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ER Season 8 Episode 11

Beyond Repair

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8.6

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 1/10/02

Abby has a horrible birthday, beginning with meeting her new squabbling neighbors. She treats a young woman hoping to get pregnant by taking fertility drugs, and discovers that Luka is going to Bosnia for two months as part of the Doctors Without Borders program. Her ex-husband tells her that he's getting remarried just before she sees Carter and Susan sharing a private moment. She takes care of a young boy abandoned in the ER after the death of his mother. Paul Sobricki is admitted with a head lac, and Abby unsuccessfully tries to keep Carter from seeing him. Abby's day ends with her sharing a beer with her neighbor. Carter has problems of his own: his mother is back in town, just getting in the way and refusing to admit to her mistakes. He also meets with Chen, who reveals that she has the evidence to take Weaver down in the Marfan's case. Weaver and Lopez are an item until Sandy discovers that Weaver has not come out at work. Mark finds cigarettes and condoms in Rachel's room.moreless

Fan Episode Reviews (6)

Abby's birthday

9.3

By Parricida, Jan 08, 2008

It was beautiful episode. The way they opened Abby's char for us more and the way her day was so awful. That little boy looking for mom, the woman talking about getting a child and once having one already.. and her ex.. it was all too much, I agree and the way she ended up to the final scenes - getting bear. It won't lead nowhere good.

But the real pearl of this episode was Carter and his storyline. The way he met that stabber again. Superbly played. It was so real that it was frightening. And that song on the background when he rushes to bathroom and later at home takes it up with her mother who has not been there for him. Brilliant acting. Really!moreless
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Abby's birthday is anything but a celebration!

9.5

By OpalRisa, Oct 05, 2006

This episode really revolves around Abby, and her dismal birthday. She is awakened by fighting neighbors, but receives a "Happy Birthday" phone call from her mother. She turns out to be the only one who remembers Abby's birthday.

From every angle, Abby is confronted with the issue of motherhood. She cares for a boy at the hospital who has lost his mother. Abby later learns that his mother died in the hospital the night before. She is eventually able to reach the boy's father, but the child is forced to go into Social Services' custody until his father arrives. The boy pleads to stay with Abby in a heartbreaking scene.

Abby's ex-husband visits her to announce that he is marrying again, and will become a step-father. Richard confesses that he has always wanted children. We see the conflict and sadness on Abby's face, as she is clearly recalling the abortion she had while married to Richard. It seems to be news to Abby that Richard wanted a child, which underscores the lack of communication these two had while married.

Abby also cares for a woman who is taking fertility drugs. She confesses to Abby that she had an abortion a few years back, and now that she's trying to get pregnant she can't. The patient fears that she has missed her chance to be a mother. This clearly strikes a nerve with Abby.

To add insult to injury, Abby walks in on Carter and Susan kissing in the lounge. And Luka informs Abby that he is going to Bosnia for 2 months. The episode ends with Abby drinking a beer with her neighbor, ending over 5 years of sobriety for Abby. If you're an Abby fan, this is definitely the episode for you! Although it deals with tough issues and the storylines are quite depressing, Maura Tierney pulls it off with her phenomenal acting and great comedic timing. We see her hurting, but in her own stoic way. With a lesser actress, the performance could have easily been melodramatic. Maura Tierney gives Abby such dignity, even when she's at her lowest.moreless
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It is a busy day as usual, but the underlying story for me relates to Abby and her getting older, being childless and single.

9.7

By linseyt67, Aug 23, 2006

It's Abby's birthday - her Mother remembers, but no-one else. Throughout the day she is reminded of her getting older and not yet being a mother. Luka tells her he has decided to go to Bosnia with Doctors without Borders. Carter and Susan are kissing in the drs lounge when Abby walks in.

A young boy, Douglas is sitting in chairs waiting for his mother. It turns out she died earlier in the day. Abby gets close to him, but still has to let him go to Social Services at the end of the day

Richard comes to see her, he is getting married to a teacher, who already has a child, so he is going to be a father. He says he always wanted to be a Dad, which surprises her, and makes her sad, as she had an abortion whilst married to him

A patient is brought in who has a clot, due to the fertility drugs she is taking. She admits to Abby that she had an abortion a few years ago, because she didn't think she was ready, and now she is scared it will never happen.

She even sees the man who stabbed Carter and killed Lucy; he is brought in for a fall on the ice. She talks to his wife, who has a young child and says they are still a family. Carter is coping with Gamma being home from hospital and his Mother coming to stay. When he sees his attacker, he finds it very difficult, but retains his composure in public.moreless
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Abby has a horrible birthday and Weaver and Lopez have a differnce of opinion.

9.2

By chrisbd1, Nov 07, 2005

Abby has quickly become one of my favorite characters on this show. Her character is enerally the lightenng rod for all that can go wrong and this episode is chalk full of fate dumping on Abby.

The Weaver/ Lopez storyline is interesting because it highlights the issues with being out or not at work.
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If you want drama, this episode does not dissappoint.

10

By cwbybri, Aug 23, 2005

You can make a strong debate that the most dramatic event in the history of ER was when Carter and Lucy were stabbed. Beyond Repair taps into that drama by bringing back Paul Sobricki. Abby tried unsuccessfully to hide Sobricki from Carter. When Carter heard the voice of his former attacker, you could practically feel the hair on the back of his neck raise. It also led to Carter facing his mother not being there after the attack. Another dramatic story line was a little boy looking for his mother, who had died. Abby was on hand to take the brunt of this emotion, and immediately after was face to face with Sobricki. The reactions of Abby and Carter to Sobricki were genuine. You could feel the anger, fear and anxiety.

The drama continues with a patient that was worried she lost her best chance to be a mother. She made herself sick with fertility pills. She was previously pregnant, and had an abortion. This hits a little close to home as Abby had an abortion herself. Oh, by the way, her ex-husband earlier announced to her he was getting remarried to a woman who already had a child. “I always wanted children” he says. All of this, on her birthday.

The only thing that I was not happy with, was Susie going to a hockey game instead of being with Carter after his encounter with Sobricki. But they did need someone else at the game to demonstrate Weaver’s reluctance to be out.

With so many dramatic story lines in this episode, “Beyond Repair” rates among the best that ER has to offer. If anybody is normally moved to tears when watching TV, then they will be crying buckets during this one.

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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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Scott Bryce	Caseworker	Guest Star
Cheryl White	Meryl Sites	Guest Star
Matt Weinberg	Douglas Leeman	Guest Star
Hallee Hirsh	Rachel Greene	Recurring Role
Mark Valley	Richard Lockhart	Recurring Role
Laura CerÃ³n	Chuny	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (3)
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- In this episode we find out that Abby was born at 8:03pm on January 10, 1969.
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- Abby drinks alcohol for the first time since getting sober in 1995.
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- Goof: When Greene searches Rachel's backpack and finds the pack of Marlboro cigarettes, the cigarettes are shown tobacco-end up. This is odd, as all filter cigarettes are packaged with the filter end up.
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QUOTES (7)
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- Frank: Is this great or what? Empty chairs. Empty racks. Nothing like sub-Arctic temperatures to keep the freaks at home.
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- Randi: Abby, what's your sign?
  Abby: ...out of order.
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- (Abby walked in on Carter and Susan kissing)
  Carter: I'm sorry about that.
  Abby: What?
  Carter: I should've said something to you sooner. It just sorta snuck up on me.
  Abby: Hate it when that happens.
  Carter: Yeah.... It's really more about friendship than anything else.
  Abby: Really? Never seen you kiss Frank like that.
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- Abby: I haven't seen you around lately.
  Luka: I've been working nights.
  Abby: How's your Christmas?
  Luka: Quiet. What'd you do for New Years?
  Abby: I worked.
  Luka: That's always fun.
  Abby: Did you make any resolutions?
  Luka: Uhm... Help out more.
  Abby: Help out more where? Here?
  Luka: Uh, no. Europe. I've volunteered to go to Bosnia for two months with Doctors Without Borders.
  Abby: Bosnia?
  Luka: Yeah. I speak the language.
  Abby: What brought this on?
  Luka: I don't know. Change of scenery?
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- Frank: (to Abby) If I find his mom, can I have those hockey tickets you pinched off that stiff?
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- Greene: Why is the thermostat in the lounge set at 56?
  Frank: Get used to it, we are heading into another ice age. That's what killed the dinosaurs.
  Greene: Ice age didn't kill the dinosaurs, it was cholesterol.
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- Carter: I got stabbed! I got stabbed in the back! Where the hell were you? You were the same place you've been my entire life, you were someplace else!
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NOTES (3)
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- This is the first episode of the series to not feature any "and" credit regular cast in the opening theme.
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- Music: "Battleflag," Lo Fidelity Allstars (also used when Carter is attacked by Sobriki as he finds a wounded Lucy in the Season 6 episode "Be Still My Heart.")
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- Although in the opening credits, Paul McCrane does not appear in this episode.
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ALLUSIONS (0)
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