I had to record the 10p CSI, so what happened with the smallpox in the ER?
No one watched the season finale of ER???
Two kids with “chicken pox” came into the er and waited in chairs for 45 minutes to be seen. As soon as Carter saw them he realized what it was and called the CDC and the e.r. was locked down. Weaver freaked out because she was locked outside with a critical patient, whom they triaged outside and got up to the OR through a fright elevator. One of the kids died. Mom and Dad were all weepy and feel responsible because Dad’s job in Africa targetted them, or so they figure. Two of the students, Chen and that new kid with the major attitude, showed signs of possibly having it, so they, along with a homeless man, were quarinetined. The people who were being held in the er freaked out, a lot, and an annoying couple decided to file a class action lawsuit about wrongful imprisonment. Carter saves kid #2 when he starts to loose ground. The annoying couple gets tied up in police tape, and half a dozen crazy people try to use a gurney to bust their way out of the er. Carter and Abby make out at the end.
That’s it in a nutshell. 
It’s weird to have a cliffhanger that’s going to be “resolved” on the following day. So all the actors are going to have to look pretty much the same when it comes time to shoot the first episode.
I’d wager a lot of money that the girl who died didn’t have smallpox. Why? The disease has been eradicated from the wild and I doubt that it’s going to be reintroduced by the bad guys by exposing one family at a time in Central Africa.
The smallpox scare was just a situation to allow Carter and Abby to make out.
It was way too unresolved IMO…although last night’s episode did give us a chance to see Pratt (the new, loud, annoying guy) as more human, since he wanted to try everything possible to save the little girl’s life.
The main subplot was a busload full of elderly people who had been in an accident due to the fact that their driver had an epileptic seizure (audience was left w/the sense that the guy she hit might die and the driver would be in deep legal trouble).
Not a regular ER watcher here, but I see it on occasion. I thought this was a decent episode. I just wanted to slap some of the “detained” patients every time they started being jerks.
It’s been a long time since I’ve followed any TV drama, and haven’t seen an end-of-the-season-cliffhanger since I watch Star Trek the Next Generation every Saturday night.
I also doubt it’s actually small pox. The way Carter was so sure that’s what it was is just going to lead up to him feeling guilty that he made such a rash decision (hahaha!) by locking down the ER. Then his pals will support him, and let him know that they stand behind him as the senoir most doctor on the floor.
Good summary elfkin477.
Re: the kids not having smallpox:
I agree that will probably be the ultimate resolution but it was close enough that the public health officials believed the ER should remain quarantined until they could find out for sure. Remember also that preliminary results determined that this virus had a similar structure as smallpox (I forget what they called it but it was something like boxed brick…). It will turn out to not be smallpox but Carter will still be praised for doing the right thing.
I think it was primarily a vehicle for Carter to be shown in a leadership role now that Dr. Greene is gone. Making out with Abbey was just a bonus.
I always knew Dr. Wyle had it in him.
Now, if he only had it in me.
[sub]Beat Guin to it this time.[/sub]
Oh god, I watched this thing back to the freakin’ pilot. My attention waned the last year or two but yeah, I caught this one. I do find it VERY VERY “pat”, that Dr. Carter has now ( in many ways ) become the obnoxious Dr that Peter was in the first year or two.
Remember, “E.R” was written more than 20 years ago, revolving around Interns and Residents at a Boston hospital… I just think they could have done more than to make Carter the know-it-all Senior, and Pratt the annoying underling.
That may, or very well may NOT be, how life really is in an “ER”…but, I love the show and adore the use of Steadicam in same.
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