By implementing an unchanging daily routine she put herself in control of every aspect of their lives and, once they became used to the idea, the inmates became reliant on a world without change or choices. .
The first sign of friction takes place when the patients are called forward to the nurses counter to receive their medicine. McMurphy begins questions Nurse Ratched about the need for taking the medicine in front of all. She cuts off his argument, but the other patients appear stunned at his resistance to authority and laugh when, once out of sight from the nurse, McMurphy pulls the undigested pill from his mouth. .
During the second group session, McMurphy raises the possibility of changing the schedule in order to watch a World Series game on TV. Nurse Ratched confidently agrees to a vote and wins going away, collecting all but three votes from her minions. Unwilling to drop the issue, McMurphy was granted a second vote at the next session. Slowly, to the disbelief of Nurse Ratched, all of the patients in the group sided with McMurphy. Ratched was quick overrule the vote, saying that the chronics on the ward, who were unable to participate in the sessions, had the right to be heard as well. Since none were for the change, she stated that the session was closed and there would be no world series. This trickery caused McMurphy frustration, but he then settled down to .
Meredith-3.
counter Ratched's decision by watching the blank TV and calling the game as he pictured it in his mind. As the patients gathered to watch, they began to rally around him. Although Nurse Ratched quickly put an end to the excitement, this scene sees the power within the ward shift to McMurphy's side. First he replaces Dale Harding as the leader in the ward and gains the nickname Mac. More importantly, the he earns the respect which had previously been Nurse Ratched's. While they may fear their supervisor, from this point on the patients of the ward side with Mac in every argument.