lastminutemaniac

I unwittingly saw Noah Wyle in films years before I knew his face. He's the science teacher in Donnie Darko, Amil from Swing Kids (the swinger-turned-Nazi), and Cpl. Barnes in A Few Good Men (the guy on the witness stand who got a "Code Red" for dropping his rifle). Never would have connected that all those were the same person. He plays small parts, but he plays them well. He's also in the super-corny, super-goofy Librarian trilogy, a low-budget made-for-tv series. Special effects are mad awful, campiness is off the charts, but they're a lot of fun. Good for watching when you're home sick. There's a TV show based on the trilogy that's more refined, with plenty of good-natured, fun fantasy stuff. Kind of like Doctor Who I guess? But not as science-fictiony. Idk

-Chloe is intentionally written as hateable and annoying. The fact that people find her so vexing means the writers did a good job. I think appreciating the storyline takes a little empathy, too. Not totally on Chloe’s behalf, but on Susan’s too: most families have their screwups, and many more know a drugged-up dropout type. People you’ve known your whole life, and you want to help them, but they just disappoint you at every turn. I actually really liked the Chloe/baby Susie storyline but that might just be because I’m a sucker for the “responsible successful sister vs. reckless screwup sister” trope -I really, really love rookie Carter. He’s so cute it’s kind of unbelievable. The way his face just totally lights up at seeing a newborn baby….that’s some prime feel-good stuff right there! The later seasons are severely lacking in feel-good. I’m watching the rest of Carter’s arc and clocking out, man. ER essentially ended for me once Benton bounced. -The dichotomy between Susan’s character at the get-go and when she returns…damn! She’s turned loathsome. We clockin’ out at Season 7. That’s where ER really ends. Susan stays in Phoenix and helps raise Susie Junior. It’s all good. Carter’s string of unfortunate events is mercifully shorter, there’s no vicious custody battle over Reese. Ain’t it fun to imagine? Whatever. It isn’t real. Sure these are just the musings of some rando watching 25 years from the show’s inception, but ya gotta admit it’s an appealing interpretation. ER Season 9 and beyond is ER 2: This Time, It’s Worse. Fuhgedaboutit! (Mind you I haven’t actually watched Season 9 and beyond yet, but I know where the story goes. Outta sight, outta mind, amirite? Shit) -I’m always pissed that they had a relatively well-meaning storyline (for 1994) about a trans woman in season 1 and then proceeded to forget all about it and weave a litany of transphobic jokes into their writing thereafter. Where’s the respect, man. (ER has that problem overarchingly, actually. Lots of fat jokes, lotta makin fun of the mentally ill, some jabs at intersex folks thrown in there. Doesn’t really make a good case for doctors when they do that kinda thing). -Totally forgot about that psychiatrist dude Susan dated. The one who referred to psych patients as animals, n stuff. God, wasn’t he an asshole? -Whatever happened to Patrick. He was such a lovable recurring character n then he just vanished. Hope he ended up ok

I'm not sure if "I hate this character 'cause I think they're ugly" is a very valid reason for disliking a character lmao

What made it even more awful was that the writers/directors seemed to know it was a messed-up joke, they had Gallant looking concerned and Carter half-smiling like he’d really rather not talk about it. He told that anecdote so listlessly. Somebody somewhere during the production process was like, Carter knows this is fucked up, and it’s gonna show on his face. Anyone would know it’s messed up. I can't imagine anyone hearing that story not immediately being worried. (despite how a lot of guys on the internet seem to respond to stories of an older woman abusing a young boy with shit like “lucky kid!” or “pin a medal on him!” because people are monsters, I guess.) It’s worse if you overthink it, like I did: Carter’s brother died 20 years ago, when Carter would have been about 11, and about the time his mother checked out emotionally. He might have been grieving, seeking out a mother figure, and some 25 year old maid took advantage of that. It’s noted that Carter has an inclination for older women. Like…..oh man. Somebody deliberately put that line in there without a second thought and not one person involved in the project said anything. How did they think audiences would react? Like, are we supposed to laugh at the fact that Carter was abused as a child, and furthermore, that nobody cares? (Sorry to rant but.... that scene got me thinkin about the larger issues at hand and now I'm just really angry)

-The only one of Carter’s romances I ever liked was with Maria Bello’s character, del Amico. I think they had a great dynamic and it was really sweet that she was there for him through his cousin’s overdose. She was able to be a good friend without being relegated to the *overly accommodating compassionate female* role. I wish her character had stayed on; their relationship could have really been something. I like relationships built on friendships—ones that aren’t are so lifeless, imo. -I didn’t mind Mark and Corday together, at least not in the beginning. Like the whole thing with them trying and repeatedly failing to get to that physician’s conference together. All the ensuing drama with Ella and the brain tumor didn’t really bother me as much as it seems to bother everyone else, but it certainly was a lot of misery. Watching miserable thing after miserable thing gets draining, y’know. -I didn’t hate Lucy. I think she could have grown into a really good character. She was pretty annoying at times, but she had good intentions and added some well-needed youthful earnestness to the show. I had a hate-love relationship with her and Carter’s whole angsty mentor-mentee thing; it was as irritating as it was compelling. Really glad they didn’t end up getting together, though. I am not one for doctors consorting with med students -I loved Corday and Benton together, but I completely respect ELS’s reason for wanting that relationship broken up. Good on him for saying something, because ER certainly suffered when it came to handling social issues with grace. Yeah, really…they hadn’t had one black couple portrayed in a good light until La Salle intervened. -Not that this is really an unpopular opinion, but I could never hate Carter. (It’s those big brown eyes and toothy smile, man!) I got a soft spot for naïve rookie characters, even when they inevitably become cynical and jaded. So much messed up shit happens to the guy you can't not feel for him. I admit Carter could get really insufferable, particularly during his surgical rotation, but he seemed to straighten himself out. He did push it sometimes though. (dating a 19 year old……come on, dude) -I didn't hate Abby. (I’m only on season 8, though. Not sure if I plan to watch the later years). She’s callous and selfish, yeah, but I don't know...there are times I really like her. Mostly in terms of her early-on fraternization with Carter, when she went to that social function with him and sabotaged her ex’s date, when they broke into Luka’s apartment to replace the fish tank, etc. It's fun! TV shows always have to inject needless drama into relationships, and that’s why TV relationships tend to suck. Let couples have a little fun, for chrissakes. There’s a happy medium between overly angsty and overly mushy, and TV writers need to find it. (Still, after “Secrets and Lies”, I've had it with Abby. There are some things that kill a character for me; laughing at child abuse is one of them).

I've been watching this series for the past few months and I'm in the middle of season 8 now. Got a real love-hate relationship with it. It really does have its moments, which have kept me watching all this time, but other times.......man, does it piss me off! When it's good it's phenomenal, but gosh...it's rife with odd plot decisions and SO many mean-spirited (or just plain gross) jokes. I really had to quit watching "Secrets and Lies" after Carter revealed he "lost his virginity" to a 25 year old woman when he was 11 and Susan and Abby laughed. A child molestation joke, and they just sweep it under the rug. Made me sick. I bet it's never going to be brought up again. I have no idea why anyone thought that was a good thing to include. Nobody through the whole production process spoke up and said "Hey, maybe we shouldn't turn child sexual abuse into a joke?"