ER

[Munchkin]

Well, that just... sucks. Though I've had some problems with Dr. Corday's character in the past (i.e. not supporting Maggie Doyle's sexual harrassment claim against Romano so it wouldn't ruin the ungrateful and indifferent Peter Benton's precious career), I did like Alex Kingston and find it inconceivable that they should get rid of her when compared to the other deadweight crap that's littering the show now.



You've got Luka being a dick with his whole "I've just gotten back from the Congo where they did amazing things *without* Modern Medicine, so I'll just make the whole Hospital do the same thing despite the obvious dangers in cutting corners and harming patients" self-righteous bull$#!+, Nurse Velma being a mopey nag with her whiny fucking brat of a son causing trouble, Pratt being a total.. prat (was there ever an unlikable and idiotic character more aptly named?), and so on.



And who do they get rid of? The short, middle-aged, one-armed, politically-incorrect, angry bald-guy by dropping a helicopter on him; and the groovy British red-head. And I wonder why I rarely watch this stupid show anymore.

_______



Dave C.

Edited by: Munchkin at: 6/8/04 4:33 pm

[seurat]

My feeling about this latest casting news is that it is more of the same. ER was at one time, a top-notch show, from writing to directing and acting. The writing has become increasing lame, the directing mediocre and the acting - well, it's as good as it can be under those circumstances. I will probably watch it as much next season as I have for the past five or so seasons, occasionally when I have nothing better to do.



Having said all that, there are still a couple of likeable actors on the show and for those was saw the rather dreary finale this year, they did give Kerry one very good courtroom speech at the end of her custody battle. When the writers get it together to write a good scene, the actors will still deliver the goods. I'll always have a soft spot for the show since it is pretty much the last one still on that my late sister and I both used to watch and discuss at length. So watching it now, even at this creative low, still makes me wonder what she would have said about this or that ep and keeps her in the present a little while longer. It's not a bad reason to keep watching a show, but it is too bad that ER couldn't maintain the quality of the first few seasons.

"Life's complications and frustrations/they disappear when the music starts playing/I found a place where it feels alright/I hear a record and it opened my eyes/do you remember what the music meant?" - Speakers Push Air, Pretty Girls Make Graves

[Warduke]

From TV Guide...

Quote:

---

ON SECOND THOUGHT...: ER star Alex Kingston is backing down from claims that she was fired from NBC's long-running hospital drama for being too old. As reported Monday, the 41-year-old actress told London's Radio Times that her contract wasn't renewed because "according to the producers and the writers, am part of the old fogies who are no longer interesting." But faster than you can say "The wrath of John Wells," Kingston released a statement saying her remarks "were taken out of context." She added that Dr. Corday was being phased out because "the character had run its course." Translation: She was an old fo

---

---

Firefox: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[urnofosiris]

Amy, you just described every ER episode I have seen in the last few years. I watch it because it´s fascinating to see how bad it can get. They used to be reasonably medically accurate, but sometimes it just gets a wee little too much. I´ve noticed that nowadays whenever a patient has to be intubated his oxygen saturation instantly goes up even before they are hooked up to the O2, just putting in the tube does the trick. Same for restarting hearts and blood pressure. They re-establish a normal rhythm and within the next two seconds they call out a perfect blood pressure. Then they die anyway.



The episode I watched today had Carter´s old grandma dying peacefully in her sleep. Dr Carter upon hearing this news proceeded to resuscitate a guy after 30 minutes of CPR, then just before leaving to pick up his father from the airport he tells Pratt how to perform an emergency tracheotomy on a guy. Then he acts like a total unbelievable selfish fuckhead towards Abby because she chooses to go pick up her mentally ill brother instead of going with Carter to hold his hand because he can´t deal with it alone. Slimy whiny brat. The reason I keep watching is the helicopter episode, I do not want to miss that one and I hope the next one drops on Carter.

Edited by: DrG at: 6/10/04 2:45 pm

[na71684]

One question.



What do you think is going to happen to Kerry Weaver and the baby? Will she get the baby taken away from her or do you think the courts will rightfully let her have her son.

[urnofosiris]

I don´t think they will let her keep her child. I think as a result of the fall-out from the loss of her lover and their child, her professional career will take a nosedive as well. Before the show´s over her character and spirit will be utterly destroyed.

Edited by: DrG at: 6/14/04 12:08 pm

[seurat]

Wow, that's a depressing prediction Garfield. I don't think it will be quite that bad, but I agree she probably won't get custody. There seems to be hope that some of the younger generation in the family are sympathetic, that might help her down the line.

"Life's complications and frustrations/they disappear when the music starts playing/I found a place where it feels alright/I hear a record and it opened my eyes/do you remember what the music meant?" - Speakers Push Air, Pretty Girls Make Graves

[Munchkin]

That's a nice thought, but if Kerry doesn't get custody, then the show may not bother to mention her son again (except as a tool to pile more misery upon her), so there won't be any point in showing the nicer members of Sandy's family sticking up for Kerry if this plot is ignored.



I also had another depressing thought. With Corday gone, Kerry will lose the closest thing she had to a real friend and confidante on-the-job. And given that the only other alternatives are Carter (self-centered whiny jerk), Susan (never the best of friends since Season 2), and Deb/Jing-Mei (a pissy-bitch who I sincerely hope did get killed along with Pratt in the road-rage shooting "cliffhanger"), I see Kerry becoming increasingly isolated and miserable until her role becomes as "expendable" to the writers and producers as Corday was.



And that, too, would suck, because Laura Innes is awesome. After all, who else can sell a line like this?



"Damnit, Jerry! Stop watching that TV or I'll run over there and rip it off the wall with my bare hands and beat you to death with it!"

_______



Dave C.

Edited by: Munchkin at: 6/14/04 2:38 pm

[urnofosiris]

LOL at that line, I wish she would. Jerry annoys me like most guys on that show except Anspaugh and Gant. Getting rid of Corday means they are getting rid of one of the few likable people worth watching the show for. I always liked Kerry, even when she became a huge wimp for while, but I really do believe they are determined to milk every ounce of human misery out of her, so not much fun to watch. I like Abby too (assuming she is still on the show), though I have no idea what the fuck she and Carter were about. Carter is a slimy whiny selfish bratty shithead and I hope he gets tossed out of an airlock. Ok wrong show, but it´s a nice thought.

[Munchkin]

Abby who? Oh right, Nurse Lisa. I liked Maura Tierney as well ever since she played Lisa on Newsradio (hence the nickname) so I was expecting great things from her coming to ER, which back then needed some real talent to balance out that deadwood who played Benton's girlfriend Cleo Grinch (the same non-actress who ruined the final season of Homicide only the year before).



But instead, the show did the impossible and turned Nurse Lisa into a mopey, self-pitying grump who actually looked downright unattractive a lot of the time. Of course, with Nurse Velma & Brat, Prat, BitchChen, Self-Righteous Luka, and Whiny-Jerk Carter in the mix now, Nurse/Dr. Lisa looks better in comparison, even prettier. And I've missed that.



And speaking of which, where in the hell did Randi go? I really liked her dress sense, her attitude, even her name which I just liked to say over and over like a mantra. Randi, Randi, Randi. Could they please get rid of Frank if it'll bring Randi back? Because I really, really miss Randi.

______



Dave C.

[urnofosiris]

Ah yes, Randi was fun, I especially loved her very brief part in some old Halloween episode where she dressed up as a conservative. Amusing. We´re a season behind here, so I have no idea how low they are going to make Abby sink. The whole AA thing has always been a bit of a yawn, and Carter preaching and whining to her has always an aggravation I could do without. Still, with the departure of nurse Hathaway, who has crappy man taste just like Abby, and the disappearing into nothingness of Haleh and the other older nurses, Abby is the only one to counterbalance the arrogant egotistical and dislikable doctors (not Kerry or Susan). If anything, ER continues to be a great excuse to bitch. I can´t say I really mind in this case.

[Kieli]

Ok, this season Maura Tierney has gotten hotter and hotter. I have found that I am ONLY watching because DOCTOR Lockhart has me by the strings. They've made her stronger, more kickass and the only watchable character so far. It should just be the Abby Lockhart show. She is just...just....wow. I'm speechless. More Abby, less brooding Luka and that wishy washy Sam (who I normally love but she screwed over Luka bad).

[urnofosiris]

Hmm, you making me want to download it now. I stopped liking this show years ago, but I continued watching to mock it until I lost track of ER several seasons ago thanks to the absolutely shitty airtimes and ever changing schedules they use here (and I believe we are still like 2 seasons behind). Anyway, I would not mind watching it again for a more positive reason as well.

[Kieli]

Granted there are a few crap eps (especially the flag waving one with Neela and Gallant *ugh* and an ep where Sam treats Luka exceptionally bad) but all of the eps with Abby that she spends a large amount of time in are worth it. I think SHE should be Chief Resident. She's got the brains, the strength and the heart for it. All of those others are poseurs.

[Jennpurr]

Can someone tell me what's been going on with Kerry? I haven't been watching this season. Any new romance for her?

Thanks in advance,

Jen

[Kieli]

Kerry has been making five second appearances. That's about it this season.

[Bound2Her]

wow. so, anyone still watch the show?

Just got finished watching the season premire. What a gut twisting epsiode it was! Im still in shock mode!

[Kieli]

wow. so, anyone still watch the show?

Just got finished watching the season premire. What a gut twisting epsiode it was! Im still in shock mode!

If Abby even REMOTELY gets so much as a scratch, I boycotting this show. If she dies, loses the baby or anything else, I'm writing it off permanently. And will someone PLEASE kill off that idiot red-headed Chief of Residents? He makes my trigger fingers itch.

[Bound2Her]

If Abby even REMOTELY gets so much as a scratch, I boycotting this show. If she dies, loses the baby or anything else, I'm writing it off permanently. And will someone PLEASE kill off that idiot red-headed Chief of Residents? He makes my trigger fingers itch.

Im so very glad for the outcome!

Spoiler:

I definatly can't wait till next week! I adore Sally Field's character and can't wait to see her back!

[Kieli]

Poor Abby and Luka....and SAM! Holy crap, I was shocked but not too surprised. She is quite the little badass when she needs to be.

[umgaynow]

I don't know if everything is OK or not...I read someplace (TV Guide?) that one of them was going to die...either Abby, Luka or Jerry...so while Abby and Jerry seem to be out of the woods one never knows...I have a feeling about the way Luka keeps coughing and was stabbed and paralyzed etc. that he may throw a clot or something...who knows...especially with John Stamos joining the cast Luka may be losing his spot as resident dark and hunky doc...I have always liked Luka, he's so vulnerable and wounded under all the emotional unavailability...ever since that episode when they had to go to a sensitivity class and he performed a bit of Hamlet in Croation...that just got me...it was so beautiful...anyway, I hope nobody dies...especially Abby...and of course it's gonna take more than a couple bullets to take down Olaf, Lord of Hammers! And poor Neela, coming back to that after her hubby's funeral

That rape scene with Sam was so traumatic to watch...she did so well at portraying that leaving your body thing...I was so glad when she killed that bastard...totally self defense...he never would have stopped coming after them...I just hope the kid is OK, he seemed awfully motionless in that back seat

[Culzean]

So Kerry finally has a new girlfriend. About time! Though I'm still pissed they killed off the last one.

[emma peel]

Is Kerry's new gf Michelle Hurd, formerly Monique Jefferies of Law & Order :SVU?

[Culzean]

Yes, I believe it is Michelle Hurd.

[songbird]

Now it looks like Kerry is going to leave ER too. Damn! Best freakin' character in the show and they kick her out. After more than 10 years too! I give up on ER!

[urnofosiris]

Oh well, it is not as if anyone could see her anymore anyway. I mean that literally. I have zapped past a few episodes lately and I can´t see shit for lack of light on that show. Granted we are a few seasons behind still I think, maybe someone has paid the electrical bill since then...

[songbird]

Yeah, ER went to hell a long time ago. No more loveable boss from hell. Sigh.