I don’t have a whole lot to say except that I really liked this episode. I like when shows do this: go completely out into the woods (literally) with just a couple of the characters, and get out of the one-location rut.
Question about the geopolitical background of the story. The action seemed to take place in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire). Who are the Mayi-Mayi? (Mahi-Mahi? Ma’i Ma’i?) Are they a real rebel faction? Because if not, it seemed like the political situation in Congo was really dumbed down for this show. I mean, I guess you have to do that, but it still smacked of oversimplification. [Tongue_in_cheek]The backwoods rebels: the silly fools think the West is stealing all of Africa’s resources, and that’s why they’re shooting everyone they find, even the international doctors.[/Tongue_in_cheek].
I liked it too. It reminded me of the one they did ages ago with Carol in the convienence store as it was robbed.
I especially liked how they kept switching back and forth between past/present until the two met up at the end. It kept the suspense up to a surprisingly intense level. And the scene with the rebels shooting the captives one by one? Disturbing, to say the least.
I agree with your simplification comments RenMan, but I’m pretty ignorant of the actual situation so I’m not sure just how much artistic license they took with it.
The whole “man of god” thing was a bit of a duex ex machina in the most literal sense of the word. I was willing to overlook it though, in the interests of not dragging out the Africa plot for another twelve episodes. Although with Carter sticking around (anyone know for how long?) maybe that’s not to be. The blonde chicky was right though, Carter isn’t the type to schlep around Africa on a noble quest for redemption, so here’s hoping he heads back to Chicago for yet another round of “bicker with Abbey” real soon. Maybe they’ll finally just break up and get it over with. ::crossing fingers::
The priest thing also caught me off guard. Like Luka would have been the only guy to start praying right before he thought he was going to be killed. There seemed to be some sudden change of heart with the soldiers for which I saw no motivation or explanation apart from praying and wearing the cross. I don’t get how that equals “man of God.” I’d like to see the sassy Congo doctor come back to Cook County with Carter; I like her.
When Carter said he was staying I groaned, “Here we go again.” I thought we’d be caught in this loop where one of the docs stays behind, they find out he’s dead, the friend returns to find him, discovers him alive, then sends him home while staying behind, ad infinitum.
And wouldn’t Luka have gotten a shot to prevent malaria since he was going overseas? (if there is such a thing.)
There is no innoculation against malaria. One must take an ongoing series of drugs the entire time in malaria zones in order to avoid contracting the disease. I took doxycyclene every day for three years in Africa. Mefloquine is another drug that is taken less frequently, but which has more serious side effects.
The impact of christianity in southern Africa, including Congo, Uganda, Kenya, etc. shouldn’t be underestimated. There is high respect for priests and other religious figures in many areas. Superstition alone would probably give even the more murderous types second thoughts about killing a priest.
I don’t know where they are filming the African sequences, but if it’s not actually in Africa, then somebody needs to win major awards for attention to detail. I would suspect that they are doing this in Kenya or some other country that isn’t presently a danger. From the vegetation, it closely resembles Uganda or Congo.
RenMan: The software is set to decapitalize thread titles that are all caps SO WE DON’T HAVE SHOUTING THREAD TITLES. I think that if you included another uncapped word (“ER, 10/2 episode”) that it would remain capped. But I’m too lazy to test the theory.
I also wondered if they were going to keep swapping doctors in and out of Africa. That would get old.
Mr. S thought that the blonde doctor looked familiar, but he couldn’t place her. She didn’t ring a bell with me either. Fortunately we were taping, so we went back to the opening guest credits, found her name (Mary McCormack) and looked her up on IMDb: She also played the female astronaut in Deep Impact. The blonde hair fooled both of us.
It seems like all the aid workers in the Congo are extremely good looking. I didn’t realize that.
They did a pretty good job of capturing the chaos that the characters were experience. I think Luka may have had his epiphany, waiting to be shot may have finally snapped him out of the malaise he’s been experiencing since his family was killed.
When they introduced the German (?) geologist, I immediately knew there was going to be a mistaken identity.
I think a few weeks ago TV Guide (Western civilization’s primary source of enlightenment) said that Noah was going to be away for a few episodes to spend some time with his new baby.
One of the rebels asked the woman that was travelling with them (was she a nurse? doctor?) why Luka was praying. She told him Luka was a priest, and it was bad to kill a man of god.
And Noah Wylie is out for the next 6 episodes (I believe TVGuide said). I can’t wait to see Abby read his Dear Jane letter
I caught the “man of God” from the woman (the mother of the girl whose lower leg they had to amputate last season, whom Luka was carrying through the jungle); what a handy thing she gave him her cross. Thanks for the bit on Christianity in Southern Africa, Chefguy; I admit to knowing next to nothing about religion and spiritual belief in the countries you mentioned and would value some more perspective on its cultural impact.
I’m probably the wrong person to ask about this, as I have a rather large hard-on for organized religion. I can tell you that the largest significant difference that I saw between Muslim Africa and Christian Africa was the rampant alcoholism in the latter, and the associated higher crime levels.
As with many countries in the third world that have been ‘converted’, the belief in the ancient gods, shamans, etc. is always just below the surface and paid homage to. Many Brazilians, for example, will freely tell you that they regularly visit the Bruja as well as the priest.
Yeah, I’m wondering if they hired African transplants for those parts. Their French was fluent, the accent was most definitely African, and (and this is not racist, believe me) they were black, by which I mean that there are damn few white plantation owners in most of the ancestral lines in Africa.
