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Episode Recap: Believe the Unseen
It felt like much too long that we were watching Abby’s downward spiral. So tonight’s “redemption” episode—doctor makes a difficult and rare diagnosis and saves child, thereby saving themselves—provided a fitting, if somewhat contrived, resolution. I am happy to see our Abby back at the hospital and returning to her old self. It was also good to see her making amends with Pratt and, especially, Neela. I am not quite sure what the heck was up with Sam’s reaction to Abby’s admission. I would have expected less judgment from someone like Sam who has certainly made her fair share of bad choices. But then ER wouldn’t be ER without a little drama, right?
There was no shortage of drama tonight with the various cases. Abby’s story of the little girl with the rare eye disorder was a good one and I liked that the firefighters were able to vindicate her at the end. The woman who played her foster mother looked so familiar to me, but I couldn’t place where I’ve seen her before. (By the way, for those of you who didn't recognize it, the song she was singing was "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera.)
Based on NBC’s "spoilerific" previews, it sounds like we may have seen the last of Julia, and while I won’t miss her terribly, I did think she was very effective tonight. I loved the conversation at the end when she was talking to Tony about faith. I found her words to be very true. However, looking at it from a doctor’s perspective, I can see where it might be tough to separate faith from science when so much of your job relies on reason and logical conclusions based on fact. When patients die, it is a normal reaction to try and assign blame and find a cause, even if the only evidence points to something extraordinary.
Neela was welcomed into the strange world of orthopedic surgery and was swiftly recruited for their hockey team based on her field hockey experiece. (Huh?) I’m not sure what is scarier to me—tiny Neela playing hockey or Neela catching an eyeful of naked Harold in the shower. (Actually, I think I’ll go with option 2). The brief introduction of Neela’s cousin didn’t really do much to further the plot in my opinion, but maybe they will revisit that story later. I did enjoy a laugh when Neela conveyed her cousin’s messages to Harold and Morris.
Here’s hoping the remaining episodes leave us with something to look forward to during this forced hiatus. I haven’t heard much about how the strike will impact the future of the show, but I do hope that the fans are not the ultimate losers in this standoff. With the resumption of the season looking more and more unlikely with each passing week, let’s keep our fingers crossed that we can get back on track soon.
I will be on vacation next week, but I will try to set up a place for you to comment on the next episode before I leave. I'll catch up with you the following week for the final two episodes. Until then, stay warm!
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Jan 11, 2008 12:00 AM
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Trish, the actress's name is Lorraine Toussaint. She has been in tons of stuff. To name a few:
Saving Grace, Ugly Betty, CSI, Crossing Jordan, and (where I first became a fan), Any Day Now. Check out IMDB for details.
As for Neela's hockey experience, I imagine that was a clever play on her movie that made her famous, Bend It Like Beckham.
That was my first thought when Sam got all uppity about Abby...."where do you come off acting like that?" She's got a hidden past, she murdered her ex, she's a lousy mother, etc., and she's judging Abby? Please!
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Jan 11, 2008 1:51 AM
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How perfect was Maura Tierney's subtle performance last night (although she is rarely less than perfect anyway)?
You could feel just a touch nervous tension between Abby and her co-workers on her first day back, as they slowly began to wonder about the true nature of her absence. Her first steps returning to her ER routine were tentative, too. When they brought in one of the young patients, she gave Pratt that little "what do you want me to do?" shrug, almost as if she was trying to find her place again, but then she got back into the swing. I WANTED her to make the correct diagnosis over those of the other doctors. That's what has always made her so cool! I didn't consider it too contrived--the writers probably wanted to show the viewers that she was indeed back in both mind and body.
side thought: Imagine Abby going toe-to-toe with Dr. House. Hmmm...
I'm so glad she told everyone the truth during the staff meeting.
Such confessions do not come easy to her. But I was shocked by Sam's response. She and Abby have become close friends--or so I thought--so I would think Sam's sympathy and support would come first, THEN perhaps her question "have you ever been drunk at work?", but without the deadly stare. I thought I could see Abby visibly shrink from Sam's look. Good thing Neela is more forgiving.
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Jan 11, 2008 8:27 AM
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I know this is going to date me, but Sam's reaction to Abby's admission reminded me of an episode of M*A*S*H in which Radar became very judgmental and angry when he learned that Hawkeye had gone into surgery while still under the influence of alcohol. It turns out that Radar was simply devastated to realize that his hero was human. It would be very easy to understand why Sam would have also placed Abby on a pedestal, as Abby is living proof that a nurse can become a doctor, raise a family, etc. Just a thought.
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Jan 11, 2008 9:17 AM
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I truly hate that song. I mean hate. It grates in my aural canals like a chainsaw. Worse even; the chainsaw is relatively soothing. The only thing worse than the song itself is hearing it and its ever-worsening covers ad nauseum. Sorry, I had to get that off my chest.
Abby's back! It was wonderful seeing her putting her life back together. Trish, I was just as surprised by Sam's reaction to Abby's confession as you were. There's obviously a little piece of back-story there that I hope gets resolved sooner than later. (Yes, I have a serious case of Strike Denial; I believe in a happy place where there are contiguous 22-week seasons full of uninterrupted stories. The crash I'm heading for will be extremely ugly...) I'm glad Abby has already moved into the making amends step, especially with Neela. Once again, Maura's performance was so perfect that I continually forget that her character is fictional
Speaking of our beloved, little Punjabi Powerhouse (an easy three points for anyone who remembers who coined that nickname), I'm really glad that she seems to be having so much professional success. I'm glad that she hasn't been rushed into a new romantic relationship given her recent track record; she needed some time to get her head on straight. I think she's about ripe now, though.
Pratt mentioned last week that it takes people a while to warm up to him. I'll confess that I spent the longest time — several seasons — not liking him much at all. Starting last week, I finally believe in him as a leader among the hospital staff. He handled the situations surrounding Abby's return with compassion and professionalism. I had heard that Mekhi was leaving the series this season and I'm actually glad to see that this doesn't appear to be playing out anytime soon.
I like the chemistry between Sam and Tony. I think this could potentially be an enjoyable romance (something that has been extremely rare throughout this series' history).
Morris is a clown. Harold is Bozo incarnate. And I really, really hate that song.
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Jan 11, 2008 9:26 AM
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Didn't Luka get hurt behind that whole big mess that Sam's former came in the er with? so she needs not judge, apparently Abby didn't appear to be drunk when she was in the ER or people would have knew she was off the wagon. Speaking of which, Abby was acting so crazy when she was drinking so why didn't anyone notice??? that little boy (Neela's intern) and Morris neither add anything meaningful to the story.
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Jan 11, 2008 9:48 AM
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...Good morning...sjpatrick: if I remember correctly, it was Carter who first called Neela the "Punjabi powerhouse"; and I also dislike the Critina Aguilera song; however, when the girl started to sing it, I started to cry; couldn't help it...I also was very annoyed by Sam's reaction to Abby admiting she had been to rehab; why did Sam have to make the question in front of everyone? couldn't she pull Abby aside, ask in private?...
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Jan 11, 2008 10:03 AM
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Three points to anamaria. 
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Jan 11, 2008 10:24 AM
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Sam is probably most concerned about how Abby could have endangered patients if she had been drunk on duty.
It's commendable for Sam to think of the patients' well-being, but she judged Abby from hearing only one or two sentences of explanation.
And I agree that the others in the ER should have noticed some signs that Abby had not been herself before she took her few weeks off.
I will be so sorry to see Maura Tierney leave (I wasn't aware that Pratt might be leaving, too). And, of course, if the show is canceled altogether, that will be a big blow.
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Jan 11, 2008 10:30 AM
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I agree with Pinkie (hey pinkie!) and others... Sam is in NO position to judge other people. Does she forget that it was HER lack of judgement in leaving alcohol and candles on her living room table that allowed her son access to flammable materials that started the fire in her apartment?
She, of all people, should understand the value of forgiveness and second chances... I loathe "holier than thou" attitudes.
Almost as much as I loathe that song, sjpatrick!
Also, Trish, I remember Lorraine Toussaint from Point of No Return (1993 - with Bridget Fonda) b/c of a pivotal scene with Harvey Keitel's "The Cleaner" character after a mission goes awry... I've never looked at a hot tub the same way since...
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Jan 11, 2008 10:33 AM
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Lorraine Toussaint has also appeared several times on Law & Order (the original) as a defense attorney with a chip on her shoulder.
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Jan 11, 2008 12:09 PM
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kaydeedee, that was it! The inimitable Shambala Green! That was the character of Lorraine's that I was trying to remember.
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Jan 11, 2008 12:19 PM
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Trish....maybe I am wrong but I read spoilers and next week is the LAST fresh ER episode. The writers spent the last weekend before the strike trying to pull scripts together for filming. At the time, one was filming - Status Quo - one was camera ready - Believe the Unseen - and one had enough notes to be ready to shoot - Atonement.
At any rate, I enjoyed the very vulnerable and contrite Abby tonight. Maura Tierney has certainly put us all through the wringer with this arc. I was ready to see her tie up her loose ends, redefine herself as a doctor, apologize to her friends and be off to Croatia to rejoin her family. If she never comes back, I will be thoroughly satisfied with this character. I have enjoyed the ride tremendously and look forward to seeing Maura in other things again.
As for ER without her....meh. Am not liking Sam/Gates enough to hang around and watch them emote. Neela is intriguing but not enough to hold my interest. Morri has been ruined with stupid story lines. Sad....but my 14 year Thursday night addiction/habit appears to be drawing to a close. The baby that I used to feed bottles to and cuddle during the first season will be taking driver's ed soon. I have other worries now.....heh.
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Jan 11, 2008 9:40 PM
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To largely echo certain sentiments expressed, ER remains a genuine favorite of mine. Maura Tierney always captures my full attentions and emotions, in a seemingly effortless manner.
The cast are real people to me (by and large . . . yes, I agree some characters are cartoonish and buffoonish in extremis). It's a comfortable, reassuring, engrossing viewing experience. For 14 years. Yes.
Resolve the damn strike soon.
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Jan 12, 2008 9:00 AM
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teech~
Your last paragraph was pretty touching. Put that way, it really gives you an idea of how much time 14 years is.
My baby was just starting middle school when ER began. Now she's almost 6 years out of college, married & divorced, with 2 babies of her own. That's a lot of life lived during the duration of ER.
Wow.
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Jan 13, 2008 12:39 AM
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