This is a full recap and review so there are spoilers galore. Avert your eyes NOW if you do not want a blow by blow of this episode!
My initial impression of this episode: Wow! I really liked it, much more than episode 1 in fact and since Ryan’s First Day WAS technically the first eppy I am not sure why they premiered with Place of Life instead. This episode had background story and it had plenty of drama. I loved the witty banter between the docs and their patients as well as with each other. It shows how much they like each other and how much they care for their patients.
In this episode we follow the stories of a young man killed in a car accident, an 18 year old girl who needs a double lung transplant, an ex football player who needs a double bypass, and a father who needs a new kidney. Of course all the cases are fraught with drama. The young man killed in an accident will be the one to give life to the kidney and lung patients at Three Rivers but this is complicated when the police decide to take possession of his body in a murder investigation. It is heartbreaking for the mom of this young man to realize that he wasn’t the “good boy” she always thought he was.
The 18 year old girl who needs new lungs is unfortunately not able to be placed on the donor waiting list because she had cancer less than 5 years previous. It is only because a questionable set of lungs that no else has a need for become available that she has a chance.
The father who needs a kidney is ready to get his life back after 5 years of dialysis, during which he lost a lot of time with his daughters.
The ex football player is doubtful he will ever get to reconcile with his son, whose life he was never a part of while he played football and wined and dined women.
In this eppy we also learn that Dr. Andy (Alex) is staying in a hotel attached to the hospital, since he and his wife are having problems. He insists that they will work it out and he will eventually move back into their home. Next week we get to meet his wife! Meanwhile I am digging the chemistry he has with the pretty ER doctor.
Miranda Foster has another soul searching episode as the death of one her patients hits her hard and reminds her that she was not speaking to her Dad when he died.
The episode ends with Dr. Andy telling her they need to take their wins that day and feel good about those. He, Miranda, and Dr. Lee look out over the rivers and shoot the breeze as the scenes closes.
I am not sure what other fans will feel but I personally think this was one stellar showing…
Sorry if in the wrong plae Tiffany. But Alex’s ne blog on MySpace
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Tune In This Sunday to THREE RIVERS
Current mood: busy
Hello everybody.
I thank you all for being so patient with me in this hectic time. I have been meaning to update you every other day, but am constantly inundated with requests, interviews, charity work… and of course Three Rivers.
We have had a rough start with the show as far as numbers are concerned. Hopefully, this is due partly to East Coast football and baseball playoffs. But our wonderful cast and crew maintain an attitude of stoicism and commitment in the promise of more attention toward this show which I have come to love and believe in so much.
When I first read the pilot I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off. If I could in fact breathe any life whatsoever into this surgeon guy, Andy Yablonski.
I have worked really hard and i continue to study everyday the medical text books and reference material I use for this show. I collaborate with everyone on the show to make it better for you on Sunday, and now we are on the air pushing through to what we hope will be a “back nine” pickup, meaning Three Rivers will live to see a full season.
I want you all to know that as always, I humbly appreciate all the support I constantly receive and that I am fighting hard to bring you a show I hope we can all be proud of.
Until we speak again, thank you and please tune in to Three Rivers!
All my love,
I’m really upset as I failed to see the first show ,so I can’t say how I liked it,But this last Sunday evening , I truly found three rivers a very serious format acted out by some very go od
and talented actors. Alex was pretty convincing to me,It might be just a little hard to become a
professional Dr.,language ,bedside manner and every thing in such a short span of time.It will
Improve with time i’m sure.If anyone can carry it off ,Alex can.
Georgetta
This show was a lot better than the first one and I liked the interactions between the lead actors and the plot was a lot better. But….I agree with several other comments that Alex’s talent is being wasted in this show. He is an action type guy and his talent would be better put to use in a show that has that kind of drama. I loved “Moonlight” because he was in situations where it was exciting and you were biting your nails to see what would happen next. He was in the storyline most of the time (I love to look at him..lol) and it was just a better show for him. I will continue to watch “Three Rivers” because he’s in it and hope that the show will get better and they really do need to change the day…Tuesday night after “NCIS” would be good, since there’s nothing on then worth watching….you can only watch “Dancing with the Stars” so much!
hi tiffany so far i watch all of three rivers but this show on sunday made me cry andy wants his wife back and the 18 teen year girl did not help much this show was better then last week ones but i love dr shows so i will watch it even my kids watched it with me the show can only get better with alex as the dr
charlene
PodrÃa decirme alguien si esta serie se podra ver en España?. Y si es posible podriais decirme si hay alguna fecha prevista ?. Gracias
Cris,
No sé si será en España, no hay ninguna palabra en este momento. Perdón
Nd – I think Wednesday night is “Criminal Minds” so I don’t see CBS changing that. I noticed that Saturday shows old runs of NCIS and CSI – we do not need to see these programs twice in one week, especially old shows. Saturday night seems to be more logical at this point. Something has to change – programs need time to develop to hold our interest but if it can’t hold our interest only after 2 episodes and ratings do not improve it will be cancelled sooner than later. “Three Rivers” is not the perfect show by any means, but the potential is there as long as it is given a fair chance and right now, the time slot is going to be the downfall of “Three Rivers” – contact CBS and ask for a new time slot.
Is any other Alex lover here going to be honest about this show? It needs a LOT of work! Wow–get someone there to teach them how to “doctorspeak,” for one thing–it’s “anterolateral,” not garbled “anter-ior-lateral,” and when speaking of heart function, Dr. Andy, it’s “EJECTION fraction,” not “injection fraction,” and since when are 28-week fetuses (delivered by transplant surgeons!) a) fat and b) not hooked up to tubes and all kinds of life support? A 32-week fetus–okay. A little early, but it can do. NOT a 28-week! So episode 1 wasn’t my favorite, fine.
Alex O’Loughlin is just so darn wonderful that he deserves better than this. His teammates are “Spongebob,” the dumbest of the dumb (he’s on the transplant team and thinks a cooler is for cold drinks? Come ON!) Then there’s the ice cold fish who can’t even get her hair combed. Alfree Woodard is always good too, but this writing is bad. Bad. Even Alfree looks wooden! Let’s be honest–who finds any of these people really interesting? So Andy needs a home–that sounds like a much better show–Andy spends an hour looking for the best home deal in Pittsburgh. Maybe he stabs the Real Estate agent and harvests her organs–wait–I’m mixing up my shows. But THAT would be INTERESTING!
Also, the idea of having to try to figure out who’s going to get whacked so their organs can be harvested at the beginning of each show? Ghoulish. It definitely worked for “Six Feet Under,” but that was a whole different deal. (Interesting that the nurse at Three Rivers was also in Six Feet Under!)
Let’s hope that Alex can influence someone on the TR team to get some writers who are up to his talent. So far, Three Rivers is flooding us with bad writing and wooden people trying to act like doctors (except for the guy who is just too dumb to even be employed in such a job! Fast-food drive-through people, I see someone coming to join you!)
Right now, TR is dog-paddling against a strong current and it’s losing ground. If episode 3 is as bad as the first two (and WHY put episode 2 out first?) it’s going to have a very hard time beating even the worst competition. Hopefully a lifeguard will show up shortly–hopefully someone like Jason Dohring who can deliver snappy dialog and be INTERESTING! There’s a thought! (But wait–someone would have to WRITE snappy dialog. That IS a problem.)
Suz, I think it is faulty to assume that everyone with positive comments here is not being “honest”. I honestly like the show… as I like medical shows and would probably watch even if it didn’t have Alex in it. Is it an AMZING show? No, but in my mind it has potential.
Seems to me like you are writing the show off because it isn’t Moonlight. You certainly seem to have some strict criteria.. Jason Dorhing as a sidekick… hmmm…. sounds familiar. Too bad so many fans were set against giving the show a fair shake.
If the show is not your thing that’s fine.. but please realize that not everyone feels like you do… AT ALL.
Tiffany–
Sorry about the show you loved–really. I adore Alex and truly hoped this new show would be wonderful. I was not at all expecting it to be “Moonlight!” That would be absurd, given the subject content! But people who hate “Moonlight” fans love to say that about us–we won’t be satisfied unless it’s “Moonlight.” Nothing we say or do will convince you otherwise.
Suffice it to say, I own “Feed” and love it, I own “The Shield,” which Alex starred in for a season, and love that too. I didn’t love “Man Thing” so much, but I own “The Oyster Farmer” and think it’s charming. Alex simply needs a venue to show off his many talents and, unfortunately, “Three Rivers” was not the show to allow him to use all of those crazy-wonderful talents of his! AH! I just hope “Back Up Plan” will let him shine!
You really should love a show for more than one actor, IMO, especially if you’re going to be writing about it (recapping or reviewing). I mentioned Jason Dohring as the type of personality that might spice things up, but I also wrote that about Mandy Patinkin. When I heard Mandy would be in one episode, I hoped he would be a doctor who could inject some life into this bland little offering! Of course I would never expect CBS to put a “Moonlight” actor in Alex’s new show–at least not until maybe the 4th season or so! DUH!
And hey! I DO realize there are people who will love a show JUST because Alex is in it–but that was our beef with Nina Tassler–she thought that simply because she stuck Alex in a show, it would draw all of his former fans and would be a hit. She was wrong there! Some of us are more discerning about our entertainment, and badly written episodes don’t keep our attention. I’m sorry, but there was not one single “Three Rivers” episode that didn’t have some serious problems. Mostly it was boring. (And the mispronounciations drive people in the medical community nuts.)
We all see now that I was right–more and more people dropped off the radar as the show went along and didn’t get any better. I was not one of them–I hung in there and watched every one! Oh yeah–HOPING they’d get better. Hoping they’d get interesting. But that wasn’t to be and now maybe Alex will be able to find a venue which will truly show off everything he can do–and THAT is AMAZING!
I do thank you for keeping everyone up-to-date on what is going on with “Back Up Plan” and other things regarding Alex O’Loughlin. Hopefully the next project will be a huge winner because he is so deserving of that.
suz
some of your comments has a point about Ryan but saying that drama is bad, I call it ” early execution” I believe once we know the charaters it will get better and it is too early to say that is not good. I like medical dramas and I put a lot of effort to watch this from Turkey 🙂 I felt emotional when I watch the second episode. That means they are not as wooden as you think 🙂 In my opinion Alex is great as usual…
Once again Tif you did it!! Great story line which the obvious is so true. It makes me look forward to your next write up. I can’t wait to see Three Rivers on Sunday, October 18th, so I can
check what you will write about. Again, thanks for the awesome job!
This episode was really good. I found the first episode a little chaotic.
I hope they keep up the good work. Alex is so handsome.
Best of luck Alex. I will keep watching.
I also agree that I liked this episode better than the first one aired. I feel the Network should have left this as the premiere episode. Not only did it introduce the characters, but it flowed easily. I felt last weeks episode was a bit stilted. Perhaps it was the writing, but it did not show off the actors (including Alex’s) fantastic acting ability. It had that stilted (like a soap opera) type feel. Alex, of course was adorable in both episodes! I don’t really care for the blond ER doctor as a love interest. I think she is too young to be in that role and too young for Alex’s character. Overall, I do really enjoy the show and am looking forward to more, more, more!
HI Everyone, Yes, I agree with you all, this was a great show, much better than the first, we got a chance to know the characters , I love the bantering between. THe end scene was fabulous, I could just see doctors meeting up there , having a beer, sharing their thoughts.
Great end to a great show. Looking for ward to next week.
am sorry guys but I love Alex but not this show…not a big fan of hospital shows to begin with…but this one is sappy and predictalbe..don’t see it lasting…..it’s just more of the same…
frankly they are wasting Alex’s talent and sex appeal…..Unfortunetly CBS made huge mistake with th cancellation of Moonlight….Vampire’s are so hot (Twilight, True Blood and now Vampire Diaries) they were cutting edge..it was different …..everything Three Rivers is not …..my bet is it will b off the air by the holidays…honestlyI think Alex should move to another network like ABC ….a romantic comedy or something darker…sorry..realy wanted to like it…
I agree with Debbie. I think the Alex is being wasted on yet another Dr show that is not as good as others. I loved Moonlight and wrote to other networks to try to save it. How COULD they put him in this show!
You said it! Thanks for being another Alex-loving objective watcher. Yes, I totally agree that “Moonlight” was canceled before its time. It would be wildly popular now, since it’s better than the other pretty good vampire shows out there! I like them, but don’t love them as I did “Moonlight.”
suz
I agree with everyone else, this show was much better than the first one. I loved it! Alex is so great as Dr.Andy. I like the other characters, too. I feel Three Rivers may really need another time slot, too. I hope CBS, doesn’t listen to all of the critics & pull it off the air. It is a great show. All of my friends in Fl. & SC love it! Tiffany, thanks for all of the great news on Alex!
Hi, everyone! I watched Sunday’s eppy last night, thanks to the wonders of ‘Comcast On Demand’ … but it was late, I was very tired … and I got lost a bit. By reading the recap, one of my qtns was answered … but I still don’t understand how in the world Ryan was hired when he had no medical training/experience and worked in a local radio station? Granted – he said he was hired to assist the person who had the medical training – but what kind of assistance could he provide if he had absolutely no medical exp/trng? I think that was a flaw of the script…if you ask me … Overall, the show is fantastic – and I plan to keep watching. I hope Ryan learn the ropes soon, though! =)
I will say this was better then last week. Next week looks even better. We need to give it a chance.
Thanks, Tiffany – just saw them myself. I think we all should contact CBS and ask that they give “Three Rivers” a new time slot. We can not wait for a 45 minute football game over run every week. Two weeks in a row now, ratings not good – time slot definitely has to be changed if “Three Rivers” is going to have a chance. Hope I’m wrong, but it’s not looking to promising the way things are going right now – the horrible time slot will be the reason for “Three Rivers” to fail, not the program itself. Contact CBS and voice your opinions because things have to change. Ask CBS to change the time slot for “Three Rivers” so it can have a chance to succeed. We do not want another “Moonlight” fiasco, Alex deserves more and so do we.
I agree, put it on Wednesday. Nothing is on t.v.
Oh, BTW, Tiffany – what were the rating numbers for “Three Rivers”? Hope they contuinue to climb. 🙂
JoJo, sadly no. The numbers were something like 7.8 million.
because they dont count the ones who watch from abroad 🙂
Hi Everyone – agree with your comments. Though I enjoyed the first episode, this one was more powerful. I loved the “memory wall” at the end. Fortunately, I have never been in any of the Pittsburgh hospitals to actually see if this wall does exist but if it doesn’t, it should. What a beautiful way to remember the donors and their families. First class performances all around, especially Alex – I think he would make an excellent surgeon. I would love to see his face looking down on me as I am getting ready to go under the knife and having him check up on me afterwards. And to Chris – I don’t think your girlfriend would mind your mention of a “love interest” for Dr. Andy as long as it’s not her, besides, I am quite sure she was checking out Alex and enjoying his on screen moments as well. Have a great week everyone. Thanks Tiffany for keeping us in the loop. Great job, as always. 🙂
I too have to agree with everyone here. Loved the second episode way more than the first, although I did like that one too. It’s just that the first one lacked that personal touch, you know, that connection between the characters and the opportunity for us to get to know the personality behind the doctor. The second one had that banter and that glimpse into Andy’s personal pain and also his empathy for his patience. I would still love to see more of these things and not quite so much clinical stuff. I understand that they want to represent the whole issue accurately and keep that as the main focus of the show, but they still need to keep some warm and fuzzy stuff in there or people won’t feel any real connection to the characters and will be less likely to stay interested I think. I would really love to see a little more romance too. I think everyone plays there parts really well, and I especially love Alex, but I am probably a little bit bias in that department!
I was just at cbs.com and they had 96 comments posted about the last episode, and there were only 3 or 4 negative comments. Most of the comments were very good. Everyone seemed to love last night ‘s show. The biggest complaint is about the time slot, because of the football game. Of course they thought Alex was very good.
Loved the episode and I agree with all of you that have said it should have been last week’s premier. Alex did an amazing job at showing his pain and I’m sure I saw a slight welling of tears in his eyes as he talked about his wife and house on the hill. I especially liked his interaction with Miranda in the final scene. There’s a lot of discussion over at the cbs Three Rivers web site about the poor time slot – after football. It would be good if we all contributed to that discussion, maybe, just maybe, cbs will read its own viewer comments.
I so agree with you all. It was such a great episode and I too wondered why it wasn’t the first. But no matter, I;ll take Alex in any order they give him! It was so good to see more interactions between the characters in a personal way. That was missing last week. I just wish they would schedule football games differently. Screwed up my taping of TR and I didn’t get the very end which was sooooo goood.
Tiffany, you chose the best picture of the episode. I loved the ending when all three doctors were bonding. Great moment, so wonderful. Perfect ending to the long day of surgery and transplant transportations. I enjoyed the episode, much more than last weeks episode. I don’t know why CBS switched episodes, this would have been a great pilot episode. As usual, Alex was so good. The scene with Dr. Andy, the visible subtle nuance of pain, that twinge of sadness and hurt in his eyes about his wife Rena, now that’s great acting.
I am a man and my girfriend made me watch this. I have to admit I do like the show. Andy needs a girl and that blonde in the ER-not so good. Maybe down the line they will introduce new people. I’ll keep watching. Oh and Alex, I might just message you and let you know who I think would be a great love interest. (Just don’t tell my girlfriend)
I agree with everyone’s comments, but many of the reviews/comments online have not been so kind. I think it would be good for all of Alex’s fans to help overcome the negativity with OUR numbers. There are millions of us around the world who want to see him succeed! Whenever you find a site where there are negative reviews/comments, send a comment of your own that is positive! WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!
I really enjoyed the show last night. Much better than the first one. The characters seemed more real, bantering with each other about their personal lives, which was missing from last week. I suspect as time goes on, we will learn that these characters are complex and the focus of the storytelling will be less about the actual transplants and more about the personal connections. Good job Three Rivers. I will be tuning-in for more riveting episodes.
Tiffany: I also agree with you on the strength of this episode. I loved it. It was a little confusing to see Ryan’s first day after last week, but I think they aired last week’s episode first because they felt the baby situation would garner more interest and it wouldn’t seem so tragic. Personally I like the show a lot and I am not a fan of medical shows. Of course the fact that Alex is the star makes all the difference in the world. I think we are going to see some romance between Andy and Lisa which would be nice.
Tiffany-I agree. I thought this was a stronger episode and really liked that we got a bit more of a glimpse into who these characters are. I am with you, don’t really understand what the switch was about. The stories were very compelling and like in real life—not everything has a “happy ending” I really liked the ending when Dr. Andy showed the pain he is in over his living situation. Love the connection between Andy and Miranda. I cried at the ending scene!