New ER Season Begins Tonight!

I'm with you, Piel. I'm afraid I'm going to forget that it's on.........maybe I had better go set my VCR..................... :\ 42

I didn't get home in time for the early running, so I'll have to wait until 10. I wasn't even going to watch this season, but I'm very excited about the addition of Shane West to the cast.

Can't wait!!!!!!

Well, that got things off to an eventful beginning. Looks like Carter's relationship is in trouble. Will she head back? I hear this is Carter's last season. Pratt is in bad shape.

Looks interesting.....

I missed it. What happened?

Chen & Pratt made it out - Chen was shot in the leg and broke some ribs. Pratt seemed fine at first, but ended up having some trouble and was sent to surgery to...relieve pressure on the brain? They were talking about possible long-term brain damage, but he was awake by the end and writing notes to Chen (he was intubated). Elgin came in alive but in really bad shape, but died during a thorachotomy.

It was supposed to be Abby's last nursing shift before beginning her residency, but the ER was short-staffed, so Weaver put her to work early (as a doctor). The 2 patients we saw her treat died (Elgin and a guy with cancer of the tonsils). The cancer guy was really poignant - he came in bleeding out and refused medications, agreeing to essentially bleed to death. Abby agreed to stay with him while it happened, but now that she's a doctor, she doesn't get to do that. She had to leave - Haleh stayed with him until he died.

Neela came back to talk to Abby (she had quit her residency in Michigan at the end of last season), ended up staying at the hospital, doing some work. Weaver told her not to work on anyone, as she's not covered by hospital insurance, but she did some work on Pratt (saying that no one would care if she accidentally killed him ), and sewing up Elgin's chest after he died so he'd be cleaned up for his mom. No resolution on what she's doing.

New interns arrived - saw a tiny bit of Shane West, but no real character introduction yet. He did make a possible pass at Weaver! Abby was given a pass for the intern introduction since she had worked late the night before (and already knows the hospital)

Carter & Kem still mourning the death of the unborn baby. Several meaningful scenes in which nothing happens (showing the distance between them). At the end of the ep, they are seen scattering the baby's ashes in the river. Carter makes some stilted comments, Kem finally breaks down and says a lot of things in french, the background noise was too loud for me to catch any of it. kem is going back to the Congo - Carter wants her to stay, he wants her to marry him, she is freaking out, needs time, needs to be by herself etc. I'm guessing Carter's exit from the show will be to follow Kem.

Weaver prepares to go to court for the judge's ruling on Henry's custody. Sandy's brother Eddie has been trying to call her all night. He approaches her before the session begins, Weaver & her lawyer say that they'd all agreed to let a judge sort it out...Eddie says give me 2 minutes of your time...next we see, the judge is announcing that all parties have agreed to give Kerry full custody of Henry, with Sandy's parents taking care of Henry while Kerry is at work, and they get liberal holiday visitation. "We just wanted to saty a part of his life" they say. Quite a turnaround from last season, but I'm glad.

Sam has taken her very strange son on the run -- doesn't seem to know where they're going, just that "this is what I do...leave places". The son (Alex?) is really unhappy, finally manages to place a collect call to Luka, who walks off shift to go pick them up at some motel. Whatever. Sam's character has been a huge disappointment, IMO. And Luka's become a total caricature.

No sign of Dr Lewis (still on maternity leave), Dr Corday is in a few scenes dealing with the Chen/Pratt/Elgin accident but that's it. Bungling Morris is around a bunch, nothing major though.

(Edited to clarify the paragraph about Abby)

guinevere:

Thanks for the recap. I found some of the dialogue hard to distinguish and was unclear about some of the dynamics going on.

I agree about Sam character. I don't care for her. I wish they would cut her character from the story line. Makes no sense.

Thanks.

I was glad they picked things up where they left off for once instead of skipping forward 4 months and then filling in what happened through the dialogue.

But honestly -- how many of the doctors in that ER have been shot, stabbed, or otherwise maimed over the years? What are the odds? That place is jinxed!

It is quite a regular soap opera. I think I read that a new love interest has been cast for Carter, so I think we've seen the end of Kem. In case anyone is interested, her French prayer sounded more like a song... A time to live, a time to die, a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to dance...

Actually it sounds like its from Ecclesiastes. And you probably do remember it as a song: For every thing, turn, turn, turn.....There is a season........

I'm still hoping for a reuniting of Abby and Luca........did anyone notice Carrie's ears perk up when the new intern said something to the effect that she didn't look like she had been up all night!................ 42

I must have dozed through that part Show. Was the intern referring to Carrie? If so I'l bet he gets scheduled for all midnights and weekends for the rest of his internship, LOL.

Piel........the new group of interns were coming on duty when Carrie was getting ready to go to court. She apologized for her appearance, and the new guy (Shawn West I think) said you couldn't tell by her appearance that she had been on duty. She paused and looked up and to me, looked interested, or at least intrigued...........42

THAT would be an interesting turn.

If Ann Hecht (the one that had an affair with Ellen Degeneres) can change her mind and decide she's interested in guys after all, why not Carrie?

I just hope they are not going to get rid of Carter after this season. Isn't he the only original cast member left? I like his character and hope they keep him on.

IIRC this is Carter's last season.

I think Carrie is bi-sexual anyway. She's had previous relationships with guys......42

katherine2001 said:

Isn't {Carter} the only original cast member left?

Click to expand...

Both Ming Na (Jing-Mei/Deb Chen) and Sherry Stringfield (Dr Lewis) are original cast members, but Carter is the only original cast member who's been on the show the whole time.

Re: Kerry - Kerry was actually married once to another doctor (she mentioned it briefly several seasons ago, it was before her character was introduced). I believe that once she came out, she has identified as lesbian. Doesn't mean she wouldn't go back - most lesbians I know are giving guys a try lately :sheesh: - but I hope she doesn't.

This is indeed Noah Wyle's last season. Is Ming-Na really classified as an original cast memeber? I think she only showed up part way through the first season.