We haven’t even gotten to the super-duper Nostalgia Alert edition of NIGHT SHIFT with Luke, Sean and Tiffany that airs Oct. 14, but I’m already a wreck about this show going away. Just like last season, I feel like I’ll need a support group to get through the withdrawal.

Every note of last night’s episode was perfect. From Robert and Anna cuddled together on the hospital bed, to Anna breaking down as she described her and Robert’s connection to Jagger… oh, man, I felt like I was in grade school again, watching Robert pine for Anna as she committed to Duke! Then there was the Patrick and Robin scene, where they were simply sitting on their sofa bed giving each other comfort. When’s the last time we saw that kind of moment in the afternoon? I loved the way Kimberly McCullough strokes Jason Thompson’s hair and touched his face as Patrick confided his insecurities about being both Chief of Staff and a father. And I have to give major kudos to Thompson, who is not only not afraid to cry, but he’s REALLY good at it. That’s right, folks, Jason Thompson is not an Ugly Crier. Alert the media! Wait, I AM the media. (LOL.) It’s the little things that give a couple authenticity, and both the junior and senior Scorpio sets excelled at that last night.

I was also really glad to see Saira stand up for herself in a way that was perfectly in character. She’s so gentle, so nice, that of COURSE she wouldn’t go ballistic on Leo for cheating. The simmering hurt and passive-aggression was spot on, and I really felt for her when she explained to Leo why his love confession wasn’t enough.

Then, just when I thought things couldn’t get any better, we had Kyle and Eric scenes. A 14 episode season makes it nearly impossible to take things slow, and yet NS manages to make all their relationships feel like they’ve gone on for ages. There’s a connection factor, a give-and-take between script and actor chemistry, that made Claire and Ryan feel real, that makes Saira and Leo’s affair feel like it played out over months, and that makes Kyle and Eric compelling. I loved that in the wake of all of Eric’s blatant flirting, it was Kyle who made the first move, pulling him in for a kiss. And that was some kiss. Kyle, who never takes chances, who is always worried about everyone else, just let go and took the leap. If he’s “rewarded” for opening up like that by Eric dying on him, my heart’s going to break into itty bitty pieces.

But on a tangential note, I’m really hoping that Claire and Kyle are able to mend fences since they’ve now both been embroiled in very Izzie/Denny relationships and fallen for patients. And I have to say it again: Adam Grimes is this season’s find. I would love to also repeat “Bring him to GH: DAY SHIFT” but at this point I’m realistic enough to know we would never see Kyle if that happened. They have WAY too many characters already to do his story the justice NS has.

originally posted on soapoperaweekly.com