Day Four – As the fourth episode of Five Days at Memorial begins, we see archival news footage about the government’s failure after Katrina. Karen Wynn (Adepero Oduye) is asked about the fourth day at the hospital. They had lost all power and equipment at the hospital. The patients started dying and there was nothing they could do to help them. Karen claims they didn’t panic. After the levees broke, there was one full day before any official made any type of emergency declaration. Despite being surrounded by water, nobody told them. They should’ve been scared and should’ve started scrambling patients, but they didn’t. They didn’t know enough to panic. She is asked about the 45 bodies found at the hospital and if any of the patients were murdered. The investigator believes she should know since she was the head of the hospital’s ethics committee.
She can only say that there was an organized effort to reduce the level of misery the patients had to endure. In those last days at Memorial, it was only misery. Richard (Ted Atherton) and the others wait for helicopters on the helipad. He tells Susan Mulderick (Cherry Jones) over the radio that there are no helicopters. Karen hears an argument because someone is trying to take water from the hospital. Once the man leaves, she asks the others to pick up the water bottles and give one to every patient. A helicopter finally lands as Richard notifies Susan who lets Karen know that she should start staging her patients now. When Karen learns that the elevator isn’t working, she knows they’ll have to think of something else. She shows the nurses how to carry the patients to the helipad before they begin carrying them through the stairwell.
Bryant King (Cornelius Smith Jr.) gives her directions and admits it’ll take about 40 minutes to reach the helipad. Some patients are taken away by helicopter. Dr. Anna Pou (Vera Farmiga) learns that one of the patients went non-communicative and won’t take water. Horace Baltz (Robert Pine) believes it is a heart stroke while Anna knows the patient is in pain. He doesn’t think there is time to give her anything because he has to start moving patients, but Anna doesn’t want to leave her in pain. Anna rushes over to Ken (Jeremiah Oh) to ask for something for acute discomfort for a patient. She asks for 5 milligrams of morphine so he tells her she’ll have to fill out a prescription. Ken thinks they should maintain protocols despite everything going on. Anna quickly writes a prescription and hands it to him. When he returns, she fills a syringe before rushing back to the patient and telling Horace that she won’t let the patient suffer.
Once she administers the morphine, Horace tells Anna that some of the staff have been going to their cars, turning on the air conditioner, and listening to music. She insists she is fine. Susan tells Eric (Joel Keller) that they have to find a way to get the patients to the helipad faster. While he works on that, Diane (Julie Ann Emery) gives Susan a list of the LifeCare patients. They have 53 in total since they lost two. Susan is told they need to suspend all intravenous care. Diane tries to find out what they’re going to do with the patients on the list. Susan tells her that they waited for trucks and helicopters that never came. She promises to work her patients into the rotation, but recommends Diane go back to be with them. Susan turns to the other worker and asks him to talk to the unit managers because they have to start conserving food and water.
Another US Coast Guard plane lands on the helipad. Horace and Anna hear someone yelling for help. They go outside where they see men pushing a person on a mattress. Susan is told that people see the helicopters and they’re coming here because of that. Rene (Stephen Bogaert) argues that they cannot take any more people, but they’re not sure how to keep people away. Dr. Bisley asks if they’re supposed to shoot people. A flashback shows Rene talking to the security guard while he says they’re talking about doing what is necessary. Michael Arvin (Joe Carroll) learns that the Coast Guard helicopters are not going to evacuate the patients from that hospital. They’re being told that the LifeCare patients aren’t on the list Tenet sent to the Coast Guard.
He believes he can talk to the Coast Guard and sort it out, but he is told the Coast Guard helicopters are only for Memorial patients. Gina (Tammy Isbell) tells Diane that they’re not going to take any of their patients. Diane goes to Susan to talk about it and to remind her that her corporation doesn’t own the Coast Guard. Susan insists she’d give her an answer if she could, but she can’t. Diane complains they’re getting their people out while leaving them to die before walking away crying. Bryant and some of the other workers listen to a man talk about the cops shooting a man who was looting diapers. Richard argues with the Coast Guard because they won’t take more on the plane. Marcia Tellez warns him that he is slowing them down. She tells him she was in the Air Force and was trained to run a flight line so he lets her take over.
Eric finds a way to possibly cut 15 or 20 minutes off the trip. Bryant goes outside and learns that the security guards are trying to stop people from entering the hospital. Bryant pleads with Charles to think about this. Charles pulls his gun out and shoots it into the air several times so the residents decide to find somewhere else to go. When Bryant confronts Charles to ask what he was doing, Charles says he was doing what he was told. Bryant messages Calvun to find out how it is going out there. Marcia is surprised when the next Coast Guard plane doesn’t land. She wonders where they’re going before she sees Air Force One above her. Michael learns that the President is doing a fly-by of New Orleans on his way to DC. They’re upset that he isn’t going to land or do anything. Susan visits Rodney Scott (Ervin Ross) to tell him they’re going to move him soon. They want him to say if he is feeling any distress.
Karen and Susan wonder if they’ll be able to fit through the opening in the garage. Susan doesn’t think so, but they can’t slow everything down trying. Karen admits there is another morbidly obese patient at LifeCare. Susan says they’ll have to go last. Karen wants to make sure they’re going to get out. Susan confesses she doesn’t know if she’ll even get out. Anna continues trying to call Vince only to get his voicemail. She mentions that people are dying and she just watched a patient die. She asks him to leave her a message when he gets this one. Once she goes outside, she sees a man from the Department of Health and Hospitals coming toward her. Mike Bowles goes inside and introduces himself to Susan. She tells him the headcount and the 53 LifeCare patients still in the hospital. Rene makes it clear that those patients aren’t theirs. Susan admits they’re running out of food and water.
Mike doesn’t think they’re going to get everyone out at this pace. He recommends reorienting their evacuations since the sickest are the least ambulatory. Mike says they should put colored bands on the patients so they’ll know which ones can move on their own. Patients completely dependent on care will be given red bands. Black bands are meant for those that likely can’t be saved. He wants LifeCare workers to do the same for their patients. Rene mentions that they considered sending the patients with DNR orders last so Mike says they should be given black bands. Susan gets upset and wonders who is really in charge. Mike tells her nobody is in charge. He thinks they can get boats in here in the morning so they should have patients ready to go. People start getting careless because they’re exhausted and nearly fall from the helipad.
Rene thinks they should suspend evacuations for the rest of the night and let people rest. He is convinced people are going to die if they keep going. He is only talking about resting until sunup. Susan tells everyone that they’re going to take a break for a few hours. The others don’t like it, but Susan insists they’ll start moving again when it gets light. Horace tries to calm Carson who is distraught. Susan tells her mother that she wants to put her on a boat in the morning, but her mother doesn’t want to go. Susan says they’re not going to argue about this because she is going to get on a boat and go.
Later, Anna and the others hear someone yelling for everyone to come downstairs. Ewing (W Earl Brown) tells his wife to come on, but she doesn’t want to leave their dog. Anna catches up with Horace who doesn’t know what is going on or where the boats are. She goes outside to look around while the guard tells her it would be wise to go back inside. She goes back inside and tells the others that there are no boats. Ewing and Minnie (Nola Augustson) return to their room and their dog. She doesn’t like the idea that they were just going to leave their dog. They learn that some of the staff members believe someone has taken their things. Rene explains they weren’t there when they were waiting for the boats downstairs. Rene and some of the others grab handguns so they can defend themselves and their belongings.
Jill calls Mark (JD Evermore) and Sandra (Monica Wyche) to tell them about the conditions at the hospital and to ask for help. Sandra is told that Memorial is a secondary for all rescue operations at this time. She complains that nobody is doing anything and they won’t let them help. Sandra is told she needs to get off this line. Mark yells at the others for not even trying to do anything before storming off. Two men approach him to say they have boats and can help him reach the hospital. They agree to head out as soon as it gets light to avoid the snipers. Back at the hospital, Anna changes a patient’s diaper. Karen joins her and asks if she has reached her husband. Karen talks about her family before encouraging Anna to get some rest. Anna claims this is something that happens in a 3rd-world country and not here.
When Bryant sees Rene and the others go by, he tells Karen that they’re pushing people away. He believes they’re doing so because they’re scared of them. He reminds her that they’re being shot in the back. Karen can’t believe he wants to bring more people into the hospital when people are already dying here. She argues he wouldn’t let anyone in here if he really cared. Anna goes to the parking garage and gets into her car. While she listens to music, Bryant texts Calbun saying bad, evil entities have taken over and what is happening here isn’t right.
Five Days At Memorial Review
The fourth episode of Five Days at Memorial was great at points, but it still feels like the series is holding back sometimes. Obviously, this could change in future episodes as the situation gets even worse for everyone at Memorial. There seems to be a gradual build-up to the apex when everything falls apart and drastic action is taken so it is coming soon enough.
The series does a good job of showcasing a lot of what was happening at Memorial during those chaotic days and how the staff did everything they could to help. Also, it shows what was done wrong and what was done at all. A few moments in the episode felt a bit forced and out of place or as if the writers were trying to just get a point across and did so bluntly.
Nevertheless, the episode was emotionally effective with things quickly spiraling out of control for everyone at Memorial. The episode scores a 7 out of 10. Recaps of Five Days At Memorial can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our work at this link.
