Thursday November 21, 2002
175158
Abby's family nightmare continues as she and her mother Maggie search for Abby's missing brother Eric, who Abby suspects is suffering from serious mental problems. The two women go to a Midwestern air force base, hoping to prevent Eric from being court-martialed for being absent without leave. Carter struggles to get out of Chicago to join Abby. Meanwhile, Corday treats a family of patients who, while building a snowman, were severely injured after being struck by a truck driver. She must help the father, Stuart, make a life-or-death decision. Corday also sympathizes with troubled surgical resident Paul Nathan as he struggles with the increasing symptoms of his physical handicap.
Write a Recap »Always on his heart... hide show
It was beautiful episode - first the storyline with Abby's family. It's never easy for them and now it is Eric's turn as he seems to get bipolar too. And Abby finds herself in potion what she knows and cannot change - she feels it is her mother fault that Eric got it and on the same time, he wants to avoid Eric turning into her mother. And everything seems to be the way it always has.
And the other storyline on Chicago. Snowfall - lot of snow and some drunk drove into a family - mother and two kids. One kid is brain dead soon, they do not manage to save the mother and the other boy - only change for him is his brother's heart and lungs. So, hard decision to father and Nathan has to get him into this. And his rotation is over, Cordey fails him but he has beautiful way of leaving.
Elizabeth fails Nathan as she promised, but acknowledges that he is the ultimate people person. hide show
The snowfall has resulted in a quiet day in the ER. Then a mother and her two sons are brought in, victims of a lorry driver who ploughed straight into them as they made a snowman. The father was in the house getting a carrot. One boy is brain dead and the other has a damaged heart and lung. Elizabeth realises that to save the one, then the heart and lungs are needed from the other. The father is too distraught to make the decision, but Nathan talks him through it and the procedure goes ahead. Sadly the mother dies of her injuries. Eliabeth and the father speak and she breaks down and tells him about Mark. They embrace, and then go up to the ER where Nathan starts the boys implanted heart. Elizabeth has failed Nathan, but tells him he has a great gift as a physician.
Abby dashes off to find where her brother is being held. Gallant goes along to facilitate entry into the base. Carter follows, but not til the snow has been cleared. In the meantime Abby finds that her mother is there already and knew a few months back that Eric was having problems.
Facts about certain places not true and no research conducted. hide show
I haven't seen this episode, but have heard from friends who have. First off, the writers seriously let thier viewers down by failing to research basic facts about the U.S. Air Force, it's installations, and it's people. From what I'm told the plot involving the U.S.A.F involves Abby and Carter travelling to a "Mid-Western(Nebraska)Air Base(Not even Air Force Base)in search of Abby's brother who is AWOL from the military. The only base in Nebraska is Offutt AFB and from a friend who was stationed there this wasn't the base pictured.
Also, and the most upsetting to me, is that the Air Force Security Forces Members are referred to as "Military Police". I AM an Air Force Security Forces Member! This is insulting to me and all those in my Career Field. This generalization of military law enforcement does nothing to help the public understand us and our jobs, and in my belief was not important to them so long as the plot moved forward. I am disgusted with the makers of this program and demand they research thier facts before committing to plot development!
The Department of Defense and the Air Force would (and has been countless times in the past) be more than willing to assist Films and Television shows in research, and allow them to visit and use thier facilities, personnel, and equipment in thier shows. This is a service provided by the DOD and even has a full time staff in the Pentagon dedicated to Films and Television shows. However it seems that the producers and writers decided not to go this route and in turn INSULTED all Air Force Members with this episode!
There has been a lot of talk about this episode focusing on the storyline with Abby's brother, but this review will focus on the other storyline. In this episode we see two sides of Dr Corday, we see her being compassionate and understanding with the father of the two boys and we see her act the exact opposite with Mr Nathan. I think that she should have done more for him and did not give him a fair opportunity to pass his rotation. I cannot even begin to imagine the pain that father experienced, losing his wife and son. He would have to suffer serious PTSD and survivor guilt after what happened. The first thing I always think when I watch this episode is how bad I feel for this man. I think that the scene where he's talking to Dr Corday is one of the greatest in the history of ER and very moving. I don't think the ending could have been handled any better with Mr Nathan going into the OR during the kid's surgery, because he was responsible for that kid being alive because he convinced the father to give consent.
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