After an explosive first episode, Transplant (on CTV Wednesdays at 9/10MT) is delving deeper into the complex themes it set up last week and giving us even more reason to love, well, everyone involved. We’re getting into the Syrian War, immigration problems, medical gaslighting and more of Bash diagnosing people under near-impossible circumstances.Two weeks after the van crash that simultaneously launched Bashir “Bash” Hamed (Hamza Haq) into life-saving action and his medical career in Canada, we find him prepping for his first day at Toronto’s York Memorial hospital. Dr. Bishop (John Hannah) says it’s the best ER and teaching hospital in the country, so naturally, Bash is nervous and requires some reassurance in the form of little sis Amira (Sirena Gulamgaus). Let’s hear it for wise baby sisters.Seems he needed that calming presence since he and his tattered stethoscope are immediately thrown into ER chaos. It doesn’t help that he’s immediately mistaken for a patient by the docs who don’t yet realize, tah-dah, he’s one of them now.

Bash's first day

Dr. Leblanc (Laurence Leboeuf) admonishes him for trying to “volunteer as a doctor” but when he can tell an injured patient has a ruptured spleen just by—hold up—looking at him (!!), everyone in the ER stands up and takes notice.“Practicing medicine in the dark, we learn to use other skills,” he explained, referencing the battled-tested skills he honed in the hospitals of war-torn Aleppo during the Syrian conflict. Up until now he has been very tight-lipped about what he saw and endured during the civil war, but when Dr. Watson (Theo Hunter, Designated Survivor) takes note of the rough-hewn stethoscope round his neck, we realize there is more to Bash’s story than he is willing to reveal right now.Dr. Bishop seems to trust him but quips, “Maybe don’t show him where we keep the power tools,” throwing back to last week’s episode where Bash literally saved Dr. Bishop’s life by boring a hole in his temple with an electric drill. Now Bash is a member of the team, but it’s obvious there is an uphill climb ahead of him if he’s going to win the respect of his colleagues.[video_embed id='1909547']RELATED: ‘Transplant’ star Hamza Haq on how he traded his day job to become a leading man[/video_embed]

"I know my body"

One of those colleagues, Dr. Curtis (Ayisha Issa), is also dealing with the dual problem of a serious patient malady and co-workers who won’t listen to her. A woman experiencing severe lower abdomen pain is crying out to Dr. Curtis that what she’s experiencing is unrelated to her previously diagnosed endometriosis— it’s something worse. She tells Dr. Curtis that endless doctors and OB-GYNs have ignored her and even gaslighted her very real pain.When she sternly says, “I know my body!” it's moving and also a feeling that a lot of women in real life have been talking about for a long time—doctors and medical professionals don’t listen to women. Women’s symptoms are either ignored, not acknowledged, seen as hysteria or over-exaggeration, and in some cases, even psychosomatic.Dr. Curtis might at first seem skeptical, but she does listen to her patient, rushing to tell her superior Dr. Singh (Sugith Varughese, Kim’s Convenience, Suits) that she suspects a ruptured ovarian cyst. But Dr. Singh then does to her what countless doctors have done to women—he gaslights her. He tells her she can’t possibly be sure and he refuses to sign off on booking the OR for the patient. Later on, when Dr. Curtis is—you guessed it—proven right, Dr. Singh is nonchalant, stone-faced, and of course, he never apologizes. A major disappointment, but very true to reality.

June coming through! She gets things DONE! #Transplant pic.twitter.com/YXNBh4aHAW

— Transplant (@TransplantCTV) March 5, 2020

A taste of Bash's history

Meanwhile, Bash has discovers that his transcripts from the University of Aleppo might never be released because of sectarian politics back in Syria, meaning he might not be allowed to practice medicine in Canada. The episode ends with him trying to figure out how he’s going to ever get the original transcript copies sent to York Memorial, and offers a little more info on what the war took from him.As Dr. Leblanc removes stitches from Bash’s van accident injuries, he reveals that both his parents were doctors back in Syria… and that he lost both of them in the war (hence the raggedy stethoscope he just can’t do without). He speaks of his pain and sadness with such stoicism that it could make even the most hardened cynic a little glassy-eyed.Before the screen fades to black, Bash learns his friend Khaled (Fayçal Azzouz, Street Legal), who is trying to help Bash get his original transcripts, is being sought by Canadian Immigration enforcement. So it looks like there are more challenges ahead for Bash beyond York Memorial.Watch Transplant on CTV Wednesdays at 9/10MT.[video_embed id='1909393']BEFORE YOU GO: The stars of ‘Transplant’ reveal how they trained for their roles[/video_embed]