by Brittany Frederick
Among all the pickups and renewals, there’s one that flew under the radar Monday: CBS ordering a second season of Code Black.
The only real surprise was that it took this long. Code Black was easily one of the best new series of this TV season. It brought us Marcia Gay Harden in one of her best roles, which is saying something, considering that she has a Tony Award and an Academy Award. Harden was able to command Angels Memorial Hospital (and the screen) effortlessly, making her character, Leanne Rorish, the doctor that you’d want to see at your bedside.
But Code Black isn’t a one-woman show. It surrounds Harden with a pleasantly surprising group of actors that we need to see more of. Pick anyone out of the main cast, and they had at least one episode where they did something not just great, but provided a performance that could compete with any of the best on TV.
Luis Guzman, Bonnie Somerville, Raza Jaffrey, Harry Ford, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Melanie Chandra, William Allen Young — this was an ensemble who put their heads down and busted their behinds, and it really showed. They got better with each episode, and the best is yet to come from all of them — which we can now enjoy in a second season of Code Black.
There are plenty of reasons why it deserved renewal. As we discussed previously, Code Black is a perfect fit to fill the void left at CBS by the ending of The Good Wife. It’s a wonderful 10 p.m. drama to close out any night of the week, or it could make an excellent choice to literally replace Good Wife on Sundays and pair up with Madam Secretary.
The first season drew an average of 7.13 million live viewers, which is not too far off from what the Julianna Margulies–led drama just did in its last season (8.53 million). And that was with heavy promotion and a hugely anticipated series finale — it’s not unreasonable to think that Code Black, now that it’s been established, could bring in similar numbers as it continues to build its audience.
From a business perspective, it’s a solid performer for CBS. 7.13 million viewers is nothing to sneeze at, especially when two fellow newcomers did similar numbers with established brands behind them. Supergirl averaged 7.69 million while Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders has picked up 7.12 million over 11 episodes so far, and both also earned their second seasons. Those shows have known names; Code Black doesn’t, and it was hanging right in there with them.
But let’s put all those numbers aside and talk about what the show brought to the table creatively. Code Black was a breath of fresh air in the medical genre — one of the most common genres in TV. Many medical shows feel the same: fast-paced, too-serious, relying principally on a mix of in-your-face surgery scenes and doctors’ personal drama. Those series are entertaining for the 42 minutes that they’re on, but they don’t stick with you once the credits have rolled.
Code Black is different. Yes, it drives home the life-and-death stakes in the halls of Angels Memorial, but it doesn’t move so fast that the audience can’t keep up with everything that’s happening. The way the show is presented, you don’t need a medical degree to grasp what’s going on and why. It not only enables but inspires the viewer to think about its cases well after they were closed. Did Christa make the right call? Was Rorish right to step in when she did? If something had been done differently, would that patient still be alive? This isn’t a show you can turn off and toss aside.
And while the doctors’ personal lives are a part of the show (Heather, we’re looking at you), Code Black presents the subplots in a manner that gives them true relevance to the series as a whole. Christa’s relationship with Neal colored how she behaved when treating a patient with his ex-girlfriend Grace, and also put them both in professional hot water.
Rorish’s journey in dealing with the loss of her family in a car accident was one of the most moving parts of the season. And the loss of a team member opened the door for Code Black to have a serious and eye-opening discussion about hospital security and the business of medicine. These aren’t detours about who’s sleeping with whom; these are stories that matter.
And that’s why the renewal of Code Black matters. It’s not just a quality show with solid ratings; it’s a series that has something bigger to offer.
So many TV networks these days talk about wanting programs that are doing things differently. Just look at all their slogans: “Dare to Defy” (The CW); “Fearless” (FX); “We The Bold” (USA); “No Guts, No Story” (SundanceTV). If that’s the direction TV hopes to head in, then Code Black should be at the forefront for CBS.
Bold is about more than having a mind-bending concept or envelope-pushing content. Bold is challenging the audience, pushing the actors and telling stories that go to places that set them apart from the rest of the pack. Code Black has done all those things. It might be a medical drama, but it’s not like any other medical drama that’s out there. It’s bold, strong, and classy, and CBS deserves to be lauded for getting it off the bubble and to a second season where it belongs.
Code Black is available on iTunes and Amazon.
