Susan Wheeler (Lauren Ambrose) is a first-year medical student at Peach Tree Memorial Hospital, built by her deceased grandfather.

There she meets Chief Surgical Resident Dr. Mark Bellows (Steven Pasquale), who is in a romantic relationship with Head of Psychiatry Dr. Agnetta Lindquist (Geena Davis).

During one encounter, Arno puts a burlap sack over Wheeler's head and warns her to stop looking into the coma cases or else end up at Jefferson.

They arrest Professor Hillside, and Dr. Bellows discovers Wheeler, who fatally stabbed Mrs. Emerson with a syringe in self-defense and then escaped through a drain.

Its consensus states: "Coma evokes some creepy images but the majority of the miniseries is not believable in terms of story development, dialogue, or performances.

[8] Clark Collis of Entertainment Weekly gave it a B grade, but added, "Alas, there are enough reminders of real life—including an early suicide—to dampen the fun of this guilty pleasure.

"[9] Verne Gay of Newsday also gave it a B and stated, "The plot's ridiculous, but the film's mostly fun, while the pleasure of watching Ellen Burstyn play a homicidal wacko is not to be denied anyone.

"[10] David Hinckley of the New York Daily News stated, "This Coma is different enough from the 1978 movie to have its own appeal, and the cast keeps things interesting even during plot lulls.

"[11] Linda Stasi of the New York Post called the miniseries "very lame" and "dopey", adding, "The mystery is pretty much laid out like a coma patient from the beginning [and] ruins whatever suspense you might otherwise have built up.