Season 1, Episode 21:
House of Cards
Directed by Fred Gerber
Written by Tracey Stern
Greene has to lead a medical review on the death of his patient, Jodi O'Brien, who died from pre-eclampsia. Benton struggles to tell his mother that she needs to placed in a nursing home. Chen makes a costly error with a patient which makes her reconsider her career in medicine. Susan gets a visit from her pregnant sister, Chloe.
Tropes:
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Doug and Diane's careful plans to avoid being spotted by her son are scuttled immediately when the former stumbles in on Jake while trying to use the washroom, and is duly informed that Jake already knows about his visits.
- Caught with Your Pants Down: In the opening sequence, Doug first gets surprised by Jake when he tries using the bathroom after having just stumbled out of Diane's room with his pants back on. It happens again a few seconds later, when he walks out into the hallway of her apartment building and is seen by a neighbor who watches him trying to button up his pants.
- Fish out of Water: When Carter goes to the party to find Deb, he shows up while still wearing his scrubs (with a coat over them). Highlighted when he noticeably (and obnoxiously) pockets several appetizers from a plate and stuffs them in his pocket before going to talk to her. This may also be a case of Obfuscating Stupidity, given the later revelation that he is Secretly Wealthy and knows exactly how to conduct himself at high-society events.
- Gaslighting: Despite being the main culprit for the ER not getting what they needed for Jodi's case, Coburn tries to blame Mark for the botched treatment, even after the latter demonstrates his knowledge of the case inside and out. Luckily, Swift shuts her down by essentially telling her to stop projecting her own feelings onto the case.
- Hypocrite: Coburn rails at Mark for providing what she believes was substandard treatment for Jodi — conveniently ignoring that no one (including herself) in the OB Unit was available to help the ER for the better part of '12 hours, and even worse, she spent a good portion of her time railing at Mark when she arrived instead of trying to help. For his part, Swift essentially tells her to be quiet (remarking that they're talking about the presented facts, not how she feels about it), and notes that Mark's reasoning was consistent and logical.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Deb has this reaction once she realizes she's made a potential career-ending mistake, via leaving a guidewire in a patient's chest.
- Primal Scene: A mild case when Jake encounters the half-dressed Doug, but he's utterly nonchalant about it.
- Put on a Bus: Deb elects to opt out of County's internship program immediately once it becomes clear that she's made a significant professional blunder, one that could have serious (if not fatal) consequences for the patient if it was left unchecked. She gives no indication that she'll stay in medicine... but she will eventually return to County.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: Once it becomes clear that she's on the hook for leaving the guidewire in a patient's chest, Deb immediately flees from the exam room (and the hospital), and informs Carter that she has no plans on returning.
- Spicy Latina: Anita Salazar, the patient Mark treats who has tuberculosis and acts in a combative way towards Mark.
- Tempting Fate: Carol's line about the safety of a patient (foreshadowing for her own mistake).
- What the Hell, Hero?
