ER: The Quintessence of Dust
Thoughts on "The Quintessence of Dust":
OMG THIS EPISODE MADE ME SO HAPPY.
I started watching ER for Dubenko (Leland Orser), added Morris (Scott Grimes) to that roster not long after, and this episode had both of them in great glorious quantities. I told bobomagicksock that it practically felt like the episode was written just for me/for the Orser fandom. I want to send the writers a Valentine. Honestly. Some other people on the boards don't seem to like it too much, but personally this is my favorite episode of the year thus far.
Okay, where to begin?
Others have already said it, but there was an awesome ensemble feel to this episode. I loved all the guys--Morris, Ray, Jerry, Frank--at admit constantly making fun of Pratt's impending "date". The dialogue was just hilarious. Then there was everyone jumping on the Albright hate train. The fact that the focus of the episode was pretty much on one patient probably helped the ensemble vibe, too. On that note, Ray's blues-playing patient felt very out of place, though I still enjoyed their scenes together.
Clemente and Jodie--I felt like a total damn intruder during their first few scenes, like someone put them on Candid Camera and was following them around catching all the bedroom moments. But once Jodie's disgruntled husband showed up, I really enjoyed their scenes. I felt you could tell that they genuinely cared for one another, despite normally acting like two irresponsible children together. And it will be interesting to see how Clemente under suspicion will play out, especially since Jodie won't be awake to corroborate his story for a while.
I thought the scene where Abby called for her amnio results with Luka was very sweet. I got the sense that they still don't really know what they are to each other just yet, but slowly figuring that out through all the shared baby bonding. And I'm glad that Luka chose to tell Sam about the baby himself. Though I felt extremely bad for Sam, because she now knows what all the viewers know: that Luka is the great Uterus Hunter. Kudos to Linda Cardellini for a well-played scene.
Alex v.2 grates. But I was also glad to see Luka still being friendly with him.
Morris and Albright spending the entire episode yelling at each other was just fantastically hilarious. bobomagicksock thinks they're going to end up having rough angry I-hate-you sex in a supply closet or something. I could almost see that happening. (The fact that Albright is just a stone cold bitch is the reason for the "almost".) Also, Abby accusing Morris of being in love with Albright as a comeback to him accusing her of being pregnant was just fucking funny. Have I mentioned that I loved the dialogue in this episode?
Dubenko--omgsquee. We finally got to see him seriously in his element here, which is to say the operating room. Gone was the quirky-geek aura; he was totally in control and master of his domain. I got the impression that he's a very hard and exacting teacher, but only because he expects the best and works to bring that out in his students. He would probably be the kind of teacher to make me cry, but I would totally trust him and probably follow him into hell too. I loved his exchanges with Neela, the lucky bitch. :) But what's up with the entire world suddenly calling him Lucien? I thought that was Abby's exclusive province or something. And Morris scrubbing in to continue bitching at Albright = comedy gold. I am so fucking sad that Morris got fired in TheatricalMuse!Land because writing this up for him would have been a trip.
I can't believe Abby actually offered Morris her ice cream bar. :D I guess they bonded over the Albright hate or something. Though their ensuing slap-happy argument part deux had me rolling on the floor.
I'm sad that no one actually read Carter's postcard out loud; I wanted to know what it said! Especially if he mentioned Kem, because it would make the Carby nation's collective head explode. I thought the fade-out from the postcard to the actual blazing African sun was nice, and the song the blues-playing patient was singing somehow fit very nicely. I can't believe Mary McCormack got credited as a guest star and all we got was that one shot of her face, though. Boo. And dude, Carter's working the Purvis hairstyle. Huh.
Anyway, I guess that's it. I'm very much looking forward to the next episode, even if it is Carter-centric. I know he's got some serious haters out there but I don't mind him too much, even if I haven't missed him this season.
OMG THIS EPISODE MADE ME SO HAPPY.
I started watching ER for Dubenko (Leland Orser), added Morris (Scott Grimes) to that roster not long after, and this episode had both of them in great glorious quantities. I told bobomagicksock that it practically felt like the episode was written just for me/for the Orser fandom. I want to send the writers a Valentine. Honestly. Some other people on the boards don't seem to like it too much, but personally this is my favorite episode of the year thus far.
Okay, where to begin?
Others have already said it, but there was an awesome ensemble feel to this episode. I loved all the guys--Morris, Ray, Jerry, Frank--at admit constantly making fun of Pratt's impending "date". The dialogue was just hilarious. Then there was everyone jumping on the Albright hate train. The fact that the focus of the episode was pretty much on one patient probably helped the ensemble vibe, too. On that note, Ray's blues-playing patient felt very out of place, though I still enjoyed their scenes together.
Clemente and Jodie--I felt like a total damn intruder during their first few scenes, like someone put them on Candid Camera and was following them around catching all the bedroom moments. But once Jodie's disgruntled husband showed up, I really enjoyed their scenes. I felt you could tell that they genuinely cared for one another, despite normally acting like two irresponsible children together. And it will be interesting to see how Clemente under suspicion will play out, especially since Jodie won't be awake to corroborate his story for a while.
I thought the scene where Abby called for her amnio results with Luka was very sweet. I got the sense that they still don't really know what they are to each other just yet, but slowly figuring that out through all the shared baby bonding. And I'm glad that Luka chose to tell Sam about the baby himself. Though I felt extremely bad for Sam, because she now knows what all the viewers know: that Luka is the great Uterus Hunter. Kudos to Linda Cardellini for a well-played scene.
Alex v.2 grates. But I was also glad to see Luka still being friendly with him.
Morris and Albright spending the entire episode yelling at each other was just fantastically hilarious. bobomagicksock thinks they're going to end up having rough angry I-hate-you sex in a supply closet or something. I could almost see that happening. (The fact that Albright is just a stone cold bitch is the reason for the "almost".) Also, Abby accusing Morris of being in love with Albright as a comeback to him accusing her of being pregnant was just fucking funny. Have I mentioned that I loved the dialogue in this episode?
Dubenko--omgsquee. We finally got to see him seriously in his element here, which is to say the operating room. Gone was the quirky-geek aura; he was totally in control and master of his domain. I got the impression that he's a very hard and exacting teacher, but only because he expects the best and works to bring that out in his students. He would probably be the kind of teacher to make me cry, but I would totally trust him and probably follow him into hell too. I loved his exchanges with Neela, the lucky bitch. :) But what's up with the entire world suddenly calling him Lucien? I thought that was Abby's exclusive province or something. And Morris scrubbing in to continue bitching at Albright = comedy gold. I am so fucking sad that Morris got fired in TheatricalMuse!Land because writing this up for him would have been a trip.
I can't believe Abby actually offered Morris her ice cream bar. :D I guess they bonded over the Albright hate or something. Though their ensuing slap-happy argument part deux had me rolling on the floor.
I'm sad that no one actually read Carter's postcard out loud; I wanted to know what it said! Especially if he mentioned Kem, because it would make the Carby nation's collective head explode. I thought the fade-out from the postcard to the actual blazing African sun was nice, and the song the blues-playing patient was singing somehow fit very nicely. I can't believe Mary McCormack got credited as a guest star and all we got was that one shot of her face, though. Boo. And dude, Carter's working the Purvis hairstyle. Huh.
Anyway, I guess that's it. I'm very much looking forward to the next episode, even if it is Carter-centric. I know he's got some serious haters out there but I don't mind him too much, even if I haven't missed him this season.