Reese and Finch follow their latest POI, Dr. Megan Tillman, while she's on call and after hours to unravel the threat surrounding the promising young physician within 24 hours.
Origin of the Title
Cura te ipsum is a Latin expression, translated as "cure yourself," or colloquially, "physician, heal thyself." It reminds physicians to take care of themselves first, before caring for patients. It was said by Jesus to his disciple Luke (Luke 4:23), who was himself a healer or physician.
Carter continues to investigate the Man in the Suit which has her to talk to Finch for the first time
Episode Notes
While observing Benton, Reese notices he has benzodiazepine, a commonly used class of sedatives that includes Valium, Librium, and Rohypnol, which can be used as the date-rape drug commonly known as "roofies."
This episode highlights the dilemma Dr. Tillman faces: does someone bound by the Hippocratic Oath to "do no harm" really have a good reason to kill someone? At the same time, as Reese persuades her not to kill Benton, he confronts the possibility that there is an alternative to the killing he's been trained to do.
This episode also highlights the metamorphosis of Reese from a killer to a "healer". In the final scene with Benton, Reese has to decide how best to remove Benton from society, hence the image of the gun between his two hands: one is his killing hand, the other his healing hand. Reese relates to Benton's urge to hurt people and both express a desire to change, but who is being honest as well as the final outcome are left to the discretion of the viewer.
According to Jonah Nolan, the ending of the episode is deliberately ambiguous, leaving each viewer to decide whether Reese killed Benton or not.
Production Notes
Bloopers and Continuity Errors
In the opening scene in the ER, Dr. Tillman hands the orderly two files indicating they are for a man named Davidson and a child. The orderly then hands her back both of the files a moment later claiming that they are Harold's.
While Dr. Tillman is speaking with Harold in the ER, the curtain behind her is open. When Harold triggers the camera it is closed.
When Dr. Tillman puts Benton into the wheelchair, we can see someone's hand holding the wheelchair for her.
Music
"Exceeder" by Mason (At the bar where Megan Tillman approaches Andrew Benton)
Trivia
Actress Linda Cardellini, who plays Dr. Megan Tillman, whose specialty is emergency medicine, previously played ER Nurse Samantha Taggart from Season 11 - 15 of the NBC series ER.
When Reese and Fusco confront the drug dealers at their apartment, there is a goal scored during a soccer match on the television. The famous "Goooooooooaaaaaaaaaaal" of Spanish-language sports commentator Andres Cantor, seen in the U.S. on NBC's Deportes Telemundo network, can be heard in the background.