Sunday, March 22, 2020

Another Richard Armitage Challenge! Social Distancing Edition #2


Which Film/Series do you think is underrated?

My selection would be The Golden Hour (2005).

Richard Armitage played Dr. Alec Track, the head of a team of emergency medical doctors, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Services.  

I own the UK DVD of the series and was able to watch it years ago because I have an all region DVD player.  It's the best thing I've ever owned.  Even today when it's so easy to stream almost everything, there are still some series and movies that are not available in the US and only available from a DVD from the UK or another country.  

Now, I'm not a health care worker, not a doctor, not a nurse, so I can't speak to the accuracy of the medical procedures and terminology in this series.  But as an average viewer with no medical knowledge I found the actors playing the doctors in the series to be believable.  I found the interaction between the doctors and the patients and other emergency personnel to be engaging and emotional.  

I really liked the setup of the series when you meet the people that will soon be facing injury and possible death at the start, so that you feel connected to them when the accident happens.  You also get to know the doctors as individuals and feel an emotional connection to them as they go about their difficult job.

I especially like one episode that features Richard as Dr. Track.  I won't give it away, but he is working very hard to save the life of a man, and despite his acknowledged expertise as a doctor, is thwarted at every turn.  But he keeps trying. His emotional exchange with one of the nurses is very moving and Richard is wonderful at conveying a full range of emotions during this episode.

Is it a perfect program?  No, I wouldn't claim it is. The series was only four episodes, and just as the writers, the actors, the directors, etc. were finding their way in that last episode, it was cancelled. But I think if you watch it with an open mind, not trying to find every little error, not comparing it to Shakespeare, and open your heart to the emotions of accident victims and doctors, you will appreciate this series.

I re-watch the series periodically and Dr. Track is still one of my favorite Armitage characters.

******
Bonus  -  if you watched Game of Thrones you might recognize some of the actors featured in The Golden Hour. 




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