ER: "Piece of Mind" Review (SPOILERS)
Sarah
massacre as quickly as possible, but it has, thank goodness!
So for some odd reason, they gave Mark a brain tumor. Does anyone have
any idea why? Talk about suffering for the small chance at an Emmy,
Anthony parted with the rest of his hair (boo hoo) and the reason was?
Well nevermind, for now, it seems to be over. Meanwhile, it took a big
guest star to get a story involving an actual patient that isn't a
doctor. Funny how the writers can't seem to manage it when it just a ho
hum guest star. Well, these don't change the fact that tonight's episode
was co-written by the man who so far, has written the only ER episode
with an early season feel, "Mars Attacks", so none of that really
mattered. What mattered was that it didn't mire in doctor's personal
lives but didn't avoid them, that it didn't isolate the characters to
the extent of zero interaction. That, and it was good :)
I'll start with Mark's plot as I used to do all the time. Mark arrives
at the hospital with Elizabeth, his worried, pessimistic self, he's
signing a power of attorney that specifies when he should not be given
heroic measures, and then when he finally gets into a room, and has
cheerios placed on his head, Elizabeth begins shaving his head, but she
spills water on her clothes and Mark's makes mention of her wearing
scrubs anyway and he finds out she wasn't planning on going in with him.
Mark gets quiet and Elizabeth asks him if he wants her to go in but he
says no. She goes to get cleaned up and Mark meets the boy in the bed
next to him, Leo. He's there to have something removed as well, but from
his heart. After Leo is taken up, Mark and Elizabeth sit nervously on
the edge of the bed, waiting for them to come and get him. When they do
come, Mark gets on the gurney and is rolled down the hallway with
Elizabeth. Mark jokingly ask if she is going to a movie and she says she
will be waiting outside. He begins to make comments of insurance and
plans for her and the baby in case he doesn't make it and Elizabeth
tries to quiet him. They say I love you and she disappears behind the
doors and Mark goes in to the operating room, and there is tons of
equipment, cameras, and doctors. He meets his anesthesiologist Dr.
Hammond and neurologist Dr. Malcolm and Mark hears the drill being
tested by Dr. Burke and Mark asks for something to help him with his
anxiety. When we come back, we see the surgery has begun and Dr. Malcolm
wants him to say how many fingers he sees but he isn't wearing his
glasses which a British voice in the background points out. It is
Elizabeth, she comes over to Mark and says she thought he might like
some company. Mark is constantly being given tests to see how is
language skills are holding up. Dr. Malcolm is showing him cards and
asking him to identify them while Dr. Burke maps his brain and things
are going fine until Mark has another seizure in the middle of the
mapping. We see Mark's life flash before his eyes, we see his mom, his
dad, Jen harping on him, a motorcycle, and other things while Elizabeth
is trying to get Mark to wake up. A half an hour later, his eyes are
open, but he's out like a light (really freaky, like Malcolm X after he
was shot) and Dr. Burke is about to close up and do it later, but Mark
wakes up. Mark wants them to continue and they do. Dr. Malcolm is now
asking for things that start with the letter b, while Elizabeth watches
on the monitor Dr. Burke beginning to work and it distracts Mark. He
begins to talk to her and when his attention is drawn back to things
that begin with the letter b, he starts off with baby and boy. Elizabeth
then asks if he thinks they are going to have a boy and Mark says it is
just a hunch. Elizabeth says they can find out and Mark says he wants to
wait. Elizabeth then says if they do that they'll have to argue about
boy and girl names. When Dr. Malcolm finally gets him to refocus, Mark
starts saying boy's names starting with the letter b, Bobby, Bill,
Bradley, and Bubba (lol!). When Mark finally wakes up from surgery, he
seems okay, Dr. Burke asks him what the date is and then he asks him who
Elizabeth is and he teases he's never seen her before in his life. Dr.
Burke leaves and later on, Mark gets altered. Elizabeth tries to give
orders, but the nurse reminds her she can't take orders from her because
she's not on staff. It turns out it is not a bleed, Mark just had a
reaction to the steroids he was given. Elizabeth goes off to talk to Dr.
Burke and Mark spies Leo in a bed across from him. Mark can see his is
bleeding out, but can't get anyone's attention until all the bells and
whistles go off. He sees the doctor's crack open his chest until
curtains are drawn, one by Elizabeth. When Mark asks later, Elizabeth
says he was taken back up to surgery and he is in and out. Mark then
makes a plea for the foley to be taken out and Dr. Burke finally writes
the order, but three hours later, it is still in there. Mark then coaxes
Elizabeth into doing it herself, since he has to go into the bathroom
and the removal procedure isn't very fun for Mark. Elizabeth then helps
him walk into the bathroom as we see fireworks in the sky outside the
window.
There are so many things in this plot on the surface, I wouldn't like. I
don't like Mark and Elizabeth. I don't hate them mind you, but I don't
like them the way people liked Doug and Carol, the way I liked Peter and
Elizabeth. I think it was one of the oddest things, at the time, the
show had ever done. I love Mark and I love Elizabeth, but together … eh.
And for a season, all they seemed to do was be all over each other,
nothing more than that and Elizabeth, well she still isn't the same
woman she was with Peter. That Elizabeth probably wouldn't have had any
qualms about removing Mark's foley just because she wasn't on staff.
Nevertheless, ever since this dreaded tumor storyline, the quiet couple
moments between the two of them, hasn't bothered me so much, they've
even made me smile. Mark teasing about the baby names, got me smiling
and laughing in a storyline I didn't like, about a couple, I'd rather
not see, about a baby, I thought shouldn't have been written in. What do
you know? :) I didn't like the tumor, if for no other reason than there
was no other reason for him to have a tumor. But dang if Anthony's
portrayal and the delicate writing didn't make it work. As someone who
has been through almost twenty-five surgeries and surgical procedures, I
have never been nervous about going into surgery, seeing the room, the
equipment, the doctors, none of it. It has been my life. Living life
scares me far more. But the way they shot it, the way Anthony portrayed
it, I got nervous. I felt scared in a way I never had before. Not
because I was actually worried for Mark per se, just the vibes the
scenes were able to give me, that it was a very intimidating room, was
just excellent. The language drills, now those I have had and they are
*so* annoying. I absolutely hate them! But they were really realistic
with it all. I could have lived without Mark's life flashing before his
eyes, but it was kind of neat to see Jen doing what she does best and
Mark's parents so go figure. If I have any strong negative opinions, it
is the way they flirted with disaster. I know, I know, drama, melodrama,
etc., but if you've watched TV long enough you know they won't make him
a veggie at the half hour mark. At the same time, it makes you wonder
when they are going to lower the boom. They toyed with it again with the
altered state. Whatever! Note to whoever is in charge of this show now,
that's got to be it! No more of this toying with Mark's life!
Next up, is something a little unique, a plot that was about the
patient, or if you are a true cynic who can't completely lose himself in
the show anymore, about the guest star :) Dan Harris and his son Paul,
are on their way to Paul's hockey practice (New Year's Eve? That
bites!), and they are arguing about Paul wanting to quit playing hockey.
Dan is arguing this is the only way he can get into college and Paul
argues if he didn't play hockey maybe he could get his grades up enough
that he would be up for an academic scholarship. Dan doesn't really have
a snappy comeback for that one and Paul turns up the music and that is
the end of the fight, but here comes a garbage truck and it runs right
into the car. The car is flipped and both Paul and Dan are trapped. Dan
watches as Paul is taken out by Dave who is on a paramedic ride along
and then Dan is next. They arrive at the hospital and Kerry is already
in with Paul and Carter and Cleo are taking care of Dan (okay, why is
Cleo in with the adult?!). Dan's lung collapsed and Carter puts in a
chest tube and Dan can see that Paul is in the next room so he asks Cleo
to open the door so he can talk to Paul. He tells Paul to be brave and
that everything is alright, but when Carter needs a hand, Cleo has to
close the door to go help. Abby comes in and tells Dan that Paul needs
surgery for his broken leg and has him sign a consent form. Carter is
about to send Dan up for a CT and Abby asks if Carter has told Kerry
about the pill popping incident, without saying what it is. Carter says
no and Abby isn't happy, Carter says he will though and it is one of his
new year's resolutions (I hope the others are, see a shrink and no more
drugs). Abby goes up with Dan to CT and it seems like everything is fine
with him. It turns out though that Paul also has a head trauma that is a
little bit more serious and will need extra treatment. Dan then tells
Abby how his first son, who would be twenty now, died of SIDS. How he
was watching the baby so his wife could get a night out after three
weeks of being cooped up at home and he fell asleep and he was awakened
by his wife screaming to find him dead. He says that she never actually
blamed him, but he felt she had to have thought if she was home, it
wouldn't have happened. Abby tries to tell him otherwise and they go
back downstairs but the trauma room is about to be filled so he has to
sit in the hall and endure an altered patient sing auld lang syne while
squeezing on to Dan's hand. Dan can see Kerry at the desk and Peter
there talking to her and when Kerry comes his way, he asks about his
son. No sooner does that happen than is Paul rushed by him, unconscious.
Dan pushes his hand against the wall, to move his gurney far back enough
to see into the trauma room and look at Kerry working on him. Dan
finally gets a bed in the curtain area and Carter, a little detached
most of the day, might I add, is there with him when he complains of the
tube hurting. Carter has Abby give him some more morphine. A police
officer comes in and begins to ask Dan a few questions. Dan says he
doesn't remember much of the accident and the officer informs him he ran
a red light. Dan thinks that is ridiculous and the officer says there
were witnesses to confirm it. Dan is eventually allowed to see Paul in
the trauma room as Kerry explains that he is in a coma, it isn't like
any other coma and there is no major head trauma and he should wake up
on his own. Dan's wife Debra comes in and the two of them talk about how
big Paul looks lying there. Dan then tells her he ran a red light and
Debra recoils and Dan begins to feel more chest pain. It isn't the tube
though, he has agina. Carter is about to go off duty and hands Dan off
to Luka. Luka informs him that the agina may have caused a lapse in
consciousness which was the reason for the accident. This relieves Dan
immensely and he wants to tell his wife, but he then has a heart attack
and Luka takes him to Dr. Kayson to do a balloon treatment. Luka tries
to ease him about his relationship with Paul to which Dan asks if Luka
is a father to which he says no after slight hesitation. While they are
treating him, Debra comes in to let him know that Paul is awake and
wants a cheeseburger. Dan then tells Debra about how the accident wasn't
his fault and she apologizes for her initial reaction and denies Dan's
claims that she thought he did it again. Debra leaves and Romano breezes
in, arguing Dan should have been brought up to surgery, Dr. Kayson
argues otherwise, but then the catheter creates a little tear and now
Dan needs bypass surgery so he's Romano's case anyway. Dan is more than
a little nervous and then a little confused when Luka leaves, but Peter,
who he associated with the ER, comes in. Dr. Babcock tries to get his
history before putting him out and Romano keeps on barking they have to
put him out to save his life (must really relieve the tension Robert).
Dan wants Peter to take a message to his son Paul that he loves him and
that he is sorry and Peter says he can tell him, himself. Later, Dan is
in recovery and is remarking he didn't know he had a heart problem and
Paul is wheeled by him chiding him for not getting regular checkups. The
two talk and trade sympathy statements ("hey, I was in a coma", "you
trying to give me another heart attack?"), and this time Dan wants Paul
to ease up on the hockey and Paul wants to get ready to get back in
there.
This is really the first time the show has tried to hard to focus the
story from the perspective of the patient. In fact, they did that all
the way through the episode, with Mark to a lesser extent, and with Dan.
I liked the change. It was nice to see the show can still write medicine
(it is arguable they can write anything else) and I liked how they
carefully set up Dan's tough love and guilt as a father. It worked best
I think with Kerry, as she watched him sit over his son and talk to him
and then with Luka, a man who had lost his children. But it still
worked. I also liked seeing Dr. Kayson again. If it took James Belushi
to get nearly every major character interacting with each other, seeing
an operating room again, and seeing Romano and Peter actually be
surgeons, then it was worth it, IMO. I thought it was really well done.
And Carter and Luka had Dan in their care and he still didn't die. You
don't know how relieved I was that neither Dan or Paul died. No weepy,
cheesy scenes, this time, no sappy miracles either, just straight
medicine and both lived. But my gripes, second verse, same as the first.
The teasing. The time of death thing in recovery that made you worry Dan
hadn't made it after all, completely unnecessary except to tease the
audience, that bugs the heck out of me. And as much as I like the new
and interesting ways they've been shooting things this year, and I
enjoyed the trauma scene from Dan's viewpoint, but I've about had enough
with the experimental direction. I'm disheartened we are sticking with
the letterboxing. I'm tired of it and it won't play as well in
syndication and I want my regular screen back now!
So what do you know, I liked this episode. So what do you know, the
promo wasn't too misleading for the second time in a row, and with the
exception of Deb who is of course will be off screen for awhile,
everyone got two worthwhile lines in :) And Anthony and Alex's
performances, I know the actor category at the Emmys will be really
crowded this year, and I know that apparently ER is "out" where awards
are concerned, but I sincerely hope that Anthony submits this episode.
It is his best chance in ages, (since "Ambush" if you ask me) and he
really outdid himself.
Rating (out of five stars): ***3/4
All comments (excluding flames) are welcome.
sarah
flmo...@my-deja.com
> a snappy comeback for that one and Paul turns up the music and that is
> the end of the fight, but here comes a garbage truck and it runs right
> into the car.
The song is "Butterfly" by Crazy Town, 'cause ya just know a gazillion
people are gonna ask "what was that song playing when they got hit by a
garbage truck?"
Dr. Babcock tries to get his
> history before putting him out and Romano keeps on barking they have
to
> put him out to save his life (must really relieve the tension Robert).
>
Line of the night: "Let's Move People" hey, wait a minute, Peter's
supposed to say that, not you!!! That was a hoot....
Mary B
"the difference between a madman and myself is...I am not mad" Salvadore
Dali
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
tv...@my-deja.com
Sarah <sarah...@juno.com> wrote:
> I supposed it would have been too much to hope we could just end this
> massacre as quickly as possible, but it has, thank goodness!
>
> So for some odd reason, they gave Mark a brain tumor. Does anyone have
> any idea why? Talk about suffering for the small chance at an Emmy,
> Anthony parted with the rest of his hair (boo hoo) and the reason was?
> Well nevermind, for now, it seems to be over.
Now I'm probably just spreading rumours here, but I thought that
Anthony Edwards was leaving the show. I assumed he would die
or move off in Feb or May sweeps. Has there been any talk about that?
BRad
Sarah
Anthony Edwards is being payed $35 mil to stay until at least, next
season (there is argument as to whether the contract extended to season
nine). I doubt he's going anywhere.
sarah
molly...@my-deja.com
>
--
"I worry about scientists discovering that lettuce has been fattening all
along. . . ."
-Erma Bombeck
Tomi
(coincidentally? I think not) the week we found out he had a tumor. It
wasn't a specific article, purely based on "friends of" sources. I think
the article was put in the Enquirer to help create doubt about the current
storyline and it is another example of how the tabs are the lackeys of the
publicists. BTW, I mean that in the nicest way, I read the Enquirer.
--
Tomi
"---insert clever quote here---"
See Pop's Dollhouse: http://www.popsdollhouse.homestead.com/home.html
<tv...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:9351qc$spf$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...