Thoughts about "The Doctors" - January 1976

Another month's worth of episodes of "The Doctors" has aired on RetroTV. Below are my thoughts on what has aired for the month of January 1976

MJ and Alan were still dating, but didn't interact all that much. Penny was still going to school. Wendy was going to change from the junior college to Hope University, as the character was slightly SORASed. Eleanor continued to cause problems for Scott and Althea who wanted to be together. Eleanor was well enough to stay with Scott, and Scott wanted to protect Wendy by having her live anywhere else.

Carolee became more upset as the month went on, as she wasn't able to intimate with Steve.  She was extremely upset that Steve went out to eat with Ann after taking care of patients for two hours, and he said if he went out with Hank, there wouldn't have been a word. There was another argument, as Steve forgot to tell her about Erich playing with a friend, as Carolee worried he was kidnapped again. Steve tried to apologize with flowers, but it didn't work. And later she drank way too much when Stacy and Rico came to dinner. She talked about how she couldn't believe where she was, and about getting older. Billy spoke to both Steve and Carolee separately about what was going on, and Steve told Billy he would be as honest as he could about the situation. Leaving out the part about the lack of sex, even though Billy knows that Steve is sleeping in another room. Carolee was comforted by Billy also. It feels like Carolee has delayed PTSD after what happened when Erich was kidnapped, and that is why she is hovering, but Steve suggesting that they get therapy together isn't an awful idea.

Stacy was taking to therapy, but had confided in Matt also. Maggie was upset that Matt was talking to the younger woman in this manner. (Shades of Matt helping Karen, perhaps...) There is a patient in the hospital that is non-responsive, and Matt and Hank are stuck as the patient's family isn't there to make decisions.

Toni and Martha were coping with Tom's death, but it wasn't easy at the lab. Toni had been doing well in her classes, but she was busy helping the paramedical unit (though mainly off-screen) with administrative work. Toni got frustrated with Alan and Mike again about how they both wanted to see like Michael Paul.

Those were the highlights of January 1976. Two episodes were preempted January 1 & 20 (for the inauguration of 1976) and January 8th was missing. The random scene with Alan and Carolee faking phone calls at the nurses station was a bit of fun this month.