FLASHPOINT “Collateral Damage” Season 4 Episode 1* - When Frank McCormick is accused of killing his baby, he holds onto the knowledge that his wife, Kerry, doesn’t believe it. So when Kerry seemingly testifies against him in court, Frank decides to confront the pathologist who examined his daughter to see just where she made a mistake.
Problem is, it doesn’t look like she did. Dr Fenton is the best of the best and unlikely – it seems – to make a mistake. Team One is sent in and find it hard to protect Dr Fenton and her colleague Dr Ballard in the confines of the autopsy room. Jules and Sam cover Ed when he goes in to try and talk Frank down. It seems to be working – but then Dr Fenton re-examines the baby’s samples and tells Frank that her initial assessment was correct.
Horrified that he may have killed his daughter and blocked out the memory, Frank turns the gun on himself. Thankfully, Sam delivers a flashbang which distracts Frank and stops him from committing suicide. The episode ends with a news report stating that Dr Ballard spotted something Dr Fenton missed – the baby had been suffering from bacterial meningitis and that was what killed her. Frank really is innocent.
Meanwhile, Ed finds himself constantly fielding calls from his pregnant wife, Sophie. At first she just seems a little needy, but by the end of the episode there’s a real emergency when she’s taken to hospital. The baby seems to be well, however, and Ed is delighted to learn that they’re having a girl.
This was a great episode. I spent the entirety trying to figure out whether Frank really had just blocked out the incident (possibly having more than one glass of wine), whether it was really Kerry who shook the baby before she left that evening (or came home and then left again after shaking her), or whether there really could be another explanation. I expected Dr Ballard’s initial attitude to get him shot and was surprised when he not only got out unscathed but proved Frank’s innocence too.
Seeing the team’s reactions to a distraught father was interesting. Often on TV it’s mothers who give their views on parental wrongdoings, not fathers. Seeing Greg, Ed and Wordy’s reactions to Frank’s predicament was a really nice contrast, and it segued well into Ed’s visit with pregnant Sophie and his son at the hospital.
What did you think of ‘Collateral Damage’? Let us know in the comments below!
* This episode is also known as 3×08 in Canada.
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