So everything that happened in the last episode NEVER actually happened because Rollie was just dreaming it during the operation?
Then he died at the end because he opened the door to a bright light. Is that how you guys saw it?
Jesus NEVER existed! He is Judeo Christian MYTH!
I don't think he died. I think the events of the show mirrored his life. Early in the show, it was suggested that he had not given a reason as to why he wasn't ready-unfinished business of sorts that involved his son, Cole. Behind the story (we missed this part), he elected to have surgery and the events merged past events and present people in his brain during the procedure. There was an accident in Rollie's world that was represented by the fire. Twins were brought in, boy survived-that was Cole. The mother was inconsolable with the death of her daughter as Rollie's wife was. And nobody could help her throug her grief was explained by the language barrier. The second mother that committed suicide represented Rollie's wife and she succumbed to her depression. Therefore Rollie couldn't speak to her son who now represented Cole. Rollie couldn't console the boy because he was still grieving ( cross referencing the Arabian mom here,too as she couldn't grieve properly either) or because in real past, he was in a plane coming from New York. Dr Dixon's role mirrored Rollie's role not only on losing a child, but also in that being a doctor is a calling, not always a choice. He told Dixon that he would regret quitting for the rest of his life. Rollie realized that he NEEDS to be a doctor.
As far as Emanuel and Lola, Emmanuel could be literally God or Rollie's human pastor father that had previously passed. I implied that from him practicing his sermon with little Rollie by himself in the pews. Somewhere in that part, I thought I saw a glimpse of Rollie holding Emmanuel 's hand and it slipping away. When they showed Lola singing in Emmanuel's choir, it showed she was with Granddad. The light coming from the doors was actually a surgical light. When he came to, after finding out Cole was there and Rollie was able to complete his unfinished business (now a 360 back to the title).
All of this is complete conjecture. Usually this high level of symbolism flies right over my head. Thanks for reading. And please be nice with the comments-Newbie over here
If you're a newbie, you're doing just fine! I thought your explanation was spot-on.
I never imagined that Emmanuel was God himself, however. The church sequence as well as him recounting that his father's name was Emmanuel suggests to me that Rollie's father was a pastor, and he was speaking with his father in a sense, in his head during the surgery. That Emmanuel's daughter in the dream state was named Lola suggested to me that it was still Rollie sorting through losing her as a baby, and then beginning to realize that she loved him from wherever she was now, with Granddad as you said, looking back on Rollie.
I really got worried there at the end when the doors with light behind them began opening up and he walked through them. After the church sequence, and the doors of light, I really thought the show was going to lose Rollie for good. I was thoroughly delighted to see the light above him when he opened his eyes, and realized he came through the surgery okay.
And I have to say, I'm not a Coldplay fan, but that song "Fix You" was magnificent in how it was used. I loved the church choir integrated into the song. Still not a Coldplay fan, but definitely a fan of that song now.
And Michael Seitzman... what can I say. I hope to write screenplays that good some day. I really wish I could have been there at the table read when the actors first read through the script and reached that part.
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SKYBIRD, this is DROPKICK with a RED DASH ALPHA message in two parts. BREAK. BREAK.
I was just saying that because usually when someone "sees the light" like that it means they're entering "heaven" so it's over. Yeah, he does wake up on the table and no one in the room knew what he was talking about so it was just a DREAM! Like so many other shows have done too.
I agree though it was a good storyline. Better than the usual...HELP, I'm sick/injured/dying..lots of drama/edge of death...docs come to the rescue!
Jesus NEVER existed! He is Judeo Christian MYTH!
I actually do believe that was intentional misdirection... I think Seitzman WANTED us to believe he was dying, only to be relieved/surprised when he woke up in recovery.
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SKYBIRD, this is DROPKICK with a RED DASH ALPHA message in two parts. BREAK. BREAK.
The bright lights were his anesthesia and being woken up during surgery (we have to wake patients during neurosurgery to track, with electrodes, the pathways, as to not damage very important brain areas) and having his eyes adjust to the lighting in the surgical theater. It was used as a misdirection on the writers and director of the episode.
shareI've had surgery and there was none of that.
But I know someone who had a cingulotomy, a type of brain surgery, and he said there was no light like that at all. So that bright light is not true for ALL neurosurgery.
Jesus NEVER existed! He is Judeo Christian MYTH!
True that not all patients are woken up during all neurosurgery procedures. The type that Rollie was having done - I have done this exact surgery on about 2 dozen patients - requires the patient to be woken up and asked a series of questions and shown pictures, as we map the area using a small electric pulse and paper letters placed on the actual cortex as a guide. This is to make sure that important areas, especially in the hind brain (usually referred to as the reptilian brain, as it is the oldest part of the brain) are not damaged, since memory as well as autonomic functions (as well as many others) are stored in this area.
shareA cingulotomy can be done under very light anesthesia, not intubated, since it is basically a modern version of a lobotomy. Although a cingulotomy is now done to treat severe debilitating OCD as well as depression and severe chronic pain, as well as some other treatment resistant maladies. It can be done bilaterally or in just one prefrontal lobe. Thankfully, the treatment is no longer the horror show that was performed by Dr. Walter Freeman and his ice pick and mallet.
shareThis last episode....wow! I love this show!!!
Keep your religious opinions to your self
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