Summary
Episode 5 is one of the most gut-wrenching TV episodes you will watch this year.
This recap of the Apple TV+ series Five Days at Memorial season 1, episode 5, “Day Five,” contains spoilers.
Read the review of the series Five Days at Memorial.
Last week on Five Days at Memorial things were falling apart at the seams. First, we saw the hospital attempt to overcome the flooding in the basement to save patients. Then patients started to die because of the lack of electricity. Last, we finally saw some patients make it out of Memorial. Will we see everyone else make it out this week? Let’s dive in.
Five Days At Memorial season 1, episode 5 recap
The news is talking about the hundreds of hospitals with plenty of patients stuck without resources. The state is failing everyone, and it’s starting to take a toll on the entire city. Next, Michael (insurance man) approaches his boss to let him know they haven’t been able to get ahold of anyone at Memorial. Finally, he finds helicopters in Dallas that can get to Memorial, and his boss gives him the green light to send them to save them.
After the credits, we see Dr. Baltz and Dr. Pou attempting to comfort patients that are starting to get worse and worse. Emmett is struggling to stay alive but wants to know if he will get out and wants to know if he will get left behind. The doctor is back to tell Susan no helicopters are coming, and Susan flips out. She doesn’t understand how no one has been there to save them. Next, some staff is worried about their pets. Susan says, “people are dying, and they are worried about their pets.”
Susan says they must devise a humane way to take care of the animals. Next, she mentions how they will have to figure out a way that patients who can’t evacuate and they don’t suffer either. An intense moment here by Cherry Jones giving one hell of a performance in the series.
Mark is on a boat to try to get to Memorial, and as they are on their way, we see him look down, passing dead bodies floating in the water. My goodness, this show can really hit you hard at times. Back in the hospital, Susan checks in on Diane, who tells her they have lost a few more patients and are running short on supplies. Susan informs her that they plan to leave no living patients behind.
Finally, Mark and the team arrived at Memorial on boats. Mark heads inside to find his mother, and the security guard begs him to take him back with him. We see Mark find his mother, who isn’t hooked up to anything, and wonders why. He carries his mother out of the hospital and loads her into the boat where they can only take a few patients. The security guard tells everyone to stay back, and as they leave, he jumps into the boat with everyone calling him a coward on the way out.
A woman asks Dr. Pou for advice on what to do with her dog. Pou begins to break down, not sure she has the correct answer for her. Susan approaches Dr. Cook about the humane way to help these animals. He tells her an injection of pentothal, and they go to sleep and die. Susan asks if it’s the right thing to do, and he responds that they need to be realistic about what is ahead. I’d never want to walk a step in the shoes of any of these doctors or nurses.
Folks, WE GOT HELICOPTERS, and Susan is jumping for joy! The doctors at Lifecare hospital see that they have helicopters and don’t care what the orders are. So they are going to start sending patients up. As they begin to bring patients, one of the doctors reminds the nurse that black bands/DNRs are to go last. Next, we see Dr. Cook having to put down the animals one by one by one. Whew, another challenging moment to watch.
The nurse from Lifecare explains to Dr. Pou that their patients are dying, including the lady right in front of them, because no one has told them when their patients would be able to be evacuated. Dr. Pou says she will watch over this patient as the nurse returns to her others, and sadly, we watched the woman die in front of our eyes.
Dr. Pou sees Susan and wonders if she has heard from anyone. Susan tells her nothing has been put in place, and she hasn’t heard from anyone. She’s basically stopped believing at this point. Dr. Pou tells her she watched another patient die, this one from Lifecare, and Susan says she can’t think they haven’t gotten any help. Dr. Pou says there is nothing in-house to do except make them comfortable. Susan tells them to go to Dr. Cook about that.
Next, we see doctors and nurses putting sheets over patients heads because they have passed. Dr. Bryant approaches Emmett and tells him he will make it out like everyone else. A crew shows up by boat to inform them a mandate that rescue boats will arrive soon. Everyone will need to be out by 5 pm, and Susan freaks out because that isn’t a lot of time for these people to evacuate.
The ending
We see Susan spread the word to Dr. Pou about them and responds it’s never going to happen. Susan says if she hasn’t spoken to Dr. Cook, now is the time. It’s insane to think that Susan is basically giving her the call about killing the patients that can’t make it. A nurse overhears Dr. Pou and Cook talking and approaches Dr. Bryant to inform him of their plan. How they aren’t going to get everyone out of there, and they need to find a way to end the suffering.
The boats have arrived. As they do, people start to make headway for patients one by one to get on the ships. Then, people began to be evacuated. Finally, we see Susan ship off her mom for her to get going. It was the first time in a while we had seen the raw emotion of a smile from Susan. Next, we see many people working their hardest to get people up the steps to the rooftop and the helicopter. The end is finally near for so many people, and it’s such a beautiful sight.
We saw Dr. Cook and his wife leave their dog behind, and as they were getting on a boat, a lady brought her dog on the ship, causing his wife to get a little upset over it. Susan tells Dr. Baltz that he has done his part and must evacuate with the next group. Next, the security team that had been sent in started to be overly aggressive with the doctors and patients telling them they must clear out NOW.
One doctor approached Dr. Bryant to join them in prayer but said he had people he needed to take care of. At this moment, he sees Dr. Pou injecting patients with something. Dr. Bryant is FURIOUS, packs a bag, and decides to leave the hospital.
One lady is told by the security that it’s time for her to go. However, she pleads to let her stay with her mother, but they force her to leave. Finally, she begs to say her goodbyes and does in such a heartbreaking moment. Dr. Pou informs the doctors at Memorial that they are taking over care of their patients. The nurse approaches Anne and tells her that she doesn’t think their patients will make it out.
Dr. Pou tells Dr. Wynn the news about Lifecare, and they will do everything they can to make them comfortable (we’ve learned what that means). Dr. Wynn tells everyone that they are doctors and nurses and must do whatever they can to get their patients out of there. As the episode comes to a close, one of the biggest patients at the hospital is finally being evacuated. Whew, what an incredible shot sequence.
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