482 – Doomwatch – Hair Trigger

It’s Freudians versus Technologists in this week’s episode of Doomwatch.  Simon and Eugene discuss. Episode Synopsis For reasons never adequately explained, Dr. Anne Tarrant is visiting the Weatheroak Maximum Security Medical Research Facility where she is given demonstrations of a new, cutting-edge technological procedure being tested on psychiatric patients.  The Director, Dr. Hetherington and lead psychiatrist, Dr. McEwan are very proud of their technological marvel:  Electronically stimulating the pleasure centers of the human brain to modify undesirable behavior.  Dr. Tarrant is horrified by the obscene abomination. [expand title=”More…” swaptitle=”Less” tag=”strong”] She uses her “insiders track” to Quist to try to get him to look into it, but he insists that it doesn’t sound so bad and, anyway, it is absolutely not within Doomwatch’s remit. Hetherington visits the Minister.  His treatment is 100% successful, but he’s facing a lot of kickback from old-school Freudian psychiatrists who are threatened by his new, no-therapy treatment.  There’s an appropriations meetings coming up next week and his technique could save immense amounts of money to the healthcare system.  We wouldn’t want anything to go wrong. What could go wrong? “Oh, did I mention, one of those old-school Freudians stopped by my facility and didn’t like what she saw.  It was Doctor Ann Tarrant.” The Minister’s face is priceless.  Soon, he’s on the phone to Quist, just to let him know he’s thinking about him and, we wouldn’t want any setbacks in Dr. Hetherington’s work. Now, Quist is interested. Meanwhile, Dr. Tarrant is talking with Dr. McEwan.  She wants to evaluate his patient, Mr. Beavis, a violent sociopath “cured” by his technique.  Beavis has been fitted with radio receivers – when his brain starts to exhibit violent patterns, he is pacified by the computer.  Beavis is eager to talk with Dr. Tarrant – he is very proud of his cure. Tarrant takes him for a walk on the grounds and pushes him about his background.  He doesn’t want to talk about it, but rather wants to talk about his treatment.  She continues to push and he gets violent.  Back in the control room, they watch as the computer pacifies him, unknown to them in the struggle he we disconnected from the receiver.  Dr. Tarrant falls and hits her head, and Beavis, panicked, runs to escape. Later, Beavis rips the remaining equipment off and throws it away. Finds a small farmhouse and takes a woman and her children hostage at shotgun point.  He is beginning to confuse the woman with his wife, whom he murdered.  He is waiting for Dr. McEwan. When McEwan arrives, Beavis releases the hostages in exchange for McEwan coming into the house with him. While Quist, Tarrant and the police wait outside, they hear the sound of a shotgun. McEwan comes out.  Beavis killed himself with a shotgun blast to the heart.  He also left a final will, leaving his brain to Dr. McEwan so that he can figure out why he went wrong. [/expand]