

Braindead.

I know what they're saying.

And I've been looking at that face every day for 46 years.

That's what she looks like

when she's asleep.

You want to tell me when a person stops being a person?

What about the craniotomy?

- What do you mean?

- Duntsch said he could save her with a craniotomy.

- I don't think so. - You don't think?

- I know.

- It'd be worth a shot, wouldn't it?

- No. - Why no?

- She's beyond that now, Earl.

- You're not her doctor.

- I know that.

- You come in here asking questions,

asking to look at her files, and now you're telling me no?

[sighs]

Dorothy and I learned how to sail together.

[chuckles]

We bought a boat.

It was just a 24-foot cruiser earlier this year.

Docked on Lake Texoma.

- Nice up there?

- Nice.

Quiet.

Especially in winter.

It took us 30 years to buy that boat.

Why did it take us so long to buy that boat?

[sighs]

- My son was here

just a few doors up that way.

Nine years ago this week,

he lasted a month.

I thought I was--I thought I was managing the situation.

I figured someone had missed something.

I mean, this is what I do my whole life.

I save people,

and no matter what anybody told me,

how they tried to convince me otherwise,

I assumed...

Pretended...

there was a chance,

pretended I didn't know the statistics,

cited miracle cases,

clung to them like facts.

No matter what-- and there's no way around this--

no matter what you decide to do,

you're going to hate yourself, and...

more than a little.

She's not asleep, Earl.

- And you want me to listen to you?

To trust you.

I trusted him too.

[indistinct chatter]

- All right?

Watch for the long count.

Stay disciplined.

You guys pointed to that bullshit from last week.

I swear to God,

whoever you want to fucking [inaudible]

till you'll be puking out of your assholes.

You understand me?

All right, so [indistinct].

90% of the time, on first down,

they're running twins to the wide side.

Do not fall for the play action.

It's a fake hand-off... - [laughing]

- He's gonna roll out.

He's gonna hit the inside receiver with a quick out.

- Freshman?

- What's that? - You a freshman?

You got that freshman focus.

- Sophomore. - Oh, redshirted?

- Walk-on.

I just transferred from Millsaps, Mississippi.

- Walk-ons aren't easy to come by.

Must be a bitch.

- Well, I always go the distance.

Chris.

- I'm Chris.

[both chuckle]

- Duntsch. - Beton.

But nobody can pronounce that shit.

Call me Betts. - Next up.

[scale clanking]

- 86. 287.

Right on target, Martinez.

Nice work. Next up!

[scale clanking]

198.

- Um, Coach? - Next up.

- But I think that number is wrong.

It's just, I'm weighing 220 back home.

- Ahh.

Well, you weigh 198 in here.

You're in your goal range.

No need to stress over a few pounds, Daisy.

Next up! - No, no.

There's just no goddamn way.

- Yes, goddamn way. Get off.

- Coach, I think you need to recalibrate this fucker.

- We can recalibrate your position on this team

if you don't get the fuck off my scale.

243. Two pounds light.

I want you up by next week.

- That was, uh, daring. - Bullshit.

- Come on. Who gives a fuck?

- I bet you were right on target.

- By your math, I'm fat.

[drumming on stomach]

- Whatever, man. - [chuckles]

- I need to bulk up.

My brother swears by this shit.

It's like his secret weapon. Nathan gained, like, 40 pounds.

- Whoa. Hold up.

Nathan?

I have a brother Nathan.

- Get the fuck outta here.

That's not enough fingers. [laughs]

Nathan is, like, a genius.

He got the brains of the family for sure.

And then my other brother, Matthew,

is just unbelievable with a ball--any ball.

Put it into his hands, he's unstoppable.

They just don't struggle with things, you know, like me.

I got to outwork 'em or--you know, that's what my dad says.

- Oh, fuck that guy. What's he do?

- Doctor, or a physical therapist,

but it's cool, 'cause, you know...

"It really don't matter if I lose the faith."

both: "'Cause all I want to do is go the distance."

- Oh, Italian Stallion! - Yeah!

- Fucking classic. [both laugh]

- You know, I'm actually taking a couple of cinema classes.

- What, like, you watch movies for credit?

- I know, right? You pick a major?

- Eh, I don't know.

I'm looking into chemistry or biology

or even giving vertebrate zoology a look.

- That's not a thing.

That doesn't look right.

- It doesn't matter, anyway. I can't take it.

Conflicts with morning practice.

Coach would kill me.

- [laughs] - What?

- Oh, come on, man.

I mean, the New Jersey is great for chicks and parties and shit,

but it's not like we're going pro.

- Maybe you're not.

- [laughs]

All right.

Chicken, broccoli-- God, peanut butter?

Jesus, we're going to eat all this?

- Yup.

I mean, we gotta blend it up first, but...

[cart rattles]

- I got a better way to put on weight.

[lively rock music]

* *

Come on. You're gonna love it.

Get in there.

Look alive, handsome.

- Hey, Betts! - Hey, there he is.

- Oh, hey. Thank you so much.

Drunken bastards. Look at you.

Let's have a drink. Let's have a drink.

* *

Hey, what are you doing?

Gettin' lucky. Wear some protection.

Creerie, yeah!

You're a very nice man.

Thank you so much. Oh, hey.

- Yeah.

- See you later, okay?

* *

How are you doing?

Thank you so much. Oh, yes.

Hey ladies, let's just dance the night away.

Just us girls dancing the night away.

Hey!

Never graduate!

Solomon!

Solomon!

Duntsch, come on.

- Faithful friend,

and future acquaintance, enter.

* *

Some dope dope, my man.

- I'ma head home.

- Come on.

- School day's tomorrow, you know?

But you have fun.

* *

[intercom beeps]

- Baylor let Duntsch resign.

- He wasn't fired?

- I asked around here two turns,

and all he had were temporary privileges.

- Were they revoked?

- I was told that was confidential.

You like peanuts?

[light rock music playing]

Hate that part.

Sitting with the relatives like that--

never got used to it.

- There was no getting used to it.

The only thing you can do is stay if they want you to,

get out of the way if they don't.

Thank you. - Yeah.

Well, where the hell was Duntsch?

Not sitting there offering apologies or advice to that guy

on when to pull the plug on his wife.

- Do you have any idea where he is?

- Farting tornado.

What do you think?

- About?

- A guy from a top medical program

followed by a top residency followed by a top fellowship.

He keeps getting these surgical outcomes because

A, he's either doing it on purpose,

or two, he just sucks.

- I can't make sense of it.

- Personally, I'm leaning towards B.

- The question isn't why he did it.

It's how he got away with it.

- You and I are mind-melding.

- I have no idea what that means.

- We're on the same page.

I mean, Baylor Plano has, what, three, four

of the top neurosurgeons in the area on staff,

and I'm talking the best.

Well, instead of these top, top guys

getting the patients, Duntsch gets them--

the newbie, just arrived in town,

zero experience, zero business operating.

Come on, you'd think he was, you know...

[whistles] With somebody up the ladder.

- Now we're not even in the same library.

- I'm just saying--motive.

- Move on.

- Are we gonna eat? I'm fucking starving.

- You have to make sure that Duntsch never operates

at a hospital in Texas ever again.

- Mm-hmm. - I have a suggestion.

It's a bit extreme,

but I think the situation warrants it.

We report Duntsch to the Texas Medical Board.

What do you think?

- I'm still waiting for the extreme part.

- I don't need to remind you of what the stakes are here.

- Ooh, they got a porterhouse in the menu for two.

Halvsies? - If we're not meticulous

in presenting our evidence, if we don't get this right,

Duntsch will continue to operate.

We need pure, hard facts,

not cocktail umbrellas.

I've been gathering evidence.

- Evidence. - Yeah.

Patient files.

- Ooh, hee, here's your girl, Bobbie.

HIPAA violations.

[snaps fingers, giggles]

- Are you done?

- I don't know how you pulled that one off,

and I don't wanna know how,

but I do wanna know how.

- I actually asked his patients for their permission.

- Mm.

Boring.

- I have some other questions I need to get answered.

So you enjoy your meal.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

Can't trust a place with a red wine milkshake on the menu.

[sighs]

- At the end, now I face that

which was alluding me at the start.

The settling, the trading,

and embrace with disappointment.

The sky cracks open

and is crying out for me.

The ground has no shape.

My feet sink in

and takes me down to the depth.

The far depths.

[applause]

- Chris.

Chris D.

Chris D.

- One day,

we're here without a why.

We grow and live

and always try.

We seek each day, the reasons why

and push each day

against the tide.

At first, we seek to find our dreams,

but dreams are never what they seem.

Some are fast,

and some fall behind,

and push and pull

inside our minds.

[scattered applause]

[whistle blows]

[indistinct chatter, shouts]

[whistle blows]

- Keep your head up. Keep both feet moving!

- Stay wide. - Here we go, here we go!

[whistle blows]

- Bring it in! Let's go!

Hustle up.

All right. Listen up.

Clench will be running a 43 D next week.

Duntsch, you're up. You're running the play.

Weak cross, plug zero. Everyone get the concept?

all: Yes, Coach! - All right, let's go.

- Let's go now. Look sharp.

- Ready.

Ready.

Set, hut!

[all grunting]

[whistle blows]

- Duntsch, what the fuck is that?

You don't go left.

You blitz right. Hit the A gap.

Get your shit together.

Let's go.

[indistinct chatter]

[soft dramatic music]

- Ready.

Set, hut!

[whistle blows]

- If you're gonna suck this hard,

you might as well get on your knees, Daisy.

[laughs] - Go right, Duntsch.

Run it again.

On the ball.

- Set, hut.

[whistle blows]

Set, hut.

[whistle blows]

* *

[whistle blows]

On the ball!

[whistle blowing]

Run it again!

- Set, hut.

[whistle blows]

* *

- You're done.

- No, Coach. Coach, I got this.

- No, you don't got this.

- I got this, Coach. Seriously.

One more try, please. Please.

Weak cross, plug zero, hit the A gap.

One more try.

- All right, let's go. Let's chop some wood!

Let's go! On the ball!

- A gap. - Yeah, yeah.

[grunting, sighs]

* *

[breathing heavily]

[grunting]

[whistle blows]

Son of a bitch! Duntsch!

* *

What the hell was that?

Red jersey means do not hit.

Are you fucking dyslexic and color blind?

- Want a ride home?

Ah, come on.

Yeah. Today was shit.

But we got practice again tomorrow.

Two, as it turns out.

And the next day, and the next day.

You'll get it eventually.

- Eventually doesn't help. I need to get it now.

- Tonight? You need to get it tonight?

- I don't understand.

I mean, what am I doing wrong? Why can't I run this?

- Chris, man. I'm tired.

I got a six-pack, a party,

and a girl named Portia waiting for me at the house.

- One hour. Tops.

- [sighs]

Eye of the tiger, motherfucker.

- Yes!

- You did all these notes in your playbook?

[laughs] Dork.

Okay.

So you got your center in the center, obviously.

And then you got guards, tackles,

and tight ends laterally on each side.

Here's you at mid.

Now, on the snap, you blitz right

and hit the A gap on the weak side.

X marks the spot.

- That's what I'm doing. - No.

Weak side.

You're mixing them up,

and you're flattening our quarterback.

Show me your right hand.

* *

All right.

All right.

This gap here, on your right,

this is yours.

You got it?

Booyah.

Great. Let's drink.

- Run it? - You know where to find me.

Got the sled? Okay, man.

* *

- Come on!

- Hello? Help you?

- Where the hell are you? - Josh?

- Be right up.

Dr. Henderson.

- Can we ask you a couple questions?

This is Dr. Kirby.

- May I get you something?

- No, thank you. - Beer would be great.

- Sure. I think I have a--

- Whoa, whoa, wait. Are you gonna say an IPA?

- Yeah.

- Seriously? Forget it.

What happened to beer?

You ask for a Bud, you get an IPA.

You ask for a Coors, you get an IPA.

- Life is hard for you, right? - Can be.

- What's going on?

- Now, if at any moment you feel uncomfortable--

- We're going after Duntsch. You in?

- You're like a restless toddler.

We're planning on reporting Duntsch

to the Texas Medical Board.

But we need more information.

Now, we don't have to use your name, but if--

- Use my name. It's all yours.

- Madeline Beyer came in for an elective laminectomy

and spinal fusion.

- Totally straightforward.

- We reviewed the pre-op notes from last week.

Duntsch's plan for Mrs. Beyer's procedure

was sound, well-reasoned.

He knew the science.

He knew what he was supposed to do

heading into the OR.

- If you say so, sir.

To me, it was a disaster from the start.

He showed up late.

And not surgeon late-- late, late.

And when he finally gets there,

that's when I noticed his scrubs.

There was a hole in them.

- A hole?

- First saw it a few days before

at Rose Keller's operation. - [scoffs]

You saying he was wearing

the same scrubs for days into surgeries?

- At Mrs. Burke's surgery on Tuesday, hole.

No underwear, three surgeries in a row.

- Sorry. Where--where was this hole?

- How is that relevant? - Oh, it's relevant.

- In the back.

- In the back, back?

A hole in the a-hole?

- All through Mrs. Beyer's surgery,

he was mumbling about Dorothy Burke.

He was preoccupied. And then the blood?

A lumbar fusion--

acceptable blood loss would be what?

200, 250 ccs?

She lost 1,700 ccs of blood.

That much blood loss? Of course we were worried.

[tense music]

[machine beeping]

- There's a hemorrhage here. You need to fix it.

Do your goddamn job

and get her blood pressure under control.

I can't see anything. Get the blood out of my field.

* *

[flesh squelching]

Screw.

- Excuse me, sir.

I believe the screw is out of place.

- I know where it is.

- It should be a little left.

* *

Patient's left.

- I did a fucking visual, okay? I know where it is.

- Doctor, it looks like the screw

might have missed the pedicle.

It seems to be in soft tissue here.

- Is this guy on something?

- Am I talking to myself?

Reposition the C-arm on Mrs. Burke now.

- You mean Mrs. Beyer? - You know what I mean!

[ominous music]

* *

[several machines beeping]

Cage. Give me the cage.

- Looks like the screw is still outside the bone.

- The X-rays are bullshit. Get me the cage.

Mallet.

[machine clicks, whistle blows]

[machine clicks, whistle blows]

[whistles blowing louder]

Craniotomy.

Get Dorothy Burke into pre-op.

- Dorothy Burke? We need to finish this, sir.

- I'm aware of that. Thank you.

Get Dorothy Burke prepped for a craniotomy.

- Sir, this hospital doesn't have privileges

to perform a craniotomy.

- Schedule it. - We don't have the equipment.

- I'll do it with whatever the fuck you do have.

Just get it scheduled. Now.

- I'm sorry, sir, but I can't schedule it

because we do not perform craniotomies at this hospital.

Maybe we could transfer Mrs. Burke

out to an equipped facility.

Baylor Plano has privileges for that.

- When I tell you to do something, you do it.

- You're talking about drilling a hole

into her skull, sir.

- Get the charge nurse in here.

[machine beeping]

Now.

Rod.

[door slams]

- Dr. Anthony?

There's a slight issue

with our lumbar case.

- Am I supposed to guess what that issue is?

- Dr. Duntsch.

- Who's that? The new guy.

- Yes. This is his first week.

He's requesting a craniotomy.

- Brain surgery on a lumbar case?

- No, sir. It's for a different patient.

Dorothy Burke. - I don't give a shit.

We don't do craniotomies. - I've told him that, sir.

I think he'd like to hear it from you.

- Oh.

- I asked for the charge nurse.

- Yeah, well, you got the chief of surgery.

- She's my patient. Her treatment is my decision.

- Well, today, this is my hospital.

And when you applied for privileges here,

you didn't check the little red box

that said "brain surgeries."

- You are interrupting

an extremely delicate spinal fusion.

- Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry.

I thought you called for this interruption.

- Because I presumed

that you were shrewd enough to simply sign off.

- Well, I'm just a country hick from the Bronx,

so let me put this in a manner even I can understand.

We don't do craniotomies at this hospital,

and you are a guest here at Dallas Medical.

If one of our staff tells you

we don't have privileges for a procedure,

it is not an invitation for debate.

- I have privileges everywhere across this city.

- Oh, you do, do you? - I will ensure

that not a single patient comes through your door.

- Wow, that would be so tragic.

- Get the fuck out of my OR!

[tense music]

- I'm gonna walk you through what's about to happen.

You will complete your work on Madeline Beyer.

She's been over far too long.

You will then transfer Dorothy Burke out of your care.

There will be no more discussion of craniotomies.

No more arguments. You will do it.

And then you will get the fuck out of myOR.

* *

- Anything else? - What else do you need?

- We want you to suspend his license

pending a formal investigation.

- Neither of you is in the operating theater at the time?

- That's correct. - [sighs]

- So this is all secondhand information.

All hearsay.

- Yes.

- Just playing devil's advocate.

From your recitation of the events that day,

Dr. Duntsch could make a case

that he was distracted.

- Did you not hear about the hole in his scrubs?

I don't think she heard about the hole.

- I agree. We all agree

that there were some surgical misadventures at play...

- Misadventures?

- In. Dr Duntsch surgeries last week,

but there are other issues.

We have a circulating nurse

demonstrating a measure of non-compliance,

an X-ray tech challenging a surgeon,

and then an administrator barging

into an OR mid-procedure.

- They were doing their part

to stop an out-of-control surgeon.

I was at Baylor Plano.

I saw what he's capable of--

or no, better put-- incapable of.

What about the craniotomy?

He was demanding a procedure

the hospital didn't have privileges to perform.

- The doctor who took over Dorothy Burke's case

stated a craniotomy might've saved her life.

"I would have grabbed

the local handyman's drill to perform it."

Dr. Duntsch may not have gone about it the right way,

but it appears he may have been right.

We receive hundreds of these reports every year.

We take each case seriously,

but you both know

that there is context to every story,

mistakes do happen to every doctor,

even I'm sure to you both.

You're prepared to file a formal complaint?

- Absolutely. - Yes.

- All right.

- You are going to suspend his license?

I mean, what happens to him in the meantime?

- We can't do that.

- Why the hell not?

- The attorneys won't go for that.

We'd be opening ourselves up to a lawsuit.

- I thought protecting the public was the priority.

- That's our number one priority.

- Well, what's to prevent him from seeking privileges

at any one of the other 400 hospitals in the state?

- Dr. Duntsch has resigned from Baylor.

- He should have been shitcanned.

- He no longer has privileges at Dallas Medical.

He has no privileges anywhere.

Perhaps he's taking some personal time

getting his head straight

after what was a difficult week.

[tense piano music]

- [scoffs] Difficult week.

You know what? There was a urologist--

a urologist, you got me--

accused by a patient of fondling his genitals.

A urologist! These morons pursued the case.

I mean, this--this feels like we've got to draw blood

in order to move the needle.

Duntsch was distracted? Give me a fucking break.

- Well, they're not wrong.

He lost privileges at two hospitals.

News travels fast.

- Not fast enough.

- We voiced our concern. We filed a complaint.

They launched an investigation. What more would you like to do?

- I want to break his goddamn hands.

- Dr. Kirby, we have no choice

but to respect the integrity of this process.

- Did you hear those goobers in there?

The process is gonna fuck us. The system is broken.

- And we are a part of that system.

- Oh, fuck this.

* *

- Hey. - Hey.

- Been looking all over for you.

- Yeah, I've been looking for you too, man.

I got some news. Great news.

- Yeah? - Yep.

I am going home.

I'm going back to Tennessee. And I had an idea.

I haven't really thought through all the details yet,

but I think you should come with me.

- Come with you to Tennessee? - Yes, man.

If you think football is big here, you have no idea.

Like, two division one football players retired in the South?

We would be like gods.

- Hold on. Back up.

Why would you leave now? You just made walk-on.

- Oh, fuck this team. There's no future here.

It's bullshit. I don't need it.

- Then why you still wearing the jersey?

- Look, this is good for me.

Okay? It's good for me.

So just come with me.

- I am not going to Tennessee.

What are you talking about?

- Your loss.

- Dude, I don't think you thought this through.

- No, no, no. It is all settled.

Okay? I'm leaving.

I'm going home 'cause I don't need this shit.

I don't need any of it. Fuck it.

- Dude, what's going on with you?

- I can't stay. I can't stay, okay?

I needed a football scholarship.

I didn't get it, so I can't stay.

I'm going home.

I needed it, and I didn't get it.

- Shit.

Dude, I had no idea.

- Forget it.

- No.

No!

It's gonna be good.

U fucking T, they're awesome.

Great record, solid coach, and the way you work,

you'll be starting within three games.

- My third school, Betts. My third transfer.

[sighs]

I can't play anywhere.

I'm not even eligible to sit on the goddamn sidelines.

- Well, maybe this is a good thing.

I mean, did you ever really want it?

- What?

- It's just, I think you have this idea in your head

of what football means or what it's supposed to mean.

But does it-- does it mean that to you

or do you just think it should?

- Where were you all those Monday morning film sessions?

Where were you all those hours after practice,

the drilling, the weightlifting?

Huh? Where were you?

Partying? Sleeping it off?

And you ask me if I wanted it? Fuck you, Betts.

- Yeah, and all that work for what?

So you can act like an asshole

and sit on the goddamn sidelines?

Fuck you!

[both grunting]

[soft, tense music]

* *

Stop, okay?

- [grunts]

* *

- Stop.

- Come on.

Come on. Let's go.

- No, fuck you-- - [grunts]

- Stop!

You can't win.

Stop fucking trying.

- [breathing heavily]

[dramatic music]

* *

[car clattering]

[tires screech]

[muffled hip-hop music playing]

* *

- Dumb face!

[laughing]

[TV chatter]

- [laughing]

- Is your grandma good with this?

- Mee-maw? She's good.

This is a light night. Hey.

I'm sorry about the whole dumb face thing.

Old habits. - Ah, don't worry about it.

[hip-hop music playing]

- So, my hotshot friend,

word is you're a big-time football player up in the CO.

- I was, yeah. Yeah, starting mid.

You should've seen the girls I got in that jersey.

But some of the guys

on the practice squad were kind of busted.

So that slowed me down every now and then.

Honestly,

I'm kind of over football, you know?

It just--it just feels beneath me, you know?

- Hey, man. No love lost here.

My neck's still fucked from junior year.

- Plus I got bigger things going on here.

- What do you got brewing?

- Pre-med.

UT. I'm taking the MCAT.

- Oh, man! Like, ah!

I always knew you were gonna end up

doing some crazy high-end shit with your life.

You were always, like, the smartest guy I knew.

- Yo.

[girls laughing, shouting]

- And given the spaz company you keep,

that's not really saying much.

- Ah!

Dumb face!

So that's it.

You're back?

- I miss the weather.

- And your boy, Jerry.

[both laugh]

Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

My boy don't play.

He's going beyond. Gonna change the world.

Someone get him a Boone's Farm.

Strawberry Hill, right?

- Yeah. - Yeah, light and sweet, baby.

I knew it. Hey, yo, yo, yo.

Get my homie some Boone's.

- We don't got any of that.

- Then go get some, you piece of shit.

Go, go! Get some.

- [sighs]

Good to be home.

- I'm going to see you every day.

[both chuckle]

- I know.

I know it's not ideal me moving back home,

but Jerry did mention

that maybe I could live with him for a little while

just until classes start.

And I really think

that I'm onto something with this research.

I really think that there's a future in it.

- What exactly does one do with research?

- Well, maybe you could go

into the medical field, like your father.

- Actually, Dad,

I've been looking into that and giving it a lot of thought.

So not all of my courses from CSU would transfer,

but the biology credits would,

so I'd only actually need to do, like,

two additional semesters.

I mean, I thought I'd have to do, like, two additional years.

Two semesters is nothing.

- Money's not nothing, Chris.

First it was Millsaps College for football,

and then it was Colorado State for football.

And now you're back for research.

- I know, sir, but I would be a doctor.

A neurosurgeon.

- Oh, I don't know.

I have a medical degree, Chris,

and I know the--

the difficulties that come with that area of study.

- Well, this is not exactly

something you'd be familiar with.

- Oh? How so?

[elegant piano music playing]

- I just mean there's been--

there's been a lot of advancements,

and there's new studies and new technologies,

and I'd be an MD.

- You know, this is what I always used

to tell your brother, Nathan.

He has that kind of mind.

Nathan should have gone to medical school, you know?

- I think it's a great idea. - Susan.

- Christopher, you have always struggled to find something

that challenged you, like Einstein.

Maybe you should reach out to John.

- Dr. Davidson. - Susan--

- He's like an uncle to him,

and maybe he could help you find something.

- Chris is not going to ask for favors

he definitely cannot repay,

not from my friends.

- Dad, I really think my stem cell research has potential.

- Stem cell.

- Yeah, they're the--the building blocks of the human.

- No, I know what stem cells are, Christopher.

- Okay, so then you know that they can develop

into other types of cells,

which is why they have so much potential.

They're incredibly complex

starting right from the beginning

of their formation in the embryo.

- If they're in the embryo,

how does one access them for research?

- We can isolate them

from immature human embryos and fetal tissue.

- So you're talking about spending your time

and my money parading around

masquerading as a doctor

promoting the exploitation of unborn babies?

That is not medicine, Chris.

It's not science.

- Dad,

science is what can be done by man.

What is conquerable?

And I plan on conquering this.

- Well... [scoffs]

I wouldn't count on it.

- Well...

The MCATs disagree with you.

I got a couple wrong.

- Some things can be learned, son,

and some things are just biology.

[somber music]

* *

[phone ringing]

[phone beeps]

- Hello?

* *

[sighs]

[string rendition of "Deck The Halls" playing]

- He was running on a platform

about reducing the cost of government.

And his plan was to eliminate three government agencies,

and he couldn't name them. [chuckles]

- Fancy pants. [chuckles]

- That's definitely his kind of...

- Shrimp!

* *

- Oh, God. - Ah!

Great party.

I did hear a nasty little rumor

about a lobster tail somewhere with my name on it.

- [laughs]

- Randy Kirby.

- Oh. You're Dr. Kirby.

- Oh, I see my reputation has exceeded me.

- Indeed.

- Would you excuse us for a moment, please?

- Merry Christmas, Randy.

- Hey, season's greetings to you.

- So they just let you in?

- Well, I told security

that we needed to talk some doctor stuff.

- Doctor stuff.

- But firstly, I want to say,

I know I should have called months ago.

I haven't been able to sleep

thinking about how we left things after the Medical Board.

I just want to say I'm sorry.

- That's why you came?

- Partly.

- All is forgiven.

- Thanks.

- What's the other part?

- [sighs]

Duntsch is back.

* *