Ep 2. If You're Going To San Francisco

Set in the fictional Mt. Palms hospital, Getting On is a dark comedy that follows the lives of the doctors and nurses who work in the geriatric ward. In season 1 episode 2, titled If You're Going to San Francisco, the staff members are still struggling to gain a handle on their unruly geriatric patients, as Johnny is tasked with tracking down a woman who has gone missing from the ward.

The episode opens with Nurse DiDi and Dr. Jenna James discussing the hospital's many strict protocols and policies. Nurse Dawn chimes in, stating her belief that the hospital needs more flexibility and should be willing to bend the rules if necessary. Meanwhile, Dr. James deals with her inability to secure any significant funding for the hospital's upcoming anniversary celebrations, despite her pleading with her colleagues and superiors.

Dr. James also finds herself going head-to-head with the head nurse, Dawn, about medical treatments for patients. As the two women argue, Dr. James is called away to attend to a new patient who has just arrived in the ward. A sprightly 80-year-old named Birdy arrives and soon makes an impression on the staff with her wit and vivacious personality.

Meanwhile, Johnny is tasked with the job of finding a missing patient, Gail, who has disappeared without a trace. After scouring the hospital, Johnny somehow manages to enlist the help of a janitor to look for Gail in the hospital's sewage system.

As the day progresses, Nurse DiDi is horrified to discover that one of her patients, Mrs. Jewuschka, has passed away during the night. Despite Nurse Dawn's best efforts to console her, DiDi is consumed with guilt and personally takes on the task of ensuring that Mrs. Jewuschka's body is treated with the proper respect and care.

As the staff members attend to their duties, they are interrupted by the arrival of Birdy's daughter, who has traveled across the country to see her mother. The two women seem to have a tense relationship, and their arrival adds a new layer of tension to the episode as Dr. James and the staff fight to help Birdy navigate a difficult family dynamic.

As the episode draws to a close, Johnny's search for Gail comes to a successful end. Meanwhile, Dr. James is tasked with giving a presentation about geriatric care to the higher-ups at the hospital -- an opportunity for her to showcase her knowledge to the powers that be.

Ultimately, If You're Going to San Francisco is an episode that explores the challenges and difficulties of working in a geriatric ward in a hospital. The staff members are continually torn between the needs of their patients, the bureaucratic red tape they must navigate, and their own personal struggles and desires. Despite these difficulties, the episode is filled with humor and heart, showcasing the resilience and compassion of the doctors and nurses who work in Mt. Palms hospital.