TV.com

ER

Survival of the Fittest

Season 7, Episode 17, Aired Mar 29, 2001

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

Episode Summary

EDIT

8.6

EPISODE RATING: Great

72 votes

Your Rating: 10

"Perfect"
Your Rating: 9.5

"Superb"
Your Rating: 9

"Superb"
Your Rating: 8.5

"Great"
Your Rating: 8

"Great"
Your Rating: 7.5

"Good"
Your Rating: 7

"Good"
Your Rating: 6.5

"Fair"
Your Rating: 6

"Fair"
Your Rating: 5.5

"Mediocre"
Your Rating: 5

"Mediocre"
Your Rating: 4.5

"Poor"
Your Rating: 4

"Poor"
Your Rating: 3.5

"Bad"
Your Rating: 3

"Bad"
Your Rating: 2.5

"Terrible"
Your Rating: 2

"Terrible"
Your Rating: 1.5

"Abysmal"
Your Rating: 1

"Abysmal"

Rate Now!

Peter and Cleo may be at fault when a police officer shoots and kills an old woman with dementia. Carter misinforms Rena and tells her that he and Abby had a past liaison. April Fool's Day causes the staffers to play pranks on each other; Malucci gets the worst of it when Kovac injects him with Haldol, rendering him useless for the rest of the shift and getting his hand glued to his forehead while asleep. Corday endures a particularly long surgery just to prove that she can despite her pregnancy. Greene treats three young students who have been huffing carpet cleaner. Luka treats another pregnant teenager, who wants the comfort that a child will bring her.moreless

WRITE A REVIEW

Cast & Crew

See All EDIT

GUEST STAR
Brad Blaisdell

Unknown
GUEST STAR
Diane DiLascio

Mrs. Perault
GUEST STAR
Whitney Dylan

Laura Beckton

Paul McCrane

Dr. Robert "Rocket" Romano
Noah Wyle

Dr. John Carter
Michael Michele

Dr. Cleo Finch
Maura Tierney

Nurse Abby Lockhart
Laura Innes

Dr. Kerry Weaver
Goran Visnjic

Dr. Luka Kovac

Watch Online

Fan Episode Reviews (4)

See All

Highly unlikely

5.4

"Mediocre"

By swifty74, Apr 13, 2008

This episode does stretch believability alot. Would a policeman really leave his gun so readily accessible to anyone and everyone in the ER? I do not think so. The security of the weapon itself is paramount and I cannot believe that a cop would simply leave his PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) lying nearby in full view so openly. Therefore I would feel that the cop himself is the main person who is guilty of the death of the elderly woman for his neglect in maintaining the security of his PPE. A pretty weak plot with a dismal end to it too. POOR!moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
Who dump who? Carter Abby or Abby Carter?

8.1

"Great"

By Parricida, Jan 03, 2008

Some kind humorous episode on the view that there were some not major storyline what had some laughing places - all the fool's day thing with Malucci. Poor boy - when he wakes up.

And the way Carter thought about getting to back with Rena and then when he got nervous lied about him and Abby and the way that storyline go.

But the major storyline seemed to be an elder woman who was illusionary because she was dehydrated. There was also a cop who was bit and so it happened, that after too many running doctors and nurses who just did not had the time, the old lady went walking, took the gun.. and did not lowered it when police grad their guns. They shot him.

And then they have to deal how it could be prevented. Everyone could have done something.

Romano showed some humanity - after keeping Elizabeth up on operation for hours, he did ordered her a pizza and ice-cream.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
There is alot of activity in the ER - a woman with dementia who is shot, a bus-load full of sick young teens, and an egg harvesting.

9.0

"Superb"

By stuckeysokc, Sep 25, 2006

My favorite part of this episode is the Corday and Romano interaction. It begins with both of them insulting each other, Romano asking if Lizzy can reach the table and Lizzy responding by saying at least she can see the top of the table. Romano gives her a hard time all through the surgery, especially when she wants a bathroom break. Corday doesn't miss a beat and asks a nurse to put in a catheter. The final scene shows Corday and Greene, with Greene feeding her ice cream sent by Romano. In the background, "Happy Together" is playing - Me and you, and you and me, so happy together. It is a great closing scene.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
One or two highlights in an otherwise average episode.

7.7

"Good"

By Ting13, Nov 22, 2005

This episode was pretty much average, though with the added comedy of Malucci being given Haldol by accident. Aside from that storyline there is a lot of drama going on.

Benton and Finch treat an elderly woman with demensia who grabs a cop gun and ends up being shot to death. Benton believes it was a racial incident because the elderly woman was black and the cop who shot her was white. This storyline failed to catch my interest; the poor cop might have acted a bit too soon but it's not as black and white (pardon the expression) as Benton puts it. For one thing I can't remember there being any mentioning of the cop knowing that the woman was demented or disoriented but even if she did you'd think that would make her actions more understandable. This cop had a woman holding a gun, pointing it at people, obviously not knowing what she was doing. She might very well have pulled the trigger and possibly killed someone. I'm not saying the cop had to shoot her in the chest numerous times, but I think the storyline is a bit biased.

Greene has a patient who is on fertility drugs to donate her eggs for money. She ends up having a stroke and her husband agrees to harvest the eggs in order to pay for her upcoming medical costs. This storyline was quite tragic; it was sad to see that young woman so desperate to help out with the money income that she put herself in that risk. And the unsensitive OB/GYN didn't make the whole thing any better...

A group of children on a bus came in because they thought there was a gas on board the bus. As it turned out three boys had been sniffing and one turned out to be in need of a new liver. There was also a bullied boy who in the end somehow became popular because he knew how to use the Internet. That storyline does not really seem as credible today... There was also a young pregnant girl on the bus, believing that she was mature enough to raise a child but in truth was anything but. These storylines all went by rather fast; there was little room to get involved in any of them. Though they were not neglected they felt like filler stories.

Meanwhile a 7 months pregnany Corday is as always out to prove her own capability and goes into surgery. Romano thinks she shouldn't but she insists, and after a while he comes in to assist her and notices several things she has missed. They end up spending five hours more than planned in the OR, with Corday needing food, rest and bathroom breaks and Romano letting her know how wrong he thinks it is that she is operating. Romano is always such a delightful character to watch, and this episode is no exception. Once Corday is out of the OR Romano sends her pizza and ice cream (which she said she wanted earlier on) and with it a note saying "Good job, Mom". Romano's affection for Corday is really touching; this is just one fine example. Corday concludes that she has nothing to prove and decides to take her maternity leave.

Overall a pretty average episode. Greene's storyline was interesting, as was Corday and Romano's. But other than that it was pretty much standard.
moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 0

Flag
Share Hide

WRITE A REVIEW

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

See All

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (1)
ADD TRIVIA
- Since Yosh was in on the prank, he had no reason to fill the syringe with real Haldol.
  EDIT SHARE
QUOTES (10)
ADD QUOTES
- Romano: (to a very pregnant Elizabeth) Are you sure you can still reach the table? Elizabeth: At least I can see the table.
  EDIT SHARE
- Corday: Mark, can I just sleep here? I don't think I have the strength to move. Greene: (smiling) I don't think I have the strength to carry you.
  EDIT SHARE
- (Discussing that classmates saw Stuart without his shirt) Stuart: They're gonna make fun of me forever. Carter: Listen, I knew a boy who was a little husky, and he didn't have very many friends, and all the kids used to make fun of him. So he spent most of his time studying and he went on to college and he became a surgeon. Then at his high school reunion, he took out his scalpel and he cut the tongues off of every kid who ever made fun of him. Stuart: Is that supposed to cheer me up, Doc?
  EDIT SHARE
- Michele: Are you really a doctor? Malucci: When I'm not out fighting crime.
  EDIT SHARE
- (during surgery) Romano: Why don't you go take a nap? Corday: Because I got my second wind. Romano: Well, it's about time.
  EDIT SHARE
- (in the OR) Corday: Shirley, can you crawl between my legs and insert a Foley?
  EDIT SHARE
- Malik: It was an April Fools joke! Kovac: April Fools? Malucci: Was that Haldol?????
  EDIT SHARE
- Romano: I was going to offer to assist after my AV shunt but not if you're going to go prenatal on me! Corday: If you really want to help, you can order me some pizza and ice cream. Romano: ...do you think you need it?
  EDIT SHARE
- Randi: Dr. Corday your dinner has arrived. Corday: (reads the note) "Nice work, Mom!" It's from Robert! Greene: Maybe we should have somebody taste it first? Corday: I'm so hungry. Greene: Pepperoni pizza... Corday: And ice cream. Greene: Cherry Garcia! Corday: Let's go for the ice cream, first.
  EDIT SHARE
- Romano: Are you crying? Corday: No! Romano: We don't cry in the OR. That's what the ladies room is for. Corday: I'm not crying!!!
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (2)
ADD NOTES
- Music: "Happy Together," The Turtles
  EDIT SHARE
- Although in the opening credits, Ming-Na does not appear in this episode.
  EDIT SHARE
ALLUSIONS (0)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- ADD ALLUSIONS from this episode.