Rob Koci

Grammer delivers a complex character that forces us to stretch the boundaries of what we thinks it takes to live a moral life. He is a visionary we can love and a cold, even heartless, heart surgeon that disgusts us. Stiles is simply us, loving him and hating him, questioning her own choices and moving forward despite him. Hospital administrator Garafolo, too, is a strong, sympathetic character. We understand her and root for her, even when she compromises her (and our) ethical frame. While we are watching, we are making our own mental calculations on lives potentially saved or lost depending on the characters on the screen, but the math gets too complicated and we are left to be glad our lives are less consequential. In the end, we are back with Stiles, competent, hopeful and a little lost and lonely. There are other characters as compelling but Stiles speaks for us all.