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ER Season 8 Episode 14

A Simple Twist of Fate

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8.7

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 2/7/02

The ER faces a staff shortage when several employees are sent home with food poisoning, including Weaver. Mark and Elizabeth's marriage is in crisis following Ella's hospital admission. Adding to his woes, Mark fears his brain tumor may have returned. Eleanor Carter nearly abandons young Mickey after realizing how bad his condition is. Abby pays the price to protect Joyce from her violent husband, Brian, when she is punched by him. Luka later tracks down Brian and threatens to kill him.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (5)

Never under estimate mad and angry people

9.3

By Parricida, Jan 11, 2008

The aftermath of last episode continues as Elizabeth is totally out of herself and feels that Mark is not acting properly. She ends up asking Rachel to leave and she is ok even if Mark is not. And she says - if Rachel goes or she goes.

To make Mark's day even worser - he has doubts that his cancer is back. And that is frightening. And to be honest, Mark is not only one having hard day. Abby tries to help her neighbor. That sweet Joyce and she is beaten up again. She involves police and Joyce is taken to shelter. The husband goes to Abby place and beats her up rising anger in Luka who goes and beats up the husband. This time, I hope, Luka's anger did not kill anyone, at leastmoreless
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The ultimate bad day for Mark and Abby.

9.4

By OpalRisa, Oct 07, 2006

For Mark Greene, his infant daughter is still fighting to recover from a drug overdose after swallowing Rachel's Ecstacy pills. Elizabeth tells Rachel to get out of her house, leaving Mark caught between his wife and his teenaged daughter. His attempts at bridging the gap between the two women in his life only further anger Elizabeth. She gives Mark an ultimatum....get Rachel out of the house or she will leave him and take Ella with her. To make matters worse, Mark's symptoms return, and the episode ends with Mark undergoing another MRI to determine whether his brain tumor has returned.

For Abby, her efforts at helping her neighbor, Joyce, take a dramatic turn. After Brian beats Joyce, Abby and Luka treat her at the ER. Abby convinces her to leave Brian and go into a battered women's shelter. Later that night, Brian shows up at Abby's apartment, demanding to know where Joyce is. Abby kicks him out, but he breaks down the door and punches her, knocking her out. We see Abby as the patient, as Susan and Luka treat her. Luka finds Brian at a bar and beats him. He threatens to kill Brian if he comes near Abby again.

The thing that struck me in this episode is that two of the strongest characters on ER...Mark and Abby...were the vulnerable ones. They were both trying to be mediators in difficult situations, which left them both vulnerable, wounded and exposed.moreless
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Ella is find, Rachel isn't.

9.6

By kimmie_chan, Sep 28, 2006

I like this episode, it was very good. Very emotional for DR. Greene, having to choose over his 2 daughters and his wive. I really like to know what he is going to choose?.

And then is Abby, who is trying to save Joyce and end up beaten by the guy, i just love how Luka go to the bar and fight with the guy and then told him that if he ever touch abby againe he is going to kill him!, omg that was so cool. I tought Kerry wwould be seen more at this episode but not, only in the first part, it would have been soo cool that at the end she would said something like: "i told you" (about the free food)moreless
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This is an episode where there is drama, sadness, and forgiveness. And Luka is back from his trip to Bosnia.

9.3

By linseyt67, Aug 24, 2006

The episode starts with a free Bagel and cream cheese breakfast from a pharmaceutical company. Kerry makes Susan feel bad about accepting gifts, so she goes over to Doc Magoos. This turns out to be a blessing, as everyone who did eat the food goes down with food poisoning, including, of course, Kerry!

The Greene family story continues - Ella is extubated and seems to be recovering; Elizabeth tells Rachel to leave and then fights with Mark about it, stating she will not bring Ella back to the house is Rachel is still living there.

Mark can't find a word in a trauma and later bites his tongue. Susan checks his nerve function and there is a problem. At the end of the episode Mark is undergoing an MRI, clearly worried that the brain tumour has returned.

Abby's neighbour is once again beaten up, and this time does go to a shelter, after Abby has informed the police and given them likely places Brian will be. Brian however breaks into Abby's and beats her up. She ends up in the ER, with Luka and Susan treating her facial injuries. When Susan has to do a rape exam, Luka is very disturbed. Luckily it is just facial injuries.

Luka goes to the bar where Brian drinks and attacks him. He promises to kill him if he ever touches Abby again. Susan offers Abby a bed for the night, until she can return to her place in safety.

Carter's mother is about to bail on the leukemia boy, Mickey, when Carter and she finally talk about Bobby (Carter's brother) and reveal to each other things they didn't know before. They both go back and support Mickey through further treatment.moreless
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Typical day at the ER until Abby gets between her abusive neighbor and his wife and ends up as a patient herself.

9.5

By atoz329, Jan 20, 2006

I have probably seen this episode 10 times and every time, I remember why it is one of my favorites. Although the episode is action-packed, my favorite plotline is Abby and her neighbor- The doctor/nurse-becoming-patient plot is one that ER has used a couple of times (Mark Greene's cancer, Carter & Lucy's stabbing, Greene's beating, Carter's addiction...) and it works every time. We see that brave, independent Abby is vulnerable and powerless in this situation, but almost more importantly is how compassionate the rest of the ER staff is. Luka's expression when Susan mentions the possibility of rape says it all- any past history is insignificant in the face of trauma.moreless
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Alex Kingston	Dr. Elizabeth Corday
Anthony Edwards	Dr. Mark Greene
Goran Visnjic	Dr. Luka Kovac
Laura Innes	Dr. Kerry Weaver
Maura Tierney	Nurse Abby Lockhart
Ming-Na	Dr. Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Debbie Lee Carrington	Ginger	Guest Star
Colton James	Mickey	Guest Star
David A. Kimball	Unknown	Guest Star
Hallee Hirsh	Rachel Greene	Recurring Role
Conni Marie Brazelton	Conni	Recurring Role
Ellen Crawford	Lydia	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (7)
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- Frank: Anybody who ate one of those bagels and that damn cream cheese is going to be blowing chunks. (vomits in trash can)
  Chen: I ate one of those bagels.
  Frank: I'll add your name to the class action suit.
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- Weaver: I said no!
  Frank: We're talking bagels and cream cheese...no one is taking a bribe.
  Weaver: Promotions like this add to the cost of pharmaceuticals, marketing expenditures passed on to mostly elderly consumers.
  Frank: I'm elderly.
  Weaver: There's no free lunch, Frank.
  Frank: This is breakfast!
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- (Brian sees Luka walking toward him)
  Brian: I don't have a problem with you, man, o.k.?
  Luka: I have a problem with you!
  Brian: I got angry. It was a mistake.
  Luka: You hit women by mistake? Huh?
  Brian: I screwed up.
  Luka: Let's see you hit me, huh?! (pushes him) Come on.
  Brian: I did'nt mean too... I lost my temper.
  Luka: Loose your temper with me! (pushes him into the wall)
  Brian: O.k. I'm gonna go to the cops right now and turn my self in. ( Luka hits him) Wait! Just wait!
  Luka: Better start swinging back! (hits him again)
  Brian: Wait! I was wrong! I got angry! She took away my wife!
  Luka: You took away your wife! (throws him on the pool-table)
  Brian: I know, I know, I know. But I loved her! She was everything to me and I lost her. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I won't mess with Abby again, I won't. I won't even talk to her. I'll move. I'll move out of the building. Please. I'm sorry! Please.
  Luka: You touch her again, I'll kill you.
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- Abby: Hey!
  Luka: Hey!
  Abby: You're back.
  Luka: Yeah, this morning.
  Abby: I was getting worried. I thought I'd at least get a post card.
  Luka: You need to get e-mail.
  Abby: Didn't take you long to get sucked back into this insanity.
  Luka: No. But it's good to see you, though.
  Abby: You too.
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- Susan: Ok, I'm gonna go to Doc Magoo's, have some breakfast, find a toothbrush and change my underwear, then I'll help clear your board.
  Kerry: 15 minutes.
  Frank: If I stick with the underwear I've got on, can we at least keep the food out?
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- Lewis: Why is there a pregnant woman squatting in the hallway?
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- Lewis: Frank, are you sick too?
  Frank: (with his head in the trash can, throwing up) I ain't praying!
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NOTES (3)
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- Previous title: "Seven Sinners"
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- Music: "Easy Tonight," Five for Fighting
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- Although in the opening credits, Paul McCrane does not appear in this episode.
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