Five Days at Memorial

The first 5 episodes are dedicated to the actual events at the hospital and those ones are great. First episode is intense; the rest are a bit slower in nature but are a very interesting watch. It's great to see how everything went down when the hurricane hit.

The last 3 episodes are dedicated to the aftermath of everything, from the hospital to the decisions made at the hospital. These are not bad necessarily, but they move at a sluggish pace and are ultimately not even half as interesting as the hospital episodes.

I really feel like they could have shortened the first 5 hospital episodes into 4, and the last 3 aftermath episodes into 2 for a total of 6 thought out episodes. It really starts to repeat itself at those points, but it is still a fine watch, especially if you are particularly interested in hurricane Katrina.

Dark and brilliant docudrama, or is it dramadocu, that takes a good hard look at how humans fare in crisis, showing the best of us and the worst, but most importantly showing our prismatic human reaction to inevitable death. There is no editorializing here, which makes it so profound. Depending on your moral ground you'll pick your own heroes and villains, and wonder what you might have done.

I like the fact that they keep out of politics and moralizing and let the audience makes it's own decisions.

The acting is superb, the dialog is real, the Direction doesn't flinch, and a for sure Emmy winner.

Let's get this straight, there are people to blame here. But the doctors who were left to FEND FOR THEMSELVES and their patients are not them. There's NO evacuation plan, are you kidding me. So you've got people on the board and CEO's making millions, where were they in on these charges?? Oh that's right they bailed before the levees broke. They knew for years their hospital could easily flood. They did NOTHING! The government did NOTHING! They were stranded, scared and overwhelmed to say the least.

So you've got hundreds of patients, hundred degree building, no food, no meds, no water, no way of getting out for some of them. Doctors who've had no sleep for 5 days and trying to be responsible for everyone. Have a helipad with hundreds of steps through the hospital and stairs to reach it. Yes there are many to blame but is sure as heck wasn't one single doctor. When they're told you have 12 hours to evactuate everyone, still no one to help move patients that weigh 500lbs. Instead of yelling to get them out he'll them!! They offered ZERO help they just barked orders. What were they supposed to do?? Leave the patients alone to die of starvation in the next week that followed?? Just imagine that for a minute. Let's get one thing straight. It's inhumane to let your pets suffere but against the law to afford your loved ones the same humane death. They're not allowed any say in their last days, they're not allowed to ease suffering, they're allowed no grace or dignity in their death. People who think the doctors straight up murdered people need a good swift kick in the face. Get over yourself, I'd sure like to see how you hollier than thou would've handled this situation. My guess is you'd have been gone before the first drop of rain. If by chance you were there when the levees broke you'd have clawed your way to that first chopper or that first boat! And you know it! This was a tragedy all around and one that people have to remember and have nightmares about the rest of their lives! There is nothing anyone could've done any differently... Except generators in the middle of the building and evacuation plan that was much needed and a government who paid attention and helped! This does not fall on one doctor not at all and it sure isn't a race thing. Had they punished the good doctors who stayed behind you can bet none would ever stay again. Who could blame them? Not me. Is it sad? Absolutely! I can't imagine how scared everyone must've been. And how heartbreaking it was to have NO OPTIONS. They did their job to the best of their ability with what they had. Period! They stayed when everyone else fled. Period! They saved hundreds. Period! Take the ones doing the accusing and lock them in a hospital for 5 days with no air and no provisions let's see how they feel about this. And the doctors and nurses taking the prosecution's side, where was their problem solving? What did they do the last day to help? Did they have an alternative for the patients, THEIR patients that they left behind?? Seems that answer is a resounding no!

You might binge watch this, but the story is very intense and you really need a break after an episode. I watched the first two together and the others separately. My comments are only on these first four. The acting is excellent. The Direction is excellent. The story is heartbreaking. Local authority is unprepared and non existent. The lack of local, state and federal assistance is criminal. A hard lesson that hopefully improved every hospital emergency plan as well as individual, family, corporate, local, state and federal emergency plans dealing with any disaster. You feel drained after watching each of the first four episodes.

This series shows how those in Memorial hospital faced such terrible conditions and decisions and how bad choices were made during hurricane Katrina. It frustrated me to see the coastguard going in to pick up people and yet when the next one came no one thought to bring provisions like food and water and medications needed for those still there. The lack of human compassion is evident as is the procrastination. Even the woman in charge of the hospital is clueless and makes very bad decisions. It is an insight into how bad aid is given when it happens on the US doorstep and how truly inhumane they can be. Sad to watch.