All Episodes Talk: What's Up Doc?

[Cloud9Shopper]

Went through 2x16 to 2x18 tonight (The Healers, The Match Game, and A Shift in the Night). 

I hadn’t seen The Healers since my first run through the series and I had forgotten how good it was. I had tears in my eyes when they wheeled Raoul past the firefighters in the hall to go up to the burn unit. I can't stand Shep now that I’m older and watching the show, but it was nice to see his softer and more vulnerable side when it came to his concern for Raoul. Of course he goes right back to his ass self in the episode after (I know it was probably PTSD or guilt or something?) but it was a nice break.

Match Game: I laugh every time Carol comes out in the white temp agency outfit. And Carter…he was so lucky to avoid expulsion. I generally like Carter but it's the second time in S2 he showed no common sense as a student. (The first being late for his sub-I.) Celebrate after work, Carter! 

Also, Chloe's "turnaround" is fake as hell. And she's hanging around in the x ray room to show Mark her engagement ring to complain about how wrong Susan is? I hated Abby's instant redemption from her relapse in S14 but Chloe's is just as much BS if not worse. 

I love the waiting room scene in A Shift in the Night. It was a nice slice of life episode and Mark did a good job taking control of the board. 

[Heathen]

19 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

Also, Chloe's "turnaround" is fake as hell. And she's hanging around in the x ray room to show Mark her engagement ring to complain about how wrong Susan is? I hated Abby's instant redemption from her relapse in S14 but Chloe's is just as much BS if not worse. 

I love the waiting room scene in A Shift in the Night. It was a nice slice of life episode and Mark did a good job taking control of the board. 

The redemption-of-Chloe storyline makes me roll my eyes so hard, I see last month. Someone with a years-long history of drug addiction, legal trouble, joblessness, and no education, suddenly gets sober and lands a fairly prestigious, well-paying office job (that lets her take weeks off work to go to Chicago to redeem her abandoned child) all in the space of a few months? Bullshit. Not to mention the engaged-to-cop thing. 

"A Shift in the Night" is one of my favorite early-years episodes. "Krupf? Isn't that kind of a German name?"

[RedbirdNelly]

I could not stand Chloe or any of her storylines. 

[Dr.OO7]

On 1/13/2023 at 8:14 PM, Heathen said:

The redemption-of-Chloe storyline makes me roll my eyes so hard, I see last month. Someone with a years-long history of drug addiction, legal trouble, joblessness, and no education, suddenly gets sober and lands a fairly prestigious, well-paying office job (that lets her take weeks off work to go to Chicago to redeem her abandoned child) all in the space of a few months? Bullshit. Not to mention the engaged-to-cop thing. 

And the judge giving the baby back to her despite her history, which includes abandoning the child. Absolute bullshit.

On 12/6/2022 at 1:49 PM, Notabug said:

Female doctors, in particular, get labeled as b****es if they are demanding and not interested in sugarcoating their words.

Women in ANY profession or aspect of life in general, sadly.

[txhorns79]

On 1/4/2023 at 5:48 AM, mason86 said:

was there an episode where  mark got agressive with a violent patient and inflicted pain on him?

The only thing I can think of off hand might be the episode where a guy who Mark treated a few episodes prior goes on a shooting rampage, and gets treated in the ER.  I think he had threatened Mark's family, maybe?  Anyways, he arrests while in the elevator with Mark, and Mark only pretends to use the paddles to try to save him, letting him die in the elevator. 

Quote

And the judge giving the baby back to her despite her history, which includes abandoning the child. Absolute bullshit.

As strange as it sounds, if Chloe can show that she's maintained her sobriety, is attending meetings, has support, is gainfully employed and has been stable for a certain amount of time, the court is going to favor giving her back her child.  Now maybe with ER, things moved a little too rapidly, but I do think Susan would have faced an uphill battle to keep Little Susie in those circumstances.  I did think Sherry Stringfield did a great job with that storyline.   

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, txhorns79 said:

As strange as it sounds, if Chloe can show that she's maintained her sobriety, is attending meetings, has support, is gainfully employed and has been stable for a certain amount of time, the court is going to favor giving her back her child.  Now maybe with ER, things moved a little too rapidly, but I do think Susan would have faced an uphill battle to keep Little Susie in those circumstances. 

Exactly -- the aunt isn't going to prevail over the mom when the mom has made herself a fit parent, because reunification is the goal.  Chloe's prior bad acts, even abandonment, don't matter more than her current circumstances.  She'll have a social worker up her ass for a while, making sure she remains that way, but it's accurate that she'd get Little Susie back.

But, yeah, what was unrealistic was that Chloe had achieved that level of stability in the short time frame this played out over. 

[Cloud9Shopper]

I used to work in a law firm that practiced family law, and don’t take my word for it because I was only an assistant, but yes the courts do generally side with the main parent when there’s a custody case with an extended relative. I saw grandparents’ rights cases that never went the way the grandparent expected it too, although granted one lady refused to cooperate with her attorney’s advice and kept making all kinds of unrealistic demands…

New Amsterdam tried this plot too when Max’s dead wife’s parents tried to call him unfit in court, although in that case they had basically kidnapped his daughter, and even he maintained primary custody despite the grandparents making the case that he was “unfit” because of his work hours and the crazy situation he put himself in during a chemical spill. 

[Cloud9Shopper]

Almost done with S2 now. Two more episodes to go.

Dear God, I hate Dale Edson. 

Chloe’s speech in the mediation about how she was going to be a better mother with the help of God and her family sounds like something she learned to say at AA or NA or whatever she was going to. I highly doubt she believes in God. It sounded so scripted. 

On that note, I am not a fan of Fevers of Unknown Origin. The flashbacks with Susan panicking and crying trying to find the bear while Susie was screaming were so distracting and didn’t really add anything. Did we really have to see it three or four separate times? 

Why are Mark and Jen still having sex? No one wants to see that. 😂 I kind of like the infomercial lady, Iris, and wish she had stuck around. 

Big question number 2: Why would Carol want to be with someone like Shep? Even before Raoul’s death when he proposed to her in the kitchen of her house? I really just can’t stand him this watch through. Shep makes Doug look like a saint in comparison. 

[Heathen]

20 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

Almost done with S2 now. Two more episodes to go.

Dear God, I hate Dale Edson. 

Chloe’s speech in the mediation about how she was going to be a better mother with the help of God and her family sounds like something she learned to say at AA or NA or whatever she was going to. I highly doubt she believes in God. It sounded so scripted. 

On that note, I am not a fan of Fevers of Unknown Origin. The flashbacks with Susan panicking and crying trying to find the bear while Susie was screaming were so distracting and didn’t really add anything. Did we really have to see it three or four separate times? 

Why are Mark and Jen still having sex? No one wants to see that. 😂 I kind of like the infomercial lady, Iris, and wish she had stuck around. 

Big question number 2: Why would Carol want to be with someone like Shep? Even before Raoul’s death when he proposed to her in the kitchen of her house? I really just can’t stand him this watch through. Shep makes Doug look like a saint in comparison. 

I don't believe in gods. Belief in deities doesn't make someone a better person. 

I never understood how Carol went from Doug to Tag to Shep. It just seemed weird. Tag, that engagement ring, and that cathedral for their wedding, to Shep working on an old beater car in front of Carol's house. Not a classic car -- just an old beater. 

Edson is an asshole, and ITA with the rest. 

[debraran]

I hadn't watched New Amsterdam since maybe end of season 2. I watched the finale and although some people were new could catch up pretty fast. I enjoyed the shout outs to ER. One doctor, shown as a little girl who was deaf and wanted to be a doctor on Halloween, had George Clooney's photo and the stars only daughter, like Dr Greene, took over as director of the hospital many years later like her dad. Not exactly the same but very close since Mark's Rachel started at County as her dad did.  ER was much better, but it was nice to see how they borrowed from it and producer said he didn't want to kill off the star the way they did Mark (but he did have cancer too)

I wonder if George saw or smiled at the nod. ; )

 

Edited January 21, 2023 by debraran

[Cloud9Shopper]

I did see that on New Amsterdam too! You didn’t miss much not watching past S2 honestly. It went downhill pretty quick. 

I was also watching The Resident a month or two ago and one of the characters was talking about her type and she said “George Clooney on ER; that’s my sweet spot.” So Doug is also known in a fictional hospital in Atlanta. :)

I just realized that we’re done with Chloe for a while (until that awful S8 crossover with Third Watch, which I’m skipping this time around) but that since I’m not far away from S3 it’s almost time for Carla. Sigh. 

[RedbirdNelly]

On 1/19/2023 at 10:36 PM, Cloud9Shopper said:

 

On that note, I am not a fan of Fevers of Unknown Origin. The flashbacks with Susan panicking and crying trying to find the bear while Susie was screaming were so distracting and didn’t really add anything. Did we really have to see it three or four separate times? 

 

I hate that episode. It's not fun to keep watching and I generally hate episodes where dreams are a big part of it.

[Cloud9Shopper]

13 minutes ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I hate that episode. It's not fun to keep watching and I generally hate episodes where dreams are a big part of it.

I also hated the episode in S15 called “Dream Runner” where we go through Neela’s day in multiple sequences. The only part I liked was seeing Elizabeth again…just too bad they wasted her cameo on that stupid episode. 

[Cloud9Shopper]

Just finished S2, and honestly, in thinking about whether I like S1 or S2 better, I give a slight edge to S1. S2 has good episodes with The Healers, Baby Shower and Hell and High Water, but the inclusions of Ruby and Chloe, and Mark and Jen getting divorced but still sleeping together drag the season down a bit, along with the snoozers of Fevers of Unknown Origin and Take These Broken Wings. (Susan’s flashbacks were more annoying than her talking to the unseen therapist but both episodes didn’t really add a lot.)

I also really don’t get why Carol was so into Shep that she was over the top defending his behavior to Riley and the internal investigation board but at least she came to her senses in 2x22 and walked away. 

S1 had a lot of episodes, and my initial  impression when I rewatched it on Hulu for the first time four years ago was that it seemed to drag. But I love Blizzard and Love’s Labor Lost and I even appreciate the primitive atmosphere of the pilot. Plus, Everything Old is New Again was a nice season finale.

I’m excited to start S3 again on Thursday. IMO, S3-S8 is ER’s peak. I also love that Anspaugh and Abby Keaton, my preferred Abby, show up next season. Of course, on the flip side, it’s also time for Carla. We’ll see if she annoys me more than Chloe when it’s all said and done. 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Cloud9Shopper
Repeated myself

[Cloud9Shopper]

Didn’t get to start S3 last week so started it last night and watched 3x1 through 3x3. Not much to commentate on from here, but I am still enjoying Kerry’s early time on the show. I love her quote to Mark in 3x2 when she says, “Just because it’s my suggestion doesn’t make it a bad idea.” She’s also very supportive of Jeanie and I liked what she said to her about how it would be such a loss for the patients if Jeanie quit due to her HIV status. I know Kerry has some…moments coming later, but I am enjoying her character. 

Abby Keaton, Anspaugh, and Maggie Doyle have made their entrances. I’ve always liked all three of them as side characters. Carol is so huffy over Maggie using her spot while her car is repossessed; I generally like Carol but found that kind of bitchy of her. 

[RedbirdNelly]

Carol's insecure side showed up with Maggie.

Kerry is such a great character. She does good things but always mixes in something unlikeable. 

[Cloud9Shopper]

Watched 3x4 and 3x5 tonight (Last Call and Ghosts).

Watching Last Call was one of those episodes you really grasp once you’re watching as an adult. I used to think “well what Doug does after work is his business,” but now that I’m in my mid 30s, I’m like yeah he totally deserved the treatment he got from Mark and Carol. It was such a sick move to bring a woman home without even knowing her name and the fact that he could be drunk too and wanted to work anyway…yeah no sympathy for Doug on that one.

I liked that both episodes had lighter moments, like the line dancing in the waiting room and the cute guy asking Jeanie out, and then the Halloween party. 

Maybe it’s because I don’t care about Halloween much myself but the ghost on the fifth floor plot I could take or leave.

Random thought but I wish Abby Keaton had stuck around. She’s a great doctor and is probably the only one who can get Benton to think about his lack of bedside manner. And even though I know her fling with Carter (haven’t gotten to it yet but we’re getting there) is inappropriate I can’t help but like them having fun together. It’s certainly more bearable to watch than him with his cousin’s ex, or Kem, or Roxanne the insurance lady. And her overall persona is definitely way better than the other Abby we got stuck with. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by Cloud9Shopper

[Cloud9Shopper]

I’m halfway done with S3 now, and I don’t get why Mark gets so bitter to everyone else after Susan leaves. Dude. It’s your fault for not telling her your feelings sooner. What is it with adults on TV who can’t communicate their feelings? (Cries in my Olivia/Elliot SVU shipping mode.) Anyway. Bye Susan, see you in S8 with your bad haircut! 

In this week’s edition of things that hit differently as an adult, it had been ages since I saw the scene of Mark going through Jeanie’s medical records, and it was just…too cringe. I could barely even watch. And to be honest both him and Kerry handled the meeting with the staff poorly by having it at the front desk for everyone to hear. (I mean, patients could pick up on that.) I felt bad for Jeanie and she took the high road to being treated so poorly all things considered. I liked the way Anspaugh handled it; he came out looking the best of him and Mark. 

Gant. Poor Gant. Between Benton drowning him and Carter blowing him off when he needed to talk, he deserved so much better from his colleagues and superiors.

On a lighter note…every time Benton busts Carter and Abby Keaton and Carter hides his face in the book I am mentally 15 or 16 again. I laugh every single time and I’ve seen that scene like four or five times. It never loses the comedy gold. Watching their (yes I know it’s inappropriate) fling is my guilty pleasure; God forgive me. 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Cloud9Shopper
Their, not there

[Heathen]

On 2/23/2023 at 11:30 PM, Cloud9Shopper said:

On a lighter note…every time Benton busts Carter and Abby Keaton and Carter hides his face in the book I am mentally 15 or 16 again. I laugh every single time and I’ve seen that scene like four or five times. It never loses the comedy gold. Watching their (yes I know it’s inappropriate) fling is my guilty pleasure; God forgive me. 

I always, always giggle at the earlier scene when Benton almost walks in on Keaton and Carter, Carter hides under or behind the desk, and Keaton tells Benton she was "just reviewing some anatomy." If anything, I wish Keaton had stuck around just to infuse some humor into the surgery department. There weren't many funny scenes in the department other than Keaton scenes and Benton's appendectomy at the hands of Carter, Doyle, and Hicks. 

[Driad]

Heathen, are you the same Heathen who used to review ER episodes on [web site whose name I don't remember]?  If so, I hope your, ah, toes are doing well.

[Heathen]

11 minutes ago, Driad said:

Heathen, are you the same Heathen who used to review ER episodes on [web site whose name I don't remember]?  If so, I hope your, ah, toes are doing well.

Nope, not me. Are you thinking of Television Without Pity? I liked reading those recaps. 

Toes are all well, though. 

[Dr.OO7]

On 2/23/2023 at 11:30 PM, Cloud9Shopper said:

On a lighter note…every time Benton busts Carter and Abby Keaton and Carter hides his face in the book I am mentally 15 or 16 again.

I can't help but admire how calmly Abby asks Peter to wait outside as if she hasn't been caught doing something incredibly inappropriate that could jeopardize her career.

And I really liked the scene between them afterwards where she asks if he's threatening to report her and he makes it clear that he never even considered it. No matter how desperately he wanted that pediatric fellowship --"If your recommendation isn't based on my skills as a doctor, I. DON'T. WANT. IT."

[Cloud9Shopper]

Well, time to find my alcoholic beverage of choice (probably wine). Carla is pregnant…not looking forward to five more years of her. 😬🫣🍷(Also, minor nitpick…why was she waiting in the ER to be seen by OB? Where is the OB floor in this hospital?) 

Loved: Kerry totally boring the med students to death with her tour while all of Mark’s group wanted to apply for the program. 

Also, I think my love affair with the Setting the Tone podcast is over. I guess I don’t have much sense of humor (that’s OK if you think I’m boring) but I saw they made a meme/joke out of Ella’s overdose in S8 and thought…well that’s enough of that. I’m sure if I did the same for Abby’s fall off the wagon in S14 they would have a fit. Not that I will but overall there’s certain plotlines I don’t care to make jokes out if I suppose. 

[Cloud9Shopper]

Done up through 3x17. 

I have a renewed appreciation for Who’s Appy Now (3x14). I always loved the scenes in Benton’s appendectomy, especially with Hicks happy to lead the fun (why couldn’t she have stayed?), but  I also got a kick out of Mark getting busted dating three women at the same time and Jerry (who didn’t know he had to wash his hands every time he used the bathroom…so Jerry) doing a spit take in the background. And of course Mark and Doug going for a fancy dinner at the end. I’ll take Mark’s man whore phase over Doug’s and Luka’s since at least there was some humor involved and he didn’t do anything to get himself nearly fired. 

I skipped the episode with Carol in the convenience store holdup. It’s just not a favorite of mine. Saw it twice and that’s enough for me to pass on it now. 

How did Carla go from barely looking pregnant to being 6.5 months along in Tribes (3x17)? 

Watching Tribes again, I do think Mark mostly handled the situation well but he was wrong to assume that Kenny’s brother would know someone who’d want to retaliate, and he should have handled things without asking Malik for so much help. 

Five more episodes left of S3. I spread this week’s watch over last night and tonight since the Penguins have games for the next few Thursdays until the end of the NHL regular season and I just can’t resist watching them lose. 😂

[WendyCR72]

The great channel, Hollywood Graveyard, has another video uploaded, and this one is about supporting actors.

Amongst the many graves visited, one includes Dearon Thompson. That name is not familiar, maybe, but his nickname, Deezer D, should be! He played Nurse Malik McGrath on the show since word go.

I have tagged the video to start at his segment, if you want to view his final resting spot.

 

[GiandujaPie]

Quote

 ne up through 3x17. 

I have a renewed appreciation for Who’s Appy Now (3x14). I always loved the scenes in Benton’s appendectomy, especially with Hicks happy to lead the fun (why couldn’t she have stayed?), but  I also got a kick out of Mark getting busted dating three women at the same time and Jerry (who didn’t know he had to wash his hands every time he used the bathroom…so Jerry) doing a spit take in the background. And of course Mark and Doug going for a fancy dinner at the end. I’ll take Mark’s man whore phase over Doug’s and Luka’s since at least there was some humor involved and he didn’t do anything to get himself nearly fired. 

I skipped the episode with Carol in the convenience store holdup. It’s just not a favorite of mine. Saw it twice and that’s enough for me to pass on it now. 

How did Carla go from barely looking pregnant to being 6.5 months along in Tribes (3x17)? 

Watching Tribes again, I do think Mark mostly handled the situation well but he was wrong to assume that Kenny’s brother would know someone who’d want to retaliate, and he should have handled things without asking Malik for so much help. 

Five more episodes left of S3. I spread this week’s watch over last night and tonight since the Penguins have games for the next few Thursdays until the end of the NHL regular season and I just can’t resist watching them lose. 😂

18 hours ago, WendyCR72 said:

The great channel, Hollywood Graveyard, has another video uploaded, and this one is about supporting actors.

Amongst the many graves visited, one includes Dearon Thompson. That name is not familiar, maybe, but his nickname, Deezer D, should be! He played Nurse Malik McGrath on the show since word go.

I have tagged the video to start at his segment, if you want to view his final resting spot.

 

Didn't realize he had passed. :-( 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by GiandujaPie
ETA: I'm re-watching ER too, and I'm also on season 3 and just finished episode 17! I'm really enjoying seeing episodes I haven't seen since they originally aired in the 90s and I'm surprised at how well they hold up.

[barshi50]

Today POP is starting to show the elusive season 7 if anyone’s interested.

[Cloud9Shopper]

I watched 3x18 last night and could not stop laughing at the side plot with Jerry selling his sperm, especially once Kerry gave him the IQ test. And another great Kerry moment in the episode when she scoped Mark’s patient and Haleh just stood behind her glaring at Mark with a total head shake.

I like Nina, the psychiatrist Mark ended up briefly dating. I wish she had stuck around throughout the show. 

Glad Carol ended up not going to medical school, although I know they recycle the plot later with Princess Abby (who was also more bearable/better as a nurse IMO). Carol is a great nurse and good advocate for her patients and her colleagues, so I think she was a better fit for that. Also, minor nitpick, why does she say she was taking the medical boards? Isn’t that what med students take close to or after graduation? Did the writer mean the MCATs? Or is there a different board exam? 

I don’t think Carter should have gone over Anspaugh’s head with his surgical patient but I do see why he pushed so strongly for the surgery, and it’s not as unethical as some things other characters have done to this point even if still egregious and got him on probation. Like Carol and the med school plot I know Carter will eventually be a better fit in the ER and am glad he went back there.

Almost done with S3! Going to try and knock it out this weekend. 

[Cloud9Shopper]

Finished S3 last night. A few random thoughts:

I can’t watch the scene where Mark gets attacked (kept my head down until it was over), but looking back he never should have been cleared to return to work a week later. Who allowed that? I mean I guess it’s possible he was told to take more time off and refused but no way should he have been working on traumas and everything. 

I forgot the girl Maggie was working on, the one who was going to have the scar on her leg, was Lily from The Princess Diaries movies (Heather Matarazzo). 

Carla is less annoying in early childbirth than Abby, and seeing as Carla is also annoying, that’s hard to believe but at least she actually cared about her kid and accepted the interventions without throwing a massive tantrum. I love Coburn smacking Peter down in the delivery room and throwing eye roll shade at him. 

The book! That will never stop being funny. 

I’m glad Anna is here now too. I’m probably the only Anna/Carter shipper left but I’m excited to see them interact more in S4. 

So in my rankings so far, I put S3 slightly above S1. To me this is where the show hit its stride, and there were a couple big moments (Mark’s attack, Gant’s pager going off) but it was drama without it being too explosive and over the top like the later years. Also not as many filler characters and low-quality plots. The only side characters left that I’m not thrilled about are E-Ray (he always low-key bugged me) and Wendy.

My rankings so far, top to bottom, are S3, S1, and then S2.

On to S4 next week! Definitely excited for the arrival of Elizabeth, who’s my favorite female character. Boo to the bobbing of Hicks and the arrival of Cynthia. Looking forward to seeing Exodus again and rewatching Fathers and Sons to see if I like it more with another watch. 

[Notabug]

On 3/25/2023 at 8:08 AM, Cloud9Shopper said:

Finished S3 last night. A few random thoughts:

I can’t watch the scene where Mark gets attacked (kept my head down until it was over), but looking back he never should have been cleared to return to work a week later. Who allowed that?

Same person who allowed Carter to return to work after the stabbing without requiring any psychologic evaluation or counseling... while he was in significant pain and unable to walk without crutches.  Kerry was in charge both times, as I recall.  When you add it all up, she was really not  a good ER manager.

[Dr.OO7]

23 hours ago, Notabug said:

Same person who allowed Carter to return to work after the stabbing without requiring any psychologic evaluation or counseling... while he was in significant pain and unable to walk without crutches.  Kerry was in charge both times, as I recall.  When you add it all up, she was really not  a good ER manager.

Ironic, considering how utterly obsessed she was with managing.

Let's not forget how reluctant she was to report her mentor despite clearly being concerned about his visible cognitive decline, and her letting Mark come back to work after having a BRAIN TUMOR REMOVED without a thorough physical and psychological evaluation, letting him wander around for several weeks mixing up his pronouns, then not having either the personal or professional courtesy to tell him to his face that she'd finally reported him for competency testing.

[Dr.OO7]

On 3/25/2023 at 8:08 AM, Cloud9Shopper said:

So in my rankings so far, I put S3 slightly above S1. To me this is where the show hit its stride, and there were a couple big moments (Mark’s attack, Gant’s pager going off) but it was drama without it being too explosive and over the top like the later years. Also not as many filler characters and low-quality plots. The only side characters left that I’m not thrilled about are E-Ray (he always low-key bugged me) and Wendy.

I agree. While the show has been very good so far, at some point in Season 3, everything clicked. Plus, we got some major, yet realistic character arcs--Doug getting his act together, Mark turning into a jerk, etc.

On 3/25/2023 at 8:08 AM, Cloud9Shopper said:

On to S4 next week

My favorite season. I loved Doug and Carol and I was so glad when they finally reconciled. That moment when he tells her he loves her is so beautifully simple.

[Cloud9Shopper]

I’m still at the point where I like Kerry so we’ll see if my opinion changes as the seasons go on.

I watched the S4 premiere tonight (the live episode, Ambush) and thought it was the weakest season premiere so far. It’s not a least favorite episode now (I won’t skip it or anything in future rewatches), but nobody really seemed to enjoy having the cameras around and it just felt forced to me for some reason. I really only watched it because I’m so excited for Elizabeth to arrive and she’s so quotable: ”I’m Miss Corday; could someone point me towards casualty?” And then when she tells Carol she was “beeped for a consult” and tells Benton to save her from “these well intentioned people.” I throughly enjoy her debut. (Bonus to Benton for just saying no thanks and then walking right away when asked to be interviewed.)

Part of why I like Kerry right now is that she’s protective of coworkers when they experience trauma. She makes sure everyone stops hanging around Mark’s room in Random Acts and yells at them to go back to work, and then she gives it to the cameraman who won’t leave her be when she’s treating Morgenstern. (I totally forgot he leaves later this season! I’m so sad.)

I’m not looking forward to seeing Cynthia in the next episode. I love Mariska Hargitay and Olivia Benson but Cynthia is one of the worse side characters the show ever had. 

[Dr.OO7]

1 hour ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I’m still at the point where I like Kerry so we’ll see if my opinion changes as the seasons go on.

Another reason why I like Season 3, it's the only time I liked her.  That was another very good and realistic story arc for a character. While she was still the Straight Man to everyone else, the edge came off of the prickliness from the last season.

 

1 hour ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

Part of why I like Kerry right now is that she’s protective of coworkers when they experience trauma

 And her friendship with Jeanie started that year.

Even with her own distaste over Doug's behavior, I love the way she firmly shut down the gossip about him bringing in the woman who overdosed--"It's none of our business!"

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

I’m still at the point where I like Kerry so we’ll see if my opinion changes as the seasons go on.

I always liked her as a character.  I didn't like everything she did, of course, since that never happens, and, like any TV character, she had some big blunders, but she was consistently one of my favorite characters. 

It's Corday, Carter, Weaver, Susan, and then this big battle that can change daily for fifth through whatever in my ranking.

[Cloud9Shopper]

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

It's Corday, Carter, Weaver, Susan, and then this big battle that can change daily for fifth through whatever in my ranking.

I’m surprised how much hate Carter gets in some other fan groups these days, but most of it seems to be over how badly Luby shippers think he treated Abby when they were together. Of course they totally ignore the fact that Luka also didn’t always treat her well and that Abby should be just as much accountable for her relationship problems as Carter and/or Luka. She doesn’t always give to them as a partner either or show them love and respect. But that’s a further discussion for the later seasons. 

I think Carter just genuinely wants to make a difference at work and in his personal life, and while I know he’s not the best with Lucy in S5, I even feel some of his frustration with her since she did start off the relationship by lying about knowing how to start an IV and was asking Carol to cover for her. She was just out of place in the ER. I’ll see if I feel different after S5. 

[ch1]

Season 3 was my favorite season.  I think it’s because I loved surgical intern Carter.  

[WendyCR72]

8 hours ago, ch1 said:

Season 3 was my favorite season.  I think it’s because I loved surgical intern Carter.  

And I liked when he realized surgery wasn't for him (as he wanted to actually spend time with and/or help patients) and went so far as to yell at Anspaugh about rounds and then confront him in the parking garage about switching to the ER.

Carter could have rested on his rich-kid laurels, but I did admire him for having the courage to start over with his internship, even when his family financially cut him off and he had to fend for himself. That showed decent character to me!

[Cloud9Shopper]

S4 has a little more going on than I realized. I watched 4x2 and 4x3 last night and aside from Cynthia, I also forgot it was Henry’s (Carter’s annoying med student) first episode. He’s so hopeless! I don’t understand why they brought him back in S11 for a one-off appearance. Can’t decide if that choice or the one to bring back Mark’s attorney who wanted to play doctor was the weirder continuity choice by later season writers. That’s OK; we have time until we get there and see it. 

Also just remembered that Romano is two episodes away from showing up and Gamma Carter will make her debut later in the season. 

Missed opportunity: Hicks and Elizabeth working together on a surgery. What I wouldn’t give to see those two work with Shirley and form an all-female surgical team trio. 

Jerry blowing up the ambulance bay never gets old. 

[threebluestars]

I just watched the return of lawyer Herb and what a WEIRD choice. When he was on with Mark he came off like this hot shot top lawyer. He comes back in S11 and he's an ambulance chaser with a motorhome?? That made zero sense to me.

[Cloud9Shopper]

Another S4 character I forgot showed up until I saw him: Ellis West from the ER management group that Swift from S1 also works for now. 

I get why Anna is bothered that Carter lied (and I think she overreacted a little; it’s not as if she found out he’s a serial killer) but I also see Carter’s side of why he wanted to hide his wealth so she could know him as a regular guy. I still wish despite this argument that they had gotten together; she was one of the best love interests for him compared to what the writers will give him down the road. 

One character I’m falling out of love with is Maggie Doyle. I used to love her and think she was badass and had no trouble asserting herself but in S4 she comes off as downright rude and snarky for no real reason. 

I still don’t love Fathers and Sons. Since it seems to be a fairly popular bottle episode I decided to give it another chance, but I just think it’s boring. I like when Carol shows up at the end and Mark admits he’s wallowing too much in self-pity but that’s really about it. I’ll just skip it from now on. 

Speaking of which I can’t wait to get likable Mark back again. It’s so hard watching him be an ass for so long. 

[outsmartabullet]

Decided to watch the Ray Liotta episode, which I'd never seen. 

Amused by the fact that Pratt is still acting like a colossal prick - this is Season 11, they must have taken their time with the redemption arc (which, fair play if so)

[Cloud9Shopper]

That episode is one of the brighter spots of the later years. S11 was about the last tolerable season for me personally before it went downhill until S15. 

[snarktini]

On 3/31/2023 at 3:55 PM, WendyCR72 said:

And I liked when he realized surgery wasn't for him (as he wanted to actually spend time with and/or help patients) and went so far as to yell at Anspaugh about rounds and then confront him in the parking garage about switching to the ER.

Just watched S1, which I saw when it aired live and haven't seen since.

It's good that he got there, but he should have realized it long before! I didn't have to know the plot (which I've totally forgotten) to know he was on the wrong track. Carter wanted surgery simply because it was the hardest and therefore best. There was a scene where Benton discourages Carter, saying he wasn't a surgeon. Carter responded something like, what because I'm not like you? If Benton actually had people skills and social-emotional awareness, he might have been able to articulate that Carter isn't suited for surgery not because he couldn't be a great one technically, but because he wants to stay by people's bedsides, and surgery generally does not support that. He's better suited to a more holistic role. What wasn't clear to me was why Benton came around -- I suppose that speaks to Carter's skills as a doctor.

I don't know when I stopped watching the series -- probably somewhere between S6 and S9. At some point it got too soapy and revolving-door for me. (Reading up on Wikipedia confirms this.) The guest stars so far have been one of the reasons to hang in. So many great actors! And baby faces! Ving Rhames!

Edited April 18, 2023 by snarktini

[Cloud9Shopper]

What is it with this show and awkward sex? Between Mark and Jen continuing to sleep together after deciding to separate/divorce, Mark and Cynthia and now Kerry and Ellis…I feel uncomfortable sometimes in the early seasons haha. 😂

I’m about halfway through S4 now and I feel like things will pick up in the back half of the season. The first half has been slow at times but nothing truly terrible or unrealistic either. (Except Mark’s lawyer/pseudo doctor.) 

I never realized until I listened to the Setting the Tone podcast that the female patient in Obstruction of Justice (the one where Carter gets arrested) was Marla Hooch from A League of Their Own. Loved Mark’s deadpan “Carter went to jail for this?”

(I fell out of love with that podcast because they are way too much Abby circlejerk for me now and I know it’ll only get worse later in the series.) 

[Kel Varnsen]

9 hours ago, Cloud9Shopper said:

What is it with this show and awkward sex? Between Mark and Jen continuing to sleep together after deciding to separate/divorce, Mark and Cynthia and now Kerry and Ellis…I feel uncomfortable sometimes in the early seasons haha. 😂

Don't forget Doug's thing with Marg Helgenberger who was either his dad's girlfriend or his ex. Either way super gross.

On 4/17/2023 at 10:43 PM, snarktini said:

If Benton actually had people skills and social-emotional awareness, he might have been able to articulate that Carter isn't suited for surgery not because he couldn't be a great one technically, but because he wants to stay by people's bedsides, and surgery generally does not support that. He's better suited to a more holistic role. 

Looking back though and thinking of my own experiences with family and in hospitals, would being a ER doc really be that much better if Carter wanted to spent time with patients? I know they were kind of stuck because the show was called ER but I am not sure those doctors are really know for spending time and getting to know patients. I think the last few times we have had to take a kid to the ER it's usually 5 minutes or less with an actual doctor. If he wanted to spend time and know patients why not become a GP or some other specialty where you do long term treatment?

[Cloud9Shopper]

Last time I went to urgent care, I basically sat around for the better part of 2-3 hours, and I feel like I wait more to see my primary care doctor than to actually talk with her. (And I’m looking for a new doctor anyway because she kept cancelling my appointments and is never in the office.) 

My mom worked as a secretary in an ER before the actual show was on, and she said the one part of the show that always got her was how the doctors were specialists in everything (like how the ER doctors also did OB and cardiology procedures) but in real life they either got you out quickly or would get a specialist as soon as they knew you needed one. (Coincidentally I have sisters named Abby and Kerry but we were all born in the 80s, and I am happy that my sister Abby is nothing like the ER character of the same name.)

[Notabug]

2 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

Don't forget Doug's thing with Marg Helgenberger who was either his dad's girlfriend or his ex. Either way super gross.

Looking back though and thinking of my own experiences with family and in hospitals, would being a ER doc really be that much better if Carter wanted to spent time with patients? I know they were kind of stuck because the show was called ER but I am not sure those doctors are really know for spending time and getting to know patients. I think the last few times we have had to take a kid to the ER it's usually 5 minutes or less with an actual doctor. If he wanted to spend time and know patients why not become a GP or some other specialty where you do long term treatment?

No, in real life, ER docs spend just minutes with their patients and usually never see them again.  All of the social work aspects we see on ER don't happen in ER.

In real life, a doctor who wants to get to know their patients and to be involved in every aspect of their care and well being would perhaps gravitate to Family Practice where ongoing relationships with patients and their families are possible.

ER docs, if anything, like the urgency, they like working fast and not spending a lot of time on anything other that the immediate problem.  Many are adrenaline junkies who put up with the boring stuff and minor complaints so they can get the rush of running a code or dealing with a major trauma.

Carter's penchant for social work and psychology are not traits seen in most physicians and even the best primary care docs don't have the time or knowledge to handle those things on their own

Edited April 21, 2023 by Notabug

[outsmartabullet]

Quote

9 hours ago, Notabug said:

ER docs, if anything, like the urgency, they like working fast and not spending a lot of time on anything other that the immediate problem.  Many are adrenaline junkies who put up with the boring stuff and minor complaints so they can get the rush of running a code or dealing with a major trauma.

 

I remember reading somewhere that a lot of people who worked in ERs felt that Malucci's character was actually pretty realistic and common

[Notabug]

14 hours ago, outsmartabullet said:

I remember reading somewhere that a lot of people who worked in ERs felt that Malucci's character was actually pretty realistic and common

Maluccii types are indeed the sort drawn to ER work. The cowboy types, wanting to fly by the seat of their pants and not spend a lot of time sitting around ruminating about things, short attention span,  Back in the early days when ER medicine was just beginning to be recognized as a speciallty; a lot of the pioneers were general surgeons with an interest in trauma.  Morganstern was a good example.  People like Kerry also can be drawn to ER's, especially in teaching hospitals.  Detail oriented, not a great personality for a primary care practice, not suited to surgery.

The show did a fairly good job with some of the personalities  Doug was a pediatrician, right from the start.  Nothing else would've suited him.  Benton had the classic surgical personality; loves to work with his hands, can't get enough of the OR, not big on communication.