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Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Season 3, Episode 3, Aired Oct 10, 1996

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8.7

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Mark is befuddled by an invitation from Susan to go on a joint vacation to Hawaii. The ER is filled with more refugees from Southside, Drs. Maggie Doyle and Abby Keaton among them. Benton decides to join Keaton's pediatric surgery team. Carter gets on Anspaugh's bad side when he exaggerates a patient's condition to book an operating room. Jeanie tries to keep her HIV status a secret in the face of Weaver's queries. Jerry tries to trap a loose kangaroo. Mark spends his entire day working on one patient, against Anspaugh's decree that ER attendings and residents should handle 2.5 patients per hour. Carter's apartment building burns down.moreless

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Cast & Crew

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GUEST STAR
Lawrence Tierney

Mr. Johnson
GUEST STAR
John Diehl

Johnson's Son
GUEST STAR
Eileen Brennan

Betty

George Clooney

Dr. Doug Ross
Gloria Reuben

P.A. Jeanie Boulet
Julianna Margulies

Nurse Carol Hathaway
Laura Innes

Dr. Kerry Weaver
Noah Wyle

Dr. John Carter
Sherry Stringfield

Dr. Susan Lewis

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Fan Episode Reviews (4)

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Character development, drama, personal struggle, introductions.

8.5

"Great"

By stonecoldfoxboy, Oct 23, 2008

It appears that Doctors Greene and Lewis begin to show their true romantic, if underlying, feelings for one another in this episode. The beginning of the epidsode shows the sexual tension between the two friends, but by the end, it is clear that the two are starting to have genuine feelings for one another.

Dr. Benton struggles over his friendship with Jeanie and his obligation to keep his patients safe. It is clear that he thinks that Jeanie should not be practicing in the O.R. due to her HIV-positive status, but he also feels a loyalty to her to keep her secret.

Dr. Carter continues to be selfish and obsess over receiving surgeries rather than getting a well-rounded education.moreless
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Getting into deeper trouble of Jeanie and Carter. Susan invites Mark for Hawaii to holiday

7.7

"Good"

By Parricida, Sep 01, 2007

Many things happen this episode. It was quite great interlude for a while. Many char development and much action.

Susan's and Greene's miscommunication was funny to watch but it all start to get so beautiful and in the end.

Also the "competition" over patience was something new and despite Greene's thoughts that every change is bad, I think some changes would be good there.

I understand only in the end that Greene did work with one patience and it was really not the best case. Such a waist.

I enjoyed seeing Jorja Fox here. First I did not even recognize here but when the the credits came and I saw the name, I was like.. what.. and then realising that the woman not long ago on the screen was her.

Carter is still having troubles and did I understand right that his apartment got fire?

And Jeanie is finding her way to cope with all this. Weaver can be supportive, we learned it.moreless
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A decent episode.

8.0

"Great"

By Shana868, Feb 12, 2006

The most interesting part of the episode was Jennie's struggle with her HIV. Although the story has been present in the series so far, and fairly repetitive, it remains interesting and insightful. Particularly so as Jeannie's medical decisions begin affecting her personal life. I thought that there was some good writing involved when Kerry discovered Jeannie's secrets; many people accuse the character of being selfish and nasty, yet here we can see that she is able to be a good friend in times of need.

Also interesting was the interaction between Maggie and Carol. Although Maggie seems not to have been developed into a worthwile character just yet, the two had some great shared scenes together, resulting nicely with some compromise on each side.

The kangaroo story was mildly humerous, but did make me smile when Carol discovered the Australian animal at the end.

Susan and Mark were fabulous. Just to see the workings of an experience like that from an outsider's perspective! Both wanting the same but unsure of the other's feelings, both consulting their own friends but both ending up alone after all.moreless
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This is the first episode with people from the now-closed Southside Hospital. Dr. Anspaugh is now Chief-of-Staff. Dr. Doyle is an intern and Dr. Keaton is in pediatric surgery. Jeannie is still trying to hide her HIV status. Carter get in trouble withmoreless

7.0

"Good"

By kinkz, Jul 12, 2005

Overall this episode is fair, but nothing special at all. Dr. Doyle's character is really flat and boring in this episode. I still get the creeps whenever I hear or see Dr. Keaton. I really like Anspaugh's character though. He's a good addition.

The most interesting plot in the episode has to do with Jeannie trying to keep her HIV status secret, but in the end, someone finds out. The interaction between Susan and Mark is interesting in this episode, because Susan asks Mark to go with her to Hawaii. Mark doesn't know how to take the invite: friends or more. Susan doesn't know what Mark is thinking.

The kangaroo subplot is worthless. Both Carter, Gant, and Benton are pretty boring in this episode. Doug has a moderately interesting subplot where he treats a young girl for a STD and then is caught by the girl sleeping with some woman.

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (0)
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QUOTES (9)
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- Kerry: (to Jeanie) I'm glad you decided to keep working. It'd be a real loss to the patients if you quit.
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- Jeanie: I need to know if you're planning to tell anyone that I'm positive. Benton: No, I'm not. Jeanie, look, I don't agree with what you're doing, but how you handle your patients, that's your responsibility. Jeanie: Thank you. Benton: But I want you to stay away from my patients. And I don't want to be in a trauma room with you.
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- Benton: What makes you think you can attend a surgery behind my back? Gant: Simon needed an intern. Benton: I'm your resident. You don't blink without asking me.
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- Carol: You asked him to go with you? Susan: It just popped out. Carol: Have you guys ever...? Susan: No! Carol: But you asked him to go to Hawaii. That's pretty bold. Susan: It's stupid. I mean, Mark and I are friends. We work together. And I basically invited him into my bed! Carol: What did he say? Susan: He was appalled. He couldn't wait to get away from me. Oh, I'm such a fool.
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- Doug: (about Susan) She asked you to come to Hawaii? Mark: Yeah, but I don't know what she meant. Doug: It seems unambiguous. Mark: Well, if she meant it as a friend, then that means separate hotel rooms, right? Doug: Or you could be sharing a bed. Mark: Right. Doug: All right. Get adjoining rooms with a broken lock and you see what happens. Mark: You're not helping.
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- (about the kangaroo) Jerry: They're not going to shoot him, are they? Lydia: I hope so. Carol: That thing looks like a giant rat.
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- Greene: If I ever get this old I want DO NOT RESUSCITATE tatooed on my forehead.
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- Keaton: How do you feel about deep-dish pepperoni and anchovies? Benton: I don't eat meat, but uh... Keaton: You can always scrape it off.
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- Gant: So, do you always vomit when you screw up? Carter: Only when I get written up by the Chief of Staff.
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NOTES (1)
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- In this episode, Jorja Fox (credited as Jorjan Fox) makes her first appearance as Dr. Maggie Doyle.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Title: "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" The title of this episode is a reference to a United States policy regarding lesbians and gay men in the military. It states that service personnel may be discharged for homosexual conduct but not simply for being gay. Consequently, military personnel do not acknowledge their homosexuality publicly, and military commanders do not ask about their subordinates sexual orientations; any public revelation of homosexuality would be interpreted as an intention to engage in homosexual conduct, and thus be grounds for discharge. Introduced in 1993, the policy was crafted as a compromise between President Bill Clinton, who sought to repeal the military's ban on gay personnel, and Congressional opponents of that repeal.
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