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The shocking "Private Practice" season 4 episode titled "Did You Hear What Happened to Charlotte King?" featured circumstances that are all too real for women and their loved ones who have life experiences similar to the plot. Here is a review of this episode, which may contain spoilers for the current season and season 2.
Quick Episode Recap:
Pete finds Charlotte bruised and beaten in a medicine closet at the hospital where they work. Pete gets Charlotte setup in a hospital room to assess her injuries including a broken hand, wrist and nose while trying to contact Cooper, who is out playing pool with Sam and Amelia. When Pete leaves the room, Charlotte secretly contacts Addison who arrives at the hospital to help. Charlotte tells the police that she was robbed but later confesses a rape to Addison. Violet notifies Cooper, Sam and Amelia about Charlotte being hurt and they all head to the hospital. Sheldon's attempt to help the police get answers from an unstable man named Lee who was noticeably involved in a bloody dispute gave viewers a possible lead in learning more about Charlotte's attack but still leaves this matter unresolved.
Best Quote from this Episode:
Charlotte delivers the most captivating statement during a conversation where Addison advises to report her rape to the police - "you know those made for TV movies where some woman is always crouched down naked in the shower, sobbing because when she closes her eyes, she can still feel the guy's hands on her...and when they show the attack, the woman's eyes go all blank and still. She goes to some other place in her mind just to deal with the horror that's happening to her while some Lilith Fair song plays. It is nothing like that".
Episode Review:
Charlotte is the beautiful, bold character with a harsh personality on "Private Practice" and her take no prisoners attitude make this attack that she encountered almost unbelievable, and the aftermath difficult to watch. Cooper's concern about protecting Charlotte and eventual breakdown over her attack was catching but it is surprising that he bounced back from it instead of being a total wreck emotionally and mentally. This attack involving Cooper's fiance is another reminder that he is not there for the women in his life who matter most, after missing an opportunity to save his best friend Violet and her unborn baby from an attack during Season 2 of "Private Practice."
Charlotte's attack can still serve as an opportunity for Cooper to redeem himself by providing all of the support that he was not able to give Violet. Addison was irrational when she redirected her frustrations with Charlotte toward Sam after he wanted to go home and sleep. Addison's behavior in this episode demonstrates that she cannot maintain her composure in tough situations and is too needy by expecting Sam to keep her company at any time while she administers to Charlotte's needs. Violet does not want to face what happened in this episode because of her own personal trauma but she may be the only one who can actually help Charlotte heal. Violet has not only the professional background as a therapist but also personal experience that can be used to relate to Charlotte in a way that none of the other characters can.
Episode Rating:
On a scale of 1 to 5 with five being the best episode and one being the worst episode of this season, "Did Hear What Happened to Charlotte King?" is a 5 based on the great performances by KaDee Strickland as Charlotte, Kate Walsh as Addison and Nichloas Brendon as Lee.
Most of the characters sit in a waiting room while their co-worker gets stitches and medical tests, which does not provide enough action or excitement to classify this particular episode as must-see TV but the gripping subject matter highlighted with graphic images and glimpse of how ineffective justice systems can be when dealing with matters of rape or assault is enough to put "Did You Hear What Happened to Charlotte King?" over the edge.
