Sometimes, plots in shows take a sharp turn that fans never expected. These new changes happen for various reasons; ratings could be plummeting, and there needs to be some new excitement, or something is going on behind the scenes that prompted a change.

While watching Providence, many fans were hurt when the main character, Dr. Sydney Hansen, went into a coma. Many feared that the series was about to end or their favorite doctor was leaving the show.

In an interview with Knight Ridder Newspapers in 1999, Melina Kanakaredes explained why there were so many changes in the show. For starters, there were many things the actress couldn't do in the show because she was pregnant. She said that "led to always wearing a coat and countertops that were strategically placed."

Eventually, producers had to introduce a storyline in which Sydney Hansen battled encephalitis and went into a coma. After the season resumed, the character's recovery was slow because producers and the actress wanted it to be realistic.

"We tried not to make it an easy, quick one-episode recovery. I'll be getting physical therapy for the first six episodes, and there will be some kind of relationship with the therapist," she added.

The change was a gamble, but it worked in the series' favor after it didn't have the best ratings when it first aired. Kanakaredes told the publication, "We didn't get the best views right away...It has some very, very good moments and others will make viewers gag...oddly hip and unabashedly cornball, seemingly eager to lure all kinds of viewers even if it threatens to drive them away."