ER 5/8/03 (not in HD) (1 Viewer)

[Mike Soltis]

I thought this was the 200th episode...
Why no HD???

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

[VicRuiz]

NBC announced a few days ago this episode would not be in HD. No reason was given.

 

[Patrick Sun]

Ow, my head hurts with all the flash forwards and backwards in the storytelling.

 

[Ryan_C]

I thought the opening sequence with Carter was nice, a cool flashback to the opening sequence of the first ep with Greene.

 

[Patrick Sun]

The writing was going for a lot of day/night symmetry in the way the scenes were shot. The CGI with Romano stood out a little bit, but I guess on a TV budget, you go with what you can get.

Anyone think Carter might be exposed to AIDS (like the Michael Michelle character almost was a few seasons ago?)

Is it really over for Carter and Abby?

I've missed Susan's sarcastic streak.

So is Pratt really coming back next season?

 

[Chuck C]

all i gotta say is that carter is done...he'll take the trust fund money and retire (unless he gets killed in the Congo)

 

[Patrick Sun]

But I think Noah Wylie has one more year of ER on his contract, but I can see next year being his last year for sure.

 

[Michael Martin]

all i gotta say is that carter is done

Nope, Wyle is signed on until the end of next season. I doubt very much that Wells & Co. will kill him off next week. The possibility of him contracting something and dying is there, as it allows for him to die in a dramatic and drawn out fashion next season.

Overall, I liked the episode. Since it was penned and directed by Mr Orman, of course there was an explosion (Doc Magoo's). However, I liked that the emphasis was on medicine, and that character exposition and revelation was done in context of the medical cases. By 10:30 I was feeling breathless and adrenalized - they had done an EXCELLENT job ratcheting up tension and drama.

I did feel like they copped on out Pratt - I am glad he's sticking around, but felt like they did a poor job of explaining why. He's spent 2 years complaining how much he hates it there, and suddenly he changes his mind?

The back and forth flipping between the day and night shift was cool - and especially touching and troubling with Carter and Pratt with the girl who had almost drownded. I don't think Pratt was trying to take credit not due him, but I felt bad that the dad didn't give Carter the recognition for bringing her back.

Regarding Romano and Corday's scene when Romano was waking up after the operation: was anyone else reminded of the end of the X-Files episode Triangle? (Both feature similar confessions of love from drugged or traumatized men).

I hope Abby gives Carter some time to work things out. He's been quite patient with her.

Next week has the potential to be kickass or maudlin. We shall see.

 

[Patrick Sun]

I don't think I could take another year of watching another "regular" die slowly like the Mark Green farewell tour of a season.

 

[Michael Martin]

I don't think I could take another year of watching another "regular" die slowly like the Mark Green farewell tour of a season.

Neither could I. I wasn't talking about it because I liked the idea, I simply raised it as a possible way to send Carter off.

In fact, if Carter does contract some fatal disease that's going to take 10 or 15 episodes to kill him, I'll be doing something else after 10 PM on Thursdays.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

The back and forth flipping between the day and night shift was cool - and especially touching and troubling with Carter and Pratt with the girl who had almost drownded. I don't think Pratt was trying to take credit not due him, but I felt bad that the dad didn't give Carter the recognition for bringing her back.

While the daughter and the father looked quite similiar, I thought the two cases were seperate... that it was a parallel for how different the same situation can be. But I had trouble following all the story treads so you might be right. I thought it was a pretty strong episode, and I liked how the seemingly pointless exposition from the beginning came back to haunt us at the end. I just wished they'd have kept up the subtitles with the shift and the time, as it took a little while to figure out who was working on each shift.

 

[BrandonM]

Although Noah Wyle is only under contract thru next season, he has expressed interest in extending his contract. Here is a recent quote I found:

And Wyle says he is looking beyond a 10th season: "The current contract I am working under does expire at the end of next season. We're at the moment talking about going beyond that. My commitment to the show is as strong as it has ever been."

 

[Chuck C]

I predict we'll see pratt's dude Leon next season. and hopefully Carter will have a peaceful, well thought out exit not like Greene or Benton.

 

[Craig Robertson]

i came in a couple of minutes late and was confused as hell by the jumping back and forth in time. i struggled for a while then just gave up trying to understand. it'll take another viewing to clear things up for me.

 

[Don Black]

I watched from the beginning and was confused as hell! A quick re-watch from the beginning cleared things up though. I think IMDB was reporting that Noah was considering renewing his contract after next year. He allegedly had a change of heart.

 

[Mark C.]

I think it would be best for everyone if they ended this show after this season. I know there are contractual issues, and NBC certainly doesn't have anything that can equal ER's ratings, even in its decline.
But it's time to give this show a rest. If not, then the producers should start paring away some of the fringe characters (Susan) who have nothing to do.

 

[Patrick Sun]

As long as the contracts are signed, and there is no viable replacement that can fill that timeslot, we are going to have ER for at least one more season.

 

[Chuck C]

so does everyone think ER will decline after this season? Romano is armless, Carter is out after next season, Weaver is corrupt, Luka is gonna kill himself over Abby, Susan and the pilot will alope again and move, that leaves Gallant and Corday who will be caught in a love triangle with Anspaugh. Pratt and Chen will go to NW after all, Maluchi will come back and him and Jerry will run the hospital...at that time, ER will jump the shark...okay I hit a new tangent

 

[TerryW]

In watching this excellent episode (that does require a second viewing to fully appreciate it) I was reminded of the Stephen King book and subsequent film adaptation of Dolores Claiborne. That story also has two different parallel timelines being told at the same time with the common thread of an eclipse. I wonder if the writers of er are King fans.