In This Section
TV Guide Spotlight
Also on TVGuide.com
|
« ER
February 1, 2007: Murmurs of the Heart
It looks like 2007 is turning out be a very good year for Forest Whitaker. The Oscar nominee (and, by most accounts, front-runner) has turned in yet another bravado performance as the mentally unstable former ER patient Curtis Ames. I don’t think it is a stretch to assume that later this year, this gifted actor will be adding an Emmy to his growing collection of acting accolades. Whitaker really has an uncanny ability to capture the humanity and vulnerability of emotionally tortured characters. (Though I haven’t had a chance to see The Last King of Scotland yet, I have heard he works similar magic with his charismatic portrayal of the supremely unsympathetic Idi Amin.) Even while you hate Ames for torturing our beloved Dr. Kovac, you never lose sight of the fact that the man is operating from a deep reservoir of resentment, pain and loss.
I have to admit that I wasn’t at all surprised with the denouement of this particular story line. I knew that ultimately Ames was going to take his own life. And frankly, in this age of spoilers run amuck, it is nearly impossible for TV shows to pull off shocking deaths of major characters anymore. I did not doubt for one minute that Luka was going to make it through (though that hand-in-the-vise thing definitely made me wince). What did keep me riveted was Maura Tierney’s performance throughout the entire ordeal. Abby’s instinct to find common ground with Ames was smart, and her mix of grit, anger and genuine fear were all very realistic reactions to a terrifying situation. (As a mom, I can only hope I would hold it together so well.) Also tonight, the connection between Luka and Abby was truly palpable and electrifying. I could almost feel the relief wash over Abby when she saw Luka walk out of that building. I’m sure the impact of this event will have some immediate and long-term repercussions for their relationship. (We won't even talk about those pesky previews.)
On the opposite end of the moms-holding-it-together spectrum, we had Meg dying a very untimely, self-induced death, with her poor daughter looking on helplessly as Tony tried every heroic measure in the book. I just have to say that I can’t even imagine the desperation that would lead a person to cause that kind of pain for their child. (And by the way, how many shows does poor Paula Malcomson have to die on?) Meg’s deathbed admission to Tony about Sarah’s paternity came as a shock, and I am hoping that we will learn a little more about this situation in the coming weeks. (For you spoiler lovers, click here for some Gates-related casting scoop.)
Finally, we had Sam dealing with the aftermath of the fire and Pratt dealing with the aftermath of his arrest. Both stories sort of got sidelined tonight as the Ames story wrapped up, but I am sure we will be hearing more on both fronts in the coming weeks.
So, now I’ve told you what I thought about the resolution of the Ames story. What did you all think? Did the writers do a good job of wrapping up this story arc or are you feeling at all dissatisfied? Until next week, happy commenting!
|
TVGuide Links:
|
|
|
|
Feb 1, 2007 11:59 PM
|
I have to admit that I'm glad that this storyline is over. Forest Whitaker kind of creeps me out. I think it was kind of a cop out though to have him kill himself. I can't say I was the least bit surprised though. It was very predictable, as you mentioned with the spoilers/previews. We knew that none of the major characters would be leaving, so we were only left with a few choices. I think they could have ended another way with Ames moving somewhere else, leaving that forboding "will he come back and do something bad in the future" feeling in the audience.
On the topic of Gates, I hadn't picked up on the fact that those two had been together for, what, like 12 years? It would have to be if he was the dad. Maybe we'll find out he's not really the dad though and she just said that so that somebody would take care of the kid. Chances are that kid's not going to be around forever. We'll see. Until next week...
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 12:53 AM
|
|
I definitely thought she meant that she was leaving Sarah to him, since they've never alluded to the fact that they slept together while she was married. Didn't he say that happened a while after her husband died? I don't remember. I guess we'll find out!
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 1:19 AM
|
I'm a Forrest Whitaker fan from way back, but I'm VERY glad this storyline wrapped up. I never wanted to see it in the first place.
Meg committing suicide just made me angry. Seeing her poor daughter living that grief was heart-wrenching, and I agree, what mother would do something like that? Oh, I realize that she was depressed and probably had mental issues, but watching it like that just made me want to scream. I felt so sorry for Sarah.
As for paternity, I think that Tony and Meg and her dead husband had probably all been friends since they were kids or something. So, it's possible, especially given the smarminess (is that a word..lol?) that is Tony.
I thought this was a decent episode, but I'm not a fan of storylines that keep us away from the ER for long periods of time.
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 1:33 AM
|
this was a very good episode. and i agree when september rolls around forrest whitaker will add his emmy for best guest actor in a drama series. i also knew that ames was going to kill himself. i know i heard there was 2 shots fired but when they showed ames's body he had only one shot to the head. did ames shoot luka before killing himself? plus did i miss episode when luka and abby got married cause i dont remember them getting married?
sam needs to get her son some therapy before the little arsonist does this again.
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 2:11 AM
|
|
thanks for reminding me about the "two shots" i almost forgot about it... what is that all about???? how is that possible???
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 2:39 AM
|
Regarding the two shots - Ames may have just made the first shot off to the side or something - then shot himself. Doing two shots so that everyone would think Luca had been shot - A murder suicide.
I hope that Tony doesn't just take Megs word for it that Sarah is his child. I hope he runs the tests to find out for sure.
Sams kid needs to just get out of the picture.
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 5:27 AM
|
I loved this episode! It was very tense. The acting, especially from Forest, Goran and Maura was just top form. I was worried when I heard the two shots, although I didn't think anything very bad would happen to Luka.
They had implied in earlier episodes that Gates and Meg had a relationship even before she married her husband (Gates' best friend), so I think Sarah is his biological child. We'll see how this effects any possible relationship between Gates and Neela. I hope they go their separate ways.
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 7:07 AM
|
I'm reminded that I LOVED when Sarah told Neela off in the ER room where her mother is dying or dead. Neela deserved that and more, in my opinion. Granted I'm 100% NOT a Neela fan, so I'm probably going against the tide here, but I didn't think she should have been there at all. It was like rubbing it in Sarah's face why her idiot mother had killed herself.
Yeah, I wondered about those two shots also. I'm guessing he could have missed with the first shot or that he was aiming at Luka and Luka managed to avoid it.....hope they give a quick explanation....and then can we be done with this storyline!?!?
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 7:50 AM
|
I'm glad the Ames storyline is over, too. Believe it or not, I felt no sympathy for him at all. To me, he was a sadistic psycopath, nothing more. I know that Luka screwed up with his medical treatment of Ames, which was the breaking point, but I still don't care. I watched this episode on tape, and began to fast-forward the scene with Luka's hand in the vice. I couldn't take it, and I wish Luka had killed Ames (he probably could have knocked the gun out of his hand when they were still in the apartment). Now we have to see if his hand will recover--what if he can't work on patients anymore?
I agree that it was awful of Meg to put Sarah through that kind of emotional torture by overdosing, but I don't really like Sarah either. And I disagree 100% with the poster who was glad to see her scream at Neela the way she did. Neela was hardly stealing Gates away from Meg--he was trying to play both ends at once, which was HIS weakness, not Neela's--she was never comfortable with that.
I didn't hear what Sam said about her evil son to her mom when he was lying in his bed, turned away from her. Can somebody help out with that? I hate that kid so much, I wanted to see him burn to crisp instead of that poor old man.
All in all, I still love all of the regular characters (especially Abby, as I've said here many times), but the minor characters lately have been ticking me off.
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 8:34 AM
|
Sam said "I know who started the fire and it terrifies me". You know her son has the shooting of his father to hold over his mothers head so she will have to take the blame for the fire. I can't stand that kid anyway maybe because he isn't the original child. I don't really care about Pratt either.
I do find it funny that in two separate episodes Abby called Luke her husband and Luka calling Abby is wife; I guess it is easier than saying my babies father and so forth. I love this show.
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 9:27 AM
|
|
Does anyone have a well-behaved kid on this show? Dr. Green's daughter back in the day was the spawn of the devil, Sam's kid gets a little more evil every season, and so far Sarah hasn't been the most lovable girl in town. I hope the show ends before Luka and Abby's baby starts talking, because apparently ER has an affinity only for obnoxious, ill-behaved children. I really hope they don't go that route with Sarah - enough with the angry kids!
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 9:33 AM
|
I also hated the Ames storyline. I hate the overdramatics on this show sometimes. Abby and Luka have been through enough already. Seriously.
Also, as much as I've always hated Sam's son Alex, he didn't start the fire on purpose. If I remember correctly, it was an accident, right?
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 9:35 AM
|
|
Also so glad the Ames storyline is over. For me a lot of the emotional impact was lost last night because it just seemed to drag on forever.
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 9:44 AM
|
I have been a loyal ER watcher since the beginning, but due to a relocation move, over the last several months I have been watching only sporadically. That said, here are a few comments/questions:
- when and why did the opening music change!?!
- is it just me, or has the filming method changed? It seems much darker and "jerkier".
- I have always love Abby and Luka together and enjoyed the emotional elements of last nights show - Maura Tierney is excellent!!! And "wow" is all I can say about the scene with Luka's hand in the vice - Powerful performances on the part of Gorin V. and Forrest W.
- I, too, wish Sam would get control (or get rid of!!)her son - but in all fairness, if you were a 10ish boy who had lived through the parental malfunctions he haslived thru, you'd be pretty messed up as well!!! Poor kid!
Anyway - looking forward to the rest of the season!!!
|
|
Feb 2, 2007 9:50 AM
|
|
|
