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Becker Season 1 Episode 8

Physician, Heal Thyself

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8.9

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 1/11/99

The arrogant Bronx doctor is once again complaining about the shortcomings of society, sparking another verbal sparring match with Reggie Becker is later compelled to swallow his pride and ask for her help when his back goes out, leaving him prone on the floor of his apartment. But he scoffs when she suggests he see an acupuncturist. Meanwhile, Margaret receives special deliveries from a smitten mailman.moreless

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (3)

this is a great episode, becker is hilarious here...

9.3

By seinfeldfan83, May 17, 2006

this episode is so great...

i love it when jake lies to becker about not feeling well... but the best of the show when becker comes to the acupuncturist...

a great quote is when becker says \\\"No, this is not suicide hotline whats the matter cant you even dial a phone?\\\"

i love it when becker comes into acupuncturist house and he immediately starts commenting on the apartment like when he says \\\"Oh, look at this place, the only thing missing are ducks hanging from the window\\\" and then the acupuncturist comes and becker is saying something like that he has a problem with his meniscus and then acupuncturist says how meniscus is in his knee, and then says that he taught at harvard...

Hilarious episode

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John throws out his back and gets humbled in the healing process.

9.5

By jchamberlin, Oct 18, 2005

John walks in to the diner to complain about a window that's stuck open. It makes his back stiffen up and he can't stand it. Reggie reads the classifieds for Jake who is looking for a new apartment. The discussion turns into crime and whether or not John ever admits that he's wrong. This is another good piece of character development, the fact that John never says he's wrong, according to Reggie and Jake, is not surprising.

At the office, a man from the postal service hits on Margaret. Linda can't believe what she was seeing. Margaret insists it's just a little game they play.

John goes into his office to see a patient, who happens to be a police officer, to complain about a problem with migraines. John finds out that crime is down, but not down enough to lay off police officers yet. This is somewhat silly, John was only interested crime figures, and not as interested in helping him.

At the diner, Jake meets a real-estate woman about getting a new apartment. John walks in to get a cup of coffee, and Reggie has to bring up the issue of crime again. She contacted the DA's office and got a few charts and graphs proving that crime is down.

At home, John gets a phone call from someone who wants to call the suicide hotline. John slams the guy for calling the wrong number, and then hangs up. He quickly realizes what just happened, but it's too late, he already hung up. All of a sudden, there's loud music from outside, so he rushes over to close the window, but it's stuck, and he throws out his back.

Lying down on the floor, John calls Jake, who can't come over. He says he's sick, but he's in bed with the real-estate woman. John then calls information to get Reggie's number. She comes over and notices that he's lying on the ground with his apartment door wide open, and he hasn't been robbed; crime is definitely down. Reggie is able to close the window with ease, and she helps him up off the floor. Reggie convinces him it's time to seek medical care, specifically her acupuncturist, since it helps her with her neck.

Reggie takes John to her acupuncturist, who turns out to be more trained in medicine than John is.

At work, John is feeling better, he's able to bend over just fine, all because of the acupuncture. Margaret and Ed decide to have a little discussion about their little flirting. They both agree it's all harmless, much to the surprise of what Linda was thinking.

John drops by the diner, where he tells Reggie that his back isn't much better, but she knows better since she talked to Margaret on the phone about it. Jake reluctantly apologizes to John about not being there for him because he was sleeping with the realtor.

The writing was pretty good in this episode. The plot with John's back and him going to see the acupuncturist was great. John had a hard time believing it would work, and the simple fact that the acupuncturist was actually more qualified in medicine than John was great.moreless
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When Becker collapses in his apartment suffering from back pain he is forced to call Reggie who suggests an acupuncturist, and Becker unwilling discovers that the treatment did sort of help.moreless

9.6

By ammunitionized, Aug 17, 2005

Like just about all the Becker episodes this was very funny. Becker as anyone whose watched a full episode detailing his life surrounded by "morons" will enjoy this one.

He's experiencing back pain and collapses in his apartment but after fighting with Reggie is very reluctant to ask for her help but as Jake is "busy" so-called sick (but really in bed with a woman) and there's no one else, he asks the operator for Reggie's number and says "I don't really want it, but I need it," which should generate some laughter from his voice tone. Reggie suggests her acupuncturist and Becker, a physician, objects saying that acupuncturists are not real doctors. In the end though he agrees but challenges the acupuncturist who to prove his competence lists all his university educations (which prove to be a long list). It was quite a laugh when Becker said, "Did you go to Harvard?" (Becker did of course.) Then the acupuncturist said looking him right in the eye "I taught at Harvard." Of course the acupuncturist's techniques work but John fervently denies any such thing to Reggie. After all he hates being wrong. Jake admits later to having slept with a woman which Becker surprisingly thinks is a valid excuse which makes it all for the funnier. But you had to watch it. You really did.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Ted Danson	Dr. John Becker
Terry Farrell	Regina "Reggie" Kostas
Alex Désert	Jake Malinak
Hattie Winston	Margaret Wyborn
Shawnee Smith	Linda

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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John Cothran Jr.	Ed	Guest Star
Paul Parducci	Mike Delaney	Guest Star
Dom Magwili	Dr. Chang	Guest Star

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (5)
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- Reggie: (To Becker) Where do you get all the anger? Do you have an extra bile duct or something?
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- Jake: Okay, John, I lied. I wasn't sick; I just didn't want to come and help you.
  Becker: You are my friend and you lied to me?!
  Jake: I was in bed with the real-estate lady.
  Becker: Well, that's different. No problem then.
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- Real-Estate Lady: (to Reggie) I was told I could find Jake Malinak in here. He's a visually-challenged, African-American gentleman.
  Jake: If by that you mean a blind, black guy, then it's me.
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- Becker: For your information, when I'm wrong, I freely admit it. My first two marriages? Dead wrong.
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- Becker: (to Reggie) Well faster than this!
  
  (This line is used more than once by Becker when Reggie is helping him around (after he injures his back).
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