Was anyone as floored as I was when Cleo stepped in to help Peter with his difficult pediatric patient? And then with the baby? A. This is the first time we've seen Cleo show adeptness with the emotional needs of a difficult young child. (We've all commented on this before. Though, in all fairness, I have to say that I do like her way with older kids.) B. This is the most pediatric patients we've seen her handle in one epi, I think. I understand that the point was to show Benton's lack of skill outside the operating room, but I would have liked to have had a little warning so I wouldn't be sitting here saying, "oh they are just doing this to show Benton's lack of skill outside the operating room."

And then she dumps Benton, during a trying time in his life. Now I understand that this is also to underscore the fact that Benton's notorious obtuseness regarding the emotional needs of other people has again come back to bite him in the a**, but it would have been nice if she herself had been a more sympathetic character so we all could have cared. I also didn't like her comment about the reason he stayed in Chicago. Is she actually jealous of a four year old? How immature is that? Duh, of course his son is going to come first!

With that said, I have mixed feelings about the "breakup". On the one hand, Cleo has a point. Benton has a problem dealing with people when he's got a lot on his mind. Last epi, he just brushed her off.(Remember Carter and season 3?) I don't blame her for being pissed. On the other hand, I've acutally grown fond of Benton (yes! I actually have!) so, I felt bad for him. He's in a rough place right now and really needed a friend. Cleo just kicked him to the curb without hearing the whole story. Her comment about her own problems, was, in my opinion, a little immature considering the circumstances. She hasn't had her reputation trashed all over town by an unethical little skank. And what are her problems, hmm? The fact that her boyfriend is shutting her out??

Still, I don't think we've heard the last gasp out of these two. What else has Cleo got anyway?

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), November 10, 2000

Answers

I'm not sure I liked Cleo's way with children...her voice irritated me and just the way she talked to that little kid, I don't know, I just don't like her period. When she helped look into that little kid's ears, I was like Riiiiight....and then when she came to help out with the little baby I actually said "Give me a break." I just want her to leave. I've grown fond of Benton too. I really didn't like him the first couple of years, but I started to when he helped out Abby Keaton and took the little kids trick-or-treating around the hospital....after that I've liked him. Just stay away Cleo, we don't like you!!

-- Kimmy (swiss_cheesed1953@yahoo.com), November 10, 2000.

OK, guys, this is my first time posting, so take it easy on me.

I didn't get the feeling of jealousy towards Reese by Cleo's comment. We all know Benton's staying for his son. It sounded to me as if he was trying to convince Cleo that she "might" have played a part in his decision and she called him on it.

Cleo's not one of my favorite characters, but I don't see her as horrible as everyone else. Sorry guys.

-- K.Tanner (ktrebel@yahoo.com), November 10, 2000.

I simply cannot stand her. When she went to help Benton with the baby she said "you have the wrong blade". She acted so snotty towards him. And I could not believe what I heard last night. She said "you expect me to believe you stayed here for me?" HELLO! What an idiot! His son is his first priority not Cleo. I cannot believe she's jealuos of a 3 year old.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), November 10, 2000.

Responding to some of the comments:

No, she didn't show *terrific* adeptness with the bratty kid, but I think it's the first time she's shown any skill with bratty little kids at all. It was just a shock. And because she's a pede, it shouldn't have been. Just seeing her treat 2 pedes patients in a row was something of a shock. And, again, it shouldn't have been.

I don't *hate* Cleo either. I have tried to care about her, if anything for Peter's sake, because I am fond of him. But TPTB have given me *nothing*. Last season it was just her coolness. But this season it's almost as if they are trying to make her unsympathetic, like Romano. But at least, he's so vicious, he's actually fun to watch, kinda like the mustachioed (?) villians in old melodramatic skits. (you know, they come out and everyone boos.) Most of the time, with Cleo, I just come out going "..huh?". Is this the plan PTB??

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), November 10, 2000.

I actually liked Cleo in this episode-- liked as in, didn't mind her. My only problem, really, with her treating the bratty kid in front of Benton was that, she wasn't caring for the child. She wasn't concerned about the kid, she was merely using him as a method to get back at Peter, after their brusque conversation earlier. It was as if she was showing Peter how inept he was at treating children, and I didn't like how she used the kid as a ploy.

On the other hand, her comment to Peter about no one listening to her problems intrigued me a bit. I wanted to know what some of those problems were... especially since Peter didn't seem to know about them either.

-- samira (matb_west@chickmail.com), November 10, 2000.

"Dumps Benton, during a trying time in his life"? Sorry, but when has Benton not been in a trying time? Cleo has been a bad spot since she came in. She was in competition with the ghost of Doug in the ER. Then she is the girlfriend of Peter, when we all know what has happened with his ex-girlfriends. I am hoping that finally we will see what makes her tick, why she is seen as so abrupt with others. Her "I have troubkles too" remark hopefully is foreshadowing. Cleo has been underdeveloped as a character so that we see her as shallow. Isn't Malucci in the same boat? Both have boorish behavior with no explanation why. Dr. Dave's advantage is that he is cuter than Cleo.

-- Zorbo (RDomino1@aol.com), November 10, 2000.

Concerning Peter's former girlfriends, it seems that he has usually had better relationships with them after the relationship is over than during, with the possible exception of Carla due to the custody stuff.

He and Elizabeth are still tight, and he got along very well with Jeannie at the end there. I think the problem with Cleo is the same as everyone else has been saying: lack of acting ability, lack of good dialogue, possibly even lack of acting experience. However, I am wondering if they are going to give Cleo and Peter one of those "moments" next week whereby he shows up at her house after his nephew is injured.

-- Laura (ulaks@goldengate.net), November 10, 2000.

Laura, I hope that happens too. There is no way Cleo is going to turn away from him because of this, I certainly hope not. And no one else has seen him this vulnerable except Jeannie, and she's gone. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to this. Also, in the previews, it shows Benton crying, right there in the trauma room. I think everyone will see a very different side of Peter here.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), November 12, 2000.

Let us try to think of two more selfish people then Cleo and Peter....can't really do it. Peter is a great surgeon- but his people skills suck. And every relationship he has had, has been troubled by his lack of ability to communicate well, show emotion, or commit. Even in the beginning after finding out he was going to be a father wasn't a good time for him. Then, finding out his son was deaf...he didn't want anyone to know, or want anyone to see he was bothered by it, as any parent would be. So why Cleo barks at him for what he is- I don't know. Plus I don't get why she was upset about him taking another job-is he supposed to wait until Romano stops blackballing him everywhere? He has a son and his own life to support. I understand WHAT she was saying- but her timing was poor and she expects more from him than I think he can give. Besides, I think she needs to look to herself...she is just as self centered and arrogant. Her whole breakup speech was me, me, me.

-- Minnie (tcminnie@aol.com), November 13, 2000.

K. Tanner: welcome to the ERboards/I hate Cleo Club. this is definitely a group bent on hating cleo as often and as much as possible (just in case you missed that). Although i am fond of this site above all other ER discussion groups, the cleo-haters can become a bit tiresome.

-- Dawn Stinson (qstnevrythng@hotmail.com), November 14, 2000.

Dawn, do you ever have a comment other than "You Cleo haters suck"?

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), November 14, 2000.

Dawn is just stating a fact. It is tiresome.

-- james (eorejim@aol.com), November 14, 2000.

Uh, yeah, but sometimes, so is Cleo. For myself it is a plea for TPTB to DO something with her.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), November 14, 2000.

I remember all the unflattering comments about Lucy, and then paf! she's gone...Cleo haters are not tiresome...we are hopeful...=)

-- jules (jules@operamail.com), November 15, 2000.

Responding to the comment:

***Sorry, but when has Benton not been in a trying time?

Well, yes, but they all seem to have their troubles constantly. I don't think Peter has had any more or less problems than the rest of them. (Jeanie comes to mind, but she seemed to be the poster child for bad luck.) We don't know, really, what Cleo's "problems" are (but I suspect they have something to do with Peter) they haven't been addressed, so again, I'm left going "...huh?"

SPOILER ALERT!! You want to see Peter with "troubles", wait for Nov. 16!

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), November 15, 2000.