Fathers and Sons (Season 4 Ep 7) was indeed the first ER episode ever to take place entirely outside the ER, but it was not devoid of medical issues relating to Mark's family above all. Also, the ER wasn't completely closed down then, or at any time in ER's history. That is a first and an unlikely one at that. The only reason to close down an entire ER was as far as I can see to get the entire staff and cast at the wedding. All previious weddings have had someone drawing the short straw and missing the event, which is far more realistic. This gave the whole thing the feel of an artificially created set piece.

Yes, Morris and Hope sang well (naff song IMO) . I'd forgotten. That was a plus, I suppose. I thought Neela looked stunning, rather overshadowing the bride. Although her story was rubbish, but she did look like a wedding guest. So that was good.

As for boards. Well the Luby boards loved this epi, some others thought it was good, some thought it was average and some hated it. You pays your money you takes your choice.

Finally, as a kind of gift (peace offering) and to offset the horrible mauling of ee cummings by MT (thanks for the poem Mrs Eyre) I reproduce here another one, although I do like the more famous one which was quoted in this epi, the poem below is one of a my all time favourites. I appeal to all US and UK drama writers, please don't quote great poetry unless you enhance it. This was the worst thing for me in this epi. Never mind. Enjoy this instead.

Somewhere I have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience, your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which I cannot touch because they are too near.

Your slightest look easily will enclose me
though I have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching, skilfully, mysteriously) her first rose

or if you wish to be close to me, I and
my life will shut very beautifully, suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility: whose texture
compels me with the colour of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing.

( I do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens; only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands.

quote:

As for boards. Well the Luby boards loved this epi, some others thought it was good, some thought it was average and some hated it. You pays your money you takes your choice.

I've seen overall positive responses from: Forums4Fans, TWOP, AEB, here, TV.Com and ERHQ - none of these are "luby" boards; negative responses from ER Forums (which should really be renamed "Anti ER Forums)and the two carby boards, which is to be expected. General thumbs up IMO.

I loved this episode. This wedding was brilliantly written... Not exactly a Croatian Beach Wedding.
Abby looked stunning in that dress. Having said that MT has such a stunning figure she would probably look great wearing a bin liner.

Liked Abby & Neela's chat. I miss the friendship scenes between those two in this series so far.
I'm not keen about they way Neela's caracter is being devellopped. I don't understand why anyone with half a brain would be interested in a guy who shared his best friends wife, used the insurance money she got to fund his studies ...and is looking after a seriously messed up little girl after his ex-girlfriend killed herself. A bit too much baggage imo. I hope TPTB will let the girl move on soon.

Episodes that see all major characters in a confined space for the entire hour are normally winners. 'I Don't' was no exception. Simply, I think it was one of the best. Ever.

Now, normally I'm not the biggest fan of episodes set outside the boundaries of County; and for every 'Fathers And Sons' there is a 'Middle Of Nowhere'; but with this being the wedding of Luka and Abby, it was never going to fail.

There were so many highlights, but I'll pick out mine:-

* Hope and Morris singing. They will forever be Kiki and Elton
* Neela and Abby's chat. The girls have finally got together and confirmed that, yes, they still have a friendship! Good on ya!
* Luka and Abby's vows. Sweet.
* The Rabbi. He made me laugh
* Mae-Li. Who knew, hey? Who knew?
* Lucien going all Mr. T and threatening Luka if he hurt Abby
* Neela dumping that *beep* Gates

But this is ER and while two had a happy ending/beginning, the sting came with poor Ray. I was actually interested in him and that happened. It looks like he was about to get all he wanted, but he won't see it. (Not a spoiler, my own thoughts)

Anyway, a fantastic episode. The best of this series and up there with ER 'golds'

Quotes of the Week (sooo many)

Abby: Look at this place! It looks like we'll be getting married in a Meatloaf video!

Pratt: As you all know, I'm not married....
Morris: ....but he's slept with enough women who are!
Sam: Morris, leave your mom outta this!

Timmy: Hey, Chuny? Has anyone ever told you you're the hottest nurse in the ER?
Chuny: Yeah!

Neela: (to barman) You do bourbon? (cut to Mae-Li giving Neela a lingering look) Make it a double!

i can't believe Ray's dead! He was the cutest guy in ER! Gates is just yucky!

I love Shane West!! I'm never going to see him again!!

Love how Kovac arranged the surprise wedding for Abby - with Hope's help of course. How romantic!

quote:

Originally posted by wyle away:
Well, I'm with the rest of the public, in the US at least, I hated this Ep

Bah humbug Carby ...I speak as a Carby totally converted to a Luby and I *loved* this episode.

Hee, Sarah those were my favourite quotes too! I loved Neela saying 'Make it a double' and the Meatloaf thing..

I knew Mae Li was going to kiss Neela as soon as she walked into the bathroom- still funny though.

Loved the Neela/Abby scene and I agree with whoever said about them acknowledging they hadn't spoken much...phew, so we weren't going crazy!

LOVED Hope and Morris. One of the best new ER couples in a long time..

Neela looked stunning and I loved the stuff her and Ray said to Gates...esp her 'You're standing here pretending to listen to the things I say and you still refuse to believe any of it is your fault' (or something along those lines)
So sad about Ray I reeeeeally hope he's not dead *sniff*
I very much agree with you Mrs E about how we haven't seen any of Neela's supposed 'soul searching'...it's been bugging me all season!

The only thing I didn't like was the Luka/Pratt scene.. I said "They're no Doug and Mark are they" and my hubby said "No..what is this 'we don't have any real friends so we'll just ask work people to our wedding'?!" lol... in that sense it did feel very artificial but I just went with it anyway!

Didn't anyone think that both e e cummings poems were totally beautiful? I can't believe no one commented on them? Please read them. They are far more important than my opinions on one episode of ER (it's just my opinion, honestly held, that's all) What I really wanted to communicate to you all was the beauty and originality of this amazing poet. If an episode of ER can introduce people to him, then I'll take back everything I said about it because it's done a great job.

In series 6 Gabriel Lawrence played by Alan Alda quotes a poem by heart which is called "The Peace of The Wild Things" by Wendell Berry, not nearly as good a poet as e e cummings, but this is his most memeorable and moving poem. The point here is that this character, beginning to suffer from Altzheimer's, can't remember where he put his glasses , but he can still remember this poem word for word and it's a poem about going to the peace of nature when troubled by life. He says the poem quite beautifully. You are totally convinced by him, his situation, the poem, everything. This is what ER used to be able to do - Excite you, pluck at your herart strings and introduce you to fine acting, and even on occasion fine art. It was a superior programme. Perhaps my standards are too high, and compared with every other glossy US soap it holds its own and is much better than many. Forgive me for wanting more, for wanting the late , great ER. fter 13 years I realise that's probably too much to ask, so I'm glad you all enjoyed the wedding.

PS I was never a Carby. My not liking this episode has nothing to do with who I think should be with whom. If the story line and acting were convincing enough, I wouldn't have a problem with Luby, or any other love story, but I still think the medical stories should be at the forefront of ER

Sorry, I do completely agree about ee cummings; a wonderful poet and I have loved the poem you posted since it was introduced to me by a friend when I was about 15..

But I think one of the main points you're missing is that nobody claimed Abby's rendition of the poem was heart-wrenching or ground-breaking... she even said 'I'm probably messing the whole thing up'
I think the point was that Abby finds it hard to express her feelings for Luka (as already discussed here, we had never even seen her tell him outright that she loved him) and she was most likely embarrassed and fumbly over the poem...but she still tried. And I thought that was kind of endearing.

I'm so glad someone else knows and loves this poem.

I did get the point that Abby was supposed to be awkward. I just didn't find it as endearing as you did.

quote:

Originally posted by clareyfairy_:
and my hubby said "No..what is this 'we don't have any real friends so we'll just ask work people to our wedding'?!" lol... in that sense it did feel very artificial but I just went with it anyway!

lol me too- i thought the exact same thing!

Oooh just been reading tv.com and saw a quote I didn't hear when I watched it
Abby: Stevie Wonder huh?
Luka: I told you. I hear everything you say.

awwwwwwwww!! That is so cute.

Ooh, forgot to ask also.. was the 'It's been 7 years' line the one you were referring to in the previous episode thread WA and Mrs E?

Yep.

The poems were beautiful. I don't think I've ever heard either so thank you. And I guess you have to take everything back now as it was ER that introduced me!

I agree with Clareyfairy, about it being endearing.

Having watched this epi again on E4 I noticed how awkward the scene between Luka and Pratt was when he asked him to stand up for him. I think Clareyfairy has also mentioned this scene didn't work for her and I have to agree.

Firstly I had a problem with the fact that Luka and Pratt have no friendship history, but mainly what annoyed the hell out of me was the fact that, unlike Abby who had the wedding sprung on her, Luka had loads of time to ask his best man before the actual day surely? And when Pratt said, any time any place, it was just too cheesy to be real.

I did wonder tho who else in the current cast Luka could have asked. I mean he hasn't really got any friends has he?

I thought this was a really amazing episode apart from the fact that Ray got hit by a truck!!! This was the worst thing that could have happened for me! He was my favourite character!
If you like Ray then i strongly reccomend watching A Walk To Remember! It's the best movie ever! (but really sad!)

Well, obviously no-one likes Luka.

Abby is lucky she had Neela around because she,like the rest of them, has no discernable friendships. Seriously,it's one of the things that as always been strange about the denizens of CCGH.

quote:

I did wonder tho who else in the current cast Luka could have asked. I mean he hasn't really got any friends has he?

yeah i no what u mean, he was good friends with carter for a while but that would just be weird. they don't seem to have close friends anymore. not like mark and doug were. i miss that about er

Can't believe it but flipping Channel 4 are showing ER at 11.05 again on Monday Big Brother is at 9 and then Cutting Edge on Pensioners at 10!!
I hate Channel 4...I have to wait another FIVE DAYS to find out if Ray is dead

I could tell you...........save you the wait. The last two epis of the season are both on youtube!

Nooooo...definitely don't tell me. But I tried looking on youtube and can't find it...only montage videos of different scenes from 'Sea Change'

What IS the difference between an ER nurse and a porsche?

^^Thats exactly what I was thinking!!

quote:

What IS the difference between an ER nurse and a porsche?

A porsche is a smoother ride than an ER nurse?