Anyone see ER last night? Spoilers

[Omega Glory]

I was watching the show on and off, and missed a couple of things.

Why did Henry's grandparents decide to give him back to Kerry? Last season, they'd agreed on only giving her visitation correct? Why the sudden change? For that matter, did we ever find out what Eduardo had to say that was so important?

Why is Neela still hanging around the hospital if she doesn't work there anymore? Does anyone remember how that research job storyline ended? I remember that she ruined the experiment. Is that why she doesn't work at the hospital?

Other random thoughts: I was hoping that we'd seen the last of that nurse and her kid. Maybe Luka will get fired and just stay with them instead of bringing them back to Chicago. It will be interesting to see whether or not Pratt has any brain damage from the accident. I don't know why the hospital continues to put up with the guy with red hair, but I hope he's kept around for awhile for entertainment purposes.

[Anonymous Coward]

Can someone provide a rundown on the plot points? I only caught the last 10 minutes with Carter and whatsherface spreading the ashes :(

[NotWithoutRage]

I was watching the show on and off, and missed a couple of things.

Why did Henry's grandparents decide to give him back to Kerry? Last season, they'd agreed on only giving her visitation correct? Why the sudden change? For that matter, did we ever find out what Eduardo had to say that was so important?

Why is Neela still hanging around the hospital if she doesn't work there anymore? Does anyone remember how that research job storyline ended? I remember that she ruined the experiment. Is that why she doesn't work at the hospital?

Other random thoughts: I was hoping that we'd seen the last of that nurse and her kid. Maybe Luka will get fired and just stay with them instead of bringing them back to Chicago. It will be interesting to see whether or not Pratt has any brain damage from the accident. I don't know why the hospital continues to put up with the guy with red hair, but I hope he's kept around for awhile for entertainment purposes.

I think a lot of stuff was edited out of the script. They never said why Henry's grandparents changed their mind, only that they did. My theory is that the editors were waiting to see if there would be any "real life" gay adoption cases that they could base the story on, but didn't find one in time for the final script.

Neela was hanging around because she wanted to talk to Abby. She doesn't work at the hospital because she accepted the internship in Michigan (or Minnesota?). She decided to leave medicine, and came back to Chicago to tell Abby.

I don't think that Pratt is going to end up with brain damage. He was able to scribble out that note to Jing-Mei last night.

[TeaElle]

I don't know why the hospital continues to put up with the guy with red hair, but I hope he's kept around for awhile for entertainment purposes.
As he mentioned, it was his last night. He was never added to the cast (though that smart mouth new intern guy is going to be official cast as of next episode) so looks like Morris is finally on his chicken-eating way out the door. Thank heavens.

Classic Kerry is back. The threat to perform an anal muscle tone evaluation with her crutch was perfect.

I missed the last 20 minutes or so, unfortunately, and neglected, once again, to TiVo, because I'm an idiot. I saw the action and had the captioning on, but the sound was muted and I missed stuff. I will never understand why my friends feel it necessary to call me during my TV shows!

[NotWithoutRage]

As he mentioned, it was his last night. He was never added to the cast (though that smart mouth new intern guy is going to be official cast as of next episode) so looks like Morris is finally on his chicken-eating way out the door. Thank heavens.

Classic Kerry is back. The threat to perform an anal muscle tone evaluation with her crutch was perfect.

I missed the last 20 minutes or so, unfortunately, and neglected, once again, to TiVo, because I'm an idiot. I saw the action and had the captioning on, but the sound was muted and I missed stuff. I will never understand why my friends feel it necessary to call me during my TV shows!

Red hair guy reminded me of Dave. Anyone remember him?

SmartmouthInternguy is hot :)

[NotWithoutRage]

Red hair guy reminded me of Dave. Anyone remember him?

SmartmouthInternguy is hot :)

Yes, I'm responding to my own post. Just found out that SmartmouthInternguy is a VERY grown up Shane West, from Once and Again. That's why I think he's hot!

[The Scrivener]

Shane West, eh? Interesting... in A Walk To Remember, he played a high school bad-boy who is inspired by his dying girlfriend to turn around his life. He does so, eventually graduating from medical school. Pretty good movie, BTW.

It'd be funny if the ER writers incorporated more details from that previous character into West's ER backstory.

[vertizontal]

Didn't Kerry make two bad diagnosis near the top of the show?
And wasn't it last season when she forgot her pager in the bathroom (yet covered it up), and she also used the same needle on two different people (as seen on TV!). I wonder if there's going to be more of a pattern of incompetence on her part.

To me it also looks like the writers just decided for a quick resolution to Henry's custody storyline, because they were tired of writing about it.

I'd like to hear more explanation from Neela. On the show we've never seen someone who got so far and then abruptly decided to quit.


I missed the last 20 minutes or so, unfortunately, and neglected, once again, to TiVo, because I'm an idiot. ............ I will never understand why my friends feel it necessary to call me during my TV shows!
You've got TiVo, but not voice mail????
Or, when the phone rings, can't you just push a button to start recording?

[The Chao Goes Mu]

I get the feeling there is much more to Neela's decision to quit medicine. After she told Abby she was quitting, she looked as though she had something more to say. And of course, catering to my own lascivious desires, I would like to think that she will soon confess to Abby that she is in love with her. :D

Ok, what the hell is the deal with that show constantly killing off characters violently? Jaayzuz. I'm surprised they didn't kill of Morris by having him choke on a chicken bone and then while desparatly trying to get someone's attention by flailing about, he stumbles on an I.V. cart, he trips, stumbling and careening of a wall, then falling flat on his face just as the elevator doors open and a nurse's aid is wheeling out a gurney carrying a man on his way to surgery to remove a 300 pound tumor from his ass. The nurse's aid, eyeballing a cute new intern, doesn't realize that the choking Morris is sprawled on the floor, arms akimbo. He merrily shoves the gurney out of the door crushing the red-headed slacker.
Roll credits.

[Dewey Finn]

Who was the guy in the car with Pratt and Chen? Was he a hospital patient or what?

[Casey1505]

Who was the guy in the car with Pratt and Chen? Was he a hospital patient or what?
The big kid from last season, with congestive heart failure.

Telivision Without Pity calls him Fry Cook. (http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=1&story=6880) He and Pratt struck up a friendship of sorts. Kind of a big brother/ little (heh) brother relationship. Pratt was giving him a ride home since his mother was unreachable (Phone's out, IIRC, was the explanation).

[StGermain]

Near the end of last season, Neela treated to Amish kids on their rumspringa. The girl was explaining how they were allowed to experience outside life, then choose how they wanted to live their lives. At the same time, Neela's family came to visit. Her life (including the decision to become a doctor) was something her family had pre-determined for her. She was impressed with the Amish girl's decision to not go back to the Amish, but to live the life she wanted, even if it meant cutting off ties with her family. I believe that's what inspired her to rebel against medicine. Now she has to decide for herself if she wants to be a doctor, or if she wants something else out of life.

StG

[NotWithoutRage]

Near the end of last season, Neela treated to Amish kids on their rumspringa. The girl was explaining how they were allowed to experience outside life, then choose how they wanted to live their lives. At the same time, Neela's family came to visit. Her life (including the decision to become a doctor) was something her family had pre-determined for her. She was impressed with the Amish girl's decision to not go back to the Amish, but to live the life she wanted, even if it meant cutting off ties with her family. I believe that's what inspired her to rebel against medicine. Now she has to decide for herself if she wants to be a doctor, or if she wants something else out of life.

StG

LMAO :) (I think this is a joke, right?)

[StGermain]

No. That's the way it went as I recall it.

StG

[skittles]

I recall it being very similiar as well. It is like Amish in the City meets ER. Very interesting TV.

[Kallessa]

Plus, on the Neela storyline, I remember that the whole time she was at the orientation at Michigan she looked uncomfortable. It had all the most up-to-date equipment and there were all sorts of perks, all the other new docs seemed liked the typical "rich spoiled kids turned doctor so they can stay rich and spoiled" and were talking about going into plastic surgery or other elective surgery stuff--getting bifees without much work. Neela was seeing everything through the eyes of Chicago General, and how the equipment, et. al. would have made such a difference. She no longer felt comfortable in this rather dilettante style of medicine (that was my take, anyway).

I'd rather have her leave medicine altogether, we've already had enough hot young doctor that could practice for rich folks and live a comfy life, but gives it all up becaue he/she cares so much. Maybe she'll go into social work so she can continue to pop up on some episodes.

What happened with Chen--it looked like she was badly hurt, but I missed what ultimately happened to her?

[St. Urho]

The big kid from last season, with congestive heart failure.

Telivision Without Pity calls him Fry Cook. (http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/story.cgi?show=1&story=6880) He and Pratt struck up a friendship of sorts. Kind of a big brother/ little (heh) brother relationship. Pratt was giving him a ride home since his mother was unreachable (Phone's out, IIRC, was the explanation).

His name was Elgin (or something that sounded like that).

[Casey1505]

What happened with Chen--it looked like she was badly hurt, but I missed what ultimately happened to her?Broken rib and gunshot to leg.

St. Urho, that's it. Thanks. I was drawing a blank.

[The Mad Hermit]

I didn't catch what happened to the driver that shot Chen and caused the accident. They wheeled him in, and I missed the rest of it somehow.

[StGermain]

To continue with the Neela backstory - since she came to Chicago General, she was shown to be very intelligent but not a good clinician. I really think that sick people gross her out. That's why she tried research, but that didn't work out (although as I recall, it was more because the students she was partnered with were screwing around and experimented on themselves - she saved the day then).

It may be that her concern for Elgin and his grandmother will be the turning point for her, to show her that these aren't just sick bodies, they're people.

StG

[Omega Glory]

As he mentioned, it was his last night. He was never added to the cast




Well there goes that wish. I enjoyed his character because he was so far out of the mainstream.

Thanks for the information everyone.

[Lsura]

What happened with Chen--it looked like she was badly hurt, but I missed what ultimately happened to her?


I was trying to figure out if anyone ever called her father's nurse or whether he ended up left at home alone while she's in the hospital.

[kka]

I thought that Pratt and the others were a little too calm, cool, and, collected. I know they are emergency docs, but still!!!

[Queen Tonya]

Re: Kerry and the custody battle, Brother Eduardo was trying to get ahold of Kerry to let her know that the grandparents had decided not to pursue the suit. They realized they were too old and tired to completely start the parenting gig anew, and there were intimations that they felt guilty about what they were doing to Kerry. They all worked it out, the grandparents are going to provide daily child care while Kerry works and Henry will be around for family holidays but he's being rightfully returned to Kerry. They claimed they never wanted to hurt her, but were just afraid Henry wouldn't be a part of their lives and didn't want to lose a grandson in addition to a daughter.

IMO? ER writers realized they needed to back the heck up offa that limb and not get all West Wing preachy and write an actual courtroom decision. It would have been controversial either way and not their fight, so they went for the graceful sidestep.

StGermain has it spot on regarding Neela, I think they were setting this up ages ago with her being conflicted about missing some important family ceremony that would have meant leaving Chicago and missing too much time. Remember her being drunk in the bar and ranting about family expectations and community expectations? "Oooh, she's Indian, she'll be smart and deferential. Oooh, she's British, she'll be this and that. Why can't I just be me, why does my family expect XYZ? etc" Abby was there as well, giving a big "well, no actually" answer to all Neela's questions about family expectations. I think she'll figure out that whether she was pushed into medicine by her family or not, it's where she ultimately wants to be and she'll finagle a residency at County.

Nurse Sam, cute as she is, needs to be smacked. Hard. My girlfriends and I watch the show together and have come to the conclusion that Sam's multiple problems boil down to a lack of girlfriends, she's all miss figure it out alone without any advice and she's doing a piss poor job of it. The way she interacts with her son makes me cringe, her utter wussiness at dealing with the ex situation was unbelievable and stupid, Luka should never have to beg for Og's sake, Sams killing me! Although I still smile when I remember her taking Romano's hand away from him for pinching her butt. I don't want to see some pat 'St.Luka moves in and organizes her life for her' resolution, I'd much rather see her character grow up.

I don't think they showed us what happened to the shooter that caused the accident. Jing-mai identified him but they never even showed anyone calling the authorities, much less following up with his injuries. How'd he even wind up there, did he crash following Pratt's going over the bridge or something? It's not like Greg was shooting back at him or anything.

Any bets on what the big Thanksgiving drama will be? Ebola lands at County? Jerry blows up the lobby again? Terrorists? Sharks are big this year, maybe someone will throw a few fresh-water adaptable ones in the lake and they'll have to treat bite victims? :D

[Casey1505]

Any bets on what the big Thanksgiving drama will be? Ebola lands at County? Jerry blows up the lobby again? Terrorists? Sharks are big this year, maybe someone will throw a few fresh-water adaptable ones in the lake and they'll have to treat bite victims? :D
The cliffhanger will be that there will be no cliffhanger. Everyone will be content with their day at work and lives in general, and we, the audience, will be on the edge of our seats waiting for the shit to hit the fan, but it never does.

[LavenderBlue]

I liked the Kerry storyline. That was a very sweet resolution.

I also liked the way they dealt with Abby. She's so proud of being a doctor but at the same time it's clear there are some things she's going to miss about being a nurse. The look she gave the other nurse when she realized she had missed helping the patient with cancer cope with impending death was very telling.

[vivalostwages]

It's a wonder that Jing-Mei has kept it together this long, with her father being an invalid and being abusive towards her last season. I wonder if they'll write his death or if she'll have to move him out of her home and into skilled care.

How long do you think the business between Carter and Kem will last? Somehow I don't think she'll come back from Africa. There's already been such tremendous damage with their baby dying in the womb; their relationship might not survive.

[Lsura]

(talking about Nurse Sam)... she's all miss figure it out alone without any advice and she's doing a piss poor job of it. The way she interacts with her son makes me cringe...




When she and the kid checked into the hotel, and Alex made the comment about being kidnapped, I very much wanted the old guy to call the cops - I figured that was how the writers were going to get Luka there, not the same old call from Alex. I just thought it would be an interesting way for her to have to ask for help. Ah well. Guess you can't have everything.

[Wile E]

I may be misremembering but I thought I remembered Kerry's SO's brother Eduardo telling her last season that he knew his sister would want her to have Henry and he was trying to get his parents to see that as well. So I figured he finally got through to them.

As for Luka and Sam, I was also hoping she'd be gone. I am really getting sick of seeing Luka toss his career aside for a piece of tail. You'd think he'd have learned by now that these fragile women he thinks need saving are too screwed up for him to fix.

[BobT]

The Kerry storyline was pretty much elided. The brother came in as a mediator and presumably offered a compromise offscreen.

If Kerry had lost custody of her son, she would have been unable to function.

I always found that storyline hard to believe because I could not imagine that a firefighter would not have had some very good legal documentation set up to take care of her own child in case of sudden death. It's not like she was in a particularly safe occupation.

[Miller]

I always found that storyline hard to believe because I could not imagine that a firefighter would not have had some very good legal documentation set up to take care of her own child in case of sudden death. It's not like she was in a particularly safe occupation.

I haven't been watchin ER lately, so I don't know how they handled the storyline precisely, but IRL, courts routinely ignore such provisions and grant custody to grandparents instead of the surviving partner. Hell, more than once in the US, the courts have granted custody of a child to the grandparents while the biological parent was still alive, simply on the grounds that homosexuals are "unfit" to raise children.

[Guinastasia]

I stopped watching it last season. What happened to Sandy?

(Don't tell me someone ELSE got killed off!)

[TeaElle]

You've got TiVo, but not voice mail????
Or, when the phone rings, can't you just push a button to start recording?
I've got voicemail, but I needed to talk to the caller. And the TiVo is in the media room, but I was snuggled up with the mister watching from the bed. Yay for the bed, not so yay for lack of TiVo.
I stopped watching it last season. What happened to Sandy?

(Don't tell me someone ELSE got killed off!)
Yep. She fell through a roof at a fire scene and died of internal injuries. It was way melodramatic.

[BobT]

I haven't been watchin ER lately, so I don't know how they handled the storyline precisely, but IRL, courts routinely ignore such provisions and grant custody to grandparents instead of the surviving partner. Hell, more than once in the US, the courts have granted custody of a child to the grandparents while the biological parent was still alive, simply on the grounds that homosexuals are "unfit" to raise children.

Does that happen much today? Are there examples of this that you can cite? I'm just curious if this is something that breaks down regionally.