Last night's ER seems to have been entirely stolen from SCRUBS (open spoilers)

Cafe Society
1

…

and I’m not sure how I feel about it overall.

On the one hand it was Neela-centric, and she’s pretty much the only character left worth giving a damn about. Well, half a damn.

The story was sort of a butterfly-effect plot, showing three different ways Neela’s day could go in regards to two patients, one job interview and two love interests (only one of whom was shown onscreen). Scrubs did the same thing a few years back–although, I think, a lot more honestly.

I have a few thoughts on the episode, but I’ll see if anybody else feels like talking about it before I start spewing.

2

I don’t regularly watch ER, but I felt like it was also kind of referencing Donnie Darko in the sense that in the layout of the different plots she was ultimately arriving at the “right” course of action. And the use of Mad World being sung by the street performer.

3

**Malcolm in the Middle ** had an episode in 2001 in which Malcolm and Reese go bowling. Two intercut versions of the story play out.

In 1998, the feature films Run Lola Run and Sliding Doors did something similar. The latter diverged with a character catching or missing a train, which had been used in the Polish film Blind Chance (1981).

4

Also, The Simpsons did it in that episode where Lisa invents a robot for the school Science Fair. Speaking of Run Lola Run there’s a sequence in that particular episode that imitates that scene in the movie where Franka Potente nearly gets hit by a semi. I didn’t see the ER episode. There wasn’t any techno music, was there?

5

I was kinda not paying attention, but I was furious with her for blowing off her interview with Corday. “Uh, what was that? My pager’s going off. Again.” And was this episode sponsored by the Durham Chamber of Commerce?

6

Scrubs has been known to steal liberally from “House” (including an episode called “My House” when Dr. Cox gets a cane and acts all cranky and all the cases are bizarre). So, I think ER can be forgiven. It’s not like the “three choices… what to do?” plot is exactly unique.

7

When is the last episode? I’ve watched on and off since the beginning but this is one of my ‘off’ seasons.

8

They had previously announced a final date, but just added three more episodes. So don’t know.

9

I didn’t consider that episode to be stealing so much as paying tribute. I’ve heard more than a few people compare Drs Cox and House, so I figure they were just getting it out of the way and making a few jokes while they did it.