History Series / CodeBlack

* NotSoDifferent: Mario is resentful at having to treat a gay HIV-positive patient, believing that the man's condition is due to irresponsibility. The patient takes it all in stride and actually gets through to Mario by saying that they aren't very different and that he sees the same burning resentment in Mario's eyes that he felt in the [=80s=].

* HidddenHeartOfGold: Dr Rorish's seemingly cold demeanor is implied (and later outright stated) to be a reaction to previous trauma, as other characters have noted that she was much warmer before the accident. She ''does'' care; she just doesn't ''want'' to, and thinks it gets in the way of her doing her job.

-->'''Taylor''': From your mouth to the CDC's[[labelnote:*]]'''C'''enter for '''D'''isease '''C'''ontrol[[/labelnote]] ears. Prepare for Code Brown, where the CDC crawls so far up my colon I'll be crapping federal bureaucrats for a week.

** The showrunners work hard at making sure that the show accurately depicts medical conditions and medical procedures. See the CPRCleanPrettyReliable entry above.

* VitriolicBestBuds: Rorish and Jesse good-naturedly trade insults to keep the other motivated during busy shifts.
-->'''Jesse''': I love you so much I wanna break you in half.\\

While praised for its creativity and medical realism and possessing a small but devoted fanbase, the series fell into a gulch of declining ratings. After a shaky run for three seasons and mixed reviews online, CBS decided to pull the plug. The last season had a condensed run of 13 episodes, bringing the overall series total up to 46 episodes.

While praised for its creativity, the series fell into a gulch of declining ratings. After a shaky run for three seasons and mixed reviews online, CBS decided to pull the plug. The last season had a condensed run of 13 episodes, bringing the overall series total up to 46 episodes.

* OneHeadTaller: CEO Ed Harbert is played by the 6'2" Jeff Hephner, while Leanne Rorish is played by the 5'4" Creator/MarciaGayHarden. Given their slowly blossoming UST, this might not be a coincidence.

* GreyAndGreyMorality: There are no traditional heroes or villains amongst the characters, and good or bad doesn't come into play as much in this show's universe.

* JerkassFacade: Dr Rorish's seemingly cold demeanor is implied (and later outright stated) to be a reaction to previous trauma, as other characters have noted that she was much warmer before the accident. She ''does'' care; she just doesn't ''want'' to, and thinks it gets in the way of her doing her job.

** BookEnds: Jesse is giving another new class of residents the same speech again in his last scene in the Season 2 finale.

* RelationshipReveal: "Diagnosis of Exclusion" reveals that [[spoiler:Ed Harbert]] and [[spoiler:Gina Perello]] were romantically involved prior to [[spoiler:her death]]. Leanne [[spoiler:runs into a devastated Harbert]] at [[spoiler:Gina's grave]]; he's carrying daisies, because they were [[spoiler:Gina's]] favorite flowers.

** Noah Keane is unable to have children as a consequence of the eating disorder she developed as a teenager.

** Ethan can get pretty snarky at times.

* GhostStory: the episode "Corporeal Form" is one, complete with a MaybeMagicMaybeMundane ending.

** JerkassWithAHeartOfGold: he's awfully nice to Roseline, the Hatian girl who had a spinal tumor removed.

* TheLancer: Neal Hudson is this to Leanne Rorish. Whatever her plan ''du jour'' is, he usually has some sort of objection to it. Leanne's approach is very much "Rules, what rules?" while Neal at least ''tries'' to be more respectful of protocol. Interestingly, he ''isn't'' the Blue Oni to her Red -- they're both passionate, dedicated, "patients first" doctors with little patience for bureaucracy and administration. The true Blue Oni to Leanne's Red is Angels CEO Ed Harbert, who doesn't serve a Lancer role because he doesn't work in the ER.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: we know things are looking bad for Leanne in "Fallen Angels" when Jesse is unable to respond in kind to Leanne's DangerDeadpan.

** In the final episode of the series, after Oscar Avila tries to date rape Noah Keane, his son Diego sides with her against his father.

* RelationshipUpgrade: [[spoiler:Neal and Christa]] get theirs in [[spoiler:1x13]], when [[spoiler:Neal]] kisses her while [[spoiler:trying to calm her down from losing a patient]]. Interestingly, it's not a BigDamnKiss, because [[spoiler:the circumstances surrounding said upgrade are so sad]] and so [[spoiler:his]] kisses are tender, sweet, and not at all dramatic.

* SlippingAMickey: In "The Business of Saving Lives," hospital Board member Oscar Avila does this to Noah Keane.

** Seems to be brewing between Leanne Rorish and Dr. Ed Harbert, the CEO of Angels Memorial, after [[spoiler:he dragoons Leanne into serving as ER Director between Gina's death and Taylor's return]]. The lingering gazes, warm smiles, constant bickering and tension between administration and the practicalities of medicine, and the way Leanne tucks her hand into Harbert's elbow while walking him around the ER are all shippers' fuel galore. That said, he did [[spoiler:just lose Gina]], so this one may be on slow burn for awhile.

* BreakTheHaughty: As of "Pre-Existing Conditions" (1x03), Rorish has begun to make a point of doing this to Savetti, who is brilliant but, to put it bluntly, a complete ass to his colleagues. She hammers home the lesson that medical professionals depend on the people around them just as much as on their own skill set, and that skill set doesn't matter if you can't work with the people around you.

* LeaningAgainstTheFourthWall: Diego Avila's ShowWithinAShow documentary is called ''Code Black'' and begins with the same opening screen as the show we're watching.

While praised for its creativity, the series suffered from bad ratings. After a shaky run for three seasons and mixed reviews online, CBS decided to pull the plug at 3 seasons. The last season had a condensed run of 13 episodes, bringing the overall series total up to 46 episodes.

''Code Black'' (2015 -) is a Creator/{{CBS}} MedicalDrama starring Creator/MarciaGayHarden as Residency Director Dr. Leanne Rorish. It was inspired by a 2013 documentary of the same name that detailed the efforts of the emergency room staff at Los Angeles County Hospital, the busiest in the nation.

The series very much takes its cue from the groundbreaking ''Series/{{ER}}'', with graphically detailed medical procedures, plenty of [[ShownTheirWork showing the research]], and a focus on the chaos faced by an incredibly busy urban public hospital.

* AbortedArc: In season one resident Heather Pinkney was stealing prescription painkillers and using Chief of Surgery Will Campbell prescription pad to do it. When he discovers this he threatens to remove her from the Hospital. Until she threatens to expose that the two are in a sexual relationship. Painting her as a manipulative addict willing to use blackmail to protect her position and Campbell as a idiot who couldn’t keep it in his pants. Come season two, no mention of her addiction or blackmail is mentioned. There is no indication that the [[Retcon two were previously in a relationship.]] In fact their new status quo is a an improvment with him becoming the [[CynicalMentor gruff mentor]] to her more [[WideEyedIdealist optimistic student.]]

* AbortedArc: In season one resident Heather Pinkney was stealing prescription painkillers and using Chief of Surgery Will Campbell prescription pad to do it. When he discovers this he threatens to remove her from the Hospital. Until she threatens to expose that the two are in a sexual relationship. Painting her as a manipulative addict willing to use blackmail to protect her position and Campbell as a idiot who couldn’t keep it in his pants. Come season two, no mention of her addiction or blackmail is mentioned. There is no indication that the two were previously in a relationship. In fact their new status quo is a an improvment with him becoming the [[CynicalMentor gruff mentor]] to her more [[WideEyedIdealist optimistic student.]]

* AbortedArc: In season one resident Heather Pinkney was stealing prescription painkillers and using Chief of Surgery Will Campbell prescription pad to do it. When he discovers this he threatens to remove her from the Hospital. Until she threatens to expose that the two are in a sexual relationship. Painting her as a manipulative addict willing to use blackmail to protect her position and Campbell as a idiot who couldn’t keep it in his pants. Come season two, no mention of her addiction or blackmail is mentioned. There is no indication that the two were previously in a relationship. In fact their improves with him suddenly becoming the [[CynicalMentor gruff mentor]] to her more [[WideEyedIdealist optimistic student.]]

* FictionalCounterpart: For all intents and purposes Angels Memorial ''is'' Los Angeles County Hospital, right down to using the iconic edifice for landmark exterior shots. L.A. County really did open in 1930, its trauma room really was the birthplace of modern emergency medicine, C-Booth (called Center Stage in the show) was very real, and it really is the busiest emergency room in the nation. This is, of course, because the show was inspired by a documentary of the same name -- a documentary filmed at L.A. County Hospital.