All Episodes Talk: What's Up Doc?

[Bastet]

Gallant probably can't afford a two-bedroom apartment, so did his sister just have sex in his bed?  Gross; go to Pratt's place.

[Bastet]

"What, did he knock her up the minute he got there?"  Ha!  Abby earned that one; she was nice and gracious while they all talked, so she can have her moment of snark once they walk away.

[rcc]

I usually like snark but from Abby in that instant just no.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Zoe said:

Kind of ironic given the plot line that lead to the nurses' departures.

I also came her to complain about Ms Second in Class failing her exam.

And that isn't the only exam she fails.  Despite the fact we constantly see her giving advice to nurses, attendings and residents with many more years of ER experience than she has, even as a nurse (she's only been a nurse in the ER for around 2 years, yet, she was already made nurse manager, like that ever happens); it seems Abby is unable to pass her medical board exams required for medical school graduation and therefore is unable to start her residency at County until she gets her act together and studies and passes it.    BTW, the pass rate for first time medical board takers is over 95%, one only need show up and take it.  If you've gone to med school and paid any sort of attention, it barely requires study.  Many of those who do not pass do not speak English as their first language.  True story: when taking the part of the boards required to graduate med school, I met up with a friend during a break.  He said, 'Don't worry, the guy sitting next to me asked me what propranolol was.  We've got it made.' Coincidentally, propranolol was the drug Abby didn't seem to know much about when Romano was quizzing her.

 

1 hour ago, voiceover said:

Ugh, another TV trope I hate: medical professionals hit with unplanned pregnancies.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news; but I know a whole lot of medical professionals who've had unplanned pregnancies including several close friends and OB/GYN's. 

25 minutes ago, Bastet said:

"What, did he knock her up the minute he got there?"  Ha!  Abby earned that one; she was nice and gracious while they all talked, so she can have her moment of snark once they walk away.

It was pretty clear she was still pissed at him for calling her bluff on the breakup.  She had really counted on making him grovel and beg and he had the nerve to run off to Africa and start a new life without her.  Abby is nothing if not bitter. About everything.

[Bastet]

Yeah, well, if the guy who wanted to marry me, then didn't, but still wanted to date me, then sent me a Dear John letter, was suddenly in front of me for the first time since said letter and before we could even exchange pleasantries I learned that approximately five minutes after breaking up with me he'd impregnated someone, I'd indulge in a moment of snark, too.

I like the "So we're okay?" conversation they have in the trauma room.  Also the "You're going to be a great father/You're going to be a great doctor" scene in the NICU episode.  It reminded me I liked them as friends.

I hope Carter shaves soon.

Edited November 16, 2017 by Bastet

[voiceover]

13 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

 

I hate to be the bearer of bad news; but I know a whole lot of medical professionals who've had unplanned pregnancies including several close friends and OB/GYN's. 

Not to worry.  This list also includes two cousins, four Drs, and a number of my students over the years.

I also know wiseass kids and couples where the husband is a chubby cipher and the wife is a knockout.

The truth behind any of these doesn’t diminish my boredom at discovering them on tv. 

12 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Yeah, well, if the guy who wanted to marry me, then didn't, but still wanted to date me, then sent me a Dear John letter, was suddenly in front of me for the first time since said letter and before we could even exchange pleasantries I learned that approximately five minutes after breaking up with me he'd impregnated someone, I'd indulge in a moment of snark, too.

Ha, was just thinking that too.  

[ktwo]

Quote

We saw him, bearded and brooding, with Kem, who has astoundingly sleek hair for someone in a humid refugee camp, in a brief shot in Freefall, so he'll be back on screen in tomorrow's first episode and back at County in the next one.

Has she lightly skipped down the stairs while supposedly heavily pregnant yet? I’m behind.

[walnutqueen]

1 hour ago, ktwo said:

Has she lightly skipped down the stairs while supposedly heavily pregnant yet? I’m behind.

Heh.  She'd look more pregnant if she swallowed a grape.

[justduckey]

Make.The.Africa.Episodes.Stop!!!!!

I can’t even feign interest. Go away Kem. Go away this whole storyline. I have no recollection of how this all plays out so I’m just wishing it away.

 

I complained several pages back about missing the old nurses. Again, the new sets and lack of original characters did nothing to ease the transition to the new cast. Some familiarity and comfort would have gone a long way.

 

Wait, I thought Pratt was dating Jing Mae?? What did I miss?

[Bastet]

18 minutes ago, justduckey said:

Wait, I thought Pratt was dating Jing Mae?? What did I miss?

Several episodes back, she invited him out to a nice dinner, then surprised him at.the.table with her rude as hell parents.  He weathered it with aplomb, but after it was over, she got pissy that he only wanted to continue dating casually as they had been - even though he'd done nothing to lead her on that he was looking for something more involved - and told him to find a new fuck buddy.  (Well, being network TV, she said "bang buddy.")

[Liamsmom617]

17 hours ago, Bastet said:

Let me make sure I understand this: Kem has dedicated her life to HIV prevention and treatment, Carter has recently immersed himself in this work, yet neither know you have to use protection every time you have sex?

And wouldn't you be extra careful when living in a refugee camp, involved in a new relationship, with someone who lives in a different country?

This is the worst yet of all the stupid "we're health care workers, but don't understand how reproduction works" pregnancies.

  OMG, exactly this!!! I was saying this back when this season first aired. I mean, come on, writers! Just how much disbelief do you expect us to suspend? That said, I remember being completely gut-punched, and ugly-crying, when Carter’s Dad showed up right after the stillbirth, said simply, “John?”....Carter ran down the hall, sobbing, and then they embraced. (Sob) 

  Funny memory though...I was 7 months pregnant w/twins when this episode aired, and had a checkup w/my OB the next day. Wanting reassurance, I asked him, "So that thing that happened on last night's 'ER'--that's not likely in my situation, right? I mean, there are two babies in there, so they wouldn't have  room to move around enough to get their cords tangled, right?" His answer: "No, I've seen it happen before." I was like, "DUDE! WRONG ANSWER!" (Luckily for me, all was well and my twins are now 13.)

Edited November 17, 2017 by Liamsmom617

[doodlebug]

41 minutes ago, Liamsmom617 said:

  OMG, exactly this!!! I was saying this back when this season first aired. I mean, come on, writers! Just how much disbelief do you expect us to suspend? That said, I remember being completely gut-punched, and ugly-crying, when Carter’s Dad showed up right after the stillbirth, said simply, “John?” and Carter down the hall, sobbing, and they embraced. (Sob) 

  Funny memory though...I was 7 months pregnant w/twins when this episode aired, and had a checkup w/my OB the next day. Wanting reassurance, I asked him, "So that thing that happened on last night's 'ER'--that's not likely in my situation, right? I mean, there are two babies in there, so they wouldn't have  room to move around enough to get their cords tangled, right?" His answer: "No, I've seen it happen before." I was like, "DUDE! WRONG ANSWER!" (Luckily for me, all was well and my twins are now 13.)

I don't really find it that unrealistic.  Since they were both working in a region where HIV is endemic, they probably get tested for HIV regularly, especially Carter with all the blood and body fluids.  Or maybe the condom broke once.  From their convo when she told him she was pregnant, it seemed like they had been careful, except for that 'one time'.  It's possible that once time was a mishap with a condom, it does happen.

Loves Labors Lost was the worst episode in terms of pregnant women freaking out.  I was in OB practice in a large city and, the next day, virtually every single pregnant patient I saw begged me to guarantee her that, if anything happened, she wouldn't have an ER doc taking care of her.  Most weren't really all that worried about what happened to Jody happening to them (although pre eclampsia is far more common than cord accidents); they were more concerned that Mark and the gang seemed to not really have a handle on what to do about it and it lead to her death.

Sounds like your doctor needed better people skills.  Sure, cord accidents happen, but they're very uncommon and most of the time, when the cord gets wrapped around the baby's neck, things turn out fine; babies and their umbilical cords are very resilient.

[Liamsmom617]

35 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

I don't really find it that unrealistic.  Since they were both working in a region where HIV is endemic, they probably get tested for HIV regularly, especially Carter with all the blood and body fluids.  Or maybe the condom broke once.  From their convo when she told him she was pregnant, it seemed like they had been careful, except for that 'one time'.  It's possible that once time was a mishap with a condom, it does happen.

Loves Labors Lost was the worst episode in terms of pregnant women freaking out.  I was in OB practice in a large city and, the next day, virtually every single pregnant patient I saw begged me to guarantee her that, if anything happened, she wouldn't have an ER doc taking care of her.  Most weren't really all that worried about what happened to Jody happening to them (although pre eclampsia is far more common than cord accidents); they were more concerned that Mark and the gang seemed to not really have a handle on what to do about it and it lead to her death.

Sounds like your doctor needed better people skills.  Sure, cord accidents happen, but they're very uncommon and most of the time, when the cord gets wrapped around the baby's neck, things turn out fine; babies and their umbilical cords are very resilient.

Thanks—good point about how Carter and Kem were probably getting tested frequently for HIV, etc. And yep, I know all too well that condoms can break and/or “get lost”—‘nuff said. 

  My OB is very personable; he’s still my GYN. ;) He just dropped the ball that time!!  Heh....

Edited November 17, 2017 by Liamsmom617

[voiceover]

Aaaaaaiiiiieeeee!!!!!

Guest Star Bingo of the Year: Sterling K Brown (currently Emmy-winner for Randall in This is Us) as the hospital rep (atty?) who talks to Pratt about the pending lawsuit for his intubation-gone-wrong. 

[slasherboy]

1 hour ago, voiceover said:

Aaaaaaiiiiieeeee!!!!!

Guest Star Bingo of the Year: Sterling K Brown (currently Emmy-winner for Randall in This is Us) as the hospital rep (atty?) who talks to Pratt about the pending lawsuit for his intubation-gone-wrong. 

Dang!  You beat me to it!  I recognized him but couldn't remember his name.

Also, just now in "Impulse Control", J.K. Simmons.

Edited November 17, 2017 by slasherboy
Remembered J.K. Simmons name ... finally.

[doodlebug]

29 minutes ago, slasherboy said:

Dang!  You beat me to it!  I recognized him but couldn't remember his name.

Also, just now in "Impulse Control", J.K. Simmons.

On second thought, I'm not positive that is Simmons.

According to IMDB, it's him.  Good job!

[slasherboy]

"Insurrection" Season 9, Episode 3 ... this may have been mentioned before and if so, apologies for repeating it.  I try to read all the comments, and pretty sure I do.

Anyway, the woman who ends up having thyroid problems and dies (Gallant thinks she's a hypochondriac) is played (I think) by the woman who played the tough-talking cop, Officer Barbara Semanski, who had a thing going with Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin) in "Northern Exposure" ... now there's a show I wish would return in reruns!  Her name might be Diane Delano.  You guys know so many more of these actors than I do.  I looked her up and think it's her.  In fact, I had to look up all the above names as I've forgotten them.

Edited November 19, 2017 by slasherboy

[walnutqueen]

55 minutes ago, slasherboy said:

"Insurrection" Season 9, Episode 3 ... this may have been mentioned before and if so, apologies for repeating it.  I try to read all the comments, and pretty sure I do.

Anyway, the woman who ends up having thyroid problems and dies (Gallant thinks she's a hypochondriac) is played (I think) by the woman who played the tough-talking cop, Officer Barbara Semanski, who had a thing going with Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin) in "Northern Exposure" ... not there's a show I wish would return in reruns!  Her name might be Diane Delano.  You guys know so many more of these actors than I do.  I looked her up and think it's her.  In fact, I had to look up all the above names as I've forgotten them.

I would LOVE to watch Northern Exposure again - it was one of my favorite shows!

[dargosmydaddy]

1 hour ago, slasherboy said:

"Insurrection" Season 9, Episode 3 ... this may have been mentioned before and if so, apologies for repeating it.  I try to read all the comments, and pretty sure I do.

Anyway, the woman who ends up having thyroid problems and dies (Gallant thinks she's a hypochondriac) is played (I think) by the woman who played the tough-talking cop, Officer Barbara Semanski, who had a thing going with Maurice Minnifield (Barry Corbin) in "Northern Exposure" ... not there's a show I wish would return in reruns!  Her name might be Diane Delano.  You guys know so many more of these actors than I do.  I looked her up and think it's her.  In fact, I had to look up all the above names as I've forgotten them.

You are correct, according to IMBD: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0568016/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

[voiceover]

Gotta defend my guy.  Gallant believed in Stella more than anyone else did — it was Weaver, called her a hypochondriac & rode him to get rid of her.

I counted the eps.  Carter & Abby got 3 whole eps to be happy, before the drinking started.

Pbbbbbbbtttttt.

[slasherboy]

2 hours ago, walnutqueen said:

I would LOVE to watch Northern Exposure again - it was one of my favorite shows!

Me too!  Hey POP, are you reading this?

[voiceover]

Thanks to the posters who clarified that Ella in “On the Beach” is Alex Kingston’s daughter.  Man, you can really see it in that moment when they look at each other & giggle (sitting on the bed, seeing Mark for the first time).

eta: Christ, I still can’t make it past the sight of the ER staff at Mark’s funeral.  A red-eyed Kerry probably gets to me the most.  After that, Benton & Carter side-by-side.  And, oddly enough, seeing Gallant’s name tag before we see the man.  Just the word “Gallant”, puts me in mind of how Mark lived out his last days.

Aaaaannnnddddd... after all this time, ready to walk back my intractable stance on Carol & Doug’s absence.  Yup.  Big mistake.  Shoulda been there.

Edited November 19, 2017 by voiceover

[justduckey]

That blonde haired, blue eyed baby (AK’s daughter) turned very dark-haired later in life with brown eyes. So im confused as to whether that’s actually her kid in the Hawaii scenes.  There was definitely a different baby at the funeral and then upon her return it seemed to be the bigger baby (AK’s kid).

 

My guess is they filmed the funeral before the Hawaii scenes hence the smaller baby and then continued to use AK’s kid until they aged Ella again during the current season where she’s suddenly in elementary school. Meh.

 

This week’s episodes have been so go-hummfor me. 

Edited November 19, 2017 by justduckey

[Bastet]

4 hours ago, justduckey said:

That blonde haired, blue eyed baby (AK’s daughter) turned very dark-haired later in life with brown eyes.

Isn't that just something that happens sometimes - hair, eye, and skin color as babies sometimes change as the kid grows?

Quote

So im confused as to whether that’s actually her kid in the Hawaii scenes.  

If the actor is bringing her age-appropriate baby along to the location shoot, so they could just use that kid rather than hiring new babies (or schlepping the usual babies and their parents to Hawaii), it's pretty easy to see why they'd use the real-life kid in those scenes.  The only drawback is there is only one kid in that case, and babies are quite limited in the time they can be on camera.

I'm the one who originally brought it up, as something I read on the ER Wiki while looking for another piece of information; I have no idea if that's Kingston's real kid, and I pay no attention to babies, so unless they'd substituted the usual with a black kid or something, I wouldn't notice a switch.  But if the Hawaii Ella is a different Ella than we see in "Chicago," then it probably is, indeed, Kingston's baby.

I watched most of Friday's first episode, but then I was off to a liquid lunch; did I miss any significant developments in ongoing (or new) storylines in the subsequent two episodes?

Edited November 19, 2017 by Bastet

[CarolMK]

I've been watching the episodes at the rate of 2 a day, saving a couple for the weekends in the hopes I'll be paying attention to the storylines better. However, I'm still not entirely clear why Luka and Sam started dating- isn't he about 20 years older than her? And why Carter's girlfriend was so compelled to return to Africa and work there while she was pregnant with his child. At this point I'm having a hard time remembering why Luka and Carter ended up staying so long in Africa in the first place, and how they managed to keep their jobs at County General when Weaver never seemed to know when they were coming or going.

I did chuckle at the risk management dude who witnessed Sam punching out that sleazebag who raped his teen girlfriend , and again when he told Weaver off. Then she essentially told him to leave and not come back. 

[dargosmydaddy]

3 minutes ago, CarolMK said:

However, I'm still not entirely clear why Luka and Sam started dating- isn't he about 20 years older than her?

I don't know how old their characters are supposed to be, but in real life Visnjic is only three years older than Cardellini...

[Bastet]

Sam was a teenage mother, and she said she met the baby daddy when she was 15, so if they've said how old the little psycho is, add his age to 16 and you'll get Sam's approximate age.

21 minutes ago, CarolMK said:

And why Carter's girlfriend was so compelled to return to Africa and work there while she was pregnant with his child.

I didn't see the episode when she went back to see a specific explanation, but since her work and friends are there, I figure she just came to Chicago with Carter for a visit, and then went back to the Congo, and isn't planning to return until she's closer to giving birth (assuming she's agreeing to his request that the baby be born in the U.S.).

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

getting lettrSam was a teenage mother, and she said she met the baby daddy when she was 15, so if they've said how old the little psycho is, add his age to 16 and you'll get Sam's approximate age.

I didn't see the episode when she went back to see a specific explanation, but since her work and friends are there, I figure she just came to Chicago with Carter for a visit, and then went back to the Congo, and isn't planning to return until she's closer to giving birth (assuming she's agreeing to his request that the baby be born in the U.S.).

I think Alex was supposed to be around 10 years old at the time, making Sam about 26.  Luka, as I recall, based on his life history, would've been mid 30's at the time they first started dating; so the age difference was not that great.  GV did look older than his chronologic age though.

When they first talked about going to Chicago, it was in the context of a visit.  Carter was apparently executor of Gamma's estate and he kept getting letters from her attorney about it.  He told Kem he needed to go back to handle that stuff and that he wanted the baby to be born in the US.  However, since her pregnancy was unplanned and they'd only been together 6 weeks at the time she conceived; I don't think either one gave any thought to their long range plans.  Carter went out and bought a home in Chicago for them and went back to working in the ER full time.  It seems like he thinks they will be spending a lot of time in Chicago.  Meanwhile, Kem lives in the Congo and is very invested in her work there which requires her presence. She's got no ties to the US other than Carter. Considering what she's seen of the medical system in the Congo, I don't think she has much problem with giving birth in the US, but I don't see her as very interested in staying permanently.

Gee, ya think they are setting them up for conflict?

12 hours ago, justduckey said:

That blonde haired, blue eyed baby (AK’s daughter) turned very dark-haired later in life with brown eyes. So im confused as to whether that’s actually her kid in the Hawaii scenes.  There was definitely a different baby at the funeral and then upon her return it seemed to be the bigger baby (AK’s kid)

Well, dark eyed Rachel with straight dark hair became a blue eyed blond with wavy hair as a teen, so anything is possible, right?  I think the decision to use AK's baby during the Hawaii shoot was based on her availability.  Presumably, AK planned to bring her along anyway and there was no reason to fly the other babies playing Ella out there or hire another kid.  As it turns out, she was adorable and her interactions with AK were so charming; it was a real asset for those episodes.  Later, AK didn't really want her kid on set back in LA and, since she wasn't a set of twins anyway, they just went back to the original babies.  Aging Ella for the next season was apparently done so Elizabeth could have a fling with her classmate's father, but it wasn't worth it, IMO.  I wish they'd kept her at the appropriate age. AK's IMDB page does say Salome Haertel, her daughter, plays Ella in On The Beach.  I also remember it from interviews given at the time the show aired.

[RedbirdNelly]

[finishing up my recorded episodes while waiting for Saturday cycle to get to season 10---so apologies for posting about episodes well behind those being posted about by others] I watched the Abby's brother falls into the grave episode last night. Agreed it was awful but did have one funny part--where he shows up at her apartment and tells her he had to climb out a window to escape. . . Abby points out it's a voluntary program! you could have just walked out! and he responds "where's the fun in that?" cracked me up

[RedbirdNelly]

On ‎11‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 2:23 PM, voiceover said:

Aaaaaaiiiiieeeee!!!!!

Guest Star Bingo of the Year: Sterling K Brown (currently Emmy-winner for Randall in This is Us) as the hospital rep (atty?) who talks to Pratt about the pending lawsuit for his intubation-gone-wrong. 

I'm way behind so will have to wait for this but can't wait to see Randall on ER!

[walnutqueen]

40 minutes ago, RedbirdNelly said:

[finishing up my recorded episodes while waiting for Saturday cycle to get to season 10---so apologies for posting about episodes well behind those being posted about by others] I watched the Abby's brother falls into the grave episode last night. Agreed it was awful but did have one funny part--where he shows up at her apartment and tells her he had to climb out a window to escape. . . Abby points out it's a voluntary program! you could have just walked out! and he responds "where's the fun in that?" cracked me up

I thought that little scene was hilarious, too.

[Bastet]

Neela reading Frank for filth is probably going to be the highlight of my day.  I hate that guy.

[doodlebug]

3 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Neela reading Frank for filth is probably going to be the highlight of my day.  I hate that guy.

Frank was such a horrible bigoted a**.  Same eppy has Jessica Chastain as the daughter of a patient.  However, this episode is probably best known for it's particularly stupid 'a tank attacks the ER' plotline.  The show had become a parody of itself by this point.

[Bastet]

After the helicopter, I suppose a tank was inevitable.

Frank's presence annoys me on general principle, and because I don't for a moment believe that Kerry wouldn't have fired his ass long ago.  I am so glad someone finally, instead of just letting his comments go with an eye roll, said right to his face that he's a horrible person who needs to shut his ugly mouth.  I wouldn't mind if the tank fell on him.

[Bastet]

13 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I wouldn't mind if the tank fell on him.

Heh; or he could have a heart attack. 

And, yikes - with how many takes they do, the kid playing Oscar probably hyperventilated and passed out.

This was Jessica Chastain's first screen credit, per IMDb.  (I hear about her a lot, but the only thing I've ever actually seen her in is The Help, so I looked her up.)

Edited November 20, 2017 by Bastet

[slasherboy]

6 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

I'm way behind so will have to wait for this but can't wait to see Randall on ER!

Don't blink.  He's on the screen for about a minute, tops.

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Neela reading Frank for filth is probably going to be the highlight of my day.  I hate that guy.

What does this even mean?  Could you please elaborate.

[slasherboy]

Is the black man who's son tested positive for sickle cell somebody who belongs in the Bingo game?  I can't remember his name if that's who I'm thinking of.  I'll tell you this though, getting to a certain age when the memory starts fading is a major bitch.  And yes, I'm at that certain age.

[Bastet]

5 minutes ago, slasherboy said:

What does this even mean?

What, reading for filth?  It's an expression for calling someone out as the shithead they are by way of an eloquent burn.  I can't quote it exactly, but Neela told Frank he's a horrible person, and starting her days with his xenophobic, sexist, etc. commentary was not going to happen anymore - all she wants to hear from him is silence, blissful silence.

[slasherboy]

17 minutes ago, Bastet said:

What, reading for filth?  It's an expression for calling someone out as the shithead they are by way of an eloquent burn.  I can't quote it exactly, but Neela told Frank he's a horrible person, and starting her days with his xenophobic, sexist, etc. commentary was not going to happen anymore - all she wants to hear from him is silence, blissful silence.

I've never heard that expression before, so thanks for the explanation.  It's a good one.  And YAY! for Neela speaking her mind.

[Zoe]

Cuddy, Foreman, Cutthroat Bitch, and now Taub--any other House alum?

[voiceover]

Missed stuff.  What did Pratt & Neela do??

[voiceover]

1 hour ago, slasherboy said:

Don't blink.  [Randall/Sterling K Brown]’s on the screen for about a minute, tops.

Yesss, but in that moment, he was fully Randall.

Anyone remember why Sharif Atkins left the show?

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, voiceover said:

Missed stuff.  What did Pratt & Neela do??

I think you mean Gallant and Neela.  Long story short: Neela is told by Carter that she needs to be more assertive if she wants to be an ER doc and tells her to take on patients and do their workups and start treating before presenting them to him (which is against the law and would cost Carter his license if the medical board knew about it, but I digress).  Anyway, Gallant is the resident on duty with her when a patient comes in from a nursing home who has been in an auto accident while being transported.  The guy's condition doesn't allow him to give a medical history but he is screaming with pain from a broken leg.  Neela tries to get his medical records from the nursing home, but is thwarted and she then uses records from the ambulance service which are 3 weeks old (which is actually quite good and very defensible).  Turns out the guy has just been placed on a really obscure med which interacts fatally with Demerol and the guy croaks.  Gallant, as resident working that day, covers for her and falsifies the chart to indicate that he was involved and ordered the med himself,  Abby was the nurse who would normally have given the med but because she is saintly, she, of course, was not there, so Neela gave it.  Anyway, Gallant apparently has been living in an alternate universe and is unaware that it is not only unethical, but illegal to alter a chart and he could lose his license and go to jail; finds out too late to use Whiteout and then Neela is forced to go along with the story since it's on the chart.  Shortly thereafter, Gallant says he's been called up by the Army and is going to Iraq although it appears he might've volunteered to escape the mess.

Interestingly, although everyone is ready to crucify Neela for giving the guy a dose of Demerol, but, in the very next episode, Abby performs a cricothyrotomy on a patient in trauma all by herself with just Malik, an LVN, helping her and everyone is in awe of her and her incredibly fabulous medical skills and proclaim that she is the best medical student ever and beg to touch the hem of her white coat.  The deification of Abby continues apace.

2 hours ago, voiceover said:

Yesss, but in that moment, he was fully Randall.

Anyone remember why Sharif Atkins left the show?

TPTB wrote him out, it wasn't his choice.  Suspicion was that his acting wasn't all that stellar and there were already enough main cast members.  He does return for a couple more episodes.

He does end up marrying Neela and then gets blown to bits in Iraq.

Edited November 21, 2017 by WendyCR72
Spoiler tags are unneeded for such an old show.

[voiceover]

Oops, Gallant.

Forgot about the marriage.

Screw TPTB.  He was such a zen-like* character, which that place needed. Plus the whole med school/branch of service link was very timely.

*compared to the Italian opera that was the rest of the staff

Edited November 21, 2017 by WendyCR72
No spoiler tags needed for such an old show.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

everyone is in awe of her and her incredibly fabulous medical skills and proclaim that she is the best medical student ever and beg to touch the hem of her white coat.  The deification of Abby continues apace.

How you feel about the presentation of Abby is how I feel about that of Pratt.  He's always showing up seasoned specialists.

(The mods have clarified previously that we don't use spoiler tags in All Episodes threads for old shows.)

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

How you feel about the presentation of Abby is how I feel about that of Pratt.  He's always showing up seasoned specialists.

(The mods have clarified previously that we don't use spoiler tags in All Episodes threads for old shows.)

I know we aren't supposed to use spoiler tags, but there seem to be a fair number of people around who haven't seen these eppies and I was mentioning pretty big plot points.

ER always seemed to have more than its share of smug smarta**es amongst the students and residents.  With Pratt, at least, he is often taken down a peg or two by other attendings or residents and he is actually shown making mistakes and learning from them.  None of that seems to happen with Abby.  Everyone thinks she's the bees' knees, no matter what.  No patient of hers ever dies due to errors she makes.  What few mistakes she makes end up working out just fine.  She's virtually the only character ever on the show who never makes a mistake that results in a patient's death.  She's the Mary Sueiest of Mary Sues.  As the seasons roll on, it gets even worse.  Then, toss in every coworker, patient, passerby commenting on how she is the most  amazing, sexy, attractive woman evah and the Abby-worship gets really old really fast.  MT's deadpan, one note acting style in the role doesn't help.  I've liked her in other stuff, but she really seemed to get very lazy playing Abby.

Edited November 21, 2017 by doodlebug

[absnow54]

Long story short: Neela is told by Carter that she needs to be more assertive if she wants to be an ER doc and tells her to take on patients and do their workups and start treating before presenting them to him (which is against the law and would cost Carter his license if the medical board knew about it, but I digress).

And then he just skips town and lets Neela and Gallant deal with the aftermath. Way to go Carter.

With Pratt, at least, he is often taken down a peg or two by other attendings or residents and he is actually shown making mistakes and learning from them. None of that seems to happen with Abby. Everyone thinks she's the bees' knees, no matter what. No patient of hers ever dies due to errors she makes. What few mistakes she makes end up working out just fine. She's virtually the only character ever on the show who never makes a mistake that results in a patient's death.

I think Nurse Abby screwed up a few times, but you're right, med student Abby can do no wrong (although I do remember Susan being really disappointed by something she did a few episodes ago...) Yes, her years of ER experience puts her at a huge advantage for handling traumas, but there's no way her lack of book smarts wouldn't bite her in the ass. Romano was the only one to challenge her skills, and look what happened to him.

[doodlebug]

2 hours ago, absnow54 said:

And then he just skips town and lets Neela and Gallant deal with the aftermath. Way to go Carter.

I think Nurse Abby screwed up a few times, but you're right, med student Abby can do no wrong (although I do remember Susan being really disappointed by something she did a few episodes ago...) Yes, her years of ER experience puts her at a huge advantage for handling traumas, but there's no way her lack of book smarts wouldn't bite her in the ass. Romano was the only one to challenge her skills, and look what happened to him.

In Carter's defense, he had a scheduled vacation and I believe he said he'd be gone for a week.  In real life, it would take that long to set up the sentinel event review, and, since he was gone, they'd have waited anyway. If he does get named in a suit,(which, as they pointed out, he would since he is the attending and responsible for everyone else)  he is legally required by his contract with County to be available for depositions, conferences with the defense as well as to be present for any trial.

Abby has only been an ER nurse for a couple years.  It's not like she spent her entire nursing career down there; which is what makes it so ridiculous when Chuny or Haleh or any of the other long term ER nurses look to her for guidance.  And, yes, I have known several docs who didn't pass their boards on the first try, and, no, none of them were outstanding physicians.  Capable? Usually, though a significant number were awful.  Competent? Most of the time.  Stellar and leaders in their field?  No way, none of 'em.

We've seen Abby on multiple occasions being unfamiliar with medications and their side effects (the mock code with Romano) and she's had to ask Neela to help her with dosages on multiple occasions.  As a nurse, that is the sort of stuff she should be able to rattle off without thinking (I ask nurses to remind me of dosages all the time, they're the ones that give the meds, they know the doses).  How is it Abby is so fabulous in trauma if she doesn't know the meds?  During the review, everyone makes the assumption that, if Abby had been there, Neela's patient wouldn't have suffered the drug reaction because, of course, Perfect Nurse Abby would NEVER have missed the interaction and would have insisted on a more recent med list before even considering giving the guy Demerol.  WTF? She doesn't understand how beta blockers work but she would definitely remember a weird potentially fatal interaction between a little used antidepressant and Demerol? While TPTB seem to think that all they have to do is TELL us how great she is, they repeatedly SHOW us that Abby is really not that bright.

Edited November 21, 2017 by doodlebug

[desertflower]

13 hours ago, voiceover said:

Oops, Gallant.

Forgot about the marriage.

Screw TPTB.  He was such a zen-like* character, which that place needed. Plus the whole med school/branch of service link was very timely.

*compared to the Italian opera that was the rest of the staff

Yeah, it sucks they killed off Gallant. Hey, it's a likeable, fairly well adjusted character without major drama seeping into every aspect of his life; let's get rid of him! And I thought his acting was fine. 

[ktwo]

Looks like starting next week Pop is going down to two episodes per day from three. Yay!