The Next Episode is the fifth episode of the sixth season and the 103rd overall episode of Private Practice.
Short Summary[]
A reality show centered around Sam sheds some light on issues in his colleagues' personal lives. Meanwhile, Sam's mother seeks his help after her boss falls ill and the search continues for a girl who went missing from St. Ambrose.
Full Summary[]
Sam is in his kitchen preparing breakfast as he's being filmed. He sits down to eat it, but the producer asks him to reset. He does so and they say he's a natural. Sam asks if they shouldn't start filming until after he sees his first patient of the day, but the producer says that if they're going to sell this pilot to the network, it's gonna have to be the personal that the want and the medicine that he wants. He says as long as the medicine is the focal point. He starts reading his paper and reads something about the Lakers opening night. He asks them if they're sports fans. The producer tells him to pretend they're not there. Someone knocks something onto the ground and it breaks, but Sam has to keep going and pretend they're not there.
Sam is welcoming the filming crew at the practice. Sheldon appears in the background but disappears as soon as he sees Sam's not done talking. Sam wonders if he should hold some folders. The producer says no offence, but no one's gonna care because he's handsome and he has a stethoscope hanging around his neck. Sam starts his tour and welcomes viewers to the practice. He mentions working together with talented doctors and Sheldon comes walking out of his office. He greets Sam, but it's very artificial. Sam introduces Sheldon and asks him to talk about himself. Sheldon doesn't know what to say.
Sam points to Jake's office and talks about what kind of doctor Jake is. The producer mentions Jake is now dating his ex, but Sam doesn't go into it. The producer then sees Pete's office, the friend who recently passed. Sam confirms. He says they miss Pete. Sam walks to the exam rooms, but the camera man hears someone crying in Pete's office. He moves closer and starts filming Violet, who's sitting on the floor and crying.
They film Addison talking to a patient and the producer says she's gorgeous. She says it can't be easy working side by side with his ex. Sam doesn't reply and shows them the conference room, where they care of official business stuff. Then it's time to introduce Cooper, who shakes hands and apologizes for not watching much reality television. Cooper doesn't see the value of it, but no offence. He prefers his entertainment to be more poignant. He did see the powerful documentary about the meningitis epidemic in Africa and about the struggle to immunize struggle. It's like a passion of his. The producer says she shot part of it. Her company produced it. She's glad he liked it. Cooper says it was poignant.
Next up is Charlotte, who says it's not a good time to be at her hospital but Sam asked so they get access to whatever they want, as long as they don't get in anybody's way. Charlotte continues her way and Sam says she's pregnant with triplets.
In the kitchen, Sam is preparing a cup of coffee as Amelia walks in. The producer says cut, because Amelia didn't sign the waiver. The camera crew disappears and she jokes Sam's ass can stack up with the Kardashian family. Amelia says she's the only one who dares to say that reality television is beneath her by not signing the waiver. She can't believe Sam is into that stuff. Sam says it wasn't his idea. A patient of his is a network executive and she kept calling about it, so he thought why not. He can be a role model. Amelia jokes to warn her before the sex-tape gets leaked and walks out.
Sam's mother comes into the kitchen, followed by the camera crew. They hug and dance a little. His mother is a little nervous because of all the cameras. He assures her she looks beautiful and asks her where Raymond and Jillian are. Dee Bennett says they're in the lobby. She really appreciates what he's doing. He says anything to help her boss and an old friend. Addison comes in, surprised to see Dee in there. Addison tries to hug her, but Dee holds her off. Sam didn't let Addison know that she was coming. Dee says she speaks with her son quite a bit, so she knows what happened between them. Addison says she's looking forward to see more of Dee and feels awkward. She walks out with Dee staring after her.
Raymond is in the exam room and asks about the cameras. Sam asked them to wait outside. They were kind of hoping to appear on his TV show. Raymond says Sam looks good and asks about Corinne. Sam says she's doing good. Jillian says they're proud of him. Sam's gonna start the EKG. He heard from his mother that Raymond ended up in the ER recently. Jillian says things have been getting worse. Sam asks if he has any chest pains. Raymond says he's got pain everywhere but thinks that's due to his age. Sam takes a look at the EKG, which shows some non-specific abnormalities. He's going to take him to St. Ambrose for some further testing.
Sam is in his office, talking about Raymond's case. He's confused about at which camera he should look. The producer tells him to just look at her. The producer mentions he seems close to his mother. Sam says he is because she was always around. The producer says her mother was too, and she still hasn't amassed the requisite hours of therapy to get past that. Sam admires her for all that she's done, raising him. The producer wants him to be more interesting. He's a doctor raised by a single mother. Sam hates the term single mother, because it implies he missed out on something. His mother spent way more time with him than kids with two parents. She never missed a parent-teacher meeting. She told him she loved him every single day. He's one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons in the country and he's a black man. He owes all of that to his mother, which is why he hates the term single mother.
Outside the hospital, Sam explains to the crew that the group of people standing there is the 24-hour presence for Sarah Nelson, who disappeared from the ER recently. He shows them to Violet and Cooper, who've been leading the efforts. James is there too, saying they launch search parties twice a day. The producer asks about their connections to Sarah. Cooper says she was his patient. Violet says she's been counseling the parents. James says she disappeared from his ER. Violet drags Dana and Ron in front of the camera and says they've been trying to utilize the press. The producer asks how they're holding up. Ron and Dana say they're just trying to stay strong for Sarah.
Sam has Raymond's test results. Dee wants to give them privacy, but Jillian says she can stay. Sam says he has pulmonary hypertension and explains the condition. This causes a dangerously high blood pressure, which is why he fainted and he's had chest pains. They'll give him meds and Sam will insert an umbrella. If Raymond doesn't get the surgery, his heart will overwork itself and stop working eventually. Jillian wants a moment and leaves to go to the restroom. Sam follows her outside and comforts her. He says Raymond will be fine and that they have a strong marriage. On that exact moment, the camera films Raymond and Dee, who lean closer and kiss each other. Sam returns to the room and turns away the camera.
Sam is sitting on his deck. The producer asks about Raymond and his mother, but he refuses to talk about it. He wants to talk about all things medicine, but his mother's personal life is none of their business.
Sam and his mother are having dinner. His mother visited Corinne today. Dee was happy to see her smile again and says Sam did great with her. Sam asks if that's why she won't allow him to visit. He doesn't want to talk about it. Dee starts salting her food, but he stops her and says it's enough ,because she has high blood pressure. Dee says he has no call being nasty to her. Sam says what she's doing with Raymond is not right. He reveals he saw them. Dee thought she taught him not to talk about things he doesn't know about. Sam says it's wrong, and she knows it. Dee says she worked side by side for years with that man, so things happened. She tells him to keep things that'll disrespect his mother to himself next time. She thanks him for dinner and walks away.
Cooper is in his office, being filmed. He's not surprised Sam has a perfect relationship with his mother as Sam is the image of the perfect man. Cooper asks what Sam gets paid for this. The producer says nothing yet as it's a pilot. Cooper guesses around $20,000 or $30,000 if the series gets picked up. The producer confirms and says that's per episode. Cooper is amazed. He googled the cost of raising a child in L.A., which is about half a million dollars. He already has one and three others are on the way. He asks if they've ever thought about doing a show about a pediatrician.
There's a BBQ going on on Sam's deck. Dee, Jillian, and Raymond are laughing, standing at a table. The doctors are standing at another table while the camera crew is filming. Charlotte invited James, who says the detectives were still at the hospital when he left. Charlotte says they're just interviewing employees and patients who may have had access. Sheldon says that's going to take long given the volume of the ER that night. Violet wishes she could do more for Ron and Dana, who're having an extremely difficult time as they were already at each other's throats before Sarah disappeared. James says there's nothing they can do short of finding Sarah.
Jake and Addison go stand with Amelia, who's shielding her face from camera. Addison comments she looks ridiculous, but Amelia says they want her to look ridiculous in order to get her to sign the waiver. She then goes to eat more hot dogs. Addison sees Dee giving her looks and tells Jake that Dee hates her, she always has.
Raymond leaves Jillian and Dee to go talk to Sam. He says he's feeling well considering he had surgery a few days ago. Sam obviously doesn't want to have small talk with him and clears his throat. Raymond says it's complicated. Sam says it's not complicated to keep his vows to his wife. Raymond says it's not some fling. He loves Dee. Sam doesn't care about that. The only reason he hasn't thrown Raymond out of his house is because he doesn't want to embarrass Jillian or his mother. Sam tells him to get out of his face. Raymond walks off.
James meets Amelia in the kitchen and comments on the cameras. She figured he'd love them, thinking he's a typical ER doc, but he proves she couldn't be more wrong. Amelia is a little embarrassed and shields her face from his.
Jake meets up with Sam and asks why he's doing this. Sam says the producer wanted an event to get everybody in the same place. Jake meant the whole reality show thing, as it doesn't really seem like Sam. Sam wanted a chance to debunk unhealthy myths that get people killed. Jake says it sounds rehearsed. At that moment, Raymond collapses. The producer makes sure they have it on film as Sam rushes to his aid.
Sam is performing CPR on Raymond in the ER. The producer asks how he's feeling, but Sam throws them out. James shocks him, but to no avail. Sam says he's still in fib, so they need to get him to an OR to clean out more clots. The producer is excited to get this as James shocks Raymond again. This time, the sinus rhythm gets back. They take Raymond to the OR. Dee begs Sam to save him as Sam runs after the gurney.
In a lounge, the producer tells Sam they got some footage from the surgery and she asks him to tell them where it went wrong. Sam talks them through the surgery. At the moment they wanted to close, Raymond started bleeding into his chest. Sam thinks he may have kept him open for too long as he thought he could do more.
Jake is being interviewed. He says that medicine is science, but it's also personal. Doctors want to believe they provide the same care, no matter who's on the table, but with some patients, they fight a little harder. In those cases, it hurts when you don't get the results you wanted. But when you do, it's hard to beat that feeling.
In the ICU, Sam tells Raymond that he needs a new lung. Jillian asks about the list, but Raymond doesn't have that kind of time. Dee remains optimistic. Sam says they should consider living related donor transplant, which means taking a lobe from a relative and use it to replace the damaged lung. Raymond and Jillian don't have any family to ask, so Raymond says he'll just go home and die. Dee wants to pray. Jillian wonders why she should pray when they all know there's another option. She looks directly at Sam and says he should get tested, because he may be able to save his father's life.
Sheldon is being interviewed and he's nervous. The producer tells him to forget about the camera and to lose the cards. She asks what he thinks of when he thinks of Sam Bennett. Sheldon thinks of honesty. The truth means a lot to Sam, maybe more than anything else, which Sheldon finds an admirable quality. Sam has a rigid set of beliefs and Sam's honesty helps them all to stick to their beliefs.
Raymond is surprised that Jillian knows. Jillian asks if he's talking about knowing that Sam is his son or that he's been having an affair for 40 years. Dee apologizes and sees how upset Sam is. He walks out of the room as his mother follows him and asks him to come back. He says he doesn't owe her any courtesies right now. The camera crew follows them as Dee wonders what would've been the right way to tell her children that their father is married to another woman. Sam enters a lounge and closes the door to shut out the camera crew.
Sam asks Dee to repeat what she's always said about his father. She said that he walked out on them and that she didn't know where he was and that he'd be there if he wanted to be. He screams that she lied. Dee says you make decisions as a parent. Sam asks why they even came here. Dee says Jillian wanted the best and she couldn't tell her why it was a bad idea. Sam is surprised that she now started to care about Jillian's feelings after having slept with her husband for 40 years. He says she should've given him the some consideration. Dee admits she made mistakes, but there's no bad people here, just people that made bad choices. Raymond helped them out. Sam gets even more frustrated hearing that the things he thought his mother worked so hard for was just Raymond helping them. She says she's sorry, but he yells not to say that. It's not good enough. Sam leaves the room and tells the camera crew to get out of his face. They keep filming him, so he throws the camera onto the ground.
Charlotte honestly says she and Sam didn't care much for each other in the beginning. Charlotte learned along the way that if you don't like Sam, there's probably something wrong with you.
Sam is telling Addison about Raymond and Dee. He asks if Dee should've told him. Addison agrees. She thinks he has the right to be upset and pissed off. However, she wants him to know he is who he is despite his father, and that their choices don't define him. Sam says Raymond is dying. Addison asks if there's nothing he can do. Sam confesses he may be a match. Addison says she's sorry.
Dee is on Sam's couch. Sam comes in and sits down on the couch. He asks if she's eaten. Dee told him not to take care of her. He's allowed to be angry. Dee asks him to say anything. She says she asked herself a lot why she was sleeping with a married man, whom she started to love. She wondered if she wanted Raymond to leave Jillian. When Sam was born, she told Raymond she'd only allow him to be in Sam's life as his father, so they could be a family. But it was a different time back then. Divorce was a big deal. He did the noble thing to do back then. She moved on and started seeing other people, but she never stopped thinking about him. She loved the feeling she got when he looked at her across the shop. Then there was Corinne. She had this family and it sure wasn't perfect, but it was beautiful. She didn't know when she decided Raymond would be the only man in her life, but she must have. After a while, you stop asking yourself why because no answer makes sense. It's just the life you have. Sam says it's not fair. She made all the sacrifices. Dee says he gave her Sam and Corinne, and he never got to love them the way she did. Sam says that was his choice. Sam again says she should've told him. Dee recalls the barbecues at Raymond's they always went to on Memorial Day. One time, Raymond introduced Sam to a doctor friend. Sam asked the man so many questions that he made him lock himself in the bathroom. Dee gave him a toy stethoscope a few days later. Dee confesses she didn't give it to him. Every time she saw him play with it, she wanted to tell him who it was from. Dee says she's sorry, knowing it's not enough. Sam takes her hand and says he'll go make them something to eat.
The producer tells Sam they thought he was awol. Sam says he made a commitment to make this thing, so he's going to go through with it. He apologizes about the camera. The producer plays dumb about the bandage on his arm. Sam says he got tested to see if he could be a donor. The producer asks how he came to that decision. He doesn't know. She asks what he's gonna do if he's a match. He doesn't know either.
The producer asks Amelia what made her change her mind. Amelia says it's about Sam, who was there for her when she really needed someone. Amelia names some people that Sam saved, including Pete. Amelia is sure that Sam signed up for this because deep down, he thought he was doing good. Amelia is sure they're all salivating because his life went from Oprah to Springer overnight, but Sam's a great doctor who built a great reputation. He doesn't deserve that have that taken away because he got blindsided by a truckload of suck. She wants them to know that Sam deserves better.
Sam walks into Raymond's room. Jillian walks out. Sam tells Raymond he has nothing to do with how he turned out. If Raymond's ever felt proud about that, he shouldn't have. Sam is who he is because of his mother. She raised a doctor, a father, a grandfather, a brother. She raised a real man. So, he'd be here without Raymond. Sam got tested. He's a match and he could donate, and he will if that's what Raymond wants him to, because that's the kind of man his mother raised. Raymond says he came to a play where Sam got the lead role. Dee didn't want him to come, but he snuck in. It was hard not to cheer or wave for Sam, to let nobody know why he was standing there smiling. Raymond saw Dee and Corinne on the front row and he wondered what his life would be like if it was his place to sit with them, watching him. However, that was not the life he chose. Raymond won't let him take a piece of himself to save him, but he won't allow Sam to take away the proud feeling he has about the way Sam turned out to be. Raymond is ready to go. Maybe he should go home.
Jillian finds Sam and thanks him for everything he did for Raymond. She wanted to apologize. Sam says she doesn't have to. She thinks she does for having put him on the stand when she asked him to get tested. Sam says he's not the only victim here. Jillian says she made the choice to stay and not hate Dee. She made the choice not to lose her husband. That might make her a fool, but she's not a victim. They're taking Raymond home. Sam hugs her.
Violet knows this is Sam's thing, but she was wondering if the film crew had any contacts with national news programs. They got a ton of local coverage on Sarah, but the community is losing steam. Violet thinks that making it a national story would give them the boost they need. The producer says she'll make a few calls. She notes Violet is really invested. Violet wonders how she could not be. She's with Sarah's parents every day and she sees what it's doing to them. The producer confesses they saw her in Pete's office. Violet says she eats breakfast there sometimes. She can't sleep without Pete's favorite sheets, which she used to hate, and she wears his sweater at him. She'd wear it all the time, but she doesn't want people to think she's a freak. Violet knows she's getting closer every day to figuring out who she is without Pete, but Ron and Dana are stuck. They're stuck in this place where they don't know, and they can't move forward until they do know where she is. The producer asks if she thinks Sarah's alive. Violet sure hopes so.
Jillian, Dee, Raymond, and Sam are filmed as they leave the hospital. Sam says goodbye to his mother and shakes Raymond's hand before he gets on the paratransit. Before the door closes, Sam thanks Raymond for the stethoscope Raymond gave him. Sam walks back into the hospital.
The cameraman then films Ron and Dana being interviewed. Ron says it's his job to protect Sarah. When they get her back, he's never gonna let her out of his sight and they'll all be a family again. Violet and Cooper are watching them.
The producer asks Sam how he slept last night. Sam says he didn't. The producer asks why. Sam wonders why it's always that when you can't sleep, you come across these channels you never knew existed. He was watching this show about a guy who gets trapped in the middle of the Sahara with little supplies to survive. Sam was thinking how cool it must be to have to do that, to just lose yourself. Sam says he's never left the country. He's never surprised anyone and he hasn't found his one yet. He doesn't know if he's even really tried. His identity has always been the people close to him. That's been enough up until now. Sam wonders what's next. Sam thought it'd be this show, but now he knows that's not what he was looking for. He doesn't really know what he's looking for.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Kate Walsh as Dr. Addison Montgomery
- Benjamin Bratt as Dr. Jake Reilly
- Paul Adelstein as Dr. Cooper Freedman
- KaDee Strickland as Dr. Charlotte King
- Brian Benben as Dr. Sheldon Wallace
- Caterina Scorsone as Dr. Amelia Shepherd
- Griffin Gluck as Mason Warner (credit only)
- Taye Diggs as Dr. Sam Bennett
- Amy Brenneman as Dr. Violet Turner
Guest Stars[]
- Richard Roundtree as Raymond McCray
- Matt Long as Dr. James Peterson
- L. Scott Caldwell as Jillian McCray
- Charlie Hofheimer as Ron Nelson
- Chryssie Whitehead as Dana Nelson
- Jolie Jenkins as Producer
- Alfre Woodard as Dee Bennett
Medical Notes[]
Raymond McCray[]
- Diagnosis:
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Doctors:
- Sam Bennett (cardiothoracic surgeon)
- Treatment:
- Blood thinners
- Surgery
Raymond, 73, came to Sam for a cardiac workup. He'd been in the ER a few weeks prior and had chest pain. His EKG showed non-specific abnormalities, so he sent him to the hospital to get more tests run. His tests showed that he was throwing blood clots and had pulmonary hypertension. Sam prescribed blood thinners. Raymond later collapsed at a barbecue and had to be rushed to the ER and resuscitated. They got his heart beating normally again and then rushed him to the OR to remove the clots. In surgery, he started bleeding into his chest and they had to rush to stop the bleeding. After surgery, Sam informed Raymond that he needed a lung transplant urgently. He said they should consider a living, related donor. He said they should test anyone possible, but Raymond and Jillian didn't have any children or nieces and nephews who could be tested. Jillian suggested that Sam get tested as Raymond is his biological father. Sam got tested and was a match, but Raymond refused the donation and went home to die.
Music[]
| Song | Performer | Scene |
|---|---|---|
| "Brick" | Ben Folds Five |
|
| "Fragile Love" | Adam Agin |
|
Notes and Trivia[]
- This episode scored 3.72 million viewers, the fewest in the show's entire run.[1]
- This episode is focused on Sam.
- This episode marks Amy Brenneman's 100th appearance as Dr. Violet Turner.
- On Disney+ in the United States and Canada, this episode's title appears as "XX."[2]
Gallery[]
Episode Stills[]
Behind the Scenes[]
Quotes[]
- Charlotte: Get in somebody's way and I will use that camera as a shot put. Nice to meet you.
See Also[]
|
A complete overview of this episode's crew can be found here. |
| Private Practice Season 6 | |||||
| #01 | "Aftershock" | #06 | "Apron Strings" | #11 | "Good Fries Are Hard to Come By" |
| #02 | "Mourning Sickness" | #07 | "The World According to Jake" | #12 | "Full Release" |
| #03 | "Good Grief" | #08 | "Life Support" | #13 | "In Which We Say Goodbye" |
| #04 | "You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone" | #09 | "I'm Fine" | ||
| #05 | "The Next Episode" | #10 | "Georgia on My Mind" | ||
| << Season 5 | |||||