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ER Episode Guide
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MayMay 18, 2000I suppose that the crux of this 7 Flush episode lies in the struggle of Carter. During one emergency procedure, he slips some pain killers that he was supposed to use on a patient into his coat pocket. When he is cleaning up the room he used, he takes the pain killers out and injects himself. However, Abby walks in and sees this. She doesn't say anything, but she later reports the problem to Kerry. Marc, Kerry, and Abby are discussing what to do when John approaches them. They ask him if he took the pain killers, and Carter says no. However, no one believes him when he says this. They realize that Carter has been on pain killers since he was slain and fear that he may be addicted. In addition, Jing-mei thinks Carter to be bi-polar (see last week). Marc and Kerry aren't sure what to do so they decide to hold an intervention. Marc, Kerry, Jing-mei, Peter, and Anspaugh all confront Carter. They tell him that he either goes to a special drug rehabilitation for doctors in Atlanta or that he is fired. Carter says that his job performance hasn't been influenced since he was stabbed and says that he never even complains. Jing-mei points out that last week Carter accidentally gave a woman a drug she was allergic to, but Carter counters with an accident Jing-mei made and another that Marc had made earlier that day (by the way, John saved Marc's ass by catching Marc's mistake). But they don't care, the ultimatum stands. Carter decides to quit. He leaves the room of intervention, and Peter says that as long as Carter eventually goes that he can come back. Peter then follows Carter and tries to get him to go to rehab, but Carter says that he doesn't need this job and that he can work for his family. Peter says that John is going to end up like his cousin who entered a coma from drug addiction. In response, Carter punches Peter. Carter then breaks down and heads off to Atlanta with Peter at his side.Also this week, there is a shooting at a school. Luca is treating one of the kids who has been shot, and Peter is treating the shooter who is an adult. Peter's case is more urgent, but Luca uses a helicopter to fly his patient to the hospital, because his patient is a victim and a child. Luca's patient lives and Peter's dies. Luca says that Peter's patient would have died anyway, but Peter says that Luca broke hospital regulations by not using proper triage procedures. Luca seems even more evil when he treats a woman with a stab wound. This woman is eight months pregnant but claims she doesn't know she was pregnant. Luca says that he needs to do a C-section to save the baby's life, but she doesn't want a C-section. Luca thinks that the woman cut herself in an attempt to abort her own baby, but he cannot get clearance to do the procedure. He almost does the C-section illegally, but Cleo talks him out of it. The baby dies. Nonetheless, Luca is a creep who should be thrown out of the emergency room and off of the show. END OF SEASON May 11, 2000So it's official that Carole is gone, but are we happy or upset about this? I don't know yet, but I do know that I was pretty disappointed with her departure on this week's 6 Flush episode. Carole arrives at work one day and sees Luca. He tries to come on to her. Later in the day he kisses her, and he tries to convince her that it's time she come to grips with the fact that we lose love, but we cannot let our losses be irreplaceable. However, when Carole treats a patient who is DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) with life-saving techniques so that this patient may see her children before she dies, Carole realizes that she is a mother first. In the course of a single day, she realizes how much she misses Doug Ross, and she flies to Seattle to be with him. The show ends with her finding Doug, still played by George Clooney, in the backyard of his new home, working on his boat, looking as though he hadn't shaved in a week. The two both know that they have loved and will love each other for ever. They embrace. Due to the rush of her decision, Carole has left with barely a good-bye to close pals Luca and Marc. She also left her twin daughters with their grandmother in Chicago. Carole has found a new home although I found her sudden reunion with Doug unbelievable (in a bad way). Good-night all you Nurses of County General, Mothers of Chicago.Also this week, Marc begins coping with the loss of his father. Marc plans on having his father, David, cremated and then bringing these ashes to San Francisco (I think?) where Marc's mother is buried. Liz returns the pearls that David had given her as his last request. Marc says that she should keep them, but Liz says that they should stay in the family so Marc gives them to his daughter who is staying with him while Marc copes over the loss of his father. By the way, his daughter (Rachel, I think) is way too quiet to be real. I'm not blaming the actress, but no child who is dealing with the loss of a grandparent is so mellow and in tune with her parent's emotions as this daughter is. Last week we thought that Carter had finally broken out of his dull state, but this week we see him back into it. Or not, maybe Carter is happy again. We're not the only ones who notice Carter's changing moods. Friend Jing also notices them. She tells Marc that she fears Carter is bi-polar, a.k.a. manic depressive. Marc isn't sure, but he does recommend that Carter visit a psychiatrist. Two more notes this week. First, Abby tries doing some nifty work on a patient without getting approval from her supervisor, Dave. Keep in mind that Dave is a medical student under the tutelage of Dave, and he is responsible for all her medical actions. When Abby discharges a patient that Dave never saw and when that patient then collapses, Dave gets in trouble for not observing his student. Liz tells Dave that everyone thinks Dave a slacker and a bad doctor so he cannot afford to make mistakes like ignoring a medical student. Liz tells Dave that she will tell Marc and Kerry about his actions. The second note is that Kerry has become quite mean. We're not sure why, but Kerry is more of a witch than ever before. NEXT WEEK: Season finale. May 4, 2000A touching episode. I'm currently deciding if it deserves 7 or 8 Flushes. Luca has been unable to find Carole for the past few days, and when she arrives at work on her birthday, she fails to perform all of her duties. Kerry notices this dereliction and at first criticizes Carole, but then notices something deeper is troubling Carole. Carole shares that the past year has been so tumultuous for her and that she never expected to be raising twins by herself. That same day, Carole receives a birthday present from Doug of animal crackers. Apparently, Doug used to bring Carole animal crackers whenever he went to the store. Luca plans to come over and treat Carole to a birthday dinner, but Carole informs Luca that he cannot come over, and that despite last week's kiss, they should not be together.Marc takes time off to work to spend time with his father. David is rapidly deteriorating, and Marc is physically and emotionally exhausted from caring for his father so it comes as no surprise that Marc drops a glass on the ground and cuts himself and needs stitches. However, he cannot go to the hospital and leave his father alone so he calls Liz and asks her to come over. She comes and gives him stitches. David sees the two together and likes what he sees so he gives Liz a gift. He gives her a string of pearls that he gave his wife on their wedding day, and he has Marc put the necklace around Liz's neck. We know what David wants to see happen before he dies, but he does not get to see that. David dies one night in his sleep. Marc calls a funeral home, and Liz comes over to support him. Carter becomes the man-in-charge this week. He has bought some freeweights and has begun working out and has become a new man. He volunteers to cover an extra shift due to Marc's absence. And in the emergency room, Carter is able to diagnose difficult cases. He oversteps his boundaries once by not getting permission to do a blood test, and Kerry gets upset at Carter for this, but he is still strong and powerful. I actually liked him this week. One inquiry: he is developing strong relations with Abby. Is he trying to make up for mistakes he made with Lucy? Or has he moved beyond Lucy and just become a better man? FAST FLUSH: 1) Liz treated a college girl named Claire this week. Claire complains of one ailment, but Liz notices that the girl is anorexic. Liz calls for a psychological consult, but psych says that the girl needs to consent to being submitted. Liz goes over the girl's head and speaks to the girl's mother (even though the girl is over 18) and the girl still refuses treatment. 2) Jing-mei treats a boy with seizures. The boy has a rare blood disorder that County Hospital does not test for at birth. As a result of not having the test, this boy slips into a comma. Jing-mei is so upset that the hospital does not perform the test that she starts a petition and tricks Romano into signing it even though Romano does not want to. 3) Dave is a good guy this week when he helps treat a 6 year-old girl who has been raped by her father; however, Dave oversteps his boundaries when he attacks the father. 4) Peter treats a man whose foot needs to be amputated. Luca treated the man a month ago but failed to follow up. Peter blames Luca for not following up. Peter says that older, African-American males require follow-ups to make sure they properly adhere to prescriptions, but Luca maintains that he did what he was supposed to. Maybe the two will fight in the future? That's all. I'll be nice since it's Thursday, and I'll concede that I got a little weepy at the very end when Liz comforted Marc so I'll give the show 8 Flushes.
QUOTE OF THE EPISODE: There's more to emergency medicine than treating and streeting patients. --Peter to Luca
AprilApril 27, 2000I know I'm not the only one bored by this 4 Flush episode of er. Given that I'm busy and given that this episode sucked, my summary will be brief at best. David (Marc's dad) has a fever of 101. Marc takes David to the hospital. David bonds with an elder woman whose bed is next to his own. David learns that this woman's husband fought in Vietnam as did David. She says that now her husband loves to be on his boat. David says that he likes the water and boats. Marc releases his dad from the hospital and takes him to Lake Michigan. David recounts a war story where a man dies in his arms. David says that the man's death "was the longest four minutes of my life" and this monologue of David's was the longest four minutes of my life. Just then, a man comes along and gives everyone a ride in a boat. How lame.Carole and Luca go to a used car lot to buy Carole a used car from Luca's cousin Herb. In the process of finding Herb's car lot, Luca recounts the story of him losing his wife and children. The two children were sick and the mom stayed in to watch them one day. Luca went out to buy something and just as he left the building, bomb sirens aired and his house (which had his wife and children in it) was bombed. Sad story, but when Luca told it, I was bored. Anyway, Carole finally buys a car, only the car breaks down in the middle of the freeway. While waiting for a towtruck, the two bond and kiss. Fade out. Carter has been having trouble sleeping at home, although he does wear a Northwestern sweatshirt around his house. At work his mind recalls visions and sounds from the attack by Paul Sobricky. Carter visits a psychiatrist this week, and then visits Samantha Sobricky. She tells Carter that Paul is in a mental hospital and is on drugs, but he is still very schizophrenic. She says that she is scared to have her baby (she's pregnant) while Paul is in the hospital. Peter takes Cleo to visit his sister Jackie. Cleo gets along with Jackie, but Jackie informs Peter that Cleo is not serious with Peter, that she is only having a good time. Peter says that he is also dating Cleo for a good time only, but the fact that Peter has a baby makes us think he wants to settle down. Kerry returns to work. Romano reminds Kerry that if she continues to disobey hospital policy, she will be punished. As a result, Kerry is pretty strict about who has the authority to do what. There were some other stories this week including one with an HMO and one where Abby successfully convinces an estranged family member to donate bone marrow to help a sick relative. On the whole, this episode bored me. NEXT WEEK: Marc takes time off to help his dad. A "gift from an old friend" distracts Carole from work. April 20, 2000Rerun.April 13, 2000Not a bad episode of er, but let's be honest, nothing about this show is great either. I really liked a twist or two, but plotwise very little happened. First, Kerry is still suspended from the hospital. Luca is doing double time to cover her shifts, but no one can really compensate for her organizational and administrative skills. Second, if I forgot to mention it, then I'll say so now: Carter has moved into his grandmother's house. He did this a few weeks ago when he sat down and bonded with her. Carter, however, is trying to get over Lucy's death. Lucy received a letter today about where she would be working after graduation. Carter took the letter, because no one knew what to do with it. She would have been working in the psychiatric department at County Hospital. Carter is pretty sad that Lucy is not around to find this news out. Third, David is causing big trouble with his nurse. David does not want to be a burden, either emotional or financial to Marc. Marc thinks his dad should stay in his apartment, but towards the end of the episode, the two men try to sit down and talk about what happened during their day. Marc says that the emergency room was not too crazy, but David has nothing to share because nothing happens to him. He just sits in the apartment doing nothing. In the middle of the night, he wakes up and has to go to the bathroom but he cannot make it to the bathroom and he wets his pants...how embarrassing for a grown man. Marc may start to realize the hopelessness of his dad and his situation. Will David end up in a hospice? Fourth, Luca and Carole are at a diner together with Carole's two kids. Someone mistakes the four of them for a happy family. Later, Luca calls Carole's children the Hathaway twins, but Carole informs Luca (in a rather harsh tone) that they are actually the Ross twins. Speaking of Doug, we learn that Doug has asked Carole to move to Seattle and be with him. She is considering his proposition. At the end of the episode, Carole asks to see a picture of Luca's children to see what they looked like. Luca only has a picture of his daughter. For a picture of his son, Luca has to use his imagination. Keep in mind that Luca's children and wife died in Croatia. Fifth, Peter and Cleo are the cutest couple to hit er in a long while.Cleo is treating a patient who has just come out of a car crash. She asks Liz for a surgical consult, but Liz says that the patient is fine. Cleo runs some more tests and then finds out that the boy's white cell count has gone up. Cleo now asks Peter for a consult. Peter thinks that the patient should have a surgical test. Peter goes to perform the surgery, but Liz as associate chief of surgery pulls rank on Peter and says that he may not. Peter says that the boy's white cell count has risen. She says that the boy may need the procedure, but that she will do the surgery. There is now major tension between Liz and Peter as well as tension between Cleo and Liz. Personally, I would love to see Liz be a b*tch. I think that British bitches like Joan Collins are awesome. Finally, Abby sees a mother of four children who has collapsed from exhaustion. Abby realizes that the mother is not eating AND that the mother is pregnant. Abby asks the mother if she was trying to starve herself to force a miscarriage. The mother admits that she was. Abby suggest an abortion. The woman gets one, but then talks with her husband (she refuses to talk to the husband beforehand) and realizes that she should have another baby in the future...talk about a sick-o. A deep though from me: Have you noticed that the doctors who work in the er have no life outside of the er. All of their relationships and all of their lives are within the emergency room. They have no fun and no friends...pretty sad, huh? IN TWO WEEKS: Prepare for the end of Carole Hathaway. Four episodes in a row that end in Carole's departure. April 6, 2000I must admit that I love certain highpoints of this 6 Flush episode. We definitely got to see some new and amusing things; and while I'm not sure that the moments I laughed at were not meant to be funny, I don't think it was inappropriate for me to be laughing. Romano comes down to work in the er for a day and discover what really happens there. His day does not go according to plan. Cleo treats a patient, but Peter writes the patient a prescription. She is happy that the patient has the drugs he needs. However, a few hours after leaving the hospital he returns and this time he is much worse. The pharmacy misread Peter's handwriting and gave the patient a drug that could kill him. Peter says that the pharmacy should have called him if they could not read his handwriting, but Romano says that Cleo should have checked the prescription before handing the actual drugs to the patient. Fortunately, the patient will survive, but Peter and Cleo get into a huge fight over who's fault the error is. Peter, with his ego, blames Cleo for not checking the prescription. She gets upset that he blames her. Fear not my friends., Peter goes over to Cleo's house late at night and explains himself...although he does not necessarily apologize. He then says, are we all forgiven? She says, "That was the lamest apology I've ever heard," and then she says "I'm going to take a shower." She walks towards her shower and then asks Peter if he is going to join her. Hot, hot, hot!! By the way, Cleo's house is really beautiful and I have no idea how an intern can afford such a house.Kerry treats a mentally crippled girl who even if she recovers will still be sick. Kerry wants to perform minor surgery on the girl but does not have parental consent, because the girl is a foster child and the girl's legal guardian will not allow the surgery. Kerry decides that the guardian was wrong for making his decision and that the patient should be saved so she does the surgery with Marc's permission, but not his approval. Romano, on the other hand, has told Kerry not to do the surgery because Kerry is helping only the patient's foster parent (who loves the patient, but does not have guardianship over the patient) treat the patient like a dog. I also wonder if Kerry is doing this because the patient was adopted like Kerry. Well, Romano finds out about Kerry's procedure and suspends her indefinitely. This would be one of the scenes where I laughed. Our final story examines Carter. A few months back, Carter treated a child with diabetes. At the time of the examination, Carter did not write down on the child's chart that he had diabetes, because the child's father was in between jobs. When Dad got a new job, he would get a new insurance carrier, and if son already had diabetes, then the new insurance company would not treat the son. Carter agreed to not include that the son had diabetes, if the son went on a diet. This week, the son comes back into the er on the brink of death. Cleo treats the boy and questions Carter as to why he did not catch the boy's diabetes a few months earlier. Carter says that it must have been his mistake. Marc finds out about Carter's mistake and also wonders what Carter did, but Marc then realizes that Carter did what he did to help the son in a backwards way. Kind of nice. Final tidbits: Marc and Liz differed over whether or not David, Marc's dad, should go to a hospice as David wants. Luca and Liz disagree over how best to implant a kidney (i.e. should we implant an organ inside of a cocaine addict). Luca and Carole enjoy a barbeque in April...until it starts snowing. True story: Thursday was a lovely day in which one could have had a barbeque (I believe the high temperature was in the 60s) and Friday we had a snowstorm here in Chicago. NEXT WEEK: ? |
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