Mercy

I will NEVER watch the new NBC tv show, Mercy.  (It is another medical drama trying to replace the large hole ER left in the NBC evening line-up.)  I only caught the second half of tonight's episode but that was enough to make me irate and leave teeth marks in my finger from biting it so hard to avoid screaming at the tv.

Like most tv dramas these days it had a short adoption related storyline.  A 19-year-old girl delivers her baby, the adoptive parents are at the hospital, and drama ensues.  The HUGE problem with this storyline is the over-involved nurse.  When the mom delivered the baby and decided to keep her child the adoptive parents questioned the nurse and stated that she was on the mom's side.  In response, the nurse told them that she is the nurse for the mom, baby, AND adoptive parents.  Bull crap.  They are guests, not patients, and the nurse is not responsible for their care.

The garbage does not stop there.  The nurse proceeded to try and convince the mom that she is not capable of parenting and does not have any resources available to her.  "Think about this.  Where will you stay?"  "Do you really think that will work?"  "You can't make it."  Even after that the mom was determined to keep her child so the nurse offered her a ride home after discharge.

Next time you see the nurse and mom they are packing into the nurse's car.  The adoptive mom walks up crying and gives the nurse a stroller full of baby items for the mom to take home.  The baby starts crying in the backseat and the mom starts to cry as well.  She is emotional, tired, and stressed as most moms are after giving birth and not getting enough sleep.  The nurse climbed into the backseat with her and told her, "You don't have to do this.  This does not mean you won't be a good mom later.  It isn't too late."  Next thing you know the nurse is running after the adoptive parents with a huge smile on her face and tells them the mom changed her mind.

If you do not see at least one thing wrong with this program then you need to read closer or find some literature on coercion.  There was blatant coercion on the nurse's part.  She should have given the mom resources to SUCCEED, not talk to her as if she had already failed.  I could not believe the "hero" of the scene was a woman who played upon a poor girl's emotions and challenging situation to gain the outcome that she thought was right.  The mom wasn't even strung out on drugs or a threat to the baby!  I guess I should be thankful that the show dropped that portion of the stereotype. (yeah right.) 

This garbage is so damaging.  I hate this adoption trend in tv lately.