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 Daily Motion.

This week, an arrest is made.

Episode 3.9 “Up On The Roof”

(Dir by Eric Laneuville, originally aired on November 21st, 1984)

It’s another busy day at St. Eligius.

• The last of the firemen (Stephen Elliott) is finally sent home.  At first, he’s bitter about all of the skin grafts and all the other work that Dr. Caldwell did on him.  But then his grandkids come in the hospital and room and shout, “Grandpa!”  And then he steps outside and is greeted by all the other firemen.  He leaves in a fire truck and Dr. Caldwell — the only angst-free doctor at St. Eligius — smiles and waves.  Finally, someone on this show gets a happy ending.
• Ms. Hufnagel continues to get on everyone’s nerves with her constant complaints.  Dr. Fiscus dumps her on Dr. Axelrod.  While the show seems to want us to be as annoyed with Ms. Hufnagel as everyone else, I have to admit that I feel sorry for her.  Does she complain a lot?  Yes, she does.  But being in a hospital can really be scary.  I complained a lot whenever I was rushed to the ER because of my asthma.  I complained a lot when my mom was in the hospital.  I complained a lot when my dad was in the hospital.  I complained a lot when my aunt was in the hospital.  Sometimes, complaining is the only comfort you have.
• Dr. Morrison is upset when a friend (John Schuck) is told that his daughter cannot be treated with an experimental dialysis machine.
• Nurse Rosenthal continues to have an affair with Richard Clarendon, the labor negotiator.
• Dr. Christine Holz (Caroline McWilliams) comes to the hospital to perform a bone marrow transplant.  Dr. Annie Cavanero invites Dr. Holz to come to her place for dinner.  Cavanero is shocked when Dr. Holz reveals that she’s a lesbian and the viewer is once again reminded that this show aired in the mid-80s.
• According to what I’ve read online, the original plan was for Dr. Holz to become Cavanero’s romantic partner but Cynthia Sikes refused to kiss another woman onscreen.  This led to the storyline being hastily rewritten and it apparently also led to Sikes being fired from the show at the end of the third season.
• Kathy Martin is still in the psych ward.  When Detective Alex MacGallen (Charles Lanyer) attempts to question her about where she was when Peter White was shot, he is informed by Kathy’s doctor that Kathy has an alibi.  Later, Shirley comes to the psych ward and slips Kathy a letter.
• Shirley has been hiding the gun that she used to shoot Peter all over the hospital.  However, when the detective finally confronts her and reveals that he knows that she killed Peter, Shirley pulls the gun on him and then run up to the rooftop.
• On the roof, Dr. Westphall and Jack take their turns trying to convince Shirley to surrender to the police.  After Shirley confesses and then demands to know why Jack didn’t make more of an effort to stop Peter, Shirley drops her gun and is taken into custody.

This was a depressing episode, even by the standards of St. Elsewhere.  Shirley has always been one of my favorite characters and I hate the idea that she’s now going to go to prison for killing Dr. White.  From a narrative point of view, someone had to shoot Peter.  That was really the only way his story could end.  Personally, I think it would have made more sense for Dr. Cavanero to be the shooter that Shirley.  I mean, if Cavanero was going to be written off the show anyway, killing Dr. White would have given her a decent exit.

Next week, I’m sure something else depressing will happen.  We’ll see!