What is it about Noah Wyle this season? He is really turning out to be a wonderful actor. I think all of his inner turmoil from the past few months was summed up in the hurt and utterly painful expression on his face after hitting Benton. Really great performance.And the whole "family" structure one of the reviewers gave a few months ago to the group (when Carter and Lucy were stabbed) was so obvious and wonderful in this episode. At the end when we saw Carter alone and miserable and ashamed in the airplane was so well redeemed by the camera's slow panning over to Benton sitting right beside him like some angelic shadow. The sweet, subtle touch the writers and director have sometimes really does great things for this show.Wonderful and so subtle.As my sister commented, it might not have been the most exciting episode and was more like a regular one instead of a season finale, but I thought the last few minutes more than made up for the lack of fanfare and thrill. Great job, guys. I'm hooked (and have been for a while!).

-- aurelie (auhlmann@aol.com), May 19, 2000

Answers

Response to subtle and great episode

I just loved that last scene with Carter and Benton on the plane. IMHO it was even better than Carol going to find Doug. It was great because Carter was going to rehab and we knew it, but... we see Benton there and know that he's no longer so alone and isolated, that the whole ER staff is behind him, and where Carter is going, the rest of the ER (represented by Benton) has to go too. Gives one high hopes for next season that once again the characters will interact with each other in meaningful ways. What a way to end the season and leave the door open for the next one. Like others I am so glad the writers did not try to reproduce the visceral excitement of the February sweeps episodes by having another flashy, violent, loud cliffhanger. Wow I bet the fanfic writers will go crazy over this ending.

-- debbie (riccardoiii@aol.com), May 19, 2000.

Response to subtle and great episode

The look on Carter's face after he punches Benton was great. I'm speaking of the moment where he looks as if he's going to break down and then recovers for a second before totally breaking down. What an emotionally touching scene. The closing shots also, of Carter and Luka were haunting. Both men confronting their own demons. Great scenes.

-- SB (SB@aol.com), May 19, 2000.

Response to subtle and great episode

I am really glad that it is Benton that was in the plane w/ Carter. More than anyone else, I think Benton's been there through it all for Carter-- he was there when Carter was a wet-behind-the-ears med student and there through everything since. I've always seen Benton as being really tough on Carter and I always hoped that they would show a softy moment on Benton's part (w/ Carter). I'm glad the way things turned out!

-- Marie (cartersbabe@aol.com), May 19, 2000.

Response to subtle and great episode

Besides the breaking down scene with benton (losing it ... nope ...ok, it's gone) I couldn't get over the absolute HATE in John's expression when he was being intervened. That EVIL smirk he had when reminding Jing-Mei of her little central line guide wire episode; the double take when he sees Dr. Anspaugh. And the way his smile just died when Mark left him in the ambulance bay. We have seen a lot of expressions on John's face (and have been amazed by Wyle's acting skills), but I don't remember ever seeing such naked "I f'ing hate you all" loathing on anyone before. And my heart broke twice in this epi: when I heard all the hurt in John's voice when he said Benton believed all that about him and then AMBUSHED him, and when Benton kissed him on top of his head, just as he would have do to Reese.

-- dana w (shelbeydavid@netscape.com), May 19, 2000.

Response to subtle and great episode

Noah Wyle was great throughout the epi...when he got kicked off the patient and tried to hide his pain, when he was sneaking the shot and got caught so tried to "act normal," when he was confronted the first time, when Mark told him not to see patients the rest of his shift, when he disobeyed orders because he was there and knew what to do to help the soccer player, and especially all of the above mentioned scenes. One of my favorites that I don't think anyone mentioned was when Kerry wanted him to come in (for the intervention) and he got so defensive, saying "are you going to suspend me?" His body language and tone were right on target. Kerry's too. And the scenes of him and Peter as he tried to leave were so great that I don't have the words. Noah Wyle is a wonderful actor and has a lot of other wonderful actors to play off. That's why ER has won more ensemble awards than individual.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 19, 2000.

Response to subtle and great episode

Noah IS a wonderful actor! This episode really proves his absolute talent. I mean, Carter has gone through a range of emotions in the past few weeks, but this episode was awesome. When we watch the show, we see Noah as Carter and only Carter, and we say that you could see in Carter's eyes how upset he was, Carter's face really showed how he was feeling, that physically affected him. Well, for all of these things to happen to Carter, they have to happen to Noah first, and Noah didn't go through close to any of the things Carter has this season. I think that's enough for a Emmy right there.

-- Joanne (bucklind@hotmail.com), May 20, 2000.