The stuff with Peter White (Terence Knox) and his family is poignant, very bittersweet. He has it all, but he is continually at the mercy of his demons. As we see at the end of this tense episode, Peter is brought to his knees, literally.
We watch Nurse Shirley Daniels (Ellen Bry) make sexual advances towards Peter White then she pulls out a gun, fires two shots, goes to the phone, and says "code blue in the morgue." This felt like a Dallas or Dynasty-type season ending cliffhanger.
Of course, we are now examining what happens when women take the law into their own hands to eliminate a threat of rape. Shirley has become a vigilante and there will be considerable discussion in future episodes about whether or not she should be convicted. There are some interesting twists and turns.
I should comment on Peter's confession. While being held at gunpoint, Shirley forces Peter to confess to the rapes but this type of confession would never hold up in court. Prior to this, a psych ward patient admitted to the rapes but his confession was discounted.
Shirley definitely feels Peter is guilty, but she becomes a criminal herself. It is significant that she shoots him in the groin and then in the heart. This was a shocking storyline for primetime television in the mid-80s.
We watch Nurse Shirley Daniels (Ellen Bry) make sexual advances towards Peter White then she pulls out a gun, fires two shots, goes to the phone, and says "code blue in the morgue." This felt like a Dallas or Dynasty-type season ending cliffhanger.
Of course, we are now examining what happens when women take the law into their own hands to eliminate a threat of rape. Shirley has become a vigilante and there will be considerable discussion in future episodes about whether or not she should be convicted. There are some interesting twists and turns.
I should comment on Peter's confession. While being held at gunpoint, Shirley forces Peter to confess to the rapes but this type of confession would never hold up in court. Prior to this, a psych ward patient admitted to the rapes but his confession was discounted.
Shirley definitely feels Peter is guilty, but she becomes a criminal herself. It is significant that she shoots him in the groin and then in the heart. This was a shocking storyline for primetime television in the mid-80s.
