Mercy Street Season Finale

Tomorrow night is the season finale for “Mercy Street” and I’ve really been enjoying this first season of the show so I thought I’d write up a post today with a little list of why I like it.

If you don’t know what “Mercy Street”is it’s a new show on PBS which takes place during the Civil War. The show centers around a former hotel in Union-occupied Alexandria that is now being used as a military hospital. The characters range from Union doctors and nurses, to Union and Confederate soldiers, free black men and women, and more.

There are a few reasons why I’ve taken a liking to this new show.

1. I love history. When I was in school it was always one of my favorite subjects so period pieces like this always appeal to me.
2. It’s interesting to see the show’s portrayal of the Civil War and the difference between good & bad weren’t so clear cut. Even some of the Union supporters weren’t necessarily fighting for slavery to end, but instead fighting to preserve the Union.
3. I love the mix of history, drama, intrigue, and it looks to be the beginnings of some future love stories!
4. Normally, I’m really squeamish when it comes to blood and gory scenes, but for some reason I’m pretty okay with the scenes on the show. Surprising since it takes place in a military hospital and there have been multiple amputations and things of that nature on the show already! However, it’s actually really interesting because they keep the medical procedures and practices authentic to the time period. I recently read an article that said the show has many historical/medical consultants to make sure everything is accurate. There are some things on the show that they say/believe and it makes me wonder “Wait, is that true or is that something they just believed back then?” Like in the last week’s episode one of the head doctors accidentally nicked his finger while operating on a soldier suffering from gangrene and he believed the only way to save himself was to cut off that part of his finger before it spread! I didn’t look this up, but I’m pretty sure gangrene isn’t contagious – of course I could totally be wrong right now. But perhaps that’s what they believed at the time.
5. Lastly, one of the stars of the show is Josh Radnor, aka Ted Mosby from “How I Met Your Mother”. Prior to starting the show, I really thought I would be distracted by him because I only know him as the goofy, lovesick Ted. Could I see past that and see him only as a Union doctor who has a little trouble with a morphine addiction? The answer is…yes! Surprisingly, it took no time at all to now see Radnor as Dr. Foster. And let me just say that he is actually a lot more attractive as the intelligent, strong willed, and slightly brooding Dr. Foster than Ted Mosby.

There is only one thing I don’t like about the show and that is the character, Bullen, played by Wade Williams. His character is pretty despicable as with pretty much every character Williams plays! He always plays a bad guy in everything he guest stars in and remember when he was in “Prison Break”?

So those are the main reasons I like the show (and the one thing I could do without) and I wonder how the season will end tomorrow night! No word yet on whether the show’s been renewed but I hope it will especially with Downton Abby coming to an end here in the US in the coming weeks.

If you haven’t seen the show, maybe my list will persuade you to give it a shot. That is, if you enjoy historical fiction type dramas! Below is a little preview/commercial for the series.

Do any of you watch the show?