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April 19, 2007: Family Business
For my money, tonight’s episode provided some of the most heartfelt emotion we’ve seen this season — emotion that was no doubt underscored by the devastating events of the past week. Rarely have the themes of loss and family been more resonant as we all witnessed how, in an instant, lives can be irrevocably altered by tragic circumstances.
Robert Prosky touchingly portrayed the elderly, Alzheimer’s-stricken man facing the unexpected death of his caregiver son (played by his real-life son Andy Prosky). His reaction in the moments following his son’s death was gut-wrenching and the situation became even more heartbreaking as the man had to be reminded of his loss moments later. Robert Prosky is one of those actors who has made a career out of small but memorable roles, and his turn tonight was no exception. (The actor has definitely aged in recent years — it was hard to believe that this was the same guy who played boss and mentor to Holly Hunter’s manic producer in Broadcast News, one of my favorite movies of all time.)
While we are on the topic of tonight’s guest stars, I will admit that I have yet to see Borat or guest star Ken Davitian’s over-the-top performance in that film so I can’t really say how much he had to stretch for his role tonight as an Armenian florist/Good Samaritan. I’m counting on all of you to comment on that.
I can’t believe I am going to say this, but tonight I actually didn’t hate Tony Gates (and let me state for the record that I've never hated John Stamos — my issue has always been with the direction of his character. And his facial hair). As a matter of fact, I felt kind of sorry for him. Between dealing with Sarah’s paternity, his angry and alcoholic father, and kissing up to Pratt, it seemed like he was having a tough time juggling everything. Maybe it was just his proximity to Goran Visnjic or the fact that he has been too distracted to moon over Neela, but for the first time, I was able to empathize with his character.
Speaking of everyone’s favorite Croatian, it appears they are already setting us up for Luka’s exit. The case of the father and son appeared to trigger some remorse in Luka for not being more a part of his own father’s life, which will probably lead to some big decision (that's just a guess, by the way). I was especially touched as Luka was loading the old man into the ambulance and could not bring himself to reiterate the events of the day yet again. From a character-continuity perspective, Luka knows all too well the pain of losing a child, and I thought that added even more depth to his interaction with the man. As he continued to prove later on in his scenes with Abby and baby Joe, his soulful presence, gravitas and leadership will be impossible to replace. Whatever number of episodes he has agreed to for next season, it will simply not be enough. I still can’t fathom how they are going to realistically write around this departure, and frankly, I don’t even want to. (Click here for some potentially interesting news about a possible return from the scoopalicious Michael Ausiello.)
Finally, is it just me or do Sam and Neela seem to have the market cornered when it comes to garnering male attention? Neela currently has at least two doctors in love with her and one (Dubenko) who seems ready to declare his intentions. Meanwhile, it seems like Sam has sexual tension with just about every guy she meets. (Granted, that cop was very cute and I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him!) Come on, ladies of the ER, share the wealth.
According to the promo, we have new episodes to look forward to right up until the end of the season, so keep those comments coming as Season 13 rolls toward the finish line.
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Apr 20, 2007 12:45 AM
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Great recap, Trish.
I'd have to agree with everything you had to say. I also liked Tony Gates more tonight. I despised that character before. Not surprising he isn't the dad, but I wanted him to be. That being said, I've probably had enough of his home storyline.
And yeah, I've never been a Neelah fan so I'm dumbfounded at the attention she gets, but Sam is beginning to come across as, hmmmmmm, how can I say this in a nice way.....easy?? But the cop was a cutie and they had more chemistry than her and the male nurse of a few weeks ago.
I hadn't seen the credits and the whole time I was wondering where I'd seen the old guy before, so I was glad it was mentioned in the recap. I remember him from Hill Street Blues and Veronica's Closet. He really has aged but it hasn't diminished his talent.
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Apr 20, 2007 4:30 AM
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And I thought it was just me who was actually liking Gates last night. I thought John Stamos' acting was really good and maybe that is why more people were able to empathize with him. I'm even finding Sam a little easier to take in recent episodes. All in all I agree it was a good episode with alot of emotional content. I did miss Hope and Morris and could have used more scenes with Ray, but I guess you can't have everything in a 1 hour show.
Finally, I have to echo Trish and wonder what we are going to do without Luka and Abby at the center of ER. But as a loyal viewer, I'll be tuning in to find out.
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Apr 20, 2007 7:57 AM
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Starting with Neela and Sam, I don't have a problem with either in terms of getting the male attention. They're the most attractive of the bunch. I hope Neela makes a decision about her "guys." Sam should take it slow and devote her attention to another male -- her son.
I'm going to miss Luka when he leaves and I think he'll move to Croatia.
Overall, it was a good episode. The elderly man with Alzheimer was sad.
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Apr 20, 2007 8:56 AM
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I never really had a problem with Gates the way most viewers have, so it was tough to see him have so much angst on his plate at once. I really hated Sarah earlier in the season, but she's become much more sympathetic, too.
The story centering on Robert Prosky as the Alzheimer's patient really was heartbreaking. I became a fan of his during "Hill Street Blues" (and I recommend his performance with Sam Waterston in "A Walk In The Woods" from the late '80s).
I must disagree with the implication that Sam is "loose." I never got that vibe from her--I happen to think she's adorable and can't blame guys for being drawn to her--and as far as I can tell, she only dates one guy at a time. So what's loose about her? In the early moments of the self-defense scene when she was hitting the instructor so lightly, I was thinking to myself, "c'mon, Sam, I've seen you take down guys before, put some oomph into it!" And then she did!
I hate thinking about Luka's departure. At least we'll still have Abby next year. But I REALLY hope he doesn't leave as a result of some crisis or big problem with Abby. As someone said last week, can we see him just leaving his soon-to-be wife and child? That would be awful. I still say he should decide to go into some private practice or work that takes him out of the hospital, but doesn't necessitate his leaving Abby permanently. I was also afraid he would get killed off, but I guess his limited appearances next year would rule that out--for now.
Yuk, I'm shuddering at these thoughts.
I almost didn't notice the absence of Morris and Hope this week, but I do like them both a lot, so I'll be happy to see more of them next week, and beyond.
And something has GOT to get settled with Neela and her guys. Of all the possible storylines to be played out throughout an entire season, I don't think this should have been one of them. Let her choose someone--anyone--and I'll be happy.
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Apr 20, 2007 8:57 AM
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...what a great recap Trish; everything I thought of while watching the episode, you wrote; special thanks for giving the name of actor Robert Prosky; every time his character was on I cried like a baby; don't know why but one of the things that got to me the most was his gesture after the docs electro-charge his son, like he got scared...
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Apr 20, 2007 9:44 AM
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I have a problem with Gates - why wouldn't he take responsibility and assume the guardian role with Sarah. If he has known her since birth - and lived with her and her mother for years he needs to step-up and make it right! Being the real father has nothing to do with it - he should have never even taken the damn paternity test.
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Apr 20, 2007 11:36 AM
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OK, it was hard to look at Ken Davitian and not remember his naked wrestling scene in Borat. Anyone who's seen it knows what I'm talking about. That will forever be singed into my brain! Hilarious and disturbing all at once.
I thought it was touching when Luka said to Abby that the old man was lucky, he didn't have to remember losing his son every day. Nice subtle nod to Luka's own sad past when he lost his entire family. I definitely think they're setting him up to go back to Croatia to spend time with his father.
Tony should file for custody if he wants to keep Sarah. He really is the only father she's ever known. He also shouldn't have given his father $100 in cash. I saw the outcome of that coming from a mile away. I'm sure many viewers did.
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Apr 20, 2007 11:52 AM
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When Sam "shocked" (with only 10 volts) the patient faking an irregular heartbeat - priceless! Then shocking Ray, too - very funny!
I thought I recognized Robert Prosky right away, was initially difficult due to the advanced age, but was sure once I heard the voice. Besides Hill Street Blues (I saw every episode!), I also remember him as the owner of the Knights baseball team in "The Natural".
Good writing (and acting) in getting Gates to appear in a more sympathetic light. In the "Saw That Coming" category: when he gave his dad the money for groceries, I immediately said "uh oh". Who in their right mind would give an alcoholic $100 cash??
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Apr 20, 2007 12:01 PM
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Maybe it's b/c the last new episodes seemed like they were so long ago before it came back last week, but I just had a thought... does anyone remember what happened with Abby's father? I can't for the life of me remember if that had been resolved.
A few more points:
1) I felt my heart soften a little towards Gates... I don't like it, but I remembered what a bozo most of the ER hotties had been when they first arrived. It's character development, I understand that, but I don't have to like it.
2) I STILL don't understand the Neela attraction. She's dour, complains a lot, dresses like an Olsen twin and yet, every guy within a 3 mile radius wants her... even guys who just met her! What perfume has she been wearing... maybe I need to get some?
3) Ok, the self-defense teaching cop seems like a patient, decent guy... can Sam finally catch a break???
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Apr 20, 2007 12:10 PM
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Sam- boo
Neela- eww
Gates- mmm
Abby- aww
Luka- sigh...
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Apr 20, 2007 12:30 PM
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Maybe it's just me...but I've been wondering about Sarah. With her cooking, cleaning, paying bills (i.e. not acting like a kid), I've been thinking that she's been trying to take her mom's place with Tony. Did you see what she was wearing when she came to the hospital? It was way too old for her - almost like she was wearing a suit or something. Plus she had her hair clipped up...in an attempt to look older, in my opinion.
Now...and here's the part where I may just be warped...does she want to take her mom's place and be intimate with Tony? That could explain why she wanted the HPV shot...and why she'd hide the paternity test results (knowing she couldn't sleep with her dad). Just a thought...wondering if anyone else thought that or if I'm just imagining it.
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Apr 20, 2007 12:49 PM
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I think Gates took the paternity test in order to file for custody of Sarah. Her grandparents had already indicated that they intended for her to come live with them at the end of the school year so as not to disrupt her routine anymore than necessary. But they had already indicated that the schools in rural Wisconsin were better and since Tony was busy becoming an ER doc and they were retired, they were in a better position to raise her.
Aside from that, without the paternity test, the grandparents were the closest blood relatives and the mother hadn't assigned Gates legal guardianship. So in the eyes of the law, Gates is a stranger to Sarah. Even if the grandparents were deemed unfit, without paternity, he wouldn't have standing to apply for custody.
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Apr 20, 2007 1:15 PM
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jwilk55 - You're not the only one who thought that about Sarah. I did the minute she made him that candlelight dinner after her mom died... I thought, "Oh no, she's got a crush on him and will start to try to fill her mother's place." The whole scenario seemed a little creepy. Then I was relieved that this paternity issue came up. But now... seeing her trying to be taken seriously as an adult... playing Susie Homemaker at the apartment. I thought I was the only one seeing it this way and admonished myself for my sick mind... So, thank you for letting me know that even if I DO have a sick mind... I'm not alone! 
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Apr 20, 2007 1:18 PM
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Where the heck does Gates shop? $ 100 for groceries for one meal? Seems a bit stupid to give an alcoholic $ 100 regardless.
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Apr 20, 2007 2:40 PM
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