Blogcritics Comments on DVD Review: General Hospital Night Shift - The Complete First Season

Comment by Kimball on DVD Review: General Hospital Night Shift - The Complete First Season

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:07:55 EST

I didn't have a problem with the STORIES not crossing over from Night Shift to GH and vice-versa. My problem was with how the RELATIONSHIPS between the characters were manipulated on Night Shift. Jason and Robin had hardly spoken to each other for almost a decade on GH, but on Night Shift they were all buddy buddy. It seemed so fake and came out of left field. How did they find this new, happy place after all this time? Spinelli was smitten with Lulu on GH, but on Night Shift he was head over heels for his Angel of Mercy Jolene. Huh? Leyla was more blatant about her pursuit of Patrick on Night Shift, whereas on GH she was portrayed as being caught in the middle of a Robin/Patrick feud and being uncomfortable about it. I hated those glaring inconsistencies and enjoyed the series less because of them. The characters could have maintained the same traits and relationships, but been involved in different stories. There was no need to totally warp the canvas dynamic.

Comment by Anna on DVD Review: General Hospital Night Shift - The Complete First Season

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:30:56 EST

I never, ever saw Leyla struggle with her guilt, nor did she receive any backlash on a professional level. She was coddled by the male doctors and the arrogant Dr.Patrick Drake let her pick his surgical team, for God's sake. Also, Robin had to apologize to HER, when Robin was the only one concerned about Stacey and had suggested a C-section weeks earlier, which would have saved her life. Night Shift just reeked on every level.

Comment by Connie Phillips on DVD Review: General Hospital Night Shift - The Complete First Season

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:43:45 EST

Patti -- There certainly were some drop stories through the course of the season. You mention the one with Maxie, there was also the one I mentioned with the mysterious "Barrett." I think some of that can be attributed to the show finding it's way. Some of it, yes, was just the quality of telling a story from beginning to end. The daytime show is suffering from the same problem with it's text-message killer storyline and Epiphany's heart attack. I disagree with you that Dr. Drake is supposed to be a McDreamy. I think they've always portrayed him as a dog - plain and simple. Yes, he makes young nurses and some doctors swoon, but it never takes long for them to realize he's commitment phobic and damaged by his mother's death and his father's abandonment. Regina struggled with the nursing program. Not everyone can get through school easily. She was haunted by the abortion she had and a case of low self-esteem. Dr. Julian helped her through the rough times. They did make Leyla the 'bad guy' in the break up of Patrick and Robin, and she made a mistake with Stacy. Sometimes people make bad choices and have to live with the consequences. If I remember correctly, in the weeks following she was dealt with on the professional level and she wrestled with her guilt. I think because this was a weekly show that aired at night, people tuned in expecting to see a Grey's Anatomy or ER. It was never meant to be that. It was always meant to follow the soap opera formula with the freedoms of night time cable.

Comment by Patti on DVD Review: General Hospital Night Shift - The Complete First Season

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:03:04 EST

General Hospital Nightshift has only two good episodes. The first episode and the last one. The writing is awful and all over the place. The promos hinted at an exciting triangle between Jason,Robin and Patrick. That never happens but it would of made the show more interesting. There are not alot of medical cases and for a show suppose to be set in the ER, they are hardly in the ER. The most interesting medical cases are Stacy, the HIV positive pregnant women. She is in critical condition and being escorted to the OR by Nurse Leyla who ditches her patient in the elevator with a kid and mob enforcer because she sees a man with an obvious head wound who speaks her native language. She is hailed as the hottest and smartest nurse after that, while the caring nurse Regina is called a disgrace to the African American race. If you think these things will be dealt with, it's not. The show wants you to agree with them. The second cases is heart patient Maxie. At the end of one episode she is coding, after that you never see her again at all. They reference that she is fine and out of the hospital. The Mcdreamy of the hospital, Dr. Drake, is anything but. He's more of a Mcsleazy with no depth or point of view. The pairings lack chemistry and the show makes a mockery of the nursing profession with poor peformances from those actresses and by giving a complete falseness of what is a priority and a nurses role. Billy Dee Williams is greatly underused and the only stand out performances are Kent Master King, Kimberly Mccullough and Steve Burton.