The Storm, Part II -- Summary and Review from Alt.TV. ER

[Phyl]

The Storm, Part II -- Summary and Review
by Phyl Behrer

PLOT ONE: TWISTED METAL

The episode opens with Mark on the scene of a school bus vs. snow plow
accident (children coming from or going on a ski trip). He and the
paramedics on hand work feverishly to tend to the children who are hurt
and trapped. Mark goes from one patient to another as we hear children
screaming, then helps one girl named J.J. whose leg is broken and pinned
in the bus. Mark stays with her as a crane is brought in to lift the
snowplow, thus freeing her, promising her they'd meet up again in the
ER. Once she is freed, he helps one more patient, a boy named Dennis who
is also injured, trapped between the seats.

The action picks up as the personnel back in the ER have mobilized to
assist approximately 15 victims. Greene, Corday, Benton, Weaver, Carter,
Lucy and all the nurses swarm over the children, dealing with everything
from a ruptured diaphragm to a severed hand. Kerry comments on the sad
state of transportation that there are "airbags in new cars, but we send
our children off like lambs to the slaughter" in a school bus (echoing
Doug Ross' statement last year after a school bus accident). The patient
load is more than the ER can hold, and Kerry orders that they "tear down
the crime scene" to use the room where Ricky Abbott died earlier that
day. Mark checks on J.J., who is being treated by Elizabeth, and they
agree to transport her to another hospital for surgery since County's ER
is treating the most grave injuries first, amputations second. Mark
handles the triage and resulting overflow of patients without missing a
beat.

PLOT TWO: SUCKING IT UP

Carol confronts Anspaugh, who, along with Romano, has closed her clinic
due to her involvement with Doug's illegal activity, and tries to
persuade him to reopen it. Anspaugh brushes her off, telling her to call
his office for an appointment if she wants to discuss it further. Carol
explains that she's worked at the hospital for ten years and she feels
closing the clinic would penalize people who have no where else to go.
Anspaugh retorts that he no longer trusts her judgment and reasons that
if the hospital is required to pay millions of dollars in damages due to
litigation over the death of Ricky Abbott then even more people in the
city will suffer. Carol bargains with him, asking Anspaugh to reconsider
by letting someone else he trusts run the clinic. Later on, she sees
Lynette, who is working on the steps necessary to close down the clinic,
but Carol tells her that Anspaugh has agreed to keep it open. Lynette
seems pleased, wondering aloud if Carol had to "sell your firstborn?"
Carol clarifies that the clinic can stay open only if Lynette will run
it. Lynette backs away, explaining that she doesn't want that kind of
responsibility, and is bad at it. "I yell at the wrong people, I piss
everybody off," she argues, but Carol "guilts" Lynette into accepting
the job, telling her she'll help any way she can, but that Lynette needs
to agree to take this on for the sake of the clinic patients.

PLOT THREE: DEPARTING IN DISGRACE

We find Doug and Jeanie in Doug's car which has skidded into an
abutment. Jeanie is unconscious and Doug uses his cell phone to call for
help. He flags down an ambulance and explains to the crew that he'd hit
a patch of ice. He says he "lost control." Jeanie, who wasn't wearing
her seat belt, has multiple facial lacerations and a concussion. (SEE
PLOT FOUR). Word of the accident reaches the ER and Malik pulls Carol
aside to tell her as she rushes from one emergency to another. We hear
her yell, "Oh, God!" before she runs out to wait for the ambulance
(shades of "The Healers" where Doug sends Carol out to wait for Shep in
season 2, also arriving by ambulance). Doug and Jeanie arrive at the
hospital and as Doug's giving the bullet, Kerry takes over Jeanie's
care. Doug offers to help with the pediatric patients, but his offer is
rebuffed. He once again says he can help, but Kerry screams at him,
"Doug, we got it, back off" and says that he will not be working in the
ER and that he should let Carol take a look at his own facial
laceration.

As Carol tends to him, Doug apologizes for the trouble he has caused. He
tells Carol that he's going to take responsibility for his actions and
offers to throw himself on his sword for the sake of the clinic. Carol
remarks that she's already thrown herself on her sword and the clinic
will remain open (SEE PLOT TWO) but that she's been demoted and has
returned to her "blue collar roots." Doug is dismayed and then tells
Carol he's going to resign and "take responsibility for everything
that's happened." He sadly fears that he's destroying his relationship
with Carol, has probably lost his best friend in Mark, and certainly
damaged their careers. Carol asks where Doug will go and he replies to
the Pacific Northwest, either to Portland, to take that job that was
offered (perhaps the one mentioned by
Amanda Lee in "Nobody Doesn't Llike Amanda Lee"), or Seattle. He
comments that she would love it there and asks her to come with him. She
is stunned and doesn't answer right away. As she scoots slowly away on
her stool, turning her back to him, he pulls her back and says that he
loves her. Carol explains that her life, her job, family and friends are
in Chicago. He again asks her to come with him, but she abruptly ends
the conversation, saying they'd discuss it later.

Carol shares Doug's decision to leave with Mark, who states that maybe
Doug should think about quitting. Mark explains to Carol that he loves
Doug "like a brother" but that he simply can't deal with Doug's antics
anymore. Mark asks if Carol will go with Doug, but her only answer is a
tearful, "I can't remember a time when I didn't love him." Mark then
comforts her and says that he'll miss both of them, maybe Carol even
more than Doug.

As Doug sits in the Pediatric ER, packing away personal items and
pictures, Ricky's father, Mr. Abbott, comes into the room and accuses
him of stealing his son by not allowing him to say his good-byes before
Ricky died. Doug tries to explain that Ricky was in "agony," but Mr.
Abbott is bitter and comments that he thought that after doctors made
life-altering decisions for other people, they callously went home to
their million dollar homes and "Stoli martinis." Doug gazes at him, then
looks away, saying nothing more.

In their final scene, Carol finds Doug at Jeanie's bedside. He takes
Carol's hand and walks her to another room, then tells her he's spoken
with Anspaugh and resigned. He further shares that Dr. Julian in
genetics stood up for him and the authorities will not prosecute him for
Ricky Abbott's death. Finally, he asks, "You're not going come with me,
are you?" Carol can barely look at him, but wonders if he's really
leaving. He explains that there is nothing in Chicago for him anymore,
to which she replies, "I'm here." He clarifies that he means work. She
is seemingly unwilling to leave with him, insisting he should stay.
Doug, though, is just as insistent that he cannot stay in Chicago any
longer and he turns to leave, but she calls his name and then tearfully
exclaims, "I don't want to wake up alone tomorrow!" Doug goes to her
side and gives her a passionate kiss, professes his love, drying her
tears quickly before walking away, throwing his hospital I.D. on the
floor in anger and dismay.

In Doug's final scene, he and Mark share a beer in the frigid morning
air at the lake front, talking nonchalantly about sports, weather
differences between Chicago and Portland, and a shared passion for
playing hoops. Even if, as Doug insists, he always wins, though Mark
denies it. Even if, as Mark insists, Doug always cheats, though Doug
denies it.

PLOT FOUR: THROWN FOR A LOOP

Jeanie is involved in an automobile collision with Doug (SEE PLOT THREE)
and is injured. As Peter and Kerry study her abdominal CT, they notice
fluid around her liver. Both realize it's not directly related to her
accident, so they decide to draw blood to test and order a liver biopsy
for various forms of Hepatitis. Later on, Kerry visits Jeanie in her
hospital room and gently tries to break the news of her possible
condition. Jeanie asks if it's AIDS, and then Kerry tells her they
suspect
Hepatitis C. Jeanie discusses her worry regarding her HIV status, and
how ironic it is that she'd contracted Hepatitis. Kerry quietly assures
her that no positive diagnosis has been made, but Jeanie seems to know
Kerry's diagnostic skill despite her insistence that she could be wrong.
Jeanie jokes that it would be perhaps the second time in Kerry's life
that she's ever been wrong, to which Kerry jokingly, sad for her friend,
says it might be the third time in her life.

PLOT FIVE: DAMAGE CONTROL

Carter is taking care of dispelling rumors regarding his afternoon
indiscretion with Lucy Knight. He first tries convincing Chuny, who
figured they were "knocking boots -- doing the old nasty." Carter
insists that it was nothing of the sort, nor could it ever be since he's
a Resident and Lucy's a student. No trouble, Chuny says, that stuff
happens "all the time." But, he points out, he already has a girlfriend,
Roxanne, with whom he has much in common. Chuny dismisses him, saying
Roxanne
is "too pushy, always trying to sell you something." Chuny advises
Carter that he should "stick" with Lucy because they make a cute couple.
Carter yells after her that they are most definitely not a couple.

Later, Carter is seen waiting in the hallway, rehearsing his speech to
Lucy as to why they cannot date each other. When Lucy appears, Carter
begins explaining that they need to go somewhere. Lucy offers her dorm
room or Carter's place. Carter, though, feels misunderstood and explains
that they are not compatible, they are in a student/teacher
relationship, and that since they irritate each other so much, it would
be impossible and improper for them to date. Lucy then coyly offers that
they could "just have sex," which flusters John. Lucy laughs and says
he's too gullible, that she finds him "a little closed off," and as they
both discuss why they are terribly unsuited for each other, Lucy
comments that opposites attract and that the two of them remind her of
her grandparents, who've been married for 56 years and are "still having
great sex."

PLOT SIX: PTSD STRIKES AT HOME

Oblivious to the fact that Mark is busy, Mrs. Ekabo (Kubby) tries in a
panic to talk to Mark about her husband' Mobalage's upcoming operation
for erectile dysfunction. Mark is obviously swamped with an overloaded
ER. He finally asks Carol to discuss it with Kubby, and as Carol finally
does, Kubby confides that they have not had marital relations, not only
due to Mobalage's impotence, but also because she may not be able to.
She breaks down and tells Carol that her husband was a dissident and
when he fled after he was tortured, ten soldiers came and violated the
sanctity of her person and her home by raping her. She has never told
her husband, and doesn't know if she can ever again be intimate with a
man. Carol urges her to tell her husband, but Kubby insists that "it
would kill him." Nonetheless, Carol assures her that he loves her,
though Kubby walks away saying, "No."

Later in the episode, Mrs. Ekabo comes in with a stab wound. The
paramedics report that her husband "freaked out," called 9-1-1 but
wouldn't let anyone in the house, then fled out a window. Kubby is
stabilized and sent to surgery. As Carol is cleaning up the trauma room,
she sees a figure in the adjoining room and stumbles upon Mobalage. "My
wife, is she dead?" he asks, and Carol says no, but she's not sure if
she will survive. Mobalage begins demolishing the room, and then when
Kerry comes upon the scene, he asks for Mark. Carol also asks Kerry to
get Security, explaining that Mobalage is suffering from "PTSD" --
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

MISCELLANEOUS THREADS:

Some of the nurses seem oblivious to the goings-on of the past day
regarding Doug's alleged illegal activity. Peter Benton mulls over
locations for his "visiting doctor" opportunity, looking at information
regarding Northern Minnesota or North Dakota. Corday comments that it
will be awfully cold up north at this time of year, but Peter says it'll
mean $8,000 in tuition money for Reese and money for Peter's sign
language tutor.

REVIEW:

I walked around the hospital this morning (the real one, not the fake
one) and tried to decipher why I was so put off by last week's episode
and this week's. At first I thought I had a flaming case of "Doug
Defensiveness," but I did a quick differential diagnosis and decided
that no, I could deal with FlawedDoug because, as I stated on a.t.e. a
few weeks ago, Doug really screwed up and may be in danger, in his mind,
of losing Carol's love because of his inability to see the consequences
of his actions. Just as Nadine Wilkes changed his actions in personal
life, so the aftermath of the Ricky Abbott case will hopefully help him
change actions in his
professional life.

In deciding why I didn't love these last two episodes, I came up with a
few reasons and explanations, but I'll first share the insight of an ER
viewer who likes the show, but is definitely not the fanatic I am; he's
a casual viewer, and I'll call this insight "Fairly Perceptive Spouse --
Example #1": My husband watched it and when it was over, turned to me
and, not knowing how I felt about it at all, said, "The first 45 minutes
were riveting, the last 15 were shallow as hell."

Somewhere along my travels on the a.t.e. news group, I commented that ER
was supposed to be a "reality-based" show. Not this week. My biggest
complaint isn't that Doug has become pond scum in the eyes of almost
everyone at the hospital, it isn't that we didn't get a good indication
how the relationship between Doug and Carol stands, it isn't even that
Mark was relieved Doug was leaving. I could live with all that. Simply,
it is that somewhere along the way, the producers and the writers have
blurred the characterization to fit an agenda. The agenda seems to be
two-fold:

1.Let's hurry up and get this Clooney exit thing done as quickly as
we can so we can prove why we are so great!
2.Let's jam every possible thing we can into each episode to prove
what a power-packed, exciting show this is while ensuring that the
viewers will be kept guessing about the lives and motivations of the
characters!

A few cases in point, and some commentary along the way:

I felt the school bus rescue scenes were great, and I loved some of the
visual touches we got: Mark, as seen from the bus through the windows,
striding from one side to the other; Mark's face reflected in the
side-view mirror; Mark, confidently, adroitly handling triage,
reassuring children (he's a father himself, and I could almost hear him
talking to Rachel in much the same comforting tone). It was great to see
the ER staff mobilize, nice touch having Jerry order pizza (where's
Linda Farrell when you need her?) and I thought some of the visual stuff
was grossly cool, especially the paramedic holding the severed hand.
Nice action, outside of the hospital and within.

But, that wasn't enough. Just in case we forgot that this was a
hard-driving medical drama, for some reason, this week, we needed to
have Kubby Ekabo come in after having been brutally attacked, allegedly
by her husband. Why? Could this have waited for another episode, another
time?

Did I have problems with so little emphasis on Doug, especially since
the whole point was to write the character out of the week-to-week show?
Yes, I did. Did I have problems with characterization over the last two
episodes? Yes, I did.

"Suspend Disbelief" hat, badge, decoder ring time: It was difficult
enough to accept that even Doug would be so stupid as to make so many
major errors over the past few episodes to destroy his personal and
professional life, even more difficult to buy him having a hand in a
child's death, even to relieve suffering, but I was able to suck it up
and move on. However, Doug *walking away* from a sobbing Carol, throwing
his hospital I.D. on the floor? I know it was meant to show his anger
and hurt, and frustration at himself, but is this the same man who held
a grieving Carol Hathaway, another man's fiancee, in his arms,
comforting her despite
his pain at the time when she lost Tatiana?

It didn't ring true that now, years later when they had committed to
bring a child into this world together, he would walk away under any
circumstances. People can talk from now to doomsday about SelfishDoug,
IdioticDoug, I'llNeverChangeDoug, but Doug Ross wouldn't have walked
away from her right then, in my estimation. I can buy Doug
self-destructing professionally if I must, but not personally, with
Carol, not like this. No way. There were a number of ways John Wells
could have chosen to write it to make me believe that they were at a
crossroads. Having Doug walk away from her wasn't it. This is not
because it's not the way I
*wanted* it, it's because that's not the character who has evolved since
Season 3.

Carter goes from a confident resident to a blithering idiot over a med
student? He was acting more like MedStudent Carter than Dr. Carter,
Resident. By the way, where did Dr. Carter go, has a ransom note been
found? Here's a guy who is not romantically inexperienced and he's
losing his composure over Lucy Knight? Speaking of Lucy, is this the
same woman who walked into the ER in September, all no-nonsense, though
naive -- and now acts like a teasing bimbo? Just who is the intended
audience for this tryst? Maybe Carter needs to change his specialty back
to surgery so he can have SOMETHING TO DO besides obsess over Lucy. I
know they think we need a "replacement" couple, but please, could we
have waited until the body was cold?

Carol Hathaway can't understand that Doug feels with his reputation in
tatters and his world exploded that he can't stay in Chicago where his
name is mud and he most likely would not find a job? Did she for one
moment think that when he said there was "nothing for him" in Chicago
that he for one second was talking about her? Not the Carol Hathaway who
knows and loves Doug. Oh, and she has friends in Chicago more important
than Doug? Doesn't ring true. I had family and friends in New York and
here I am in the flatlands of Illinois. People move all the time. We're
back to OldCarol (first time I've ever written that, btw) -- hedging,
not answering Mark when he flat out asks her if she's going with Doug,
not answering Doug the first time he asks her to come with him. Sorry,
don't buy it. I know they were both exhausted and confused and hurt, but
c'mon, give Carol a little credit.

Now, I understand that we need to stall things between Doug and Carol
due to the differing departure dates of Clooney and Margulies, but
honestly, I'd rather have heard, "Hey, Doug, I love you but you're a
basket case. I can't go now, get your damned act together." I know it
wouldn't be as heart-wrenching (and, no, I didn't cry once during the
entire episode) but it would have been more realistic. Conversely, Doug
expects her to up and leave with him when he has nothing planned, no
firm job, and a reputation for impulsiveness in his work environment? Is
this the same man who waited for Carol during her period of
indecisiveness, during the time she insisted they keep their
relationship a secret from their families, friends, and co-workers? No,
doesn't fit. And, did they need to discuss this and try to make a
decision when each of them had about four hours of sleep in three days?

All examples of poor characterization.

One other criticism: I think, for the sake of art and gimmickry, Wells
crafted the final scene between Doug and Mark. Was more like a final
scene between Edwards and Clooney. In my estimation, it was as
dissatisfying as their miraculous "healing" after the baby Josh
situation in "Day for Knight." Why is it that sometimes we need to be
hit with a baseball bat for a point to be made while other times they
don't even show us the ball park? I'd like to have seen these two come
to grips with the past couple of days, just as I'd have liked to have
seen Doug's conversation with Anspaugh, to see Doug sit down with an
older, male, authority who could try to pound some sense into him, or
for that matter, getting a little insight about when Doug got specifics
on the "job" in Portland. Seems
important things were made incredibly vague.

Finally, of all the ways Doug could have been exonerated, his "buddy"
from med school, Dr. Julian "sticks up for him" and the charges are
dropped? How can it be this easy? What did he say, "Ricky really *was*
going to die?" Like that would "fix" it?

In all, to me it was a disappointing episode because the writing and
situations seemed contrived and the characters who have been shaped for
five years seemed all too distorted to fit the required theme. Proper
character development and background information was sacrificed for an
agenda.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:

- I had a heck of a difficult time making out dialogue, particularly in
the bus accident scene. Can't blame that on Clooney's purported
mumbling, he wasn't there.

- Was it just me, or was Kerry just plain screaming in almost every
scene but the one with Jeanie?

- Having said that, and giving credit where it's due, kudos to Laura
Innes for the emotion in her voice as Kerry is telling Jeanie her
suspicions regarding Hepatitis C infection. Stunning job.

- Well, last year it was Elizabeth Corday defying orders and staying
within a collapsed building to help a patient. This year Mark has
disobeyed orders from qualified personnel to act in a certain way during
paramedic excursions; once when he ran out to help a downed patient in a
hail of gunfire, and this week by ignoring orders to evacuate the bus
while the crane was working to remove the plow. Hey, Mark? This "cowboy
crap" has got to stop. (Just had to say that). (Yeah. What she said.
-Mike)

- Beautiful imagery/acting: Carol, after Doug asks her to come with him,
pulling away with her facial expression, and her stool. Doug, slowly
pulling her stool back toward him. Her face then, her body language was
perfect: Bracing herself against his pull, just as she'd done in year's
past. Wonderful job by both Margulies and Clooney during their scenes
together.

- Extra kudos for Peter Benton, taking time to suture Jeanie's face with
care and perfection he's known for. Nice touch.

- Mark gets to hear what I wish Doug had heard in this episode, what
Doug and Carol aficionados have known since the Pilot: She's always
loved him.

- Don Anspaugh talking about million dollar lawsuits? Oh, Don? Two
words: Amanda Lee.

- Randi-Watch -- nice job handling panicked parents, and wonderful
withering look in Romano's direction. That's my girl.

- Fairly Perceptive Spouse Example #2: When Carol's cleaning up after
Mrs. Ekabo's trauma, hubby said, "I'd be watching out for Mr. Ekabo
right about
now."

- Should we find that Mobalage did indeed assault his wife with intent
to kill, I hope he doesn't come out of this without going to jail. I'll
be dismayed. Talk about the need to prosecute. PTSD aside, it was
horrendous.

- Hey, Mark? Could you speak up next time when you're explaining to
Carol that Mr. Ekabo has ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION? I didn't quite hear you
in
the 'burbs.

- The scene between Doug and Mr. Abbott -- yes, I know we were meant to
see both sides of it, but I wanted to hear Doug JUST ONCE speak up.
Doug's
expression, though, when Mr. Abbott talked about "million dollar homes"
was telling. And, to state the obvious, where've you been, sir, while
your wife has run herself ragged, needing respite care to go to your
daughter's dance recital? He robbed himself.

- Here's my once a year rant about beverages: It's "POP" 'round these
parts guys. After all, Carol's home is Chicago, a point she made
painfully clear to Doug. We don't drink soda here. Glad I got it in
before the season ended. (Oh, dear goddess, not this again.. -Mike)

- Fairly Perceptive Spouse Example #3, *AND* A One-Time Category --
Spouse Line of the Week: After Doug says to Carol "I hate Weaver, I hate
Romano," hubby pipes up, mouth full of pizza, "So does everybody in
America." No offense to Weaver/Romano fans worldwide, and I know it's
not true and that she has many wonderful fans, but after watching Kerry
verbally tear Doug from limb to limb, I gotta love the guy for saying
it.

LOOK OF THE WEEK: Kerry Weaver, head bowed, raking her hand through her
bangs, realizing her friend Jeanie may be infected with Hepatitis C.

RUNNER-UP LINE OF THE WEEK: Chuny, after Carter explains that he
couldn't possibly have sexually motivated, uh, motives, because Lucy is
like a little sister to him: "Huh, you do that with your little sister?"

LINE OF THE WEEK: Jeanie, after Kerry hedged regarding the possibility
of Hepatitis C infection:
"Sounds like a 'doctor' answer, I was kinda hoping for the 'good
friend' answer."
--

Phyl
~ Embrace your obsession ~
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