All Episodes Talk: What's Up Doc?

[debraran]

7 hours ago, jewel21 said:

I just watched the Season 1 episode (I think) when this black boy around 12 walks into the ER with a gun and everyone just stands around and does nothing. And after Benton tells him the kid he wants to kill is already dead he just takes off running. And the only thing I could think of the entire time was how no one had called security or the cops. WTF?

I remember that, they probably did at the desk, but when you see someone with a gun, who can point it at you any second (they all didn't know why he was there )it can cause even more chaos. That was done more for drama, the gang revenge going to the extreme. I know in our large teaching hospital, we had guards, some with guns, some didn't but I don't remember ER ever having a security guard around as a minor character.

[Amethyst]

My people!

Man, I loved this show growing up.  It was one of the few series that my whole family could sit and watch together.  The show got really dumb later on, and you could tell from the changes in tone that it was competing with Grey's Anatomy.  It was time to end it.  That said, ER was one of a kind and I'm so glad it's in syndication again.  I'm already recording reruns from POP, lol.

Just a few thoughts:

Cliched as it sounds, Carter was my always my fave.  It's amazing how much growth he went through over the series; from an awkward med student to a respected, hard-working attending.  I had fallen off the show because of the casting changes, but the events from All in the Family and eventually May Day made me a regular watcher again.  I lived for his scenes with Benton.  Some of the greatest interactions ever.

Weaver gets a bad rap, imo.  She was supposed to be the drill sergeant who favored rules over compassion, but that woman worked her ass off everyday, and I never doubted that she cared for patients.  That woman would drag you back from the brink of death if she was able, while barking orders the whole way.  Shit, if I was ill, I would want Weaver working on me, that's all I'll say.  I liked that she looked out for Jeanie when she was suffering from Carol's power trips, and she tried to keep Jeanie employed after she was diagnosed with HIV.

Carol is pretty annoying on retrospect, but she was better than Abby.  Abby started out ok, but eventually devolved into an absolute void of suck.  Just one misery after the other.  Same with Luka.  While he was never Ross, Luka had potential, and some genuinely good moments in the beginning.  He was more mysterious than miserable.  Not for long.  You would think after he confessed to the dying priest (great ep btw) things would have looked up.  Nope.  If anything, he just got more impulsive, unhappy, and secretive.  And then he got with Abby, and it was basically two miserable people together.  I couldn't be bothered to watch them.

Tbh, I wasn't into the "new class" either.  There were some good points, they just didn't have the magic of their predecessors.  There's a scene when Gallant and Pratt are treating a racist cop and they're the only ones in the room with him.  The perspective points shifts and you see the doctors looking down on the cop.  Pratt says "All the white people are gone.  Now it's just you and two n*s with knives."  Although I knew they wouldn't actually do anything to him, it's a great moment of tension.

I think they revamped Archie because Glenn Howerton (Dr. Cooper) was gone and Archie no longer had anyone to cover for him.  But it was a good transition.  I liked seeing Morris command the ER.  It's funny knowing that Scott Grimes voices Steve Smith from American Dad.

[debraran]

On 3/25/2018 at 5:05 PM, Amethyst said:

My people!

Man, I loved this show growing up.  It was one of the few series that my whole family could sit and watch together.  The show got really dumb later on, and you could tell from the changes in tone that it was competing with Grey's Anatomy.  It was time to end it.  That said, ER was one of a kind and I'm so glad it's in syndication again.  I'm already recording reruns from POP, lol.

Just a few thoughts:

Cliched as it sounds, Carter was my always my fave.  It's amazing how much growth he went through over the series; from an awkward med student to a respected, hard-working attending.  I had fallen off the show because of the casting changes, but the events from All in the Family and eventually May Day made me a regular watcher again.  I lived for his scenes with Benton.  Some of the greatest interactions ever.

Weaver gets a bad rap, imo.  She was supposed to be the drill sergeant who favored rules over compassion, but that woman worked her ass off everyday, and I never doubted that she cared for patients.  That woman would drag you back from the brink of death if she was able, while barking orders the whole way.  Shit, if I was ill, I would want Weaver working on me, that's all I'll say.  I liked that she looked out for Jeanie when she was suffering from Carol's power trips, and she tried to keep Jeanie employed after she was diagnosed with HIV.

Carol is pretty annoying on retrospect, but she was better than Abby.  Abby started out ok, but eventually devolved into an absolute void of suck.  Just one misery after the other.  Same with Luka.  While he was never Ross, Luka had potential, and some genuinely good moments in the beginning.  He was more mysterious than miserable.  Not for long.  You would think after he confessed to the dying priest (great ep btw) things would have looked up.  Nope.  If anything, he just got more impulsive, unhappy, and secretive.  And then he got with Abby, and it was basically two miserable people together.  I couldn't be bothered to watch them.

 

 

I always loved Carter too. Brains, heart and funny, at least early on.  I just watched the "All in the Family" episode when he and Lucy were stabbed. So many emotions, so well done. The party while they are dying, the emotions shown by all, seeing Weaver get control and then vomit outside when she took a breather. Benton looking at his friend like no way in hell was he going to lose him, poor Lucy bleeding out and having so many caring for her feel so hopeless. Her eyes, knowing and full of pain, the lonely tear falling from one while Cordey told her about the clot.  I also liked how they showed Romano in one of his more humane moments. He liked Lucy and she had just reached out to him numerous times about her heart patient and to see him throw things, to want to shock her once more as Cordey stood there motionless, it touched me deeply.

When I try to watch shows like Chicago Med, ER spoils it for me. Doesn't come close to the chemistry, writing and acting that the early cast had.

Carol was mildly annoying to me. Part of it was being with Doug and they made Doug act so lousy the last few weeks before he left. Then she seemed like a martyr with the twins, just can't decide what to do until her extended contract is up. That was her choice as an actress and the writers, but I thought it was unrealistic for both of them since they couldn't show Doug ,

Edited March 26, 2018 by debraran

[BooksRule]

I just watched the episode where Abby shows up at the post-funeral reception at the Carter place.  

Abby (noticing a broken bird bath):  'You're going to have some dirty birds.'  Carter: 'My grandfather liked to drive the power mower.'  Abby: 'Did he drive it into the bird bath?'  Carter: 'Not on purpose.  He was having a massive M.I. at the time.'  They look at each other and start to giggle.  

I love that scene.

[debraran]

I really liked watching this about ER. Most of you might have seen it.

[BooksRule]

Maybe someone can clarify this for me.  I just saw the episode where Benton took a DNA test to see if he was Reese's father.  However, I remember that he took one way back when Carla hinted that someone else might have been the father.  But, he went to Carla's and said that he wasn't going to look at the results because as far as he was concerned, he was Reese's father.  Did he tear up the results, keep the results unopened or did he give them to Carla?  I'm assuming that he didn't keep them, since he was taking the test again.  

Speaking of Carla, I felt no sadness when she was killed in the car accident.  She was a pouty, oh-pity-me, mean woman.  I liked her before she got pregnant, and then her character changed for the worse.  I do like Roger, though (all of them--I know they changed actors at least twice, maybe three times, during the show).  He just wanted Reese to be happy and have a stable home.  

[MVFrostsMyPie]

Carla was really hard to like. I tend to skip past any scenes she’s in. 

[doodlebug]

6 hours ago, BooksRule said:

Maybe someone can clarify this for me.  I just saw the episode where Benton took a DNA test to see if he was Reese's father.  However, I remember that he took one way back when Carla hinted that someone else might have been the father.  But, he went to Carla's and said that he wasn't going to look at the results because as far as he was concerned, he was Reese's father.  Did he tear up the results, keep the results unopened or did he give them to Carla?  I'm assuming that he didn't keep them, since he was taking the test again.  

Speaking of Carla, I felt no sadness when she was killed in the car accident.  She was a pouty, oh-pity-me, mean woman.  I liked her before she got pregnant, and then her character changed for the worse.  I do like Roger, though (all of them--I know they changed actors at least twice, maybe three times, during the show).  He just wanted Reese to be happy and have a stable home.  

Benton decided not to take the test the first time.  But then, Carla died and her husband, Roger, who’d been with her since Reese was a baby and went to court for visitation while Benton, of course, expected full custody. Part of Roger’s claim was based on Benton not being Reese’ biological father and therefore having no more right to custody than Roger.  At that point, Benton was forced to do the testing in hopes he could prove he was the bio dad.  

I have a feeling the whole plotline was shaky legally.  It also completed the character assassination of Carla who started out as a fun loving, flirty, successful businesswoman and ended up a pouty whiny liar.  Ugh!

[debraran]

So Peter wasn't the bio father? I haven't gotten to that part yet and forgot that episode in my renewal on Hulu. Do they ever show Reese after 5 years old?  He was such a sweet little kid and I liked how they showed all the different decisions and choices being deaf.

I really liked Peter and Carter's relationship more than anyone he dated, I think one of the most touching scenes was him taking him to rehab and later visiting him when he got his kidney. There's love and then there is love. : )  To have that type of friendship is special.

Edited March 29, 2018 by debraran

[zoemom]

On 3/25/2018 at 5:05 PM, Amethyst said:

My people!

Man, I loved this show growing up.  It was one of the few series that my whole family could sit and watch together.  The show got really dumb later on, and you could tell from the changes in tone that it was competing with Grey's Anatomy.  It was time to end it.  That said, ER was one of a kind and I'm so glad it's in syndication again.  I'm already recording reruns from POP, lol.

Just a few thoughts:

Cliched as it sounds, Carter was my always my fave.  It's amazing how much growth he went through over the series; from an awkward med student to a respected, hard-working attending.  I had fallen off the show because of the casting changes, but the events from All in the Family and eventually May Day made me a regular watcher again.  I lived for his scenes with Benton.  Some of the greatest interactions ever.

Weaver gets a bad rap, imo.  She was supposed to be the drill sergeant who favored rules over compassion, but that woman worked her ass off everyday, and I never doubted that she cared for patients.  That woman would drag you back from the brink of death if she was able, while barking orders the whole way.  Shit, if I was ill, I would want Weaver working on me, that's all I'll say.  I liked that she looked out for Jeanie when she was suffering from Carol's power trips, and she tried to keep Jeanie employed after she was diagnosed with HIV.

Carol is pretty annoying on retrospect, but she was better than Abby.  Abby started out ok, but eventually devolved into an absolute void of suck.  Just one misery after the other.  Same with Luka.  While he was never Ross, Luka had potential, and some genuinely good moments in the beginning.  He was more mysterious than miserable.  Not for long.  You would think after he confessed to the dying priest (great ep btw) things would have looked up.  Nope.  If anything, he just got more impulsive, unhappy, and secretive.  And then he got with Abby, and it was basically two miserable people together.  I couldn't be bothered to watch them.

Tbh, I wasn't into the "new class" either.  There were some good points, they just didn't have the magic of their predecessors.  There's a scene when Gallant and Pratt are treating a racist cop and they're the only ones in the room with him.  The perspective points shifts and you see the doctors looking down on the cop.  Pratt says "All the white people are gone.  Now it's just you and two n*s with knives."  Although I knew they wouldn't actually do anything to him, it's a great moment of tension.

I think they revamped Archie because Glenn Howerton (Dr. Cooper) was gone and Archie no longer had anyone to cover for him.  But it was a good transition.  I liked seeing Morris command the ER.  It's funny knowing that Scott Grimes voices Steve Smith from American Dad.

Welcome @Amethyst.  I recently found this thread as well and am so happy to have others to discuss ER with!  Great post, I agree with all you've mentioned.

I'm also DVR-ing it on POP, I do find it a bit aggravating that they jump around on Saturday's and show later episodes (last Saturday all of the episodes but the last one were ones that they had shown already, don't get what that was about/why they did this, perhaps someone else knows).  

I remember back in the day I didn't like Carla, Carol or Abby, I still find them insufferable.  That's one aspect I still don't understand, why the writers seemed to make all of the lead women characters so miserable and full of angst.  At least, now thanks to DVR, I can fast forward through their scenes when they become too much.  Elizabeth was the most tolerable, but even she had her moments.

While talking about Carla and Benton, another area I need some clarification is why Jackie (Benton's sister) sometimes acts/looks like she's strung out on drugs and then in the same episode, she shows up perfectly dressed and happy to care for Reese.   There were a couple of episodes this week, she told Peter she could care for Reese and then when Reese was "missing" she all of the sudden shows up in the OR with him (another example of something that would never happen in the "real world" OR's are off limits) in her arms, dressed and acting like nothing happened.

So welcome.  Look forward to hearing more from you.  Now I'm off to watch the episodes I DVR'd this afternoon!

Edited March 29, 2018 by zoemom

[MVFrostsMyPie]

3 hours ago, debraran said:

So Peter wasn't the bio father? I haven't gotten to that part yet and forgot that episode in my renewal on Hulu. Do they ever show Reese after 5 years old?  He was such a sweet little kid and I liked how they showed all the different decisions and choices being deaf.

I really liked Peter and Carter's relationship more than anyone he dated, I think one of the most touching scenes was him taking him to rehab and later visiting him when he got his kidney. There's love and then there is love. : )  To have that type of friendship is special.

We saw Reese again at the end of season 15 when he was 13. Same kid too!

[WendyCR72]

41 minutes ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

We saw Reese again at the end of season 15 when he was 13. Same kid too!

The actor's name is Matthew Watkins.  :-)

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, zoemom said:

Welcome @Amethyst.  I recently found this thread as well and am so happy to have others to discuss ER with!  Great post, I agree with all you've mentioned.

I'm also DVR-ing it on POP, I do find it a bit aggravating that they jump around on Saturday's and show later episodes (last Saturday all of the episodes but the last one were ones that they had shown already, don't get what that was about/why they did this, perhaps someone else knows).  

I remember back in the day I didn't like Carla, Carol or Abby, I still find them insufferable.  That's one aspect I still don't understand, why the writers seemed to make all of the lead women characters so miserable and full of angst.  At least, now thanks to DVR, I can fast forward through their scenes when they become too much.  Elizabeth was the most tolerable, but even she had her moments.

While talking about Carla and Benton, another area I need some clarification is why Jackie (Benton's sister) sometimes acts/looks like she's strung out on drugs and then in the same episode, she shows up perfectly dressed and happy to care for Reese.   There were a couple of episodes this week, she told Peter she could care for Reese and then when Reese was "missing" she all of the sudden shows up in the OR with him (another example of something that would never happen in the "real world" OR's are off limits) in her arms, dressed and acting like nothing happened.

So welcome.  Look forward to hearing more from you.  Now I'm off to watch the episodes I DVR'd this afternoon!

The Saturday episodes are not meant to be contiguous with the weekday episodes.  The Monday through Friday episodes run chronologically  from day to day while the Saturday episodes are from week to week with 6 episodes shown back to back and then repeated each Saturday.  This Saturday's episodes will be those that followed last Saturday's.  At this point, the Saturday episodes are in the middle of Season 15, the final season and they will probably start back with Season 1 in a couple weeks.

If you think this is confusing, when POP first started showing ER; it was not only on weekdays and Saturdays, but also Tuesday nights.  Each slot showed the episodes consecutively; so they were times that the same episode(s) could be seen 3 times in one week.

[debraran]

3 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

The actor's name is Matthew Watkins.  :-)

I didn't realize he was also deaf, he did a great job as a youngster on the set, not always easy. You got to see Benton's softer side with him.

Yes, the women on the show were sometimes typecast and sometimes it seemed they didn't know how they wanted them to act, but that's the writer/director leading it. Benton's family was all over the place at times. I know Carol was loved, but watching it again, I find her hard to watch at times. Doug was like a drug and she always seemed like an addict not going to it. When they dated again, thinking secretly, Doug was changing but she seemed scared. You can move in, let's have a kid but no marriage. Fine, but then knowing he is leaving the show, they have them together, smooching every second they can, writing each other love notes, then Doug spirals (too quickly for my taste) and says he's leaving, she is like "No way" I'll stay here a year and have twins and Mark will help me and then when my extended contract is up, I'll remember I love you and leave them with my Mom and run out to Portland to see you (hopefully alone)  ; ) 

I liked all the nurses although not given larger roles, like Haleh, Lily, Chuney, Malik, , they were the same as Carol , but they had smaller shining moments and funny scenes to give levity to the a stressful day.

In watching it again, sometimes I'll look at this page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0567922/ 

They give synopsis but I can look for goofs too. I was so upset about Lucy's death but could have sworn I saw this goof about her neck and it distracted me. I guess my eyes were good this time,usually I catch the camera men etc but not the small things. Can be fun when you've seen a show a few times.

Edited March 29, 2018 by debraran

[Amethyst]

9 hours ago, zoemom said:

Welcome @Amethyst.  I recently found this thread as well and am so happy to have others to discuss ER with!  Great post, I agree with all you've mentioned.

While talking about Carla and Benton, another area I need some clarification is why Jackie (Benton's sister) sometimes acts/looks like she's strung out on drugs and then in the same episode, she shows up perfectly dressed and happy to care for Reese.   There were a couple of episodes this week, she told Peter she could care for Reese and then when Reese was "missing" she all of the sudden shows up in the OR with him (another example of something that would never happen in the "real world" OR's are off limits) in her arms, dressed and acting like nothing happened.

So welcome.  Look forward to hearing more from you.  Now I'm off to watch the episodes I DVR'd this afternoon!

Thank you for the warm welcome! :)

I remember poor Jackie looking a mess after her son was murdered but not before.  I was also disappointed that we never saw Walt again, but I’m guessing Ving Rhames was busy doing the MI movies.

I’m ok with the episode breakups on the weekends because I hate those eps anyway.  I just look at it as a break. 

[Shaynaa]

I started marathoning the show last month while I work.  I'm into season 13 now.  This was around the time I quit watching and I am remembering why.  So Sam and Alex are kidnapped by her ex who rapes her and she kills him.  Besides mentioning Alex going to therapy there seems to be no emotional trauma fall out.  Seriously?  I don't know why but I never liked Sam.  I loved Carol back in the day but had issues warming up to any female characters after that.  I liked Kem with Carter.  I like Neela and find her with John Stamos gross.  I just can't see him as anyone but Uncle Jesse and he's kind of old for her.  I hadn't realized Pratt gets killed off and Ray gets run over by a truck.  So they leave, but Morris, who is a complete idiot, stays till the end?  I just couldn't deal with his "children".  He didn't care that his 14 year old "daughter" stole her mothers car, grabbed the other kids without parental consent and drove 50 miles.  Then he thinks he can just show up at the kid's soccer game acting like a parent?  I was glad he got clobbered.  I wish she had put him in traction.

I reeeeeeeeealllllly need someone to do an ER podcast.  How can we make that happen?  Other 90s shows have them. 

Also, any other good hospital shows to stream?

[debraran]

I am still looking for Chicago Hope. I remember liking it and then Mandy Patinkin left but still watched it. Would love to see if I still like it. The only other medical show that I watched was HOUSE and that is not off long enough for me to want to see it again. That was more about him but still interesting.

[Amethyst]

8 hours ago, Shaynaa said:

So Sam and Alex are kidnapped by her ex who rapes her and she kills him.  Besides mentioning Alex going to therapy there seems to be no emotional trauma fall out.  Seriously?

I think the emotional fallout happened over the course of the season.  Alex had seen Sam kill Steve, but Alex couldn’t talk to anyone about it.  So he’s got all this pent up emotion and starts getting in trouble at school.  In the end, Sam sent him away to a school for at risk teens.  I think that’s the last we saw of him, thankfully.

[WendyCR72]

An oral history of Carter and Lucy's stabbings by Kellie Martin, Noah Wyle, and David Krumholtz (Paul Sobricki). Also has video of Wyle/Martin talking about it, maybe Krumholtz, too, but I didn't see the whole thing yet.

ETA: I think it's just Wyle and Martin in the accompanying video. Krumholtz is in print with the other two, though.

[ch1]

I wonder why NW was an ass to her.  Was it just the idea of a new character coming on getting all that focus that Lucy got when she first came on?  If it was he was a dick to the wrong person.  It’s not like she wrote the character.

[debraran]

2 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

An oral history of Carter and Lucy's stabbings by Kellie Martin, Noah Wyle, and David Krumholtz (Paul Sobricki). Also has video of Wyle/Martin talking about it, maybe Krumholtz, too, but I didn't see the whole thing yet.

ETA: I think it's just Wyle and Martin in the accompanying video. Krumholtz is in print with the other two, though.

Thanks for sharing that, interesting to hear their takes on it. I like how Noah was honest about his feelings at the time, he wasn't perfect and you don't always know someone before you judge a behavior. The odd thing for me was cast members came and went all the time, no reason to think Kelly would be long term or not.

[justduckey]

Disappointing to hear he was a jerk to her. Loved reading/seeing this though. Absolutely one of their best episodes.

[doodlebug]

8 hours ago, ch1 said:

I wonder why NW was an ass to her.  Was it just the idea of a new character coming on getting all that focus that Lucy got when she first came on?  If it was he was a dick to the wrong person.  It’s not like she wrote the character.

At least in part, I think it was because the show was a well established huge hit, and all of the original cast members became very famous and very wealthy because of it.  Noah was also the youngest of the originals, being only 21 when the show debuted.  I think he was possible just a little bit full of himself.  From what I understand, he didn't get any input into the casting of Lucy, but it was clear from the start, that she was brought onto the show for Carter.  And, it was also fairly clear early on that they really didn't have great romantic chemistry.  Plenty of TV/movie couples who hated one another in real life (Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis come to mind) can have amazing sparks onscreen; but NW and KM never 'clicked' and it showed.

Kelly Martin has also said that she never really felt comfortable with the character, never felt she was natural in the part; I think TPTB didn't really have a good plan for the character. By that point, I think the writers were running on fumes and also had gotten somewhat complacent with the show's amazing success.  KM also had experienced some very major life changes immediately prior to coming on the show and I think that might've contributed to her trouble getting a handle on Lucy.  Her sister died of lupus just a week or two before she started.  She was also a newlywed and her husband was working in NYC while she was in LA.  

Personally, I think the character of Lucy was too similar to Carter's early days and pairing two similar characters doesn't make for great romance.  Carter's puppylike innocence and naivete had endeared him to fans but it was a mistake to bring Lucy on the show as a virtual female Carter.  Carter's best romances, IMO, were with confident, assertive, wordly women like Abby Keaton and Anna.  His friendships with Benton, Maggie Doyle, and Jing Mei also worked well because they were far more outspoken and assertive and the relationships  between opposites just lends itself to storytelling.

Rumor also had it that one of NW's major objections to Carter/Lucy was that the show had always made a big deal about relationships between supervisors and subordinates.  Carter and Abby K, Doug and Harper, Abby L and her medical student were all forbidden.  As I recall, he felt that Carter was not the sort of guy who would take advantage of the teacher/student relationship like that and that it was out of character for him to actively pursue her which ultimately needed to happen for the relationship to develop.  He was apparently ok when the roles were reversed in Season 3 with Abby the first.

[doodlebug]

8 hours ago, debraran said:

Thanks for sharing that, interesting to hear their takes on it. I like how Noah was honest about his feelings at the time, he wasn't perfect and you don't always know someone before you judge a behavior. The odd thing for me was cast members came and went all the time, no reason to think Kelly would be long term or not.

Actually, I believe Kellie signed a standard 5 year series regular kind of contract, so she came on the show expecting to be there a while.  Maura Tierney, Alex Kingston and Goran Visnijc signed similar contracts and obviously were there for the duration of them.  Maria Bello also signed a 5 year deal but was released by TPTB at her request after she decided she didn't like working on a series.  Obviously, TPTB have the right to change their minds and write characters out, but Kellie Martin was a known commodity, having already been main cast previously on 'Life Goes On' where her character was popular and her performance praised.  I think she and the rest of the cast had every expectation that she was going to fit right in.

[WendyCR72]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

Actually, I believe Kellie signed a standard 5 year series regular kind of contract, so she came on the show expecting to be there a while.  Maura Tierney, Alex Kingston and Goran Visnijc signed similar contracts and obviously were there for the duration of them.  Maria Bello also signed a 5 year deal but was released by TPTB at her request after she decided she didn't like working on a series.  Obviously, TPTB have the right to change their minds and write characters out, but Kellie Martin was a known commodity, having already been main cast previously on 'Life Goes On' where her character was popular and her performance praised.  I think she and the rest of the cast had every expectation that she was going to fit right in.

True. But, if I recall from back in the day, while Lucy Knight did have fans, it seemed like many more in the ancient alt.tv.er newsgroup (ah, memories of the 'net in the late '90s/early 2000s!) and various early ER sites were plain irritated with the character, especially devoting the 5th season premiere to her newbie character. With such a beginning and big misstep, I think it was just downhill from there. Add in the conflict that Wyle had with the direction the writers had planned, and I think it was game over for Martin before she even started.

And while she was popular on Life Goes On, it sometimes doesn't transfer to another show, especially coming on well after the show was established.

Of course, the same formula of showcasing the newbie also occurred with Abby Lockhart. But, at the very least, the show started her off a bit less prominently since Carol was still around. So while many were still annoyed by Abby, enough warmed to her to make MT/Abby viable.

[debraran]

Yes, sometimes current stars have some impact on who they star with, sometimes not.  Whatever TPTB decided, Kelly did a great job toward the end and her dramatic exit.

Just watching May Day with the school shooting and casualties. I know they just didn't start now, but it was disturbing to see after all the ones in the news lately.

They had Carol leave on the last show, it was more dramatic the first few times, more romantic.  Now I found myself thinking of how impractical it was, she runs off without giving notice, seems to stay with Doug and have her Mom bring the girls. Her home (with mortgages) and car and belongings must get taken care of but I wonder if it would have been a nice touch to show her one more time, a short scene saying goodbye to her coworkers and tying up loose ends. But that's real life, kind of nice to suspend reality on TV. : )   Large home Doug had alone, must have been paid much better in Seattle.

[doodlebug]

4 hours ago, debraran said:

Yes, sometimes current stars have some impact on who they star with, sometimes not.  Whatever TPTB decided, Kelly did a great job toward the end and her dramatic exit.

Just watching May Day with the school shooting and casualties. I know they just didn't start now, but it was disturbing to see after all the ones in the news lately.

They had Carol leave on the last show, it was more dramatic the first few times, more romantic.  Now I found myself thinking of how impractical it was, she runs off without giving notice, seems to stay with Doug and have her Mom bring the girls. Her home (with mortgages) and car and belongings must get taken care of but I wonder if it would have been a nice touch to show her one more time, a short scene saying goodbye to her coworkers and tying up loose ends. But that's real life, kind of nice to suspend reality on TV. : )   Large home Doug had alone, must have been paid much better in Seattle.

If you know anything about waterfront property in Seattle, that particular house cost at least several million bucks.  In addition to practicing pediatrics, Doug must've taken up bank robbery in his spare time to afford it.

I was ok with the logistical silliness of the plotline if only because it completed Doug and Carol's story in the way I think I and most fans wanted to see.  It seemed ridiculous that Carol apparently hadn't been to Doug's place in Seattle prior to that moment or even seen pictures; she commented on how nice it was as though it was her first time.  Doug had lived there for almost a year and a half at that point.  Also, why did Doug end up with a huge mansion in Seattle if there wasn't some ongoing discussion that Carol and the twins might join him?  He was never interested in home ownership or fancy digs when he lived in Chicago.  The show presented the trip as a last minute whim on Carol's part; triggered by caring for the woman dying of cancer who conveniently also had a loving husband and two daughters. In real life, there would've been some discussion and planning. No matter how beloved Carol was as a nurse, her fellow nurses wouldn't have been jumping to cover shifts for her when there was no emergency.  Based on the conversation when she arrived, it didn't even seem like Doug knew she was coming.  What if he'd been working or out on a date?

I agree that the show was wrong to use 'Day for Knight' to introduce Lucy's character.  I believe it was the season premiere that year and, with multiple stories left dangling at the end of the prior season, the last thing the audience cared to see was an entire episode devoted to a new character who was basically a retread.  KM's acting style was somewhart juvenile, IMO, wasn't a good fit for the show, either.  She seemed far too young to be in med school.  Carter had been young and wide eyed, but he didn't act like he was 14 like she did. TPTB learned their lesson with Lucy and applied it to Abby.  They introduced Abby slowly as a peripheral character in a main character's plotline and showed her to be capable, competent and smart.  Lucy the wide eyed innocent, overwhelmed by her ER experience running around pretending she knew what she was doing and risking patient safety was just not going to endear her to viewers.  Of course, MT could've never played Abby as naïve or innocent and they gave Abby a nursing background so she'd know the ropes better than some of the attendings.  Then, she was the world weary, jaded one with the rough childhood and the bad marriage.  Meanwhile, Lucy was apparently doted on by her single mother and didn't understand the carrot story, apparently never having encountered such a notion. It's like the writers took every characteristic they'd given Lucy and gave the exact opposite to Abby.  They also waited until multiple main cast members had left before shoving her down our throats in 'Abby Road' and on and on.

Edited March 31, 2018 by doodlebug

[doodlebug]

8 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

True. But, if I recall from back in the day, while Lucy Knight did have fans, it seemed like many more in the ancient alt.tv.er newsgroup (ah, memories of the 'net in the late '90s/early 2000s!) and various early ER sites were plain irritated with the character, especially devoting the 5th season premiere to her newbie character. With such a beginning and big misstep, I think it was just downhill from there. Add in the conflict that Wyle had with the direction the writers had planned, and I think it was game over for Martin before she even started.

Alt.tv.er was a lot of fun, I spent a lot of time there (as you probably know if you did, too).  I think alt.tv.er was probably typical of the mindset of the diehard ER fan.  They'd gotten hooked on the show in the early years and loved the original cast.  Even though it was inevitable, those of us who loved it from the start, saw that it was starting to fray around the edges and were also not happy that some of the original cast was leaving and not very excited to waste our viewing time on new characters.  I think perhaps, the fact that Maria Bello had come on board the year before, got a rather gradual introduction by being integrated into other storylines, only to leave rather abruptly (she was in the Season 4 finale and then written out with a line or 2 of dialogue in the Season 5 premiere) made us wary, too.  We'd signed on for Anna, the character seemed nuanced and well written and the audience generally liked and accepted her.  Then. she was gone with no written sendoff and a new potential Carter love interest who wasn't nearly as interesting comes on and gets an entire episode right off the bat.  It set up the character to be judged and found lacking rather quickly.

[debraran]

3 hours ago, doodlebug said:

If you know anything about waterfront property in Seattle, that particular house cost at least several million bucks.  In addition to practicing pediatrics, Doug must've taken up bank robbery in his spare time to afford it.

I was ok with the logistical silliness of the plotline if only because it completed Doug and Carol's story in the way I think I and most fans wanted to see.  It seemed ridiculous that Carol apparently hadn't been to Doug's place in Seattle prior to that moment or even seen pictures; she commented on how nice it was as though it was her first time.  Doug had lived there for almost a year and a half at that point.  Also, why did Doug end up with a huge mansion in Seattle if there wasn't some ongoing discussion that Carol and the twins might join him?  He was never interested in home ownership or fancy digs when he lived in Chicago.  The show presented the trip as a last minute whim on Carol's part; triggered by caring for the woman dying of cancer who conveniently also had a loving husband and two daughters. In real life, there would've been some discussion and planning. No matter how beloved Carol was as a nurse, her fellow nurses wouldn't have been jumping to cover shifts for her when there was no emergency.  Based on the conversation when she arrived, it didn't even seem like Doug knew she was coming.  What if he'd been working or out on a date?

I agree that the show was wrong to use 'Day for Knight' to introduce Lucy's character.  I believe it was the season premiere that year and, with multiple stories left dangling at the end of the prior season, the last thing the audience cared to see was an entire episode devoted to a new character who was basically a retread.  KM's acting style was somewhart juvenile, IMO, wasn't a good fit for the show, either.  She seemed far too young to be in med school.  Carter had been young and wide eyed, but he didn't act like he was 14 like she did. TPTB learned their lesson with Lucy and applied it to Abby.  They introduced Abby slowly as a peripheral character in a main character's plotline and showed her to be capable, competent and smart.  Lucy the wide eyed innocent, overwhelmed by her ER experience running around pretending she knew what she was doing and risking patient safety was just not going to endear her to viewers.  Of course, MT could've never played Abby as naïve or innocent and they gave Abby a nursing background so she'd know the ropes better than some of the attendings.  Then, she was the world weary, jaded one with the rough childhood and the bad marriage.  Meanwhile, Lucy was apparently doted on by her single mother and didn't understand the carrot story, apparently never having encountered such a notion. It's like the writers took every characteristic they'd given Lucy and gave the exact opposite to Abby.  They also waited until multiple main cast members had left before shoving her down our throats in 'Abby Road' and on and on.

I agree, he's doing very well in Seattle, VERY well. ; ) The house went on and on, and he lived there alone? She is buying a junk car and he can't help. I had a hard time suspending belief he would have left her like that.  It was also hard to believe Carol loved him so and wanted to stay in Chicago with her twins and not even look at his place.  She loved her job, her coworkers, but didn't pack or look back after one patient getting to her . I'm watching the show after it with Dr Carter and no mention of her at all. Just gone, poof.   I know in reality, Doug probably would have had a woman in that house waiting to out on the boat but hey, it played well. I just thought as a mom now, it didn't sit well how they had her handle it all.  My daughter thought he should have done a doctor abroad charity helping kids and after a year, they could have gone off together but they did what they felt was best at the time.

I agree with how they introduced Lucy, but I feel they did learn from their mistakes. It was too much Lucy too fast, but that wasn't the actress's fault.  She had an ending thought that no fan will forget.

I was listening to a few minutes of a medical show on the radio today. It was called "ER" medicine and a doc mentioned how the original staff came to their ER to see how things went down and they showed them some procedures.  The writers would ask them a lot of questions but of course they got things wrong on TV on occasion, it really can't be too accurate and done so quickly but they did a good job usually. Compared to shows like Chicago Med, I think they will always be one of the best even a decade or more later.

[starri]

2 hours ago, debraran said:

It was called "ER" medicine and a doc mentioned how the original staff came to their ER to see how things went down and they showed them some procedures.  

If you've ever seen the episode of the PBS series Pioneers of Television that features ER, Noah Wiley told a story where a crew member had gotten sick when they were doing one of their location shoots in Africa, and he (Noah) was able to jump in and start an IV.

[Gigi43]

After years of letting things happen naturally, or not trying too hard  with some characters, they then decided it was time to  dictate too much. When the show started  Mark was supposed to to be "the star" and AE was actually  the bigger name than Clooney but they used the gold they ended  up  with  (not saying  Doug himself was amazing but they let Clooney catapult to superstardom.) They let everyone  shine in the beginning.  Then characters like Anna D and Doyle came on and kinda lingered. Lucy was the start of the show trying to state outright who the new lead was. Then it was Abby. By the time it seemed like Gallant would be the new thing, there was Pratts then Ray which was more about getting current rising names instead of creating stars like they once did. Then they got John Stamos and Angela Bassett in the end, all while the big episodes involved big guest stars or something as outrageous as a tank stunt,  or falling helicopter that takes out a main cast member; instead of gas leaks, school shootings (which tragically holds up so well currently ) Or episodes  like All In The Family or even Orion In the Sky that relied on relationships and great acting.

Edited April 1, 2018 by Gigi43

[Amethyst]

There's so many good points here, I can't keep up!

While I'm glad things are OK now, NW being a jerk to KM was nagl.  And to her credit, Kellie seems very sweet and gracious.  Regardless of casting, I can understand why being in an environment like that would be too much after losing someone.

I thought Lucy was a terrible student, but she and Carter actually did have a cute little moment when they kissed.  Oddly, I don't think Carter had a lot of romantic chemistry with the other actresses.  Still, Lucy just didn't work as a character.  She came off as being more clueless and inept than eager.  She never really found her place in the ER, so her getting a permanent psych rotation away from the ER actually would have worked, hehe.  

I fell for that Doug/Carol scene, cheesiness and all.  I remember when Susan returned, the nurses were telling her that Carol left without a word to join Doug in Seattle and they're very happy.  Susan was surprised because Carol hadn't told her.  

 

11 hours ago, doodlebug said:

We'd signed on for Anna, the character seemed nuanced and well written and the audience generally liked and accepted her.  Then. she was gone with no written sendoff and a new potential Carter love interest who wasn't nearly as interesting comes on and gets an entire episode right off the bat.  It set up the character to be judged and found lacking rather quickly.

Anna was underrated, but then again, Bello is an amazing actress.  Although I didn't get romantic vibes from her with Carter, she didn't need them.  I thought she could handle a plot on her own and the romance could come later.  She actually reminds me of Abby in a better way; someone who's hard edged, but I didn't want Anna to shut up.  There was a lot more to mine from Anna's character, and I'm sorry Maria left the show so soon.  You gotta do what you gotta do, though.

Agree that the focus on the "leads" were part of the show's downfall.  In the beginning, Mark may have led the ER, but it was definitely an ensemble.  By the end, you could tell who was being shoved to the front to lead things, like Abby and Luka.  Then Neela.  Who had numerous men in the ER falling for her for some reason.  Ray, Gallant, Dubenko, Gates... wow. Parminda is gorgeous, but even Doug didn't have all the women falling to his feet. 

Random thoughts:  Romantic pairings that should have been: Mark/Susan, Benton/Jeanie, Elizabeth/Romano.  Still feel that way.

More randomness: Eric Lockhart falling into Gamma's grave and Romano being killed by a helicopter have to be the most WTF moments ever in the show.  The funeral scene was like bad slapstick, I almost wanted someone to laugh at it because it was so insane.  Dude just went flailing in the hole.  Poor Gamma.  She deserved better.  

And Romano...seriously, who thought of that?  Romano losing his arm could have been a good plotline; an egomaniac who's forced to re-evaluate his life, but they just ran out of steam and didn't know what to do with him.  So a helicopter falls on his head.  After the dude loses his arm to a helicopter blade.  Talk about throwing something at the wall to see what would stick.

[debraran]

Yes, the only fault of ER  was it went on too long and it showed, but it had a long run, so that took time. Shows like MASH and some others were able to go out with more classy writing but also didn't have the staff turnover.  The first 7 seasons or so had so many great scenes, such good writing. I'm glad we can see it again with all the crap they have on today.

I don't remember that scene with Susan, haven't gotten to that season yet in re watching. but that was a little classless of her. lol   Guess if they married, no one was invited.  : )

[debraran]

13 hours ago, starri said:

If you've ever seen the episode of the PBS series Pioneers of Television that features ER, Noah Wiley told a story where a crew member had gotten sick when they were doing one of their location shoots in Africa, and he (Noah) was able to jump in and start an IV.

Thanks, I just watched that yesterday. I like how George took on TV Guide about not showing black actors on it's cover. Sometimes popularity has it's advantages and I'm glad he wrote his letters. I like the actress who played a young patient who said George was too old for her to like that way but she loved how he stuck up for Julienne when TPTB wanted her to lose weight (why I don't know)  She said that he said "Did they talk to her about her weight?" The other guy said Yes and George said "Did she tell them to go f**k themselves, and he said Yes, in which George said "Good!". 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

The final episode of ER aired 9 years ago today!

[doodlebug]

On ‎4‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 7:17 AM, debraran said:

Thanks, I just watched that yesterday. I like how George took on TV Guide about not showing black actors on it's cover. Sometimes popularity has it's advantages and I'm glad he wrote his letters. I like the actress who played a young patient who said George was too old for her to like that way but she loved how he stuck up for Julienne when TPTB wanted her to lose weight (why I don't know)  She said that he said "Did they talk to her about her weight?" The other guy said Yes and George said "Did she tell them to go f**k themselves, and he said Yes, in which George said "Good!". 

Love him or hate him, George has never been afraid to stand up for the underdog, say what he thinks and put his money where his mouth is.  A lot of integrity. 

[debraran]

5 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Love him or hate him, George has never been afraid to stand up for the underdog, say what he thinks and put his money where his mouth is.  A lot of integrity. 

I agree, he's never said "I'm perfect" but he does help a lot of people. His dad still lives in their old house (Letterman had a recent Netflix special on him) and it's nice to see how they stayed put and I hope George still has some of the small time boy in him. He says he remembers quite well having little but having a lot at the same time.

I haven't watched Green's funeral again (he just found out about tumor in the episode I'm on) but I thought Clooney was right about the press making him the focus if he came back, not the funeral but did they mention him at all, an excuse why he couldn't be there. They were so close on the show.

This was one of the articles on that young actress http://www.vulture.com/2018/02/george-clooney-was-as-charming-as-youd-hope-while-in-er.html

Edited April 2, 2018 by debraran

[doodlebug]

45 minutes ago, debraran said:

I agree, he's never said "I'm perfect" but he does help a lot of people. His dad still lives in their old house (Letterman had a recent Netflix special on him) and it's nice to see how they stayed put and I hope George still has some of the small time boy in him. He says he remembers quite well having little but having a lot at the same time.

I haven't watched Green's funeral again (he just found out about tumor in the episode I'm on) but I thought Clooney was right about the press making him the focus if he came back, not the funeral but did they mention him at all, an excuse why he couldn't be there. They were so close on the show.

This was one of the articles on that young actress http://www.vulture.com/2018/02/george-clooney-was-as-charming-as-youd-hope-while-in-er.html

There was never a word about Doug or Carol even being aware of Mark's death, let alone acknowledging their prior relationship.  They could've easily tossed in a line that Mark and Rachel had stopped in Seattle on their way to Hawaii and they said their goodbyes then.   Or, Carol was hugely pregnant and due at any moment so they couldn't make it to the funeral.  There were a dozen different ways it could've been handled without Clooney being present, alas, they made the worst possible choice, IMO, and just ignored it.

[debraran]

20 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

There was never a word about Doug or Carol even being aware of Mark's death, let alone acknowledging their prior relationship.  They could've easily tossed in a line that Mark and Rachel had stopped in Seattle on their way to Hawaii and they said their goodbyes then.   Or, Carol was hugely pregnant and due at any moment so they couldn't make it to the funeral.  There were a dozen different ways it could've been handled without Clooney being present, alas, they made the worst possible choice, IMO, and just ignored it.

I was hoping I just didn't remember it. Oh well. They missed making Carol say goodbye to those close friends she couldn't leave when Doug left, never mentioned her except to say she left, just thought a Xmas card with pics, a call being sent to Corday or someone saying they couldn't come. A character on one year, not too big of a deal, but 6 or 7, they loved each other, never understood that void if you didn't have to show them. Maybe they got paid if their name was used.  ; )

Edited April 2, 2018 by debraran

[Bastet]

I found Doug and Carol's absence far more distracting than their presence would have been; they wouldn't have caused any different reaction in me than did seeing Benton, Cleo, or Dr. Swift. 

I think my favorite guest appearance at the funeral is Dr. Swift (Michael Ironside) - it had been several years since he'd been at County, he wasn't there very long, and they weren't overly close, but "Jester" still showed up for "Goose's" funeral out of professional respect and that tickles me.

The Letter and On The Beach were on today, and I watched parts of both.  Carter reading the letter, and everyone else moving on but Susan catching his face when he reads the addendum from Elizabeth - I love that moment when she knows what it says from his reaction.  Also Kerry reading the letter, and later her watching Romano read it. 

[BooksRule]

I just watched the episode where Mark Greene treats his last patient (the little girl with the splinter who told him about Orion's Belt).  The episode was sad (and I know that there are a couple of more sad ones right after this one), but i had to laugh at this exchange:

Angry patient:  'I have a hangnail. And it's very painful.'  Greene: 'I have a brain tumor.  And it's inoperable.'  Patient (wide-eyed):  'What?'  Greene: 'I win.'  (walks away)

[BooksRule]

I'm watching the episodes I recorded yesterday (Mondays seem to consist of extra episodes nowadays) and managed to get through 'On the beach'.  I was reasonably okay until 'Somewhere over the rainbow' started, then I was distracted by the invisible beings who were cutting those weepy onions in my face.   

I know the next episode that I'm both anticipating and dreading is coming up soon--Romano's first encounter with a helicopter. 

[debraran]

8 hours ago, BooksRule said:

I'm watching the episodes I recorded yesterday (Mondays seem to consist of extra episodes nowadays) and managed to get through 'On the beach'.  I was reasonably okay until 'Somewhere over the rainbow' started, then I was distracted by the invisible beings who were cutting those weepy onions in my face.   

I know the next episode that I'm both anticipating and dreading is coming up soon--Romano's first encounter with a helicopter. 

I just watched Mark's operation, done pretty well I think for a TV shot. The questions they ask, the trouble he had, pretty realistic and it made me sad knowing the future but enjoyed his temporary exhale. I really liked their joking about the "tumor board" Sometimes you just  have to have some levity.  From IMDb:

Dr. Mark Greene: I can't believe they call it a tumor board.

Dr. Elizabeth Corday: Why? They discuss tumors.

Dr. Mark Greene: Think they'd come up with something less esoteric.

Dr. Elizabeth Corday: Like what?

Dr. Mark Greene: I don't know, like "You're completely boned" board.

Dr. Elizabeth Corday: I heard they used to call it the "Poor bastard" board, but too many people kept showing up.

Dr. Mark Greene: Someone told me they tried "Take me out back and shoot me now" Board for awhile.

Dr. Elizabeth Corday: It didn't stick?

Dr. Mark Greene: No, surprisingly.

Dr. Elizabeth Corday: Why not?

Dr. Mark Greene: Too many letters I guess.

Dr. Elizabeth Corday: Hmm. I see.

Dr. Mark Greene: Elizabeth?

[pauses]

Dr. Elizabeth Corday: Will we have this baby either way?

Dr. Mark Greene: What?

Dr. Mark Greene: If that man comes out, and tells me we won't beat it, will we still have the baby?

Dr. Elizabeth Corday: Of course.

[TigersWin]

I am in the second half of season 14, but have not watched in a few weeks.  Is it worth it to watch the rest of 14 and season 15 which are sitting in my DVR?

[WendyCR72]

S15 has a lot of callbacks and visits from the original cast, Elizabeth, etc. That season, anyway, is worth a view.

[tallykat]

I have just found ER on Hulu and am slogging through the first season. Mmm, maybe slogging shouldn't be the term I use. I have enjoyed revisiting the first season since it's the farthest from my memory. I'm not sure when I stopped watching the first time, but it was probably around the time Mark died--gosh, maybe even just before if you can believe it! 

I am Team Carter all the way, but having read some of the comments, I wonder if I am going to like it all the second time around. He was the heart of the ER for me. Having all the drama compressed with binging might make me feel differently about it all. 

I just finished watching Love's Labor Lost. Time sure changes your perspective. My mom is 80 and living with us and because she is a fall risk, she has had to move to a downstairs bedroom. Hearing Jackie say "Well, Peter, it was bound to happen sometime..." Call Doug Ross to come slap her up the side of the head! Someone should report them to social services for allowing someone post-stroke to be in an upstairs bedroom! Peter's fault was not agreeing to have mom put in an ALF before this happened--well, it's really on Jackie, since she was her mother's primary caregiver. It didn't have to be a unanimous decision. And then the baby story. I worked in Labor and Delivery for many years and I can hand-wave a lot of the medical stuff, and really, there's not that much medical stuff you have to hand-wave, but I just could not get into the story because it was totally unbelievable. As soon as the patient was diagnosed with eclampsia she should have been taken to L&D. No way would she have been induced in the ER--if at all--talk about a no-question-about-it need for a cesarean delivery! She had already had a seizure! L&D was too busy to take a critical OB patient? I would have just rolled her right on up there. That said, there were some great moments and I'll just imagine that they all went up to L&D and kept taking care of her up there, because I don't think it would have made a difference in her care, except she would have had the c-section sooner. But Carter standing there with his hand deep in mom's belly, compressing her aorta (although I'm not sure why with an abruption) and watching the emotions on his and Chen's faces. 

Hopefully will finish up the first season soon, but just thinking that getting through all the seasons will be a 6-month project! Never liked Doug. Am not really liking Carol. Really? You can't understand why you aren't allowed to adopt a child when you are just nine months post-suicide attempt? And I thought that Mark actually did move to Kenosha for a year but it didn't work out. Funny that it was the crazy guy that suggested it. Jen had a point about everything being about him for the last 7 years, but hey, Jen, guess what? Your husband is a doctor! They were really both too selfish to make it work. 

Reading all the comments about all the negative things that happened on the show, I'm going to try and focus on the positive--like when, um, you know, that one, um...I'm sure there's something.

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, TigersWin said:

I am in the second half of season 14, but have not watched in a few weeks.  Is it worth it to watch the rest of 14 and season 15 which are sitting in my DVR?

I think you may want to watch at least the last couple episodes of 14 and then most or all of 15. It kind of depends on who/what you liked on the show.

Watching the beginning of 15, you'll see Pratt's exit and then Abby's.  Pratt's exit episode is particularly compelling.  If you are a big fan of the early days, there are guest appearances from Morgenstern in there and Jeannie, too.  Starting with Carter's return in The Beginning of the End in Season 15, I would definitely watch them all.

In any event, no matter how much the show's quality declined over the years, I think it's still head and shoulders above almost every other medical drama out there, even at the end.

 

Season 14, Episode 11.  Status Quo. Jeannie returns

Season 15, Episode 1. Life after Death.  Pratt's last episode

Season 15, Episode 3.  The Book of Abby.  Abby leaves

Season 15, Episode 7.  Heal Thyself.  Mark returns via flashback

Season 15, Episode 14.  A Long Strange Trip.  Morgenstern returns

Season 15, Episode 15. The Beginning of the End.  Carter is back, as is Elizabeth

Season 15, Episode 19. Old Times. Carter and Benton together again!  Doug and Carol!

Season 15, Episode 20.  Neela leaves (Parminder Nagra very pregnant).  Ray appears

Season 15, Episode 22&23.  And In the End, Parts 1&2.  The finale.  Lots of appearances including Reese, Corday, Benton, Susan, Kerry, Kem and Carter

Edited April 4, 2018 by doodlebug
to add in info on specific episodes

[BooksRule]

Quote

In any event, no matter how much the show's quality declined over the years, I think it's still head and shoulders above almost every other medical drama out there, even at the end.

I agree.  I think I quit watching the first time sometime after Carter and Kem (sp?) got back from Africa.  Maybe I watched a little longer, but no plotlines stick with me, so it'll be like watching them new.  And the later episodes will be new to me.  I plan to watch until the bitter end.

I watched Romano get chopped while I was eating breakfast this morning.  Very graphic scene for those days, I thought. I remember when I saw it for the first time (back before you could replay a scene via DVR) and was totally 'did I just see what I thought I saw?' frame of mind. 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

A Tribute To ‘ER’ Doctors Benton And Carter, A Pair For The Ages

"Both Benton and Carter shone plenty as solo characters — which they mostly were after the end of season three, when Carter quit surgery to specialize in emergency medicine — but it was in their interplay that both truly came alive, and became the strongest relationship ER ever had. It wasn’t a romance, and it wasn’t even really a friendship, because the two didn’t socialize and would have been uncomfortable if they had. It was a straightforward mentor/protege combination, pairing two men with opposite but complementary temperaments — Benton the gruff genius, Carter the warm social butterfly — to bring each other to heights they couldn’t scale alone."

[Drapers4thWife]

I'm currently on season 8 of my Hulu rewatch. It's very interesting to see how my opinions have changed since I was a teenager and watched the show as it originally aired. I remember having a George Clooney magazine cutout on my junior high Trapper Keeper! Doug was the best - but now as an adult I'm kinda over the "he doesn't play by the RULES!" cliche and found myself frustrated with how Doug was always going off half-cocked, damn the consequences. Doug and Carol were also a lot less awesome than I remembered. 

Peter/Elizabeth, who I remember finding bo-ring in the original run, I actually enjoyed this time around. She made Peter laugh! She really seemed to bring out a softer side that we rarely saw in Peter. Similarly I dug Abby/Carter because with him, Abby actually had fun! She laughed and they did goofy things together. With Luka it was just misery, misery, misery. Their pillow talk was even about his dead wife ("Was your wife pretty?") Also, I totally don't remember the brief subplot with Julie Delpy as the klepto wannabe nurse's aide who Luka "rescued" and started having sex with after two minutes of knowing her. Then she got pregnant. Luka, you dumb cluck. 

Speaking of Peter, I really enjoyed him this time around. As a kid I thought he was the ultimate killjoy but they did a great job showing him growing in small ways (like as a father) but keeping it true to his character. And of course, him and Carter are everything. Michael Michele though is completely charisma free in every thing I've ever seen her in, including ER. 

Carter, BTW, my little ray of sunshine! Far and away my favorite character this time around. It's going to be a struggle when I get to the Wyle-less seasons. Don't really care about his girlfriends. I'm here for Carter with Peter and GAMMA! I love Carter's relationship with his grandmother and we all know she's the #1 woman in his heart forever, right? Good. I couldn't wait and watched the clip on Youtube and saw when he told Abby Gamma died. So what if I cried? 

My favorite episode remains "All in the Family." The stabbing itself at the end of "Be Still My Heart" is the clearest memory I have from the original ER. I still remember the shock of the stabbing and him seeing Lucy - and then we had to wait a WEEK! Everyone else has already gone over why that episode where we see the team actually work on Carter and Lucy was the best. I won't repeat it, but I just finished the S8 episode "Beyond Repair" where the stabber comes back in the ER after falling on the ice and getting a minor head wound. We find out he's now medicated and on conditional release, working in an office and has a toddler with his wife. God, the scene where Carter recognizes his voice in the hallway is a gut punch (Abby tried unsuccessfully to get the guy moved and also to keep Carter away). The look on Carter's face when he saw the attacker with his family and the guy apologized to Carter, telling him he'd been sick was "okay now," was incredible. Carter's face was heartbreaking because he was simultaneously frozen and also you could tell he wanted to scream, "Well, Lucy's NOT OKAY and I'm NOT OKAY but I'm so glad you're really fucking okay and have moved on with your wonderful life!" Instead he just mumbles, "I'm glad you're okay" and goes to the bathroom to puke. It's even more heartbreaking because Carter is left with lifelong kidney problems and eventually has to have a kidney transplant because of the attack.