Trainee

The team spent almost the entire hour vilifying Vietnam Combat Medics. And, at the time this was viewed, 1972, contributed to the overall hate directed at us returning from Vietnam. I'm not interested in the message or nuance of this episode. As a veteran, this hit me in the gut. Typical demonizing by feignt praise. The only act of CYA was 30 seconds at the end of the episode that made a point that he was still a firefighter and not an "elite" paramedic. Yawn. The experience of a combat medic who actively sought advice and in situ lifesaving measures is vastly dismissed and minimized in this episode. I love Cy and the production team that produced Dragnet, Adam-12, and Emergency! But this completely falls short. Nuance and whatever the others are trying to justify, is a serious overlook of the on the ground challenges Vietnam Vets faced.

The conflict between Roy and Ed was entertaining. I appreciated how everyone (but Johnny and Roy) were giving Ed all the credit for what he achieved and demonstrated. My question is why didn't Dr. Beckett sit with Ed and help show him the path to medical school? He's too smart to remain be a firefighter. He's shying away from people in pain. I think this episode could have gone a different way. I personally didn't see any dissing to Vietnam vets. I wasn't one, but my dad was. I thought they gave him the respect he earned.

"Why we do what we do" might have been used as a title for this episode. Instead it's called "Trainee," which is also apt. It's very much a paramedic episode, having been written by the paramedic pioneer on whom the John Gage character was based, and highlighted a lot of issues that the paramedic program faced in those early years.

The Trainee in question, Ed Marlowe, was a medic in Vietnam, and had lots of hands-on surgical and practical experience there. He assumes his knowledge and experience will translate easily to the paramedic program: he was at the top of his paramedic class, got highest marks in the program's history, etc. On paper, he's a GREAT paramedic. The problem comes in the field, when all that theory becomes practice. Marlowe makes a number of assumptions and doesn't see any reason to go "by the book." He considers it a waste of time to get permission from Rampart when HE knows exactly what needs to be done. Not surprisingly, firebrand Johnny gets into it with him, but more importantly we see Roy--genial, easy-going Roy--confront Marlowe not once, not twice, but THREE times, trying to get Marlowe to rein in his ego. After all, Roy reminds him, when they're on a call, it's all about the patient, not the paramedic.

All in all, it's a very interesting episode. I did miss the action of the rest of Station 51, they're only seen briefly in this one, and only at the station. But for those who are interested in the genesis of the paramedic program, this episode helps illustrate the process of becoming a certified paramedic.