Too much tragedy w/ characters? Possible SPOILER dealing w/ AE.

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OMG!!! Many sources say that A. Edwards will be leaving the show at the end of the season. I heard that the writers will kill Mark. I can't believe they are going to have Mark's character die. I mean, C'MON!!!!! How many things, one after another, are going to happen to this man?!?! The ones that I can think of right off of the top of my head: Jenn has an affair, they got divorced, he never sees Rachel, Susan left him, his dad dies, he has 2 malpractice suits, Elizabeth tells him she's pregnant while he has a brain tumor.( There must be some I'm missing) At least let him gat back up before they shoot him down again! It's just continous one after another!! Can't anyone on this show be happy? Luka killed a man, his family died and he is depressed. Abby has a nutty mother and a alcohol problem. Carter has flashbacks and a drug addiction problem. Elizabeth is pregnant, her husband to be has a brain tumor, she constantly gets harassed by Romano, she gets sued for malpractice, and she messes up in surgery and has to have Romano take over. Moving on, Benton, has a deaf son, has gotten divorced, his ex almost moved to Germany and took his son with her, then there is the whole Kenysha(sp?) problem, him and Cleo aren't exactly having the best relationship, and his car got shot at and the apartment got trashed. Ok, thats the bad; now try to think of something good...........I CANT! Now they are planning to have Mark die, also? People need to make friends and have happy thinks happen on the show sometimes. DOes anyone agree? Please post, I would love to hear your opinions.

-- An ER fan (Qtpienureye@aol.com), January 15, 2001

Answers

Not to pick nits, but if I recall correctly, Benton and Carla were never married, and so were never divorced. The relationship wasn't even particularly serious, and when she first told him she was pregnant, he was not exactly supportive. The fact that he eventually became a good father was (to me) a surprising and gratifying bit of character growth for Benton.

-- Melinda (mross@value.net), January 16, 2001.

I have to agree. We should see these stressed-out characters having fun and fooling around once in awhile, like they used to. It seems the only humor from them now is gloomy, sarcastic, ironic, or mean. Where's the good-natured humor, great sex, goofiness, affectionate friendship? It balances the medical emergencies and tragedies that inevitably happen in this workplace... No wonder Kerry, Carter, Mei-ling (?), miserable "couples" Abby & Luka, Peter & Cleo, even Romano and Malucci seem lonely & isolated. Only Mark & Elizabeth were happy together, and the writers had to smite them cruelly too! No, the audience doesn't want "Touched By an Angel"-type feel-good smarm, but they do get attached when they see positive scenes mixed in with the high drama and the gushing blood!!! I've lost my caring for this show because the writers are too obviously manipulating the characters and manipulating me.

-- Dina (me@costumegoddess.com), January 16, 2001.

Sorry, I have an opposite feeling. Mark has shown a good recovery. Carter may not have to worry about his job because of his almost relapse. Luka may find a way out of his pain throught the Bishop. Abby is no longer Carter's sponsor. She can pursue a relationship with him - or Luka - or a threesome (stop me!) Benton has declared his love for Cleo. Kerry may have found love. Elizabeth is having a baby. All good things!!!

This is how I see the future. I see happiness. Try that view.

-- Zorbo (RDomino1@aol.com), January 16, 2001.


right on Zorbo. Also I'm hearing impaired and I don't see that as a tragedy. It's life. Benton learned that quickly and it was great to see a TV show actually deal with deaf issues for once.

-- James (eorejim@aol.com), January 16, 2001.

Shouldn't Cleo be learning how to sign? *grin* Or can she and I missed it?

I do see them trying to force race as a plot tool -- Cleo looking at the new med students, mentioning there are no blacks there, the fight over Thanksgiving over his bi-racial background. There is a better way to do this, and I think the writers missed it...

Anyhoo, I think Mark should live, although that doesn't solve the problem of him wanting off the show... Maybe his infomerial woman will come back and make him a star!!!!

Whatever happens, I will miss him...

:) Jenna

-- Jenna (JennaLunt@aol.com), January 16, 2001.



I know this has been explained before, but Deb Chen's name is Jing- Mei Chen.

-- Laura (ulaks@goldengate.net), January 16, 2001.

Jenna-- we have seen Cleo signing "Good morning" to Reese. Hopefully she's progressed somewhat beyond that!

-- Felicity (felicity08@juno.com), January 16, 2001.

Zorbo, it's true the character's lives aren't one hundred percent tragedy and angst--even the writers could guess that would be beyond belief--but I still say I don't see them enjoying themselves. The continual tension on their faces is awful to see. Peter and Cleo have zero chemistry together. Maybe the X-rated scenes we don't see reveal a passion that's not evident onscreen! I hope so! But when Peter declared his love, I almost expected him to add, "The writers made me say that". Even if he was sincere, his emotional dysfunction might make love with him a frustrating experience.Cleo isn't much better herself. If Kerry IS finding love, she's also agonizing over the nature of that love. If Kerry and Kim do fall in love, watch out! Kim is likely to be run over by a Metro bus, develop a disease, or suddenly have an irresistable old flame return. Elizabeth may have been pleased to be having a baby, but now that her partner may be dying, will that be a happy experience? Would you like to bet that they give her some kind of traumatic delivery or damaged baby? I didn't notice any rapport between Luka and the bishop, although his presence may have raised buried spiritual issues. But as soon as he becomes spritual adviser to Luka, bringing him some peace, he'll be murdered by a viscious druggy who wants his pain meds. Any expert can tell you that laughter is an essential part of mental health. It's like sunshine to a plant. I so want to see a great big uncontrollable belly laugh from some of these characters. But not during surgery. That would indicate a nervous breakdown!

-- Dina (me@costumegoddess.com), January 16, 2001.

I have to admit that as I was watching Luka deal with the Bishop and asking him about what drugs he is taking I thought, "Oh God, the Bishop's a druggie!"

I think there is something to be said for all the depressing things that have happened lately if your mind immediately jumps to different conclusions about different characters. And I did think that Luka looked positively tiny standing next to James Cromwell. Imagine him standing next to Abby...

-- Laura (ulaks@goldengate.net), January 16, 2001.


True...true...true, the characters have saw a terrible amount of pain and sufferring throughout the years (mainly the past few seasons); however, life is not a bowl full of cherries. Yes, possibly TPTB are stretching their *good will* a bit too far and making the entire cast seem awestruck with grief and pain, there has been happiness, too though. For every tragedy, something good is bound to resolve. My College Prep. English teacher preaches that to us daily. She has been through a terrible amount of angst and finds joy daily, in her students she praises. There is that light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long that tunnel is. I am NOT incinuating death by that sentence, either.

Mark was diagnosed with the tumor, the surgery was rather successful, and he is starting treatment. Yes, there is always that possibility of downfall and he might go into relapse, the treatments may not work, etc. I too, heard this spoiler about Anthony Edwards leaving the show. Last I noted, Wanda from E! Online refreshed it too on her last Monday chat event. She has been wrong on several accounts (such as the Mark/Lizzy wedding in Nov.). Also, yes, AE is planning on leaving in Season 8 (recounts of him renewing his contract are not hopeful). We have him now, though!! No matter how we see him off, we have to with a small smile. The man does have a real life and he wants to be present and spend more time with his family. One can simply not behold him for that. He nearly lost his daughter when she was born. He was in the middle of "ER" and he went through a lot of tough times then. The man has a right, a well deserved right, to spend time with the ones he loves. "ER" is simply not everything and if he leaves, he leaves. Of course it will be upsetting, one must look on the brighter side, though.

Moving on to the "ER" character side of the situation. Luka has seen a terrible amount of pain in his life. The loss of his wife and children, leaving his home country and his family, finding his way in Chicago, losing Carol (although I feel that was more of a good thing, rather than a bad), the realization of his past anger and pain showing through. The man will find happiness, though. Basically, say "hello Bishop!", he will help Luka. That is a done deal. Also, he has Abby. Abby is strong and I think once she understands what is going on in Luka's head, they will be a force not to be reckoned with. Abby was an alcoholic, she had an awful marriage (we assume), her ex is a jerk, her mother is bipolar, who knows what else has happened to her. She has proven to us that she has the will to move on and she takes no gruff from no one. Abby will find happiness, everyone is destined too.

The same goes for Elizabeth, Kerry, Carter, Peter (Paul and Mary), Cleo, Romano (yup, he's had it tough too), Jing-Mei, and even Dave. I am almost 99.9% positive that their lives (especially now) has not been a bed of roses (minus the thorns). Tell me, though. How many people in this world go through their entire life with no pain? With no grief?? With no struggles??? With no death???? With no obstacles???? These things are what make us stronger. Without these little bumps in the road, what would a person have to grow and look forward to? They mature us and shape us. Laughter, gossip, happiness, and joy are the little added pleasures. They come at a cost, occassionally. Other times, they come to us simply because we deserver them. In all terms, there will be laughter in the ER again, I will bet anyone to that.

-- Abby (PrettyLittleDaisy@hotmail.com), January 16, 2001.



What happened to looking at the 'bright side' of things? Here Down Under, this is one thing me and my 'ER hater' friends do all the time.

-- er_aussie (er_aussie@hotmail.com), January 17, 2001.

AE's mother died and he got beat up...

-- mk (mk27@gateway.net), January 17, 2001.

Surely there's a large middle ground in dramatic fiction between portraying life as a bed of roses and life as a bed of nails. ER is careening toward the latter! I wouldn't presume to say "lighten up" to anyone with serious problems such as those of the ER characters--that would be insensitive--but like real human beings they desperately need relief. I think it's been demonstrated that a funny movie, for instance, actually improves physical and mental ailments. So that's my prescription for ER.

-- Dina (me@costumegoddess.com), January 17, 2001.

So is it really confirmed that Anthony Edwards is leaving the show? I'd be shocked. He's good in it, it's made his career what it is today, and he's raking in the dough. Why spoil a good thing, particularly when the producers keep throwing interesting storylines his way? I'd have to hear this from a reliable source before I'd believe it.

-- Rob (RobCRogers@aol.com), January 17, 2001.

It's not confirmed by any reliable source. Whenever questioned, Edwards pretty much just says, "Anything's possible," and that's all we know.

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), January 17, 2001.


Anthony Edwards himself has said that he is leaning towards leaving ER at the end of his contract to spend more time with his family. He has been very cryptic about how Greene will be written off if he does indeed not cange his mind about leaving.

-- Brenda (jckwfam@aol.com), January 17, 2001.

When is AE's contract supposed to be up? I thought that he still had a couple of years left.

-- Aimee (aimeefield@hotmail.com), January 17, 2001.

Anthony Edward's contract is up in 2002. So, yes, he still is signed on until the end of Season 8. Accounts of him renewing his contract look slim, though....very slim.

-- Abby (PrettyLittleDaisy@hotmail.com), January 17, 2001.

If Anthony Edwards were to leave the show in the next year or so, I would rather see that Mark go into private practice, because perhaps the stress of working in the ER isn't good for his brain tumor, and to spend more time with his new child, since he missed Rachel's growing up, for the most part. In addition, if Alex Kingston were to leave at the same time, if she was tired with the show, it would be interesting to have a Greene and Corday Family Practice, so they had more personal time with their baby. We can have characters leave the show on a much more positive note. Doug was pretty much forced to leave because of his ordeal with the Abbott kid and Susan left abruptedly. At least Carol's leaving had a little better ending, but I found it a bit sudden, too.

-- Brad (bsharlow@altavista.com), January 19, 2001.

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