Put a fork in (Carol) because this character is done!

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What on earth have the writers done to Carol? They have done everything in their "creative" power to destroy this once great character,almost it seems in retaliation of JM turning down her renewal with the show for the $27 million. I don't if Julianna Margulies herself was unhappy on the set this season or she choose to portray the character as a emotional zombie with her character's situation this season but Carol was dead in the water this year. It has been painful to watch this once awesome character. I thought in particular her kiss off to Luka was heartless She says, 'no its not you, its me' and then very flatly and abruptly said 'well gotta go'. How harsh was that? I wasn't impressed with Julianna's acting in that scene. It was almost as if she said 'let's get this scene over with because I want to get back to my life in NYC'. Jules I expect more from you. I hope they can at least give her some kind of a redeeming episode next week but....

-- Kathy (kaf@gis.net), May 05, 2000

Answers

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Thank you Kathy! My sentiments exactly! I can't figure out if it's the way the character is written, or if it's the actor's interpretation. I think it was wrong to drag Luka in to all this mess. They should just let Carol go and be done with it.

-- Ellen (dbspunky61@hotmail.com), May 06, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

When she said "gotta go" and turned and walked away, I thought "cold-hearted b****." And the look on his face! It's cruel the way the writers have used Luka as a pawn in the Carol/Doug storyline all year. I hope they give him someone nice next year. Carol fans, no matter what's going on in her head, she shouldn't have treated him like that.

-- Felicity (felicity08@juno.com), May 06, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Felicity, I agree exactly! Carol seems to have been behaving exactly the way she wants recently and not really thinking about what effect it will have on others - eg, kissing Luka, then completely ignoring him for the next week. Why couldn't she have given him a hug instead? She acted on the spur of the moment and now she has to deal with the consequences - but instead she's trying to block Luka out of her life. He's obviously so hurt - he tells her all about his past, trusting her with knowledge he has never let anyone else know and she turns round and hits him in the face for it. I hope she tries to explain things a little better before she goes - it's not very fair to simply leave Luka like that.

PS - Kathy, I think the 'emotional zombie' you describe her as has been intentionally written over the old Carol - it shows how much she needs Doug and how hopeless she is without him. All the same, I still think she's acting incredibly insensitively and I'm sick of people trying to excuse her by saying 'She misses her sweetheart, Doug'. If she's that miserable without him why doesn't she just move to Seattle and have done with it?! - and yes, I'm aware things are more 'complicated' than that, but I think it's time Carol was finally straight with people and stopped messing around.

-- Juliet (Vizzn@AOL.com), May 06, 2000.


Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

I don't think Carol was all that cold to Luka. I mean, she could have said, "I can't do this because I'm in love with a man named Doug." But it's painful for her to talk about and I don't think she's ready to admit some things to herself yet, let alone somebody else. IMO, she let Luka down gently. The moment she realized it would never work, she told him. It would've been worse if she'd had dinner with him and then said something. I'm sure he'll get an explanation next week, when she is READY. How is she supposed to explain something to somebody else if she herself doesn't understand it??

-- Arianne (CarolRossSusanGreene@yahoo.com), May 06, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Kathy, I couldn't have said it better. I would rather Carol would have died than have the show writers and producers totally distort her character. The Luka/Carol kiss only made it worse, and those ER writer peoples are trying to make her look as much like a bed hopper as possible. Grow up Carol!

-- Gina G. (thatsagirl@aol.com), May 06, 2000.


Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

I'm with you, Arianne; I think all you others are being *way* too hard on Carol. I felt terrible for Luka too, could hardly bear to watch him, but people do hurt other people without meaning to, and it's not because they're heartless bitches.

We now know, as some of us suspected all along, that Carol has been feeling terribly lonely and vulnerable herself as she copes with the enormous task of raising twins alone and tries to grapple with the fact that the man she thought would be there to do it with her is a couple of thousand miles away. In that state of mind, after a rare day of companionship and fun, she gives in for a moment to that loneliness and vulnerability and kisses the attractive man who has eased it for awhile. Clearly she regretted what she had done almost immediately and would have taken back the action if she could. Every little romantic gesture Luka made over the course of the day made her feel worse, and when she got the box of animal crackers from the man she *really* loved, she realized even more what a mistake she had made. You could see her struggling to find a way to deal with this without hurting him. Of course she didn't succeed; there was really no way she could have. Yes, she could have handled it better, but as we saw from her completely uncharacteristic poor performance on the job, she isn't handling *anything* very well right now. She left abruptly after finally telling him the truth because she was overwhelmed herself and couldn't think of anything more to say.

The only thing out of character out of this is for Carol to show herself to be so completely vulnerable--but that is the state to which the events of the past year have brought her.

Have some empathy, people. Walk a mile in Carol's shoes.

-- Mary (mslyman@erols.com), May 06, 2000.


Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Mary, I don't think we're being too hard on Carol. I understand how Doug's actions nearly cost Carol her job, and she has every right to be furious with him. But he did beg her to go with him from the beginning & knows he loves her. I know she wasn't ready to make a decision that quick though. But since so much time has gone by, if she truly loves him, you'd think she could come to terms with what happened & realize that he loves her. Afterall, she forgave him before for cheating on her. I think she shouldn't have kissed Luka, especially if she has any doubts about a relationship with him. Like I said before, I'm not a Carol fan. I'm just so tired of her constant depression & "what do I do" attitude. Just make a decision & move on!

-- Ellen (dbspunky61@hotmail.com), May 06, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Well maybe it took too long, and we might criticize the writers on that, but I think now we're watching her come to terms with it.

Also, you're talking as if kissing Luka was something she planned consciously to do. I think it was an impulse that she quickly regretted. I'm sure that at some point on your life you've done something on impulse, without thinking, that you immediately wished you could take back.

And if I were working a full-time demanding job while raising twins without help, I think I'd be depressed too.

But we're coming from different places, Ellen, so that's probably why we're seeing this differently. I've always liked Carol, from the very first day, and you didn't take to her for what I'm sure are good reasons of your own. That's how it goes. the very first episode, and you haven't taken to her.

-- Mary (mslyman@erols.com), May 06, 2000.


Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Oops, typo on the end there. Looks like I'm not coping too well, either!

-- Mary (mslyman@erols.com), May 06, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

I understand your point Mary, and I agree that we're all entitled to an opinion. It's just that Carol has always seemed "down". Seems like there's always a problem. I know someone just like this, and it's aggravating! They're never happy about anything! She supposedly loved Doug all this time. But yet she kept going from man to man. You could tell she didn't want to marry that one doctor, but she almost went through with it. What a disaster! I thought her & Shep were good together. And then when she went back to Doug, she had to go & kiss that paramedic while on duty. Go figure that!! You talk about doing something you regret later, well, she's always doing stuff like that. She needs to make up her mind what she wants & deal with it. And I know it's tough with kids, but again, that's what she wanted for a long time. And we got to watch her depression when she couldn't get pregnant. Arggghhh! I've had enough of her!

-- Ellen (dbspunky61@hotmail.com), May 06, 2000.


Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Actually, Arianne, I think Carol SHOULD have said, "I am in love with a man named Doug." That would hurt Luka, but he would understand it. Instead he gets this, "It's not you, it's me." which tells him nothing and leaves him more confused and hurt. Luka would understand that she loves another man, the father of her children, after all, he is the biggest proponent we have seen for keeping families together!

-- Annie (GoldenLaur@aol.com), May 06, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Ellen, you took the words right out of my mouth. I couldn't have said it better!! Carol keeps going from man to man and someday she's going to find out, men ain't where it's at. Her depression seems too dragged out and too hopeless. No wonder she's leaving the show; there is no future for a character like that.

-- Gina G. (thatsagirl@aol.com), May 07, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Annie, I totally agree with you. Carol should tell Luka what is up. He was not here before and he does not know Doug so he has no clue as to what is going on. The only time she has mentioned anything at all about Doug to Luka was when she said "Ross, their last name is Ross". Instead of stringing him along she needs to explain that she is still in love with her daughters' father. Luka could get over that alot easier than "no, its me".

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 07, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

Doesn't matter; Carol's going to dump Luka some way and it's going to be fast and harsh because her last episode is this coming Thu. Goodbye Carol, can't say I'll miss you.

-- Gina G. (thatsagirl@aol.com), May 07, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

I'm sure she will explain things to Luka, but I also don't feel she's "stringing" him along. I know I've done things on impulse before that I wish I could take back -- that's what happened in the Carol/Luka kiss. Mary had it right-on: Carol's lonely and there's somebody there who was temporarily easing her loneliness. He's been making eyes at her for quite awhile now, and they eventually kissed. Then she felt guilty and didn't know how to handle it. Next we get Luka's romantic gestures, which seemed to further confuse Carol. The gift from Doug was the last straw -- she realized who she wants and that a relationship with Luka isn't possible.

Think about all the stress Carol was under that day! It's her birthday, one of her daughters is sick, she's falling behind on her job, she gets a gift from a man who has brought her much pain and much joy, then she breaks down and admits to somebody what she's going through. So later, when Luka finds her on the roof, she's at the end of a very emotionally draining day and isn't quite sure what to do. She tells him gently that the problem is her, then looks almost as if she might cry, so she leaves.

Somebody said it above, and I agree -- Carol is very confused right now, and has to sort things out for herself before she can even begin to explain something to somebody else. She's not ready to bring up certain issues with Luka yet, though we know that she will when she knows what to say.

-- L (WillnGraceNYC@yahoo.com), May 07, 2000.



Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

I agree with you, "L". I think Carol is very confused and as she said to Kerry, "How did I end up raising twins on my own?" It was perfectly natural for both her and Luka to try to find comfort, for want of a better word, in each other's arms. And Luka probably took more out of it than Carol meant -- trying to kiss her in the lounge, bringing her flowers, offering to cook her dinner. To him, that was the next natural step, and he HAS lost his wife and daughters. For Carol, it just made the situation more complicated because for all Doug's flaws, she still loves him -- and typical of Doug, he has to muddy the waters still more by sending her a carton of animal crackers, which obviously has a lot of significance. Since we watchers have not been party to what's been happening with Carol and Doug since he left, I for one am just as confused as Carol! I am just so sad her character hasn't been all that interesting for awhile and is now leaving -- she's a cornerstone of the show.

-- Cindy (tailchasers@earthlink.net), May 07, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

First, I think that Luka probably knows a lot more about Doug than we think. Everyone seems to know about Doug: Malluchi, the new desk clerk (she didn't ask when Carol said the package was from Doug), and of course all of the old gossiping nurses. I could be wrong, but Luka probably knows somewhat about Doug. When he asked Carol about how she felt about the girls not having a father around at the ballpark, I think he was kind of trying to get some idea then about how she felt about Doug. Of course, she was very withdrawn about it. I wouldn't know what to do if I were her either. Yes, she is acting kind of crappy to Luka, but just about every person in the world acts a bit crappy when they have huge relationship dilemmas. Luka is a wonderful, dedicated guy, and she knows that, but the love of her life is also in the back of her mind, who is also the father of her children. She's a good person, and I'm sure she didn't want to say, "it's all me, I've got to go", but she didn't know what else to say. I never do either!

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), May 07, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Carol is Luka's transition person (IMHO), the one who will help him to move forward in his life without being hurt. I think he'll let her go relatively easily and then who knows what we'll see of him next season.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 08, 2000.

Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

I don't actually think Luka knows much about Doug. We know that Carol is the only person he has ever told about his past and we know that he's a very secretive person - he keeps a lot to himself and I don't think he'd ever pry or gossip with the nurses (who, of course 'know everything :) to find out about Carol. He's not that sort of person.

Also, if you were a new perosn at work and you arrive at a point when one of the most popular people there is having a birthday party (that's uncomfortable enough on its own) then you ask who her present's from and she says 'Doug' you don't pester her asking 'who's Doug? Why has he sent you animal crackers?' etc.

I also agree with the person who said if she'd said 'I'm in love with a man called Doug' Luka would be far less confused - he knows the importance of family and its only natural for her to love the father of her children, however badly he may have treated her. Personally I think she was wrong to try and have children with a man she knew had cheated on her before but even when I knew she was making a bad decision I still liked her character - now she seems to have completely deteriorated.

Someone said before that you liked Carol the very first episode - so did I, but I just think this whole thing has gone on long enough. I think that at the start she was a vibrant, beautiful woman and now the writers have completely destroyed her character by giving her one continuous storyline for far too long! - It looks like Carol's not the only one still trying to cope with Doug leaving ;-D

-- Juliet (Vizzn@AOL.com), May 09, 2000.


Response to Put a fork in her because this character is done!

All right, all right, I know everyone's rolling thier eyes and saying "Here's that I-hate-Carol" guy again, but I've had my medication and plan to be in control for this post.

Personally, I feel that Carol has been "done" for a while. Much has been made of her relationship with Doug being so romantic, so perfect...and yet the "blame" for Doug's departure is always laid solely on Ross's shoulders.

Let's not forget that Carol wasn't particularly supportive of Doug when the chips finally came down and the trouble occurred over the kid and the meds machine. Let's not forget that Carol has had her dalliances with other men (paramedics, doctors, Tags). Let's not forget that Carol (much like Abby) picks and chooses which cases she will get involved with and then beats issues to death with the almighty self-righteous stethoscope of justice. I can't believe a hospital as busy as County would put up with a nurse who so consistently tells doctors where to get off and bends regs every time SHE has a "cause."

I think the writers are confused about what to do with her. I realize my opinion is in the minority around here, but I say whatever they're going to do, let's do it quickly and move on. I sincerely hope that the last episode is not entirely devoted to boo-hooing because Carol the Great is gone; especially after Lucy died and Carter barely survived and there were very few repercussions AT ALL.

I'm getting disappointed in the writing in general; Carol's character is not the only one to suffer (though suffering seems to be what Carol is all about....ugh!) I hope the writers have a better plan next year.

Don

-- Don (dgow@excite.com), May 10, 2000.


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