Carter's parents?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : ER Discussions : One Thread

Have Carter's parents ever shown up in an episode? And can someone tell me any episodes in which he has mentioned specific things about them? Thanks.

-- Jennifer M. (jenbird@earthlink.net), March 24, 2000

Answers

I think his parents were played by George Plimpton (ew ew ew) and some other aristocratic looking actress in an epi involving Chase (it was mentioned that Chase's parents were in Singapore.) I'm not sure of the title.

-- nancy (ntc72@mailcity.com), March 24, 2000.

There was also the episode where he graduates med school and becomes a doctor. I don't know if they show his parents but he talks about the big party his dad is throwing.

-- Cindy

-- Cindy (rothhaas@erols.com), March 24, 2000.


George Plimpton played Carter's grandfather (Gamma's husband). I don't believe we have ever seen Carter's parents.

-- Carla (chloe4293@netscape.net), March 24, 2000.

Carter's parents have always been off somewhere--in a foreign country, on a yacht, etc. I suspect that he's much closer to Gamma than to them.

-- Mary (mslyman@erols.com), March 24, 2000.

In the episode where Carter had to show around an older lady who was turning 100, he took her outside in her wheelchair and they were talking and Carter said something about how his parents traveled a lot. You got the impression they weren't too close. I think that was in "Good Luck, Ruth Johnson" from last season.

Also, there was an episode last season when Carter was an RA and he was talking on the phone to his dad, and his dad appeared to be angry about the fact that Carter had stopped accepting family trust fund money and wanted to make it on his own. They did not show his dad, but you could tell from the stuff Carter was saying and eventually his dad hung up on him. Poor Carter!

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), March 24, 2000.



In an episode during the second season, Carter passes some really important test and it must be a really huge achievement in medicine because all of the head people at County...Mark, Anspaugh, etc. gave him wine or gifts or something. We saw him telling his dad over the phone, trying to tell him what a big deal it was, but from Carter's comments, it seems him father couldn't care less.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), March 24, 2000.

I have a theory about Carter's parents: I think that after going through the long ordeal of his brother Bobby's leukemia treatments, they have an aversion to hospitals. I think they were greatly affected by years of going in and out of hospitals with their son and having him die in the end that they decided never to willingly enter a hospital again. They decided that life was indeed too short and that they were going to travel, do what they liked and wring every ounce of happiness out of life that they could. Although perhaps they forgot about their other son who they were more than happy to leave with his grandparents. I think Carter was affected by this experience in a different way, to wit the hospital, doctors and nurses were a great comfort to him. The hospital became a safe haven where everything was orderly and predictable (unlike home). Hospital staff seem to have answers for everything (to an eight year old) and this seems to have made quite an impression on a kid who had so many questions about life. Was Carter's career choice a lifelong dream, a bit of rebellion or perhaps some of both?

-- maryann (map5860@aol.com), March 25, 2000.

I hadn't thought of it that way, Maryann. Rings true to me. Helps to understand both the parents and Carter better. Thanks.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), March 25, 2000.

I like your line of thinking Maryann. One could only hope that all kids would rebel like that, by becoming doctors.

I have a question and I wonder if anyone could answer it. Was Carter's brother older or younger than he was?

-- (trelles@ix.netcom.com), March 25, 2000.


Doesn't he have a sister too? Carter always said that he was closest to his Grandmother. Could it be that because his parents are always travelling that maybe they aren't close because his parents just were never there.

And in the first season it was revealed that Carter's father was one of the richest men in Chicago, not just his g/parents. Why, if all he does is travel? Could it be for business and his wife always goes with him?

-- AmyE (roamyn@aol.com), March 25, 2000.



Moderation questions? read the FAQ