Birdie

Speaking of holiday episodes, I watched “Homeless for the Holidays” earlier today. I liked the friendship we start to see forming between Doyle and Jeannie (and we know Doyle later hooks Jeannie up with the lawyers who help her get her job back). And I liked Doyle and Malik’s ruse to help that abused woman escape, and how at the end we see a shot of Doyle just looking at the douchebag abusive husband passed out awkwardly in Chairs after she’s stalled to get his wife away from him. While I liked Keaton’s ability to keep Benton’s ego in check, I find Glenne Headley’s baby-with-a-head-cold voice so grating. But I’ve never seen her in anything else. Is that her voice or an affect for the “caring, sensitive pediatric surgeon” role? And Keaton’s chemistry with Carter was there; pity they couldn’t keep GH for a bit longer. i didn’t care for the whole story arc over several episodes with regards to Charlie. It was like watching cliche fanfic: Snarky abused streetkid with a heart of gold tugs at the heartstrings of sensitive, good-looking, leading adult male. It exists in EVERY fandom. At least they didn’t end up saddling Ross with a foster kid and go down that road as far as storylines.

Exactly my thinking. I thought if either of the ladies shared this info, everyone would be really concerned, and Luke would probably want to find and kill the man. Esp if it were Abby.

Was rewatching some episodes to get continuity and facts correct for a fic idea I have (I’m 19; I read and write fanfic, lol). I was reminded how much I HATE the episode “Secrets and Lies.” It was actually on a list of best ER episodes, but I can’t stand it. And I know the show included scenes that allowed the actors to show off other talents (Haleh and Archie with their singing, Stamos’ drumming), but Carter and Luka fencing seemed SO FORCED. Like, randomly finding fencing equipment in a cupboard in a room that’s not designed to be fenced in?? And can you imagine being Susan? The guy you’re dating is having an actual duel with another dude over another woman - Abby of all people. MT is not ugly, but she was not the prettiest. I think SS is much prettier. (But I’m aware that’s just my opinion, and looks can only compensate for so much if personalities don’t click). But, really, Abby? The morose, woe is me, emo of the ER? I get people get depressed and stressed and deal with a lot, but people who are constantly like that are DRAINING. You try and try to give advice when they ask, but they reject it; you try to think of positive things to do and say, but they want to wallow. It’s tiring (and I think that’s kind of what Carter was experiencing as his and Abby’s relationship was coming to an end). I am sensitive and find it easy to take on others emotions, so I need to watch myself around these types of people. And the group laughing at Carter’s revelation of basically being raped at age 11? Ugh. Gross. This episode brought out the worst in those five characters. All that being said, and on an unrelated note, was it ever explained where Dr Hicks went?

I like Cheadle as an actor, but I didn’t really see what his character added to the show during his arc. And I didn’t like the ep where he harped and cajoled that woman with the lung disease into going for a transplant. Carter was right to call him out as far as the “do you know what it took for her to face her mortality?” And, yes, I know he was dealing with Parkinson’s, but his meds were working for him, at least to a certain extent. The woman was allergic to the only treatment for her condition. And didn’t Carter say even with the transplant, she’d have to still deal with the disease? And I’m all for scientific progress, but Nathan made it seem like cures would be rolling out the next day as opposed to this episode aired, what, ~16 years ago, and we still haven’t seen what he was talking about applied to mainstream medicine. I agree With the above poster who pointed out it would’ve been great to show him choosing to practice in psych or some other speciality that didn’t require such dexterity. To show that working with what abilities you’re given is not a sign or weakness but of strength - to still go after what you want (in Nathan’s case, medicine), but to acknowledge you might have to do so with some concessions.

Oh, yes, Bob! I liked her and wish she’d stayed. And Gant. Never watched Chicago Med; I have watched New Amsterdam. It doesn’t give me the same satisfaction as early ER seasons - I just don’t get the magic vibe from the cast that I get from early ER. And those of you that have watched it, do you find the sound effects/tapping of the ridiculous snare drum so loud sometimes that you can’t hear what’s being said? 🤷‍♀️

Pop is back in the early years of ER now, which I enjoy a lot more than later seasons. The later seasons got immature and ridiculous (Sam acting like a petulant teen throwing things at Luka in a trauma or making a big dramatic show of kissing Tony and being all “you caught me! He’s my boyfriend!” And don’t even get me started on Neela and those other surgeons roller blading and slapping pucks into overturned carts in crowded hallways with patients looking on in a waiting room 🙄). There was brief horseplay in earlier seasons, but nothing like that. I never saw the point of Clemente; I feel by that time it was just a revolving door of people coming for a few episodes and leaving into the ether. I wish Alan Alda would have had a longer time on the show. I also wish they’d kept Tag even after the non-marriage. Re: JM not getting along with female costars - didn’t the actress who played nurse Wendy accuse JM, Wyle, Clooney, and Edwards of making racist comments about her Or something? Not saying it’s true or not, just that I seem to remember reading it in an article after her death.

So it’s almost 6 AM here, and I’ve been up since 5. The rerun at this hour is The Match Game. First, I forgot how much I miss Raul, Shep’s firefighter partner. I liked the trio of friendship he, Shep, and Carol had when they were doing the ride along storyline. Second, really Carter? You couldn’t wait until your shift ended to grab a drink and celebrate with Harper? 🙄 Third, was it ever explained why Carol was so adversarial toward Jeannie when Jeannie first started in the ER? Was it just because Carol didn’t think Jeannie took initiative and was always waiting for directives or waiting for approval before she acted? Because in this episode, Carol “accidentally” sprays Jeannie with a shower faucet (and laughs about it) and laughs at her misfortunes when dealing with Hugo. I found that very petty.

Yes 😢 And this just reminded me of how after Frank had his heart attack and was in the Cath Lab, and Kaysen tries to get Pratt to leave. Frank tells Pratt, “Please stay” or “Don’t go”, something like that, and Pratt says something like, “My patient wants me to stay, so I’ll be staying.” Guh. My heart. I think Frank found comfort in both Pratt being a great doctor and simply because he was somebody familiar who Frank knew he could trust. And Pratt putting his foot down in the best interests of HIS patient - not Kaysen’s patient, not anybody else’s. Frank was Pratt’s patient, and Pratt was going to see that the best was done for him.

Gallant is a fave character for me. He (and Lucy...I know I know 😜) reminds me a lot of myself; perfectionist, eager, rule-following people pleasers. That experience with the cops caused so much conflict within him, and my heart felt for him. Coming from a military family through and through, he was raised with people who took their vow to protect and serve seriously. And he took his own vow seriously when he joined the army. When they’re initially pulled over, he tries to comply and explain who they are, where they work, etc. because he believes if he’s respectful and honest and calm, this “misunderstanding” will be resolved. And if I’m not mistaken, doesn’t he try to brush off Pratt’s claim of racism at first? It’s been a minute since I watched this epi. Like he doesn’t want to believe men in uniform who’ve pledged to keep people safe (like he did by joining the military) could act this way and treat other human beings this way. He just looked so torn up throughout the episode.💔

I knew about car phones, but phones carried in briefcases?? Nope. File this under TIL for me 😆. And I remember in an episode where Benton is arguing with Jackie about putting their mother in a nursing home (so season 1? 2?), and he’s paged; he fishes a quarter out of his pocket to make a call from a pay phone. And I remember an episode where Susan has a patient who is perpetually on his cellphone during her first run on the show; the thing reminded me a brick you’d find in our fireplace. Re: Doug and Carol. I’ve never been a huge Clooney fan, so I was never a huge fan of Doug. But I also didn’t like Doug’s character. I was always thinking, “Carol, girl, get yourself together. You can do way better. Stop pining for him.” This may be an unpopular opinion. Also, Clooney’s head waggle habit...ugh 🙄. I enjoyed Tag; he actually was a stand up guy, civil and friendly towards Doug until Doug stormed this party (wedding rehearsal? Engagement party?), and actually grabbed Carol’s wrist saying all macho, “She’s comin’ with me.” Where to, Neanderthal Doug? You going to club her over the head and drag her back to your cave?

I first knew of NW when I watched Falling Skies and The Librarian movies/show in elementary and middle school. i couldn’t believe seeing him when I first started watching ER! 😆 He was only a few years older than I am now in season 1. Carter was so eager (which often got him into trouble), but I was kinda sad to watch him lose that wonder and spark as the years went (but yes I understand growing up and traumas experienced shape how personality and character and beliefs change and evolve). i have a feeling I’m on the younger side here, and seeing those early seasons with beepers everywhere and cellphones not ubiquitous (among a lot of other “signs of the times”) got me thinking, “wow, this is wild!” or “seriously? It was like that??” 🤪

Watching the ep where Jerry was shot and has to have surgery. Estelle Harris as his mom for the win! I know her as Estelle Costanza from another brilliant oldie show I’ve been introduced to courtesy of my mother. 🙂

Lol yes! 🤣 And Susan’s realization: “Oh my God, you ate the bagels??!”

I enjoyed Malucci’s time on the show once they started giving him, at least, flashes of depth and competence. I did NOT like the send off they gave him with the slur. People mention the time he wrote the message from that guy’s wife on the glove box and went back to read it to him after he’d died. That’s a great moment. He also had the episode with the hockey player with cancer around his heart that was inoperable. And I remember an episode where a little girl and her dad are brought in from a car accident, and Malucci discovers she’s being sexually abused by him. He reads to her from a storybook while Cleo (I think) does a rape kit and takes documentation photos to keep the girl’s mind off what’s happening and to keep her calm.

Hey y’all, newbie here; I’ve been lurking but finally got the courage to post. This show is relatively new to me. I turn 19 on June 4. My mom and I started watching this together a few months ago because she was feeling nostalgic and wanted to introduce me to a show she watched in high school, undergrad, and through her time in med school. She’s a gastroenterologist. Anyway, I have a lot of thoughts about this show (I enjoy it most of the time; I enjoy the way earlier seasons the most). But we recently watched the episode the posters above mentioned where Kerry sends Jerry out to pick up a gift for a birthday party she forgot about. This ticked me off because that is not Jerry’s job; he is not a gopher for the docs or nurses. His actual job is integral to the smooth running of the ER. He directs to open/proper rooms according to severity of injury; he mans the phones. He does lab sample runs and pickups; he deals with irate patients/parents of patients. He is not a personal assistant to the docs. But Kerry has always got on my last nerve. She’s def not one of my fave characters.