Doctor Peter White's Heel Turn

 

Terence Knox as Doctor Peter White

Last month I finally started watching St. Elsewhere, the groundbreaking 1980s medical drama. I just finished season two, and I find myself astounded by Doctor Peter White's insanely dark heel turn about halfway through the season. 

Up to this point, White had been portrayed as a troubled resident beset with marital and money problems--issues that sometimes caused mildly jerk-ish behaviour, but nothing truly outlandish. Indeed, most of the residents on the show had similar or comparable personality quirks. But some well-meaning actions on White's part backfire on him, leading to his censure and putting his residency at risk. This leads to some addiction problems, which, to his credit, he overcomes, and becomes a better doctor to boot. 

Then, despite this rebound, he puts on a ski mask and rapes several women and attempts to rape one of the other residents. Caught red-handed in this last assault, White is arrested and put on trial. (His amusingly sleazy defence lawyer is played by Conrad Janis, who I remember as Mindy's dad from Mork & Mindy.) Amazingly, he's acquitted, despite testimony from his victims--two of whom are colleagues and fellow doctors at the hospital. And as an innocent man, he can't be prevented from returning to work at St. Eligius (AKA St. Elsewhere). One of the victims who testified commits suicide at the end of the season, and while--somewhat strangely--White's return to work isn't stated as one of the reasons for her suicide, it surely must have played a role. Considering the crucial role women play on this show, I feel like this was a deliberate choice by the writers--even the most accomplished women in crucial positions remain devalued in comparison to their male colleagues. 

I thought for sure this would be the end of White as a character, and that he'd be written off the show. But according to Wikipedia, Knox as White remains part of the main cast through season three, and even returns as a guest in season five. At this point it would be impossible to redeem White, so I imagine he'll act as a villainous foil for the other characters in season three. I did not expect this show to take such a starkly dark turn.