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« ER
September 21, 2006: Bloodline
Hey ER fans, better late than never, right? Thanks for your patience while we got the blog up and running.
Thankfully, the 13th season of our venerable Thursday-night must-see kicked off right where the finale left off, with Jerry, Luka, Abby and Sam all in various states of peril.
When we last saw Sam, she was being tossed into a van by Steve and his fellow prison escapee, Rafe. (For you Six Feet Under fans, Rafe was played by Michael Weston, the guy who brutalized David in a similarly creepy role a few years back. And Mary, the ER trainee turned gun-toting accomplice, was played by Natasha Gregson Wagner, daughter of the late Natalie Wood.) Their escape resulted in Jerry being shot, and Luka being paralyzed and intubated, helpless to assist a bleeding, unconscious Abby.
As a devoted fan, the sloppiness of some of the writing and character development in recent seasons has been frustrating. This show is at its absolute best, and always has been, when we are watching the day-to-day interactions of the characters we know and love. (It is why the Africa episodes of the past few seasons have been so jarring for longtime viewers, despite the presence of our beloved Dr. Carter.) This brings me to my issue with the illogical (and frankly, unnecessary) progression of the Steve story line. A few seasons back we met Sam’s ex (then played by Cole Hauser) as an irresponsible slacker, seemingly introduced to throw up an obstacle to Sam’s happiness with Luka. While the guy wasn’t winning any father- or boyfriend-of-the-year awards, he certainly didn’t seem to be on the road to becoming the homicidal rapist and kidnapper we see today. (I knew we were in trouble when I heard that the character was being revived by Garret Dillahunt, who had recently turned in a chilling portrayal of the murderous, twisted Francis Wolcott on Deadwood.) How else could this end except for Sam to realize that her only real chance to escape Steve was to make sure he couldn’t come after them again, especially once he had proven that the deep end was a distant memory?
Back at County, Luka and Abby were fighting through the turbulent birth of baby Joe. The actual scenes surrounding the C-section were brutal and I just kept waiting for something terrible to happen, not to say that a preterm baby and hysterectomy weren’t bad enough. Call me a pessimist, but I have come to expect nothing but unrelenting sadness for these two characters and I was certain that another tragedy was in the works. Goran Visnjic and Maura Tierney have become the heart and soul of this show, and thankfully, for the moment, things seem hopeful for our favorite doctors in love. (By the way, Luka’s breakdown in the men’s room, heartbreaking as it was, totally took me back to a similar scene with Mark Greene after he had been senselessly attacked.)
Finally, how great was it to see Estelle Harris turn up as Jerry’s mother? She has certainly cornered the market on playing grating mothers who henpeck their sons. Jerry seemed to take it all in stride as he recovered from his wounds thanks to the quick thinking of Neela. As one of the only remaining original cast members, I am so relieved that Abraham Benrubi, or rather Jerry, survived. He and all the various nurses, like Helah and Chuny, who have stuck around through the years provide the continuity that I crave from this show.
Up next, a very special visit from Sally Field, and the return of John Stamos to screw things up between Neela and Ray. Hopefully, 13 will be lucky for all of us this time.
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Sep 27, 2006 11:18 PM
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Finally a blog devoted ER! I know there will be many fans out there who are happy to see their long running show will be blogged about!
I haven't been a devoted ER fan for all 13 years. I stayed around for a season or two and then it got old. Then I came back for a little bit and left again. I just came back at the end of the 12th season and into this season. The storylines are getting old, but they work them in a way that isn't too old. It still works, sometimes.
Maybe I'm rambling and not making much sense, it is 2am and I am tired. I do love to watch this show. Can't wait to see what's in store for the future. Although, I may tape ER and watch Six Degrees live because I'm finding the latter more intriguing.
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Sep 28, 2006 2:03 AM
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Thank you for the ER blog; I've been waiting. I've been a faithful viewer since the beginning. I even watched the Africa shows. The thing I've always liked about ER is how it continues to go on even after key players leave the scene - just like real life.
Now we need a blog for NCIS.
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Sep 28, 2006 7:56 AM
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Ok, so you make it sound like Jerry is going to make it... Are we waiting to see if his new show (Men in Trees) makes it? Last year we missed about half the shows... But after this last show we are hooked again. The action and story line keeps us interested but if we think eventually every actor is gona die or leave the show, we might as well tune into daytime soaps! Good luck, I hope the story continues to deliver like last week.
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Sep 28, 2006 8:26 AM
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Have been watching for this ever since your blog announcing it! Thanks! Great summary and commentary. I'll look forward to seeing this every week!
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Sep 28, 2006 8:51 AM
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Michael Weston also had a hilarious turn as Kenny the cop in Garden State.
Thanks so much for the blog.
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Sep 28, 2006 9:13 AM
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Thanks for the blog! I am still interested in these characters (especially Abby) and am so looking forward to Sally Field this week. Thanks again.
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Sep 28, 2006 10:22 AM
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This is my FAVORITE show of all times even through the bad times. I loved last night's ep and the music was great. I am also loving this blog.
they just need to add more Kerry I miss her and the orginal Sam when she first started.
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Sep 28, 2006 11:28 AM
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I thought Jerry was a goner. I am certain that spoilers last season said that a regular cast member would die as a result of this tragedy. Guess those spoilers were wrong. Anywho, I'm glad they did not kill Abby's baby, because then I was NOT going to watch ever again. Oh, I knew John Leguizamo was only supposed to do a limited run, but did they ever actually show him leaving for good?? Just wondering if I missed something.
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Sep 28, 2006 12:20 PM
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THANK YOU for the Six Feet Under reference- I knew that I knew the actor, but I just couldn't place him! So glad the Steve storyline is mostly wrapped up- I agree that it was a poorly written and disjointed arc over the years and am happy the writers decided to move Sam's character to something else. Thanks for starting the ER blog- looking forward to tonight's episode!
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Sep 28, 2006 7:45 PM
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Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was wondering if somehow TV Guide had something against ER. And after last week's exciting season premiere and high ratings, I had trouble believing there wouldn't be an official blog.
I too thought Jerry was a goner, especially while watching Men In Trees. I was away from the TV when I heard gunshots so I'm guessing Sam's ex had offed his partners in crime.
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Sep 28, 2006 11:32 PM
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I love ER, a faithful fan. So glad it's back. I really liked this eppy, I hope everything works out for Luka, he truly needs some good in his life.
I love the Africa episodes. I especially loved the one in season 9, were Carter goes back in search of Luka because they think he's dead. And Luka finds his faith again and prays at the end, that was a very moving episode. Anything that teaches us and shows how we can try to do more for Africa, and other parts of the world, is alright with me.
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Sep 28, 2006 11:36 PM
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