The Return of Ray, and Vomit

[Darren Thornton]

Holiday themed episodes are another ER tradition. =A0 But only a
few were very good. Which would you consider the best? Some series only
did a single episode for Christmas. =A0 This one was better than some,
worse than others.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0It was very good to see Ray again. =A0 We got
some comments about the turnover rate for chiefs. I would still like to
see an investigation. Suppose Doug, Carol, or even Benton came for a
visit. What would they think of all the changes?
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Too bad Ray didn't interact with Cate. =A0 She'd
probably run him off. Let these people do their jobs! Socialize after
their shifts. Things remained tense with Tony. =A0 But everyone else
seemed glad to see him. =A0 Where were Haleh and Chuny?
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear
no references to Gustav. Does his house have a blue tarp on the roof?
Several trees came down. =A0 How long was he without power? Some went
for weeks. =A0 Did he think FEMA improved from Katrina? =A0 Was he at
much of a disadvantage during the storm? But he pronounced Baton Rouge
correctly.=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 He and Neela were really good friends.
After Gallant, I'd paired him with her. =A0 She looks so sad. =A0 But
Brennan messed things up. =A0 Is she familar with another custom? =A0 If
you don't have candy for the kids, turn off the outside lights.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0The timeline was a little confusing.
Owen had a bag full of candy. =A0 Yet the other incident happened at
lunchtime. =A0 Trick or treat hours are usually in the late afternoon,
to early evening. =A0 Too bad we got no kids who attended church
parties. Many, including mine, offer alternatives.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0This was the most vomit we'd seen in awhile.
=A0 That's not a good thing. Did they have a surplus? =A0 I'm still
having a time keeping the interns separate.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Once again Tony had an Uncle Jesse moment.
Remember when he got locked in his garage studio? =A0 The red light
wouldn't go off. =A0 Shouldn't he always wear his ID badge?
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Things are also tense between him
and Sam. Did someone say Yea? =A0 A certain Dr. Benton could tell him to
always respect the nurses. =A0 Be thankful Dawn didn't deck him. =A0 Who
else is grateful to be spared a look at Frank's legs?
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Didn't we have a disfunctional family last
week? =A0 I'm also reminded of a crazy mother, son heading that way, and
a super daughter. Who could play the new recurring character from Social
Services? Abby might have slapped the mother silly.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Cate remains her nasty self. How
long is the list of complaints? No one suggested that Frank talk to
the cop. =A0 Of course, the man wasn't supposed to be there. =A0 We also
have an interesting question. =A0 At what level do doctors and nurses
use first names? She might listen to someone who is her equal.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Daria still overdoes book learning. How
often do folks can't get a bowling ball off? Tracy remains scary.
What's with her choosing unpractical footwear again? =A0 The movie
Trekkies had a dentist's office using a Star Trek theme. =A0 ER would be
a bad choice. CSI gets my vote for worst.
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0Laverne still has problems with Brennan. =A0 Her
hairdo is a little
more conservative. =A0 Note that someone else commented on it. This can
be a dangerous area anyway. What if they ran out of spare scrubs?
How long will Morris grieve over Pratt? Someone had kept Ray
in the loop. Didn't he take something out of the refrigerator? I
hope someone is very understanding. It will be good to see Chas again.
As for Dr. Greene, it better be a good one.

Sincerely,
Darren Thornton

[R***@sendtousenet.com]

        Once again Tony had an Uncle Jesse moment.
Remember when he got locked in his garage studio?   The red light
wouldn't go off.   Shouldn't he always wear his ID badge?

When he got locked in wouldn't every location in the hospital have
a room for emergencies?

How long will Morris grieve over Pratt?

Let me guess.....you're in your 20s and haven't had any relatives or
close friends die?

I'm older than dirt now and have seen alot of friends/relatives die.

Some of them you never really get over, many years later you still
miss them and grieve for them.

Some of them it gets better with time but for others you never really
get over it.

I'd point out I know people whose spouse died and they never re-marry
and they grieve for the rest of their life.


Finally I was troubled by the whole toungue ring with Gates.
Gates strikes as the kind of teenager who would have
come home with a dozen peircings if he was a teenager now.

[Ellen K Hursh]

         It was very good to see Ray again.   We got
some comments about the turnover rate for chiefs. I would still like to
see an investigation. Suppose Doug, Carol, or even Benton came for a
visit. What would they think of all the changes?

"Thank god I got out when I did!"

        Too bad Ray didn't interact with Cate.   She'd
probably run him off. Let these people do their jobs! Socialize after
their shifts. Things remained tense with Tony.   But everyone else
seemed glad to see him.   Where were Haleh and Chuny?
After Gallant, I'd paired him with her.   She looks so sad.   But
Brennan messed things up.   Is she familar with another custom?   If
you don't have candy for the kids, turn off the outside lights.

The outside (hallway) lights may not be something she can control. I
suppose there's another custom that may apply to the situation, of
hanging a sock (or necktie) on the doorknob. Failing that, there's the
"play something on the stereo so we can ignore the door" method.

         This was the most vomit we'd seen in awhile.
  That's not a good thing. Did they have a surplus?   I'm still
having a time keeping the interns separate.

Maybe the local Safeway was having a sale on chunky vegetable soup
that week.

        Once again Tony had an Uncle Jesse moment.
Remember when he got locked in his garage studio?   The red light
wouldn't go off.   Shouldn't he always wear his ID badge?

Was that a dumbass ex machina subplot, or what?

             Things are also tense between him
and Sam. Did someone say Yea?   A certain Dr. Benton could tell him to
always respect the nurses.  

Gates could always benefit from a little "midnight potty-training", a
la Carter.

           Tracy remains scary.

Mermaid Girl? I can't imagine what would possess *anyone* to think
that would be even *remotely* appropriate for an ER. An office
setting, *maybe*, but-- oh wait, I forgot: wacky hijinx. Right.

What's with her choosing unpractical footwear again?

I don't remember anything about her past the absurd costume - what was
she wearing?

As for Dr. Greene,  it better be a good one.  

Don't worry, it won't be.

[Clifford T. Newsome]

Hey Sincerely Darren.

No paragraphs, no read. This really shouldn't be such a technological
challenge for you.

But come to think of it, your every-third-sentence-is-a-question writing
style is tiresome. Not to mention that this much attention to a badly
written and dying series means you have way too much time on your hands.

It's a TV show, that's all. Based on the last episode, more of a soap now
really. The wife and I watch it because we're as conditioned as Pavlovian
dogs, and/or we keep hoping somehow it will improve.

But you know, when the new A-A ER chief and the "Aussie git" out-obnoxious
the once totally-repulsive Morris, the show has some problems.

Sam and Morris, the only likable characters left. Who woulda thunk?

[DLCandC]

Post by Clifford T. Newsome
Hey Sincerely Darren.
No paragraphs, no read. This really shouldn't be such a technological
challenge for you.
But come to think of it, your every-third-sentence-is-a-question writing
style is tiresome. Not to mention that this much attention to a badly
written and dying series means you have way too much time on your hands.

Darren has been posting here for a looooong time. I'm pretty sure
he's been here as long as I've been here & I've been here since S6.
This is the way he chooses to write his reviews. If you don't like
it, don't read it. Just because it's there doesn't mean you *have* to
read it.
----
Lori1

[Darren Thornton]

Thanks, Lori. I've been posting here back when the writing was
still good. That would be around 2000. I believe it was season 5.
My posts have gotten mixed reviews.
I missed several episodes last season. One, my MSN TV receiver
went out. That's happened too often. I couldn't figure out how to get
here on a library computer. Others I just waited too long to write
anything.
Once again, I CCP most of my last two posts. Sometimes
paragraphs get bunched together. I thought that I caught all of them
last time. As for the questions, I don't have a set pattern. They
can be a mixed bag.
As for age, I'm not 20ish. I've been blessed not to lose
many loved ones. But that can change as we all get older. All my
grandparents are dead. When the last one died, I got asked to write a
few words for the funeral. I also knew what song she wanted played.
A few years back two good friends got killed in a car crash.
We were in the church drama group. I took their deaths hard. Going
to work that night wasn't easy. Not being rehired was already a
possibility. Funerals can put things in perspective rather quickly.
I mentioned a couple other deaths here. One was my
sister-in-law. The other was a younger cousin. Grieving seems longer
in TV land. But at least those deaths aren't real.
Watching this show is only a small part of our lives. But
it's been nice to share it with others. So seeing poor writing and not
always great acting hurts. Let's leave with another question. What
would things look if we had most of the original cast on board?

Sincerely,
Darren Thornton

[Cory]

In article <9458-49111CC6-***@storefull-3272.bay.webtv.net>,
***@webtv.net says...
<snip...>

Post by Darren Thornton
Let's leave with another question. What
would things look if we had most of the original cast on board?
Sincerely,
Darren Thornton

I think the show would be a lot better than it has been in recent years,
but then again, the departures of OFF-camera people (writers, producers,
et al.) have had a negative impact, as well. Thus, there's a part of me
that isn't sure that just the regular cast of actors would help as much
anymore.

--- Cory

[sharon]

Post by Cory
<snip...>

Post by Darren Thornton
Let's leave with another question. What
would things look if we had most of the original cast on board?
Sincerely,
Darren Thornton

I think the show would be a lot better than it has been in recent years,
but then again, the departures of OFF-camera people (writers, producers,
et al.) have had a negative impact, as well. Thus, there's a part of me
that isn't sure that just the regular cast of actors would help as much
anymore.
--- Cory

There's also the fact that there are only so many stories that can be told
about the staff of a big city ER and their patients. The show has already
mined that material to the limit, it's been running on fumes and recycled
plots for years now. When the show debuted, it was new and fresh; something
we'd never seen before. Not so much anymore.

Certainly the chemistry between the originals was fabulous and was a big
part of the reason they captured lightning in a bottle; but there are plenty
of talented actors on the show now like AB and PN; so I don't think it is
the lack of acting skills that's at issue here. And there's only so far a
show can run on chemistry before it needs to have compelling stories to hold
the audience' attention.

Sharon

[Cory]

In article <fa5c895b-3d3e-41a3-8818-4d807ee588b6
@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com>, ***@earthlink.net says...

Post by DLCandC

Post by Clifford T. Newsome
Hey Sincerely Darren.
No paragraphs, no read. This really shouldn't be such a technological
challenge for you.
But come to think of it, your every-third-sentence-is-a-question writing
style is tiresome. Not to mention that this much attention to a badly
written and dying series means you have way too much time on your hands.

Darren has been posting here for a looooong time. I'm pretty sure
he's been here as long as I've been here & I've been here since S6.
This is the way he chooses to write his reviews. If you don't like
it, don't read it. Just because it's there doesn't mean you *have* to
read it.
----
Lori1

Or even comment on it, for that matter, if you're going to be so snarky
about his writing style, "Clifford".

--- Cory

[Clifford T. Newsome]

"Cory" <***@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:***@news.motzarella.org...
In article <fa5c895b-3d3e-41a3-8818-4d807ee588b6
@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com>, ***@earthlink.net says...

Post by DLCandC

Post by Clifford T. Newsome
Hey Sincerely Darren.
No paragraphs, no read. This really shouldn't be such a technological
challenge for you.
But come to think of it, your every-third-sentence-is-a-question writing
style is tiresome. Not to mention that this much attention to a badly
written and dying series means you have way too much time on your hands.

Darren has been posting here for a looooong time. I'm pretty sure
he's been here as long as I've been here & I've been here since S6.
This is the way he chooses to write his reviews. If you don't like
it, don't read it. Just because it's there doesn't mean you *have* to
read it.
----
Lori1

Or even comment on it, for that matter, if you're going to be so snarky
about his writing style, "Clifford".

--- Cory


I know, the truth hurts sometimes.

[Cory]

Post by Cory
In article <fa5c895b-3d3e-41a3-8818-4d807ee588b6
@w24g2000prd.googlegroups.com>, ***@earthlink.net says...

Post by DLCandC

Post by Clifford T. Newsome
Hey Sincerely Darren.
No paragraphs, no read. This really shouldn't be such a technological
challenge for you.
But come to think of it, your every-third-sentence-is-a-question writing
style is tiresome. Not to mention that this much attention to a badly
written and dying series means you have way too much time on your hands.

Darren has been posting here for a looooong time. I'm pretty sure
he's been here as long as I've been here & I've been here since S6.
This is the way he chooses to write his reviews. If you don't like
it, don't read it. Just because it's there doesn't mean you *have* to
read it.
----
Lori1

Or even comment on it, for that matter, if you're going to be so snarky
about his writing style, "Clifford".
--- Cory
I know, the truth hurts sometimes.

Like the fact that Mommy chose such a stupid name as "Clifford" for
you... Clifford???

--- Cory

[Clifford T. Newsome]

Post by Cory
Like the fact that Mommy chose such a stupid name as "Clifford" for
you... Clifford???
--- Cory

Jesus -- should someone named Cory be throwing stones?

Idiot.

[Hunter]

In article <AF0Qk.66804$***@newsfe01.iad>, ***@nospam.com
says...

Post by Clifford T. Newsome
Hey Sincerely Darren.
No paragraphs, no read. This really shouldn't be such a technological
challenge for you.
But come to think of it, your every-third-sentence-is-a-question writing
style is tiresome. Not to mention that this much attention to a badly
written and dying series means you have way too much time on your hands.
It's a TV show, that's all. Based on the last episode, more of a soap now
really. The wife and I watch it because we're as conditioned as Pavlovian
dogs, and/or we keep hoping somehow it will improve.
But you know, when the new A-A ER chief and the "Aussie git" out-obnoxious
the once totally-repulsive Morris, the show has some problems.
Sam and Morris, the only likable characters left. Who woulda thunk?

---
Two questions:

1): If the guy still likes the show well enough to write and extended
post about it how does that affect you?

2): Is there someone holding a gun to your head making you read and
answer his post? No?, then why don't you ignore it? If you don't want
to answer it or even read it fine. Other may want to. If you can't
tear yourself away because of some Pavlovian response why get on
somebody else's case for liking it a little if not a lot? You MUST
care about it on some level to take the time to watch it and/or post
about it and bother other people about it.

It is not as if he/she took your valuable time making YOU write it. I
really don't understand some people's motives to rain on other's
parade. I mean if you had a difference of opinion between you and the
poster then by all means reply if you think he/she is all wet but to
get on his/her case just for posting something remotely positive
is just silly and it seems that you are more obsessive about the show
than you claim the poster to be. Just ignore the post if you think
the poster is wasting his/her time.

[Dropping The Helicopter]

How awesome would it have been if the episode had been titled "The
Return of Ray and Vomit"? Why don't they just do that sort of stuff?
They're running on fumes anyway and they know it, why not go off the
rails and make a little lemonade out of this lemon?

Holiday themed episodes are another ER tradition. But only a
few were very good. Which would you consider the best?

There was one where Random Patient No. 3 sang "O Holy Night" or
something, which I recall being a good moment, but not necessarily a
good episode.

Some series only
did a single episode for Christmas. This one was better than some,
worse than others.
It was very good to see Ray again.

Meh. At least we didn't get any "Yeah, I'm gettin' the band back
together" moments. It made next to zero sense, seeing as he was totally
Neela-hating last we saw him.

We got
some comments about the turnover rate for chiefs. I would still like to
see an investigation. Suppose Doug, Carol, or even Benton came for a
visit. What would they think of all the changes?

I think they would do a "Crying Indian"[1] and just turn around and walk
away. People start bad TV, people can stop it.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keep_America_Beautiful

Where were Haleh and Chuny?

Probably begging some other show to let the work on it for free rather
than have to go down with this ship.

I was disappointed, but not surprised, to hear
no references to Gustav. Does his house have a blue tarp on the roof?
Several trees came down. How long was he without power? Some went
for weeks. Did he think FEMA improved from Katrina? Was he at
much of a disadvantage during the storm? But he pronounced Baton Rouge
correctly.

Yeah, but he totally muffed up "I gar-un-tee!" ;-)

He and Neela were really good friends.

Yeah, not so much the last time we saw him.

After Gallant, I'd paired him with her.

No, nononnooo! Neither one made any sense, and Doogie Hauser MD/Rocker
was the worst of the two.

She looks so sad.

If by "sad" you mean "hot", yes. Yes she does.

This was the most vomit we'd seen in awhile.

And that was just from the viewers. RIMSHOT!

That's not a good thing.

Actually beyond a certain point it really is. Again I wished they'd
take this sucker off the rails and go totally Vomiting Kermit:
http://www.veoh.com/videos/v1036197kBXFmt4X

Did they have a surplus?

;-) Probably got a good deal on vomit overstock.

Once again Tony had an Uncle Jesse moment.
Remember when he got locked in his garage studio? The red light
wouldn't go off.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHHHHAHAAAAAHHAHAAAA!!!! Jeez, I knew that was lame,
but I didn't realize it was let's-rip-off-a-Full-House-gag lame!

Shouldn't he always wear his ID badge?
Things are also tense between him
and Sam. Did someone say Yea?

That was me. And everybody else.

A certain Dr. Benton could tell him to
always respect the nurses. Be thankful Dawn didn't deck him. Who
else is grateful to be spared a look at Frank's legs?
Didn't we have a disfunctional family last
week?

...don't we have a dysfunctional family every week?

How long will Morris grieve over Pratt?

Well, we've already passed "too long", so I don't know what the next
step it really....

As for Dr. Greene, it better be a good one.

Prediction: It won't be.