All Episodes Talk: What's Up Doc?

[debraran]

1 hour ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

Anyone else watching the reunion live? I’m having a ton of fun already! So much nostalgia. :)

missed some but will watch it again. ; ) I haven't seen many but this was the BEST of the bunch.

Edited April 23, 2021 by debraran

[Cloud9Shopper]

The reunion really just reminded me why this show is timeless and how the few medical shows I’ve tried since don’t even compare. (I do like New Amsterdam but even that isn’t as good as ER.) I just love this whole cast together and the appreciation they have for the work they did and barriers broken. 

[debraran]

6 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

The reunion really just reminded me why this show is timeless and how the few medical shows I’ve tried since don’t even compare. (I do like New Amsterdam but even that isn’t as good as ER.) I just love this whole cast together and the appreciation they have for the work they did and barriers broken. 

I agree, nothing compares to ER which is why Covid isolation brought a lot of new fans. I barely noticed the lack of technology on re-watch because they didn't need it. Sure the quality of the show ebbed once the core left but that wasn't the fault of the actors, it was the scripts. I watch New Amsterdam but find parts of it predictable and boring but it's a feel good show. Chicago Med is a soap opera and except for one actor, I can FF through most so I  stopped watching.

I will watch what I missed this weekend but did they say why many of the other docs didn't come? Eriq I heard Noah mention (and I know they are close) but Omar (Gant) or Archie?  Yvette (Haleh)? I loved the core they did have but maybe next show. For many fans, they were the concrete base others stood on along with Eriq. I know they would have showed the wonderful scene with him and Noah going to rehab and before and maybe the last one with him giving him the token. ; )

Unlike others I watched, they were respectful, funny, (so funny) and no one talked over others. Very sincere camaraderie. I haven't spent 90 minutes smiling so much in my life.

 

 

Edited April 23, 2021 by debraran

[Quof]

Damn, I am loving this reunion. George might be accused of taking over, but he really is just a leader. And so damned charming.  He isn't interrupting or speaking over anyone, and the others seem to be happy to listen to him tell stories.  I can't recall an episode of SITH when the hosts have spoken so little. 

And they are talking about a Part II, because there are so many people and so many stories. 

[debraran]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CM442JPD7rq/

Great pic from Noah's instagram. Eriq took it.

[ch1]

I would love to see a reunion that includes Noah and Eric. The original six is when I was addicted to this show and seeing them together you can see why this show was a hit.  The writing was there but so was the cast chemistry.  I cracked up at George and the others saying they couldn’t believe it’s been 25 years and AE responding “yeah, that’s because it’s been 26.”  Lol.

 

[Cloud9Shopper]

30 minutes ago, ch1 said:

I would love to see a reunion that includes Noah and Eric. The original six is when I was addicted to this show and seeing them together you can see why this show was a hit.  The writing was there but so was the cast chemistry.  I cracked up at George and the others saying they couldn’t believe it’s been 25 years and AE responding “yeah, that’s because it’s been 26.”  Lol.

 

I’m with you. I really hope we get that Part 2 where a few more people can make it. It was so amazing to see even smaller players like the nurses. My mom and sister are nurses (and my grandmother is a retired RN; I had no desire to hop on that train LOL) and I loved all the background nurses back in the day. It was fun to remember what made the show great, especially since I’m on the time and mood suck known as S14 in my rewatch. It made me miss the days where the characters did have problems and challenges in their lives but you could still appreciate their stories. Not like these days where I’m tempted to fast forward and get back to the good times. 

[justduckey]

I thoroughly enjoyed the reunion! Smiled the whole two hours! Wish Shery and Eriq had been there but it was lovely.

[debraran]

9 minutes ago, justduckey said:

I thoroughly enjoyed the reunion! Smiled the whole two hours! Wish Shery and Eriq had been there but it was lovely.

I would love to see Eriq and Sherry next time, Paul McCrane and Yvette Freeman. Showing scenes like the stabbing death with Lucy with Paul and Laura Innes.

I smiled at the "Dorian Grey" comment from Clooney, "I'm aging and you all are getting younger" So true, lol, but they don't have 2 year old twins. I also laughed, when he said his wife is watching ER now, and wondering when he gets better behaved. : )

[SoMuchTV]

How are y’all watching this reunion?  Do you need some kind of access beyond basic YouTube? All I can find is a still photo of the cast that appears to be about 2 hours 

 

okay ... apparently there are several minutes at the beginning before it actually starts up? Am I looking at the right thing?

[Cloud9Shopper]

8 minutes ago, SoMuchTV said:

How are y’all watching this reunion?  Do you need some kind of access beyond basic YouTube? All I can find is a still photo of the cast that appears to be about 2 hours 

 

okay ... apparently there are several minutes at the beginning before it actually starts up? Am I looking at the right thing?

If you go on People’s YouTube channel you should still be able to see it. That’s how I watched it. 

[Quof]

Go to Starsinthehouse.com.  It will link to their Youtube channel, where you can see every episode.

[doodlebug]

10 hours ago, SoMuchTV said:

How are y’all watching this reunion?  Do you need some kind of access beyond basic YouTube? All I can find is a still photo of the cast that appears to be about 2 hours 

 

okay ... apparently there are several minutes at the beginning before it actually starts up? Am I looking at the right thing?

There are about 5 minutes or so before it starts on YouTube.  Apparently the hosts were late.  The reunion itself is a slice of heaven for ER fans.

[debraran]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

There are about 5 minutes or so before it starts on YouTube.  Apparently the hosts were late.  The reunion itself is a slice of heaven for ER fans.

George was the late, lol, but it was 1am and he did make an entrance. They lost him at the end and he came back on until the end, a true class act.

Edited April 24, 2021 by debraran

[Birdie]

I am one of those “new generation watchers” JM spoke of - I watched ER for the first time as a HS senior a couple of years ago. It was a nostalgia thing for my mother; sort of a “here’s what I dug when I was your age” type of thing as ER premiered during HER senior HS year. But it was the first time my mom watched the whole series.

But JM is right regarding the show’s technology: I totally didn’t really notice the ancient or lack of technology. I don’t think I really noticed the missing cell phones in the early seasons until that guy, Susan’s patient with the giant ass brick looking one, or when I saw Benton using the pay phone. But the giant change in technology from then to now doesn’t take away from the show at all; I’ve always maintained the earlier seasons are my favorites. I guess that’s one way the show is timeless.

And Carter’s speech from Lockdown. Damn, how appropriate is it for now. “It’s not about taking away your rights; it’s about keeping you safe.” 

I loved all the banter between all of them. GC obv talked way more than everyone else, but it wasn’t in a rude way, and every thing he said was nearly always lifting somebody else up and giving kudos to someone else. Or telling a hilarious story. 😄

Omg, the clip they showed of him as the long-haired “police officer by day, rockstar by night”! He’s like, “I don’t know why it didn’t take off.” 😂

When they mentioned Deezer D, I had been thinking, “I would so love to have him here as a part of this.” I bet he would’ve had some fun stories to tell and great things to say. 😢 

I would love a part 2 with McCrane, La Salle, Stringfield, Freeman, Gedde Watanabe, Sharif Atkins, and Benrubi. And the woman who played surgical nurse Shirley all those years!

But, yeah, I really enjoyed those 2 hours. 😊

Edited April 24, 2021 by Birdie

[Dr.OO7]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/george-clooney-jokes-wife-amal-062854463.html

[doodlebug]

21 hours ago, Birdie said:

I am one of those “new generation watchers” JM spoke of - I watched ER for the first time as a HS senior a couple of years ago. It was a nostalgia thing for my mother; sort of a “here’s what I dug when I was your age” type of thing as ER premiered during HER senior HS year. But it was the first time my mom watched the whole series.

But JM is right regarding the show’s technology: I totally didn’t really notice the ancient or lack of technology. I don’t think I really noticed the missing cell phones in the early seasons until that guy, Susan’s patient with the giant ass brick looking one, or when I saw Benton using the pay phone. But the giant change in technology from then to now doesn’t take away from the show at all; I’ve always maintained the earlier seasons are my favorites. I guess that’s one way the show is timeless.

And Carter’s speech from Lockdown. Damn, how appropriate is it for now. “It’s not about taking away your rights; it’s about keeping you safe.” 

I loved all the banter between all of them. GC obv talked way more than everyone else, but it wasn’t in a rude way, and every thing he said was nearly always lifting somebody else up and giving kudos to someone else. Or telling a hilarious story. 😄

Omg, the clip they showed of him as the long-haired “police officer by day, rockstar by night”! He’s like, “I don’t know why it didn’t take off.” 😂

When they mentioned Deezer D, I had been thinking, “I would so love to have him here as a part of this.” I bet he would’ve had some fun stories to tell and great things to say. 😢 

I would love a part 2 with McCrane, La Salle, Stringfield, Freeman, Gedde Watanabe, Sharif Atkins, and Benrubi. And the woman who played surgical nurse Shirley all those years!

But, yeah, I really enjoyed those 2 hours. 😊

It was so enjoyable and it was wonderful to see the camaraderie between all of them.  It was obvious that they knew the show was something special, that it was a life-changing experience; and they all appreciated it and still have  great love and friendship between them.

I'd love to see a reunion of the non-main cast, too.  It was too bad they had audio problems in the second hour when the nurses were there.  I'd love to see an hour with Conni, Lydia and Laura along with Yvette (Haleh), Lily, Abe (Jerry), Jorja (Randi) and so on.  They could even bring on some of the occasionally seen doctors like the woman who played the pathologist or the radiologist or the anesthesiologist.

[WendyCR72]

10 hours ago, doodlebug said:

Jorja (Randi)

Just a heads up.  😊  Jorja Fox played Dr. Maggie Doyle (and is returning for the CSI reboot). Randi was played by Kristin Minter.

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

Just a head's up.  😊  Jorja Fox played Dr. Maggie Doyle (and is returning for the CSI reboot). Randi was played by Kristin Minter.

Sorry, you're absolutely correct.  Maggie was another great character and I wish she'd have stayed and made main cast.

[debraran]

I wasn't a Rosie fan but caught this old ER special on youtube. Once you watch one thing, similar crops up. Nothing like the reunion show, but nice to see them years ago too.

 

[Driad]

What was the episode in which they desperately needed a rare blood type (maybe AB-), Carter said he had it, and a nurse went after him with a big needle (12 or 14 gauge)?  

Thinking of this because I just got a vaccine and barely felt the injection because the needle was so narrow (gauge 25, I asked).

[debraran]

2 hours ago, Driad said:

What was the episode in which they desperately needed a rare blood type (maybe AB-), Carter said he had it, and a nurse went after him with a big needle (12 or 14 gauge)?  

Thinking of this because I just got a vaccine and barely felt the injection because the needle was so narrow (gauge 25, I asked).

I remember the Good Fight but that was when Carter and Lucy went looking for a dad with rare blood type. I can't remember that one.

[ESS]

6 hours ago, Driad said:

What was the episode in which they desperately needed a rare blood type (maybe AB-), Carter said he had it, and a nurse went after him with a big needle (12 or 14 gauge)?  

Thinking of this because I just got a vaccine and barely felt the injection because the needle was so narrow (gauge 25, I asked).

It was in season 6 I believe it was the Humpty Dumpty episode. Can't remember the number though. 

[debraran]

6 hours ago, ESS said:

It was in season 6 I believe it was the Humpty Dumpty episode. Can't remember the number though. 

Good memory, I remember this episode more because of the rape victim and Alan Alda's last show.

https://er.fandom.com/wiki/Humpty_Dumpty

[ESS]

3 hours ago, debraran said:

Good memory, I remember this episode more because of the rape victim and Alan Alda's last show.

https://er.fandom.com/wiki/Humpty_Dumpty

Yes I tend to have a great memory. 

[Birdie]

Carter is O-; they needed more universal donor blood. I only remember because I am O- as well, and I try to donate whenever I’m able. Both because I can give to everyone and because it’s the only kind I can take, lol.

[Dr.OO7]

4 hours ago, Birdie said:

Carter is O-; they needed more universal donor blood. I only remember because I am O- as well, and I try to donate whenever I’m able. Both because I can give to everyone and because it’s the only kind I can take, lol.

Same here. I've been donating for 25 years. The Red Cross and NY Blood Donors practically harass me every few months. Plus, I have a resistance factor to CMV, so they especially want/need my blood for certain patients.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/julianna-margulies-tells-oprah-why-145925128.html

Edited April 28, 2021 by Dr.OO7

[Cloud9Shopper]

I’m up to Owner of a Broken Heart on my rewatch and I’d read spoilers and seen clips and such so I kind of knew what was going to happen with the Abby fiasco that never ends and I felt uncomfortable with a minor part of the story here. 
 

Now I admit to not knowing much about AA and sponsorship and such beyond what I Googled for a few minutes when I thought having Coburn be Abby’s sponsor was a good storyline. But would it be normal in real life for Luka to hunt down Coburn the way he did and ask what Abby said to her? And OMG I was so icked out with how he rubbed her own addiction in her face with “your husband left you and you’ve been alone ever since.” Yeah Luka. Last I looked you and Abby aren’t exactly living in paradise and don’t seem in love even without Abby’s relapse. I mean you had to like force a wedding on her. Yeah that screams you having the right to lecture everyone else on marriage and “collateral damage.” These two are about the LAST people that should be getting in Coburn’s face about her life. (Hey Luka, let’s talk to Erin Harkins about the collateral damage when you nearly killed her in a car accident in S9, OK?) And I laughed in the beginning when she shows up to pick up Abby and Abby acts in disdain about it as if Coburn came over to be like hey Abby did you clean your room and do the dishes yet? Abby should consider herself lucky her sponsor didn’t bail on her eight or nine episodes ago when she was lying about going to AA. (I’m guessing a sponsor isn’t like an obligation type of thing but correct me if I’m wrong.) 

Sorry if I’m being mean. I know that part of addiction is the denial about the problem (until the addict admits they need help) and that making amends feels hard. But this whole thing just feels absurd to me now that I’m seeing it. I wish Coburn’s recovery could have somehow been a storyline instead. At least she’s not a ball of misery suck and has kept it together. I like her way more now since it seems like she’s about the only person in that hospital who didn’t fall at Abby’s feet to call her the best wife and the best mother and the best friend County’s ever known. (Over on Reddit, when we were talking about Abby admitting her addiction to the staff, everyone was mad at Sam for demanding to know if Abby drank at work and blaming her for Joe being preemie, when Sam didn’t ask to be taken hostage anymore than Abby didn’t ask to have a preemie baby and traumatic birth.) Look if these were real people and I needed life advice I’d ask the person who was 12 years sober and not Abby and Luka. JMO. 
 

This brings me to another question about how the show covered addiction back in S7 when Carter was coming back. Why does he go to AA and not NA? Was he having a drinking problem too and it just wasn’t mentioned? I know he was told in his terms of supervision he could do either AA or NA but maybe ER just did it that way to set up the whole Abby as Carter’s sponsor thing. 
 

I just watched Morris tase himself and I swear I’d rather watch that for an hour than this Abby and Luka crap. (And that Frank line about how Morris isn’t going to have anymore kids as a service to mankind...ha!) Seems like it’s going to keep dragging until the S14 finale though. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 

Edited May 1, 2021 by Cloud9Shopper

[Birdie]

1 hour ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

But would it be normal in real life for Luka to hunt down Coburn the way he did and ask what Abby said to her? And OMG I was so icked out with how he rubbed her own addiction in her face with “your husband left you and you’ve been alone ever since.”

Let me preface my responses with I don’t have first hand knowledge of AA or NA or any addiction rehab program. I’m sure some spouses might do this, but the sponsors, if put in that position, should do what Coburn did. (I think) she kept Abby’s confidence, and told Luka to talk to her himself. As far as Luka’s comment about her husband, uh, well, Luka, perhaps her husband leaving was a blessing for her, and being alone and focusing on herself allows her to continue her sobriety as well as provide support to your wife - even when it appeared Abby didn’t really want her support because it meant confronting her faults. Like the worst thing for a woman is to not have a man in her life 🙄.

I am by no means a Sam fan at all, but she was well within reason to confront Abby and ask if she’d ever been drunk at work. We see that she has as they show a flashback to some episode to where Abby’s uncharacteristically addled and clumsy in a trauma. 

1 hour ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

This brings me to another question about how the show covered addiction back in S7 when Carter was coming back. Why does he go to AA and not NA? Was he having a drinking problem too and it just wasn’t mentioned? I know he was told in his terms of supervision he could do either AA or NA but maybe ER just did it that way to set up the whole Abby as Carter’s sponsor thing

I don’t think there’s mention of Carter having a drinking problem; I think he abstains from drinking (for the most part - he does drink that champagne with Gamma in honor of his grandfather) as a part of abstaining from narcotics. I guess he figures it’d be easier to abstain because now it’s been established he has an “addictive personality” - he could probably easily develop a drinking problem. Remember, he wouldn’t even take OTC painkillers when Susan told him at yoga “if he was gonna be a tough guy about pain, he couldn’t complain” before she knew what he’d been through. I think him going to AA was just a means to bring him and Abby together. I mean, if this were a smaller town that only had an AA meeting to go to rather than NA, I would think any meeting is helpful, but, yeah, Chicago is going to def have NA meetings too. And ER decided to completely ignore the rule about sponsors can’t be of the opposite sex (something Abby herself even tells Carter). So, yeah, a ploy to bring Carby to fruition.

[debraran]

On 4/28/2021 at 11:49 AM, Dr.OO7 said:

Same here. I've been donating for 25 years. The Red Cross and NY Blood Donors practically harass me every few months. Plus, I have a resistance factor to CMV, so they especially want/need my blood for certain patients.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/julianna-margulies-tells-oprah-why-145925128.html

Re the interview, how were they going to play out Doug and Carol that long? I can't imagine being paid 27 million to play a nurse who is in constant angst, lol.  That said, we made up better plots on this site for where Doug went (like Doctor without Borders) to make it seem more realistic but 2 years added to that? The kids would be walking and talking. Well, I'm glad she left for that reason. The show was starting to get shaky, that would have been way too crazy.

Edited May 1, 2021 by debraran

[Cloud9Shopper]

8 hours ago, Birdie said:

Let me preface my responses with I don’t have first hand knowledge of AA or NA or any addiction rehab program. I’m sure some spouses might do this, but the sponsors, if put in that position, should do what Coburn did. (I think) she kept Abby’s confidence, and told Luka to talk to her himself. As far as Luka’s comment about her husband, uh, well, Luka, perhaps her husband leaving was a blessing for her, and being alone and focusing on herself allows her to continue her sobriety as well as provide support to your wife - even when it appeared Abby didn’t really want her support because it meant confronting her faults. Like the worst thing for a woman is to not have a man in her life 🙄.

I am by no means a Sam fan at all, but she was well within reason to confront Abby and ask if she’d ever been drunk at work. We see that she has as they show a flashback to some episode to where Abby’s uncharacteristically addled and clumsy in a trauma. 

You must be in my mind. I am experimenting with fic writing again (I found out the other day I’m WFH until September so I seem to have a lot of free time still!) and your first paragraph theory is exactly how I imagined Coburn being. :) My parents are divorced for reasons not related to addiction (although TBH I was about seven when they split so I don’t really know the reason why), and I’m (mostly) happy as a single person. A marriage like Abby and Luka’s seems way worse to me than being by yourself! 
 

And I agree. Abby strikes me as someone who didn’t particularly want the support or the recovery. Yeah you can say that her denialism initially (lying about meetings, trying to convince Coburn she’s not an alcoholic) and panic about going to Luka is the disease, but from talking to my mom who works in this field, even when someone is sick with an addiction, sometimes people just don’t want help or truly want to change. I’ve heard more than one story about people who could be real-life Abbys and seem to not give a damn about changing or even being in rehab to begin with. Abby goes to rehab, which I don’t have a problem with, but she just seems to still demand that everyone should accept that she wronged them and be OK with all the crappy things she did to them. I started Truth Will Out last night and actually kinda was on Luka’s side when he asked her if she thought coming to Croatia and telling him about Moretti would make everything happy again. 

Maybe Sam could have handled her question differently and asked Abby in private at work, or Sam could have gone to Pratt or that review board and said something. I’m not a Sam fan either but she did have the right to know. But something tells me Pratt would have blown it off anyway because he seemed to be on the side of assuring Abby she was so wonderful. I mean, do we all make mistakes? Yeah. But some mistakes carry more weight than others. It’s not like Abby just tripped and dropped a coffee. She was horrible to Neela, her sponsor and put patients at risk and cheated on her husband. Not everyone will want to hug her and assure her it’s all better now because she’s so terrific.  

[doodlebug]

19 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I’m up to Owner of a Broken Heart on my rewatch and I’d read spoilers and seen clips and such so I kind of knew what was going to happen with the Abby fiasco that never ends and I felt uncomfortable with a minor part of the story here. 
 

Now I admit to not knowing much about AA and sponsorship and such beyond what I Googled for a few minutes when I thought having Coburn be Abby’s sponsor was a good storyline. But would it be normal in real life for Luka to hunt down Coburn the way he did and ask what Abby said to her? 

This brings me to another question about how the show covered addiction back in S7 when Carter was coming back. Why does he go to AA and not NA? Was he having a drinking problem too and it just wasn’t mentioned? I know he was told in his terms of supervision he could do either AA or NA but maybe ER just did it that way to set up the whole Abby as Carter’s sponsor thing. 
 

I just watched Morris tase himself and I swear I’d rather watch that for an hour than this Abby and Luka crap. (And that Frank line about how Morris isn’t going to have anymore kids as a service to mankind...ha!) Seems like it’s going to keep dragging until the S14 finale though. Thanks for coming to my TED talk. 

I'm not a member of AA or NA, but know quite a few people, both family and friends who are.  In real life, the A for Anonymous is a real thing.  Members are not to discuss other members outside of the meeting.  Technically, Luka should not even have known the name of Abby's sponsor unless Coburn gave permission for Abby to tell him.  Obviously, that could've happened since they all worked at the same place, but in many cases, a spouse wouldn't even know who the sponsor was let alone confront them.  Sponsors do so voluntarily, just as membership in AA/NA is voluntary, so Coburn got nothing out of sponsoring Abby except paying forward since she had a sponsor who helped her when she joined.

A lot of NA people attend AA meetings simply because there are a whole lot more AA meetings than NA.  The 12 steps are the same, the way alcoholics and drug addicts think and behave are very similar.  In Carter's case, he was still a resident, working around 80 hours a week.  He simply might not have been able to find an NA meeting at a time and location that worked for him.  And, yes, for the show, it was a way for him to get involved with Abby.

I'm in the medical field where there are a lot of people who are narcotics addicts.  Virtually all the ones I know go to AA meetings and always have.  I have a physician friend who is an addict; I was his friend both before and after he sought treatment.  Meanwhile, my father had a very close friend who was very active in AA, did a lot of work for the organization, had been a member for over 40 years, was very open about his involvement.  I happened to get together with my dad and his friend one time and his friend said, 'I saw T last week, he told me to give you his best'.  I didn't know how my dad's friend could possibly know him and I asked.  'We've got a mutual friend' my dad's buddy said and then I realized where they would've met.  'Oh, Bill W?'  'That's right'. Gotcha.

Edited May 1, 2021 by doodlebug

[Cloud9Shopper]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

I'm not a member of AA or NA, but know quite a few people, both family and friends who are.  In real life, the A for Anonymous is a real thing.  Members are not to discuss other members outside of the meeting.  Technically, Luka should not even have known the name of Abby's sponsor unless Coburn gave permission for Abby to tell him.  Obviously, that could've happened since they all worked at the same place, but in many cases, a spouse wouldn't even know who the sponsor was let alone confront them.  Sponsors do so voluntarily, just as membership in AA/NA is voluntary, so Coburn got nothing out of sponsoring Abby except paying forward since she had a sponsor who helped her when she joined.

A lot of NA people attend AA meetings simply because there are a whole lot more AA meetings than NA.  The 12 steps are the same, the way alcoholics and drug addicts think and behave are very similar.  In Carter's case, he was still a resident, working around 80 hours a week.  He simply might not have been able to find an NA meeting at a time and location that worked for him.  And, yes, for the show, it was a way for him to get involved with Abby.

I'm in the medical field where there are a lot of people who are narcotics addicts.  Virtually all the ones I know go to AA meetings and always have.  I have a physician friend who is an addict; I was his friend both before and after he sought treatment.  Meanwhile, my father had a very close friend who was very active in AA, did a lot of work for the organization, had been a member for over 40 years, was very open about his involvement.  I happened to get together with my dad and his friend one time and his friend said, 'I saw T last week, he told me to give you his best'.  I didn't know how my dad's friend could possibly know him and I asked.  'We've got a mutual friend' my dad's buddy said and then I realized where they would've met.  'Oh, Bill W?'  'That's right'. Gotcha.

Thanks as always for the helpful explanation. :) Definitely confirms my feeling that even if Luka did know who Abby’s sponsor was, he still acted inappropriately. I’ll put this episode into my “once was enough” pile on my next rewatch and skip it, ha. I honestly can’t believe they got married and reproduced. Good lord. But keep judging other peoples’ lives, you two. 

[Hiyo]

Quote

Re the interview, how were they going to play out Doug and Carol that long? I can't imagine being paid 27 million to play a nurse who is in constant angst, lol.  That said, we made up better plots on this site for where Doug went (like Doctor without Borders) to make it seem more realistic but 2 years added to that? The kids would be walking and talking. Well, I'm glad she left for that reason. The show was starting to get shaky, that would have been way too crazy.

I imagine had she stayed, they might have explored her relationship with Luka further. Maybe she keep seeing Luka and then leaves at the end of season 8 to be with Doug anyway. Otherwise, the only other way Doug and Carol would have continued was Carol visiting him off-screen. Not sure how either would have been satisfying, it's one thing for Carol and Doug to reunite after being apart for a year, it would be another if they did so after 3 years of being apart.

[Dr.OO7]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/watch-julianna-margulies-explain-george-082700408.html

Apparently, they like to call each other "Doug" and "Carol".

[Cloud9Shopper]

I am so relieved my next episode is The Chicago Way and then I will be done with S14. With all due respect to anyone who likes Abby and her relapse storyline I don’t think I can watch any of it again. I could probably deal with the episodes up until Blackout and then ignore the rest of the season (minus a few episodes in the middle where Abby is in rehab/Croatia and MT must have been occupied with other projects and doesn’t appear) because of how much she dominates the screen. I just watched two episodes where she job searches and asks for phone numbers for other hospitals at work right in front of staff and brags about other job offers. Who does that? I mean maybe that’s normal but gosh have some professional tact especially since she just tracked down Anspaugh and demanded to be interviewed.

Even the jewelry heist/hostage storyline didn’t work for me. This guy who looks like the suspect is roaming the hospital, another employee brings in supplies and thinks the setting looks off and it’s just like OK then keep going. I did think Morris’ reaction in the next episode and not wanting to talk about it was very realistic though. 

This season also had me wondering what happened to the women of this show? I mean yeah Abby was a mess but you also have Neela crying in front of patients and having a meltdown over her intern quitting and Dubenko has to coddle her. It made me miss the early days when we had women like Susan 1.0, Anna, Maggie Doyle, pre-Mark angst Elizabeth, Hicks, even the background nurses, or geez, even Kerry when she was at her best moments. It made me miss the early days (and George Clooney even alluded to this at the reunion when he talked about Hicks as the attending being a new-ish concept when ER came out) when the women were flawed but still good at their jobs and confident. Now they’re moping and whining or having sex on the roof and don’t seem to care about getting their lives together. What a mess. I don’t think I ever would have guessed that Coburn was the character I’d like most after S14 but that’s how much the main cast seemed to not appeal to me at all and seemed miserable. 
 

I didn’t see S15 originally except for the series finale and have seen a limited amount of YouTube clips. I’m looking forward to seeing Banfield’s character and Pratt’s death...and I will be elated when I watch The Book of Abby, I’m sure. It’ll be good to watch all my old favorites and then go back to the beginning when the good times rolled. 

[Hiyo]

Quote

It made me miss the early days when we had women like Susan 1.0, Anna, Maggie Doyle, pre-Mark angst Elizabeth, Hicks, even the background nurses, or geez, even Kerry when she was at her best moments.

Wow, again no love for Jeanie or Carol?

[Cloud9Shopper]

36 minutes ago, Hiyo said:

Wow, again no love for Jeanie or Carol?

I did like Jeanie! I thought her interactions with Haleh were lovely when she returned in S14. TBH it’s probably one of the few S14 episodes I’ll rewatch. Carol is OK for me but went off the rails when she had the twins and the whole out of character thing with Doug not being there (which was already discussed pages back). 

Edited May 8, 2021 by Cloud9Shopper

[debraran]

On 5/8/2021 at 9:00 AM, Cloud9Shopper said:

I did like Jeanie! I thought her interactions with Haleh were lovely when she returned in S14. TBH it’s probably one of the few S14 episodes I’ll rewatch. Carol is OK for me but went off the rails when she had the twins and the whole out of character thing with Doug not being there (which was already discussed pages back). 

I liked Jeanne a lot and was mixed on her HIV status. I understand it was a hot issue at the time and having it brought out how others would treat her etc. but it also effected to some degree how much she was used and who she could date. That said, she was chased a lot even so. ; )  I am glad the actress said on the reunion show, she fought that she wouldn't be a statistic and be as healthy as possible. She didn't want to die like many others. I thought her character handled it well but then her story was cut short but I was happy to see her back years later.

Has anyone read Julianna's book? It's not gossipy and not too revealing but some enjoyed it. She gave copies to her ER pals.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/COtILlOBRsO/

Edited May 11, 2021 by debraran

[Cloud9Shopper]

I watched Pratt’s death arc for the first time last night. It made me sad that they built up the episode prior to him getting all this happy stuff (picking out a ring for his girlfriend, his brother getting into med school, nailing his chief interview) only to kill him in the next episode. I liked at the end of Life After Death when they all raised the mozzarella sticks to him....I almost choked up at that. And again, Morris does a good job at portraying grief/denial when talking to Pratt’s girlfriend. 

I think this was said many pages ago but I feel surprised that there were only five major character deaths on this show. It feels like way more to me because of the grand manners in which they were done (stabbing, helicopter crash, exploding ambulance, and Gallant in Iraq). Plus it feels like everyone wanted their character to die at the end. All the explosions and crashes and hostage crises do get to be a bit much for me after a while even if we are talking about Chicago.

I’m looking forward to seeing Angela Basset’s character now (didn’t see her episodes at all in the original airing) and saying good riddance to Abby in two more episodes. I’m sure the show will be a relief to watch once I get past 15-3. 
 

[debraran]

50 minutes ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I watched Pratt’s death arc for the first time last night. It made me sad that they built up the episode prior to him getting all this happy stuff (picking out a ring for his girlfriend, his brother getting into med school, nailing his chief interview) only to kill him in the next episode. I liked at the end of Life After Death when they all raised the mozzarella sticks to him....I almost choked up at that. And again, Morris does a good job at portraying grief/denial when talking to Pratt’s girlfriend. 

I think this was said many pages ago but I feel surprised that there were only five major character deaths on this show. It feels like way more to me because of the grand manners in which they were done (stabbing, helicopter crash, exploding ambulance, and Gallant in Iraq). Plus it feels like everyone wanted their character to die at the end. All the explosions and crashes and hostage crises do get to be a bit much for me after a while even if we are talking about Chicago.

I’m looking forward to seeing Angela Basset’s character now (didn’t see her episodes at all in the original airing) and saying good riddance to Abby in two more episodes. I’m sure the show will be a relief to watch once I get past 15-3. 
 

I know Pratt wanted to die, don't know about Gallant on ER and Paul never said he did. He said they "ran out of stories" I can never believe that or that Paul would ever want 2 helicopter incidents. He was a smart man, good actor, that was beyond tacky. Whenever anyone asks about it costars avoid it and Halleh said (and I admire her) no gossip about stars in an interview when someone brought it up. All she'd say is he got a few directing jobs after it and only one person wanted it, not everyone in charge. When Kerry left she said "Please don't make me die!" lol

I did like Morris more and Angela watching it over 10 years later. Morris matured and Angela and her husband were real to me and her denial with having a baby was done well.

I don't watch Law and Order much anymore but 2 old ER stars together on new Organized Crime spinoff. I think Eriq directed it.

Edited May 15, 2021 by debraran

[debraran]

 I read Julianna's book and it was okay, I felt a kinship in some ways with her personality but not as severe. I laughed out loud a couple of times and she did have an interesting life. I was surprised even though she said "not a tell all" that ER was barely mentioned. She talked of her audition, 20.000 for one day. She talked about George and the phone call about not taking "Homicide" job which she has talked of often. She mentioned the long days and being noticed abroad etc. but nothing really about filming, any cast but George and one anecdote about George buying bikes which she has shared with picture before. Good Wife had a chapter and a little more detail because she was having such a hard time with a baby and being away and the very long hours. She had pics of "Will" and gave some nice comments on Christine Baranski. I was just surprised that there was no mention of Eriq or Noah or anyone really even in a nice way. She did say which I never knew, that she got a LOT of flack from leaving and talk show hosts etc thought she was dumb and made cracks that she'd be a coat check girl etc. 27 million is a lot but at least she wasn't all about money, she had a lot and wasn't going to be bought. Her dad was her biggest advocate.

I wish she touched on ER more, no bad gossip but just funny anecdotes but I guess she didn't want too or maybe wasn't as close to everyone. I don't regret reading it, but wish it had a little more.

Edited May 17, 2021 by debraran

[Birdie]

On 5/15/2021 at 6:57 AM, debraran said:

I can never believe that or that Paul would ever want 2 helicopter incidents. He was a smart man, good actor, that was beyond tacky.

McCrane def deserved better, so much better. He deserved better than what they devolved his character into, and he deserved a better send off.

On 5/15/2021 at 6:10 AM, Cloud9Shopper said:

I’m looking forward to seeing Angela Basset’s character now

I originally started watching 9-1-1 because she’s on it! :)

On 5/17/2021 at 5:41 AM, debraran said:

wish she touched on ER more, no bad gossip but just funny anecdotes

Thanks for the feedback on JM’s book; pity she didn’t dish more on her ER time. Like you said, funny stories, not mean gossip or anything. More along the lines of the stories George was telling on the cast zoom get together. 

I still laugh at the story he told about the director yelling at the guest lady, “YOU GON’ CRY!” And then she couldn’t, and she tells George, all mortified, “I just couldn’t cry!” And he tells her, “No, but I bet you do on the car drive home.” 😂

[Dr.OO7]

On 5/15/2021 at 7:10 AM, Cloud9Shopper said:

watched Pratt’s death arc for the first time last night. It made me sad that they built up the episode prior to him getting all this happy stuff (picking out a ring for his girlfriend, his brother getting into med school, nailing his chief interview) only to kill him in the next episode. I liked at the end of Life After Death when they all raised the mozzarella sticks to him....I almost choked up at that. And again, Morris does a good job at portraying grief/denial when talking to Pratt’s girlfriend

The Too Happy To Live trope. I hate that one. The better things are going for the character, the more likely it is that all hell is going to break loose and that they or someone they love will end up dead/seriously injured. I still remember accurately predicting a soap character's death because of how blissful she and her fiancé were about their upcoming wedding.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Dr.OO7

[Heathen]

On 5/18/2021 at 10:27 PM, Dr.OO7 said:

The Too Happy To Live trope. I hate that one. The better things are going for the character, the more likely it is that all hell is going to break loose and that they'll or someone they love will end up dead/seriously injured. I still remember accurately predicting a soap character's death because of how blissful she and her fiancé were about their upcoming wedding.

ER was awful about that trope. Jodi O'Brien. Loretta, the sex worker-turned-secretary. Mark's relationship with his dad. Mark himself (I hated the way they killed him off; I still wish they'd just had him switch to a more family-friendly practice or even move to a different city). Greg Pratt. So many examples. 

[Hiyo]

Quote

Mark himself (I hated the way they killed him off; I still wish they'd just had him switch to a more family-friendly practice or even move to a different city).

Yeah but then they'd have to deal with Mark and Liz's marriage. I mean, don't get me wrong, they sucked as a couple and I wouldn't be all that sad had they gotten divorced instead but I don't think the show would have gone that route.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They should have had Mark survive the tumor, and have a realization that his older daughter needed him more, and he divorces Elizabeth, and moves to Hawaii with his favorite child.  

Unfortunately, that would wipe out Romano saying how awful cancer is, taking daddy's away from their little girl.  And when Elizabeth's ring went down the scrub sink drain, and he got it out for her. 

Edited May 20, 2021 by CrazyInAlabama

[Kel Varnsen]

2 hours ago, Heathen said:

Loretta, the sex worker-turned-secretary. 

She was a weird character. She had a multi episode arc and they even cast her kids. In I think her last episode she asks Mark if he will be the guardian of her kids when she dies. He says he can't and then you never hear what happens to her.

[Heathen]

1 hour ago, Kel Varnsen said:

She was a weird character. She had a multi episode arc and they even cast her kids. In I think her last episode she asks Mark if he will be the guardian of her kids when she dies. He says he can't and then you never hear what happens to her.

She was a weird character. I felt bad for her, which of course was the whole point. 

I liked Mark and Elizabeth together until the beginning of season eight. Her postpartum stress combined with Rachel moving in was too much. But Mark and Elizabeth were a great couple before that. I liked seeing Mark happy. 

Maybe they should have "moved away" or Mark moved to a different hospital between seasons 7 and 8, and spared us the Rachel the Hell Child storylines. 

[Cloud9Shopper]

I liked Mark and Elizabeth together too! (Seriously. I was LizzieGreene on some message boards back in the days...I am showing my age.) I hated that the writers threw so much angst on them, because I enjoyed them as individuals too. I didn’t like the way Elizabeth left the show originally but I am looking forward to getting to see her again in S15 now that I’m finally there.