Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Fridays, I will be reviewing St. Elsewhere, a medical show which ran on NBC from 1982 to 1988.  The show can be found on Hulu and, for purchase, on Prime!

This week, it’s time to name the Doctor of the Year!

Episode 2.16 “After Dark”

(Dir by Eric Laneuville, originally aired on February 29th, 1984)

It’s time for the annual end-of-the-year dinner, during which the Women’s Auxiliary will announce their pick for Doctor of the Year.  Last year, to Dr. Craig’s shock, Westphall won the award.  This year, Dr. Craig is sure that he’s going to win.  Even though Craig says that he doesn’t care about awards, he still has his wife, Ellen (Bonnie Bartlett), write out a speech for him.

The dinner is just as boring as usual.  The majority of the doctors who show up mention that their spouse couldn’t make it because they suddenly came down with the flu.  When it is time to announce the Doctor of the Year, Dr. Craig prepares to accept the award.  However, the award is given — for the second year in a row — to Dr. Westphall!

Seriously?  I mean, what the Heck?  Nothing against Dr. Westphall but what exactly has he done to deserve the award this year?  Dr. Auschlander has continued to see patients while battling cancer.  Dr. Craig performed a heart transplant!  Meanwhile, Dr. Westphall has dealt with the administrative stuff and been kind of grumpy.  I’m totally on Dr. Craig’s side here.  There’s no way Westphall deserved that award for two years running.

Westphall, himself, had to leave the awards dinner early because of an emergency at the hospital.  (More on that below.)  Dr. Craig accepts the award in Westphall’s place and — surprise! — gives a sincere speech about how much he appreciates Dr. Westphall’s leadership.  Good for Dr. Craig!  That said, there’s no way Dr. Westphall deserved the award this year.

Meanwhile, Kathy Martin, who we last saw being raped by Peter White in the morgue, is missing.  Peter wanders through the hospital in a narcotic-induced haze, carrying his ski mask in his pocket.  He nearly attacks Shirley.  He does attack Wendy Armstrong and this time, he doesn’t even put on his ski mask.  Fortunately, Fiscus hears Wendy’s screams and knocks Peter out with a fire extinguisher.  Peter is taken away by the police while Westphall heads to Peter’s home to tell Peter’s wife that her husband is the Ski Mask Rapist.

Victor is thinking of getting divorced.  Bobby, on the other hand, decides to ask Joan to marry him.  And Dr. Morrison continues to get too involved with his patients.  When Joseph (Dan Hedaya), a construction worker dealing with random bouts of blindness, is told that he’ll have to quite job, Morrison calls out a fellow doctor being callous.  Good for Morrison!

The episode, a well-acted one that deftly mixed drama and comedy, ended with some unanswered questions.  Peter’s been arrested.  Is he gone for good?  And where is Kathy Martin?  And seriously, how did Dr. Westphall win that award!?