ER
I decided to rant a little about this old love of mine because it's being re-aired just at the time I usually prepare my dinner. One evening I saw it by chance and...BAM! I got hooked again!
The first time I saw ER, back in the middle of the '90, the pilot really baffled it. It was different from every other tv show I'd ever seen. There wasn't a main story to follow, only the fast paced event the doctors and the nurses had to deal with during their shifts. Plus it was, at least for my untrained eye, very realistic and maybe a little gruesome (for the middle of the '90!). But the show intrigued me nonetheless and I decided to keep following it, mostly thanks to the various characters that constituited the cast of the first seasons, that still are my favourite ones.
Doug Ross was my favourite; mostly thanks to the charms of George Clooney, I think! His character was a bit too cliche-y maybe: a womanizing pediatrician that make you forgive his adventures with the women and his rebel attitude with his deep love for children, his willingness to protect them at any cost and the fact that
deep down the only woman for him is the nurse Carol Hathaway. Doug and Carol romance was my first and favourite one. Carol keeps him on his toes, she doesn't take bullshit from him, but at the same time she's ready to support him; I love how most of their romantic scenes are made of small gestures and looks and whispered words!
Mark Greene, how could you not love this geeky, awkward adorable doctor, best friend of Doug? They can be more different but they are really close. Mark was rightly one of the most loved characters of ER and his death really teared me up. If one didn't share not even a tear in Mark Greene last episode at the Hawaii, then he/she must have a heart of
stone! Until now if I hear the beautiful version of Over the rainbow sung by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
(http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Somewhere+Over+The+Rainbow/1S3ElK?src=5) I can't help but be moved every time. Mark's dea
th was a tearjerker moment but, at least, it wasn't a useless plot device as it has been for other in the later series. I liked also Elizabeth Corday, the english surgeon who played the part of his second wife, who was a interesting character even by herself.
John Carter was another personal favourite. Since he was introduced as the youngest, the student, of the group of the protagonist, I couldn't help but continuing to see him like that during all the season, despite he matured and grew a lot! I didn't agree with some of the choices the authors made about him, especially regarding his relationship. Carter had many women, but the only one I really liked was Lucy Knight, which was killed after just a couple of seasons of ER. The relationship between them was doomed from the beginning, because Noah Wyle felt it wasn't right for his character to have a relationship with Lucy, since she was Carter's student...but still, I think they were so cute together! Kem, Carter's actual wife and mother of their stillborn child, never appealed me very much, even if she never did anything to make me dislike her. But I've to admit their relationship, as well as Carter commitment in Africa, were poingnat stories to tell.
I ended up liking also Peter Benton, despite his alofness and his abrasive personality; mostly because his big-brother protective attitude toward Carter. It's very nice to see how he cares about him (and about the others he lovese) under his gruff exterior. Sometimes it seemed that the was almost afraid to show how much he feels!
Susan Lewis, I loved the tentative love story with Mark Greene and also her relationship with her older addctied single-mother Chloe. She was a really strong character in my opinion, ready to make tough choices for the sake of her family and especially for her niece Susie. For this reason I never understood why they ruined her character making him have a child with someone like that Chuck guy!
I liked also the main characters who have been added later on in the first couple of series: Kerry Weaver (not very likeable, but in the end you could help but felt for her struggles) and the caring Jeanie Boulet. I liked also Robert Romano! Despite of the fact there isn't almost anything to like in him, apart from some sparkle of humanity here and there.
The successive batches of characters that replaced the original ones never had the same appeal to me. The ones I liked the most were Luka Kovac with his tragic past and his sensitive heart (I thinks he has some of the most touching moments of the last series); and the sweet, funny Neela Rasgotra. I never really cared for Abby Lockhart instead. At first she was ok, but then she became a sort of super Abby Mary Sue and i started to dislike her; I really hated that Luka ended up with her!!
Okaay...this had been a very long ramble! I hope you girls liked ER! I know for sure that Jen does, and she shares my dislike for Abby!. What about you others? Have you ever seen ER? Were you fan like me? What were your favourite characters and/or seasons?
The first time I saw ER, back in the middle of the '90, the pilot really baffled it. It was different from every other tv show I'd ever seen. There wasn't a main story to follow, only the fast paced event the doctors and the nurses had to deal with during their shifts. Plus it was, at least for my untrained eye, very realistic and maybe a little gruesome (for the middle of the '90!). But the show intrigued me nonetheless and I decided to keep following it, mostly thanks to the various characters that constituited the cast of the first seasons, that still are my favourite ones.
Doug Ross was my favourite; mostly thanks to the charms of George Clooney, I think! His character was a bit too cliche-y maybe: a womanizing pediatrician that make you forgive his adventures with the women and his rebel attitude with his deep love for children, his willingness to protect them at any cost and the fact that
deep down the only woman for him is the nurse Carol Hathaway. Doug and Carol romance was my first and favourite one. Carol keeps him on his toes, she doesn't take bullshit from him, but at the same time she's ready to support him; I love how most of their romantic scenes are made of small gestures and looks and whispered words!
Mark Greene, how could you not love this geeky, awkward adorable doctor, best friend of Doug? They can be more different but they are really close. Mark was rightly one of the most loved characters of ER and his death really teared me up. If one didn't share not even a tear in Mark Greene last episode at the Hawaii, then he/she must have a heart of
stone! Until now if I hear the beautiful version of Over the rainbow sung by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
(http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Somewhere+Over+The+Rainbow/1S3ElK?src=5) I can't help but be moved every time. Mark's dea
th was a tearjerker moment but, at least, it wasn't a useless plot device as it has been for other in the later series. I liked also Elizabeth Corday, the english surgeon who played the part of his second wife, who was a interesting character even by herself.
John Carter was another personal favourite. Since he was introduced as the youngest, the student, of the group of the protagonist, I couldn't help but continuing to see him like that during all the season, despite he matured and grew a lot! I didn't agree with some of the choices the authors made about him, especially regarding his relationship. Carter had many women, but the only one I really liked was Lucy Knight, which was killed after just a couple of seasons of ER. The relationship between them was doomed from the beginning, because Noah Wyle felt it wasn't right for his character to have a relationship with Lucy, since she was Carter's student...but still, I think they were so cute together! Kem, Carter's actual wife and mother of their stillborn child, never appealed me very much, even if she never did anything to make me dislike her. But I've to admit their relationship, as well as Carter commitment in Africa, were poingnat stories to tell.
I ended up liking also Peter Benton, despite his alofness and his abrasive personality; mostly because his big-brother protective attitude toward Carter. It's very nice to see how he cares about him (and about the others he lovese) under his gruff exterior. Sometimes it seemed that the was almost afraid to show how much he feels!
Susan Lewis, I loved the tentative love story with Mark Greene and also her relationship with her older addctied single-mother Chloe. She was a really strong character in my opinion, ready to make tough choices for the sake of her family and especially for her niece Susie. For this reason I never understood why they ruined her character making him have a child with someone like that Chuck guy!
I liked also the main characters who have been added later on in the first couple of series: Kerry Weaver (not very likeable, but in the end you could help but felt for her struggles) and the caring Jeanie Boulet. I liked also Robert Romano! Despite of the fact there isn't almost anything to like in him, apart from some sparkle of humanity here and there.
The successive batches of characters that replaced the original ones never had the same appeal to me. The ones I liked the most were Luka Kovac with his tragic past and his sensitive heart (I thinks he has some of the most touching moments of the last series); and the sweet, funny Neela Rasgotra. I never really cared for Abby Lockhart instead. At first she was ok, but then she became a sort of super Abby Mary Sue and i started to dislike her; I really hated that Luka ended up with her!!
Okaay...this had been a very long ramble! I hope you girls liked ER! I know for sure that Jen does, and she shares my dislike for Abby!. What about you others? Have you ever seen ER? Were you fan like me? What were your favourite characters and/or seasons?