All Episodes Talk: What's Up Doc?

[desertflower]

I really like the episode where Carter has to take charge because of the toxic spill. Good pacing, interesting story and it was nice seeing Carter highlighted like that. 

I spotted a really young Eva Mendes as the babysitter of a sick girl. 

I love Corday too.

[voiceover]

Proof that we reallyreally need a live ep thread, so when a one-off character pops up, we'll be watching in committee, and at least one of us will recognize fill in the blank & pass along the name.

Today's clinic bombing featured Paul Rudd's mom on Friends as the woman who gets treated last (Carol tends to her arm as she confesses that she hasn't told her husband about the baby because they have four grown kids).

You're welcome ?

[slf]

7 hours ago, desertflower said:

I really like the episode where Carter has to take charge because of the toxic spill. Good pacing, interesting story and it was nice seeing Carter highlighted like that. 

I spotted a really young Eva Mendes as the babysitter of a sick girl. 

I love Corday too.

A really good episode, definitely. Loved when Kerry hit the floor and they realized the ER was contaminated and would have to evacuate all the patients. The confusion, not being able to find the emergency guidelines, the gurneys being rammed accidentally into each other, etc., was tense. They did way more dramatic situations in later seasons but I don't recall enjoying them so much as I did this one. Though I was sad that Inga (the old lady who was 'bagging' herself) didn't make it, I liked her. 

Corday was awesome, as usual.

[BBHN]

Quote

Corday was awesome, as usual.

As long as she isn't anywhere near Mark...

[starri]

8 hours ago, slf said:

hey did way more dramatic situations in later seasons but I don't recall enjoying them so much as I did this one.

The first time was novel, but they kept getting increasingly contrived.

The episode with the power outage (which was Laura Innes' debut as a director) was about as good, but they were just worse and worse over time.  There's no water.  The garbage is piling up because the custodial staff was on strike.  Etc.

[RedbirdNelly]

Last night I watched the toxic spill episode and one other. I enjoyed a moment of humor that I missed the first time in the episode after the toxic spill where Mark is back and Doug treats a young child who is poisoned apparently by his half-brother. Doug gets yelled out by the boys' mom (who I  am pretty sure was on As the World Turns years ago) who is mad about him calling child protective services. Mark responds "I would stay out of the men's restroom for a while if I were you" (slight paraphrase). So at least Mark is now making jokes about getting beat up.

[Clemgo3165]

12 hours ago, slf said:

A really good episode, definitely. Loved when Kerry hit the floor and they realized the ER was contaminated and would have to evacuate all the patients. The confusion, not being able to find the emergency guidelines, the gurneys being rammed accidentally into each other, etc., was tense. They did way more dramatic situations in later seasons but I don't recall enjoying them so much as I did this one. Though I was sad that Inga (the old lady who was 'bagging' herself) didn't make it, I liked her. 

Corday was awesome, as usual.

That was what I liked about the early seasons of ER and why I stopped watching later on. ER was much more true-to-life in the early seasons. You dealt with traumas and serial rapists, but you also had croup and minor household accidents. There weren't any revenge helicopters to be found.

[Bastet]

3 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

Doug gets yelled out by the boys' mom (who I  am pretty sure was on As the World Turns years ago) who is mad about him calling child protective services. Mark responds "I would stay out of the men's restroom for a while if I were you" (slight paraphrase). So at least Mark is now making jokes about getting beat up.

I was thinking The Young & The Restless, but she was definitely on one of the CBS soaps.  As Nina Something?  Dammit, now I have to go look this up ... Yes, it was Y&R (and I even got Nina right; wow, is that taking up unnecessary space in my brain, since I haven't watched that show since the '80s and only did so occasionally even then) and the actor's name is Tricia Cast.

Anyway, as for Mark's joke, I didn't catch that (it was one of the episodes I was only paying sporadic attention to), but that's an improvement over his false accusation refrain (even after the police told him the guy had an alibi).  I didn't remember Mark being such an insufferable asshole the first time around; I'm sure seeing a season play out in just over a week is affecting my perception.

[RedbirdNelly]

3 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I was thinking The Young & The Restless, but she was definitely on one of the CBS soaps.  As Nina Something?  Dammit, now I have to go look this up ... Yes, it was Y&R (and I even got Nina right; wow, is that taking up unnecessary space in my brain, since I haven't watched that show since the '80s and only did so occasionally even then) and the

Yes--I was thinking Nina and was thinking she was ATWT but I could be wrong. My Nana watched the entire CBS lineup. Maybe she was on Y&R and the nemesis of Cricket? I'm getting off topic. She was one of those bad characters that gradually gets to be less bad.

5 minutes ago, Bastet said:

 

Anyway, as for Mark's joke, I didn't catch that (it was one of the episodes I was only paying sporadic attention to), but that's an improvement over his false accusation refrain (even after the police told him the guy had an alibi).  I didn't remember Mark being such an insufferable asshole the first time around; I'm sure seeing a season play out in just over a week is affecting my perception.

I agree-Mark is harder to take and I do think the compressed airing of episodes makes it more so. I'm still hanging on to my impression he's a good guy underneath. When I think about it, it's unusual for a show to have as a main character someone who is so average looking/ordinary Joe. In general ER really casted well and avoided the "here is a hospital filled with only beautiful people" trope.

[Bastet]

1 minute ago, RedbirdNelly said:

Yes--I was thinking Nina and was thinking she was ATWT but I could be wrong. My Nana watched the entire CBS lineup. Maybe she was on Y&R and the nemesis of Cricket?

Yeah, as I said, it was Y&R Tricia Cast was on, and the character's name was Nina (Nina Webster, then Nina Webster McNeil, according to IMDb).  I have no recollection of her storyline, though, other than something with the Chancellors.  Ah, look - there's a Y&R Wiki; here's her info.  She must have been somewhat memorable if we both recognized her from a soap we didn't pay much attention to.

26 minutes ago, Clemgo3165 said:

That was what I liked about the early seasons of ER and why I stopped watching later on. ER was much more true-to-life in the early seasons. You dealt with traumas and serial rapists, but you also had croup and minor household accidents. There weren't any revenge helicopters to be found.

Especially with 15 episodes airing per week, it starts to feel pretty ridiculous -- there's a sense they're frequently confronting some systemic crisis (or outside-the-hospital misadventure).

[RedbirdNelly]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Yeah, as I said, it was Y&R Tricia Cast was on, and the character's name was Nina (Nina Webster, then Nina Webster McNeil, according to IMDb).  I have no recollection of her storyline, though, other than something with the Chancellors.  Ah, look - there's a Y&R Wiki; here's her info.  She must have been somewhat memorable if we both recognized her from a soap we didn't pay much attention to.

 

thanks for the Y&R info. That's hilarious to read. I watched it during the 80s. A visit from Nana meant a week of watching the full CBS lineup. Otherwise, my mom banned soap operas.

[voiceover]

Today's eps feature Doug doing a rapid detox on a baby whose mother was stealing his methadone.  Yet another example of one of the ER docs taking patient care into their own hands, and another example of his(her) colleagues condemning him for it.

I wish I'd started keeping a record.  Because -- they've all done it, yet when someone who's not them does it, it's The Worst Thing in the World.  Example: Kerry hiding Jeanie's HIV status from Mark, and Kerry giving the wheelchair-bound junkie the Demerol in exchange for his checking into rehab (he left instead).  

Just a series aggro I have.

And p.s.: Romano is a dick.  It was always hard to reconcile the Paul McCrane I loved from Fame with this assjack.  

Nina from Y&R?? See, this is why we need a live thread, people.

[Mama No Life]

Was that Taraji P Henson playing Peter's niece at the christening today?

Also, Phoebe's cop boyfriend Gary was the guy with the chemical burns.

[Bastet]

38 minutes ago, Mama No Life said:

Was that Taraji P Henson playing Peter's niece at the christening today?

I missed today's episodes, but IMDb says she played "Patrice Robbins," and Robbins is Jackie and Walt's last name, so it sounds like the answer is yes.

Going back to the episode where Jackie ran into Peter and Elizabeth out together: The way Khandi Alexander played that cracked me up, because if you had asked me in advance to visualize Jackie's face should she think/find out Peter is dating a white woman, that is exactly the face that would have come to mind!

[desertflower]

Add me to the list of people who recognized Nina from Y&R, even though I only watched it briefly in the 80s. She just has a memorable face I guess. 

I always kind of forget Khandi Alexander is the same actress who played Catherine on NewsRadio, because they are such different characters. She was always glammed up on there and they definitely dressed her down as Jackie. 

[starri]

I think my favorite part of "Exodus" is Mickey Rooney complaining about not getting his shot at being nationally famous for his science show because of "That son of a bitch Mr. Wizard."  I'm pretty sure it's Noah cracking up, not Carter.  The delivery is that good.

[RedbirdNelly]

1 hour ago, starri said:

I think my favorite part of "Exodus" is Mickey Rooney complaining about not getting his shot at being nationally famous for his science show because of "That son of a bitch Mr. Wizard."  I'm pretty sure it's Noah cracking up, not Carter.  The delivery is that good.

I liked that part, too.  Noah/Carter is such a delight.

[Bastet]

Ack!  It seems like just five minutes ago we got rid of Cynthia, and now it's already time for Lucy. 

Is she wearing a fanny pack?!

Shifting gears, one of the things I clearly remembered about this show is how fun I find the Corday/Romano interaction as time goes on.

"I couldn't do it, work with family."
"Robert, you can't work with anyone."

Edited May 12, 2017 by Bastet

[Mama No Life]

Gah I'd forgotten how much I hated Lucy.  I mean, HATE.  I'd take Cynthia, Tag, Shep, Romano etc until eternity over this season with her. 

I also don't like that she makes my sweet Carter act like a dick.  (I know, she doesn't make him....but she doesn't bring out the best in him, for sure).

[voiceover]

Even though I know we're close to End of Days w/Doug, I rejoiced in his Peds Attending victory.   And I continue to puzzle over Kerry's (and Mark's) resistance.  Esp Mark's, which has been mostly behind Doug's back.

Is it a money thing?  A loss of prestige for both ER attendings?  The fact that she just doesn't like him?? 

Thought Doug really nailed Mark's issues yesterday, with both him AND Kerry.  At least with today's horse enema, he's easing his way back into my good graces.

My poor Elizabeth!  It's just going to get worse.

[slasherboy]

Hey, there's another episode starting!  Not that I'm complaining ... I was just surprised.  Anybody else getting the one that starts out with Mark getting bitten by a German Shepherd?

[Bastet]

There's a fourth episode on right now.  My program guide and the Pop TV website both show Celebrity Name Game as usual (today, and next week), but the next episode of ER, Vanishing Act, is airing instead.  Weird.

Oh, poor Corday having to intern for that asshole resident played by the guy who played the asshole fiancé in The Wedding Singer!

[chitowngirl]

That's going to tick off the Bold and the Beautiful crowd.

[voiceover]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

There's a fourth episode on right now.  My program guide and the Pop TV website both show Celebrity Name Game as usual (today, and next week), but the next episode of ER, Vanishing Act, is airing instead.  Weird.

Oh, poor Corday having to intern for that asshole resident played by the guy who played the asshole fiancé in The Wedding Singer!

Like when a baseball game goes to extra innings: it's known as " free baseball".  Today we got "free er"!

He also played the asshole fiancé in Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce.  He's sort of the Warren William of the 90s!

Edited May 12, 2017 by voiceover
Linkage for non-TCMers

[BooksRule]

My 'ER' viewing has been hit or miss lately, because my cable box was going on the fritz and I was getting some really pixelation (I'm not sure if that's even a word) on the screen for the last week or so.  A few episodes even froze up and skipped to the end without me being able to watch them.  Now I have a 'new' cable box (I don't think any of them are actually new anymore) and I've already set the DVR to catch all episodes.  I'll enjoy watching the rest and I hopefully Pop will start over and I can catch up on the ones I missed.

[voiceover]

2 hours ago, BooksRule said:

hopefully Pop will start over and I can catch up on the ones I missed.

I mentioned this earlier in the week.  Tuesday evening, they're rerunning Season 1.

[desertflower]

I hope they are not going to do four episodes a day all the time. That's way too much to keep up with. 

I'm seriously digging Doug's longer hair in these late season 4 eps (when he detoxes the baby.) If he was my doctor I'd have to ask him to repeat everything he said about my diagnosis because I'd be too busy swooning. 

[starri]

I'm...kind of liking Lucy this time.  Maybe it's because I've been in her shoes now.

[Danny Franks]

I always liked Lucy. Sure, she was an annoying little try hard at times, but I feel like that's how most of the med students/interns were portrayed in the show. Even Carter, in the first couple of seasons.

To be honest, them losing Maria Bello and knowing they were losing George Clooney probably forced them to increase her role in season 5. I think they were trying to recreate Carter's journey, this time with Carter taking the Benton role. It kind of worked, but they also clearly had the intention of giving her and Carter a romantic relationship of some kind, which never happened (because Noah Wyle didn't want it to), and she ended up just being a bit of a loose end. Of course the arrival of Abby meant that Lucy was no longer needed, because not only was Abby a great nurse, who could replace Carol, she's also going to be a great doctor! She can do it all!

[voiceover]

4 hours ago, desertflower said:

I hope they are not going to do four episodes a day all the time. That's way too much to keep up with. 

I'm seriously digging Doug's longer hair in these late season 4 eps (when he detoxes the baby.) If he was my doctor I'd have to ask him to repeat everything he said about my diagnosis because I'd be too busy swooning. 

1. I'm divided on this.  The binge-watching has been enjoyable (I don't Hulu or Amazon), but I'm not getting shit done in the afternoons.

2. Re: ClooneyHair: Me too me too me toooooo!!  I was bummed when he cut it to be an attending.

[slasherboy]

7 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

It kind of worked, but they also clearly had the intention of giving her (Anna) and Carter a romantic relationship of some kind, which never happened (because Noah Wyle didn't want it to)

Why didn't he want it to?

Wow!  Carter sure is mean to Lucy!  I like the sweet Carter better.  But he looks fantastic, and I'm not a fan of facial hair on a man.  Well, on a woman either, soooooo........

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, slasherboy said:

Why didn't he want it to?

I'm largely assuming, although I also think I saw this stated here earlier, that it was because Carter was Lucy's direct supervisor, in charge of her evaluation, etc. so it would have been totally inappropriate to date her and he didn't want Carter to be the kind of person who would do that.

[WendyCR72]

11 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I'm largely assuming, although I also think I saw this stated here earlier, that it was because Carter was Lucy's direct supervisor, in charge of her evaluation, etc. so it would have been totally inappropriate to date her and he didn't want Carter to be the kind of person who would do that.

Well, Noah Wyle wasn't wrong as far as that goes with supervising, etc. If the writers wanted a romance, someone else should have been supervising. But I'm glad it never went there. (Sorry, Lucy lovers, She irritated me to no end. But if it helps, I still would have tolerated her over Abby [Lockhart vs. Keaton, to be clear!].

[Danny Franks]

15 hours ago, Bastet said:

I'm largely assuming, although I also think I saw this stated here earlier, that it was because Carter was Lucy's direct supervisor, in charge of her evaluation, etc. so it would have been totally inappropriate to date her and he didn't want Carter to be the kind of person who would do that.

That was reportedly Wyle's feelings about it. Undermined, as I already pointed out, by Carter himself dating a woman who was supervisor to his supervisor, back when he was an intern. 

But by the end of season 5, Carter wasn't Lucy's supervisor any more. She moved onto the surgery part of her rotation, and was working under Dale (a dickhead character who annoyed me whenever he showed up). It's not like the show didn't have Doug and Luka hooking up with people they were supervising, and all that happened was a stern word or two from Mark or whoever it was in charge when Luka and Leslie Bibb got into that car accident. Seems to be a storyline they used a bit too often, although I guess that it happens a fair amount in real life.

[Sticker Shock]

Even if they didn't get fired over it, Luka/Leslie Bibb was presented as being part of his downward personal spiral, as was Doug sleeping with Harper being part of his. Neither were championed as a "shippable" couple like they seemed to want to do with Carter/Lucy before Noah mercy-killed them.

As awful as I found both Abby relationships, even she only was romantically involved with Luka and/or Carter when she was a nurse or a resident, never during her med student seasons.

[slf]

13 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

She moved onto the surgery part of her rotation, and was working under Dale (a dickhead character who annoyed me whenever he showed up).

Heh; one of my favorite bits is how everyone calls Dale "a weasel" at some point during season 5. 

[Mama No Life]

Hank from Breaking Bad was an EMT the other day.

I like finding these people, haha.

[desertflower]

On 5/13/2017 at 11:40 AM, Danny Franks said:

I always liked Lucy. Sure, she was an annoying little try hard at times, but I feel like that's how most of the med students/interns were portrayed in the show. Even Carter, in the first couple of seasons.

I liked Lucy too. And did I miss Anna saying she was leaving, or did Maria Bello quit during the break so they couldn't film her departure?  I watched season 5 opener today and Carter just talks about how she left. I could've sworn they had a goodbye scene but I guess not. Unless I spaced out and missed it during the last episode. 

Mark has his share of unlikable moments but he was really good in Lucy's first episode. He was good at teaching her and was easy going and nice. I think that's the Mark that grounds the ER and the show itself....he's best when he's excelling at his job and teaching others, and not having a huge personal crisis. 

[Danny Franks]

57 minutes ago, desertflower said:

I liked Lucy too. And did I miss Anna saying she was leaving, or did Maria Bello quit during the break so they couldn't film her departure?  I watched season 5 opener today and Carter just talks about how she left. I could've sworn they had a goodbye scene but I guess not. Unless I spaced out and missed it during the last episode.

Season 4 ended with Anna's druggie ex-boyfriend doing some project in the hospital, and her being torn between him and Carter. Then Maria Bello quit so they just wrote her out for season 5. I will always assumed the intention originally was for Anna to choose Carter over the ex, because that's how they seemed to be setting things up.

[Mama No Life]

Agreed.

 

And yes, Mark was at his best teaching and helping others.  That's the Mark I liked.

[RedbirdNelly]

so agree on teaching Mark. I also am wondering if I missed an episode because it does feel like a jump to last episode of season 4 I had recorded to Lucy showing up.

I do wish there was a bit less Lucy. Maybe if Anna had stayed, we'd gotten a little less tracking of Lucy's day and in smaller doses I would like it better. I don't hate it, but seems a little Lucy-heavy.

[desertflower]

Someone spotted Taraji Henson as Peter's niece a while back. She popped up again as a gangbanger's girlfriend in the episode I'm watching now. She gets in a fight with another girl and Kerry kicks them out. She comes back later after getting stabbed. Guess they liked casting her!

[Bastet]

All the major plot developments on this show I have forgotten in the years since I watched, but Kerry's quest for a sternal saw - this, I remember.

[voiceover]

AAAAIIIEEEEEE!!!!!!

"Masquerade" is my favorite Benton ep, and it ain't even close.  I'd forgotten that after he'd scared Dale off, he winked at Elizabeth!  He winked!!

Then he shows up with the hayride & done up as Shaft.  And Elizabeth knows the lyrics, but he mocks her even after the fadeout.

*sighs*

This, here, is the Benton we coulda used more of.  That Halloween surprise was the nicest thing we ever saw him do for someone who wasn't a relation (and maybe including that!).

*sighs again for missed opportunities*

[slasherboy]

7 hours ago, Danny Franks said:

I will always assumed the intention originally was for Anna to choose Carter over the ex, because that's how they seemed to be setting things up.

Why didn't they have them get together?  Because MB wanted to leave?  I liked them together.

I wasn't familiar with Maria Bello so I looked her up and in the first picture I saw of her, she looked really rough.  I don't think she aged well.  Also, and I'm sure most/all of you already know this, but apparently she's gay.  Not that there's anything wrong with that .....

I'm so glad "ER" is on!  I've said this before, but I hadn't seen it since its original run so almost everything is new for me.  And I actually stopped several seasons in ... probably when George Clooney left ... so all those later episodes will be new.  Of course, I may not last that long this go-around either.  But for now, I'm really enjoying the heck out of it.  I wish I had the capability to record it, but, alas, I don't.

Edited May 15, 2017 by slasherboy
Failed to say, add me to those who prefer the gentle, compassionate, teaching Mark. I bought him as the grump, but it never really "took". Not once did I believe he smoked; never held the cigarette right.

[BBHN]

Actually, MB is bisexual. She split with her girlfriend last year and is dating a guy.

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/maria-bello-48-splits-from-girlfriend-is-now-dating-elijah-allan-blitz-29-photos-w199886

Edited May 15, 2017 by BBHN

[Quof]

He's a a virtual reality director for mindfulness teaching. What the actual f#ck is that?   Sounds like a Space Cowboy to me.

[RedbirdNelly]

I watched the episode last night where Doug treats the young soccer player who has a tumor in her leg and her mom is played by the actress who played Donna Martin's mom on 90210. Kept seeing Donna Martin's mom.

I'm enjoying how Dr. Casen (jerk cardiologist who gave Susan a hard time in season 1) just pops up every once in a while.

[starri]

I loved all of the recurring characters that would pop up.  Dr. Coburn, the anesthesiologist played by Laura Innes' husband, Erica Gimpel's social worker, the pathologist...

[voiceover]

3 hours ago, RedbirdNelly said:

(jerk cardiologist who gave Susan a hard time in season 1) just pops up every once in a while.

He switched specialties (& cities) for an episode of Friends, where he put in a memorably eccentric turn as Phoebe's Fonzie-loving OB.

Funny -- as much as I'm loving Carol & Doug enjoying happy times, I find myself tensing up in anticipation of Clooney's exit, like an accident that I can see coming.