Mental – Bad Moon Rising

Posted by Linda on August 25, 2009 under Tv World | Be the First to Comment

Episode Synopsis: MENTAL “Life & Limb/Bad Moon Rising” Episode 12 and 13 – When factory worker Brian Jennings is admitted to Wharton Memorial with a few chopped off fingers, Arturo and Chloe believe they can be re-attached. However, after he refuses any type of surgery, his boss claims that Brian has purposely cut off his fingers to collect disability payments for the rest of his life. The doctors are soon left questioning the true motives for his dismemberment when an even darker secret is discovered at Brian’s apartment. Meanwhile, when Nora assigns Veronica to Jack’s sister, Becky’s, case, Jack argues with his colleagues and his parents about the course of her treatment. When Becky tells Jack she’s moving to Florida to a facility near their parents, he struggles with the decision to keep his sister close or to let her go. Meanwhile, when Ellis Kahane tries to check himself into the psych ward at Wharton Memorial claiming to be a werewolf that will transform at the next full moon, Carl turns him away. Things take a dangerous turn when Ellis takes the entire team hostage to prove to them his transformation will take place when the sun goes down. As Wharton is faced with serious budget deficits, Nora struggles in her attempts to find proper funding for the hospital, and is forced to make a difficult decision when given a tempting offer. Also, Jack speaks with a surprising therapist regarding his recent troubles in the “Life & Limb/Bad Moon Rising” two-hour season finale episode of MENTAL airing Friday, Aug. 14 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Guest Cast: Amanda Douge as Becky Gallagher; Alex Weed as Brian Jennings; Samantha Eggar as Margo Stroud; Madison Mason as James Stroud; Ellen Crawford as Andrea Jennings; Michael Durrell as Alan Jennings; Brian Howe as Bob Escamilla; Patrick Y. Malone as Julio; Michelle Krusiec as Dr. Aimee Lin; Brando Eaton as Gabe; Joseph D. Reitman as Ellis Kahane; Lex Medlin as Thom Hygard; Laura Johnson as Georgia Riede

Bad Moon Rising (Or, Part II of final episode):

Funny werewolf man:

[A man wants to check himself into the ward]
Werewolf man: Look, I’m running out of time. I need to be locked up.
Guy Employee: Unfortunately Mr. Cane we are not accepting any new patients prior to the shut down. If you have your therapist call me I promise you [interrupted]
Werewolf: [in really scary deep voice] Moonrise is less than two hours from now!

The whole thing with New Boss talking to himself throughout the episode was so strange, it ruined the episode so much for me.  It was so bad when they didn’t show New Boss’s shrink and then when they did, they made it seem like everyone wouldn’t have recognized his voice before and already knew who he was talking to, they even had a funny sound effect as they showed him.

I felt sorry for Woman Boss, must have been so stressful for her. I didn’t like the meeting with Annoying Boss’s twin; get’s all the money they need if she fires New Boss. I really don’t like the Annoying Boss’s twin, what makes it worse is that he is probably based on a herd of people just like him, all working in the pharmaceutical industry.

Apparently a lot of psych wards are closing down, all over the place, I hope that changes, such places are something that is needed in the society. Good thing is that people become more and more aware of mental disorders nowadays, so maybe the trend will change. I like Mental because of that, that it gives awareness.

The hostage situation was brilliant; I love how all the shrinks came together and helped the werewolf man, it was like group therapy but in reverse. It was scary, charming and funny.  I liked how New Boss stepped up and talked to the man whereas Annoying Boss was hiding behind the bureau.  It was scary when Guy Employee got shot; it really stirred things up, yey. More exciting though was when Guy Employee told everyone about the blackmailing.

Annoying Boss: You guys, we can’t just sit here and do nothing.
Woman employee: Well what do you suggest?
Annoying Boss: Why don’t you women, I don’t know, stage a distraction of some kind of emotional breakdown or cry or something? Look, ones he is distracted Arturo can jump him.
Guy Employee: Why me?
Annoying Boss: Because you’re younger and you’re faster.
Women Employee: And what will you be doing?
Annoying Boss: I came up with the plan.

New Boss is freaky, he voluntarily get’s bitten by a man he doesn’t even know! (Not that it would be less wrong if he asks if he can get bitten by somebody he actually knows …)

There was a nice little scene that tied together the season and that was when Woman Boss and Woman Employee discussed if New Boss should be let go or not and Woman Employee says she doesn’t want him to quit, that’s nice cause there was almost an exact scene in the beginning of the season when Woman Employee wants to quit if New Boss remains on the ward. Nicely written.

The best part in the scene is of course though when New Boss hits Annoying Boss! I wish there had been a camera filming me watching that scene, my eyes went wide and I stopped breathing for a second and then the second later I just went “Yes!!!” and made that wonderful universal body language sign for the word “score”.

Wayne Rooney.

Then I got less enthusiastic when the good guys lost and the evil Annoying Boss won…

I have to say that it was a little bleak for being a series finale. I even had a problem with the end scene, I liked the ending with New boss with the guitar on the square, but, where did he get the dog from, why was it there, not necessary right?

Nobody knows if Mental will continue after this or if this was the end but many signs as well as my own gut says we have seen the last of New Boss and the rest of the gang.

I am going to say that I won’t really miss it, a clue that I didn’t feel very strongly about the show is that I haven’t even bothered to learn any of the characters names… I only feel happy about the show ending, not because it was completely awful but because now we are getting really close to the fall season when the proper shows starts!