Just read on Entertainment Weekly online that Gloria Reuben is in talks to leave the show next season (boohoo! I love her, but after the way she was not used this past year, I don't blame her. end editorial). The article also stated Ming-Na Wen is returning and they're looking to cast an "older voice of reason," someone like a Donald Sutherland or Sidney Poitier. Heard anything about this?

-- Larry Brown (lwbrown@city.norfolk.va.us), July 08, 1999

Answers

Yeah, I heard that as well. Really sucks, being I adore Gloria Reuben and even tho I like Ming Na Wen, her character on ER annoyed me. Tho I'm not terribly suprised about Gloria leaving cuz I've been hearing all year that she had been talking of leaving and how she hasn't been all that happy with the show lately.

Well golly gee. With both Julianna and Gloria gone next season, I dunno who the hell else I'm gonna watch. I don't really care about anyone else cept Alex Kingston's Elizabeth Corday.

-- random person (ewwhatevr@aol.com), July 10, 1999.

Deb Chen...of all the characters to bring back this was the one I least expected. I liked the character but I wonder how they are going to write her in. Last time I checked, she quit med school. It will be interesting to see if they throw her at Carter since he and Lucy aren't working out. Hopefully that doesn't happen b/c I want to see this Carter/Weaver affair happen! TV Guide reported a few months back that Gloria Reuben requested to only be in 15 episodes 5th season. I figured that meant the writer's couldn't do anything really continuing and this is is why she didn't really get a story. I'll miss her if she leaves but I would rather they let her die of AIDS than just send her to Portland with Dr. Ross

-- Rachel Kipp (rkipp@indiana.edu), July 13, 1999.

They may let her die of AIDS, but medically that's unlikely because she doesn't even have full blown AIDS yet. She's simply HIV positive and living well with it. She's nowhere near dying. But they may do it anyway for the drama.

-- random person (ewwhatevr@aol.com), July 14, 1999.

I can hardly stand to see Gloria leave, and I really hope they don't kill Jeannie off. I suffered through enough deaths-in-season-finales this season. If she has to go, send her to Atlanta to reunite with Al or something. Still, with the Hepatitis C, they've set her up nicely to take a turn for the worst, haven't they? Oh, dear, and perhaps her new positive focus on living life is foreshadowing an early and brave death.

I can hardly stand it.

-- Mary Lyman (mslyman@erols.com), July 14, 1999.