Okay..i understand every character had to handle grief in their own way but what was with carol?? She acted like it didn't matter that much... "we're short a doctor and a med student" gosh...even romano was more affected!

-- Jennifer S.K. (Kidwelj@aol.com), February 17, 2000

Answers

She leaves soon too - perhaps she's in shock and it really comes out later. As a mom with a new baby, I know you always think of "what if it happened to me/my baby?" So, I think, she will start thinking that the ER is too unsafe for her and will leave, fearing something could happen to her (- who will take care of the babies?).

-- M.E. (michelle__erickson@hotmail.com), February 17, 2000.

I felt that she was a bit cold too. But maybe this IS her way of dealing with grief...hiding it, and being business-like.

-- Marjorie (mudge@interlog.com), February 17, 2000.

I know. I thought the same thing! I was shocked she would say that. I actually said well, gosh THAT was tacky!

-- jackiea (jackiea@hotmail.com), February 17, 2000.

It was weird how she acted...I have seen her shed tears on occasion over patients and all she can say is "I hear you guys had a rough night." Could it be possible that she doesn't know yet because she asked Mark if he wanted to talk about it. Poorly done!

-- mckenzie (cwbsierraangel@aol.com), February 17, 2000.

I'm glad someone mentioned Carol's reaction. I give a thumbs down to the writers for her line. Very cold and unfeeling! I did, however, think that Romano, Weaver, and Corday showed emotion tonight after Lucy's death. I thought that was nicely done.

-- Heather (hhc1974@yahoo.com), February 18, 2000.

I wondered about Carol too. Then I started thinking how uncharacteristically Romano and Weaver reacted.....perhaps the same is true with Carol?

-- Deb (KHege@AOL.com), February 18, 2000.

I didn't understand Carol's reaction at all! She just became a mother herself you think should would have reacted more. She has also known Carter alot longer then most. The new dr.( cant remember her name right now) that Carol has had some issues with reacted more then she did. Maybe it is because she's leaving but she has reacted alot more devestated when strangers have passed away.

-- annie (lilannie@uswest.com), February 18, 2000.

I recently saw Julianna Margulies on The Rosie Show. She told Rosie she had no idea how the writer planned to write her off of the show but hoped it wasn't too cruel. Maybe Carol is hoping that she doesn't get written off in such a brutal way...

-- (vegasgirl21@yahoo.com), February 18, 2000.

I don't know why the writers had her react this way either. Carol is usually portrayed as a very caring person and especially after having her children you would think she would be even more emotional. They didnt even make it look like she was in shock which would explain lack of emotion. I think it was in real bad taste the way they portrayed her.

-- Diana (ymetoo@webtv.net), February 18, 2000.

The main thing I noticed about her is that..she was hardly involved in the show at all...This just shows that they are moving away from her character since she is leaving...I am sure they would have had her working if she was sstaying on the show.

-- fh (skierz1@hotmail.com), February 18, 2000.

I agree, I was shocked by Carol's marked distance from two people she knows and one whom she's known for some time (Carter). She has worked with and around these people and seeing as how even Romano can get violent and involved enough to try and revive Lucy beyond her death, Carol's indifference was just painful. I actually cried for Lucy--knowing that Carter would survive I pitied his situation and hoped he'd get out of it, but the loss of a young life, a promising student, in such a sudden and violent way was really disturbing and if it could provoke ME to tears, why not Carol?

Plus, for continuity's sake, if her character is known to be caring (e.g., her relationship with Mark, and obviously Doug) and now expected to be nurturing when involved with her children, however preoccupied she may be with her twins it breaks all flow to have such a character (even if she IS leaving the show) be so distant. That shows bad taste on her part if she deliberately played it distant, and absolute blindness for the writers/directors to let her scene remain that way.

-- Miriam (thmilin@hotmail.com), February 18, 2000.

Well, I think it'll be easier for us viewers to accept Carol's leaving the show seeing as she's turned into a heartless B%*#H then it would be if she stayed "nice, sweet, caring" Carol! lol :) "Later Carol, don't let the door hit ya in the..."

-- J.N. (joijoy@webtv.net), February 18, 2000.

I never liked Carol. I always knew she was a drama queen bitch. She only shows emotion when its an ego invested situation. She's an underachieving, melodramatic narcissist with inferiority issues and a hero complex. Her reaction didn't surprise me at all. Since she wasn't there when the trauma went down, and she wasn't part of all the exictement, it meant little to her. Or not. Maybe she was just numb from shock. But, I kind of like to think that she was always evil.

-- L (lolabronx@hotmail.com), February 18, 2000.

I have never like Carol either. And I never thought she was particularly caring, sweet, or loving - still, I was quite shocked at her total disinterest - she showed more compassion for Ricky Abbott then she did for someone she's been working with for the last six years!

But then, someone who leaves the supposed "love of their life" because she doesn't want to move out of Chicago (and I know this is an old old topic, but how lame is that? My husband is in the Army and I've moved lots of times. Carol, guess what, you can make new friends), and spitefully keeps the father of her children away from them to satisfy some twisted need of her own probably doesn't have much sympathy for poor dead med students.

-- B. Thomas (kbnthomas@netzero.net), February 18, 2000.

That line: "... we're short a doctor and a med student." Ok, so it was a great, powerful line, but it came out SO heartless from Carol! I couldn't believe it. You get the feeling she is just sick and tired of the hospital? She can't even work up the energy to feel BAD about two people she knows getting attacked in the ER. Sheesh. This HAS to be what spawns her departure at the end of the season. Maybe at some point everyone is talking about it and she is like "You know what? This shouldn't happen. I can't do this any more." And quits?

-- Lily (lucyszkj@ucrwcu.rwc), February 18, 2000.

I remember an episode not too long ago when Lucy was trying to get one of her patients into rehab, and Carol undid her arrangements to get one of her own patients into the one available rehab spot. Lucy objected and started to say "You're just a -- " and Carol snapped at her, "I'm just a what? You're just a student!" and went on about how much better and competent she was than Lucy. I don't remember any pleasant exchanges between Carol and Lucy, and Carol is always harping about how much more the nurses know than the students and PA's. She was COLD last night, and I resented it. She was the only discordant note in an otherwise excellent team.

-- Chessie King (barrelofcrows@hotmail.com), February 18, 2000.

Wait, Carol had a reaction? I must have missed it. . .

But seriously, ouch! While we're talking about reactions here, I'm surprised Mark didn't have one when Carol uttered that famous linea funny look, something! It was just soooo not like her. I mean, even I stared at her in disbelief when she said that!

As for those of you who don't like Carol, you're entitled to your opinion, but please don't use this one episode to prove that Carol has always been a heartless bit$h. This is obviously out of character for her. That's why everyone was so surprised and shocked.

Anyway, I hope the writers have SOME motivation for her distance in mind. . . otherwise, I think they've taken a collective leave of their senses.

-- (jac301@is9.nyu.edu), February 18, 2000.

Ok on Carol's reaction. I am not overly fond of her, BUT, remember when things hit close to home she tends to suck up the pain and hide it around others (Ummm Doug leaving and she doing the babies alone. She gets others to keep going when she everyone is hurting, and sympathises WHEN things calm enough. With Weaver and Romano and Marc falling apart someone had to be strong, and think. I believe it was a very believable reaction. People in shock deal differently. She did not have to see Carter and Lucy, she was gone, and therefor has more time than the others to let the reality sink in.

-- Cathy (memeep@twcny.rr.com), February 18, 2000.

Maybe it was because it was two people she didn't care about. Now, had it been Luka . . . kidding. Maybe the writers needed her to be the lone " steady rock" to keep the E.R. running while everybody was losin' it.

Maybe she knew about the attack, but not about Lucy's coding upstairs. I mean she DID just get there and was all preoccupied restocking the trauma rooms and reorganizing the . . . OH FORGET IT, I AGREE!! Her non-reaction was completely wack!! Especially since EVERY OTHER CAST MEMBER was shown severely affected!

BTW, Michelle, kids or not, she is NOT going to leave the E.R. after JUST NOW realizing it's too dangerous. Especially after going "The Long Way Around". She LUUUUVS her job, remember. Hopefully, she leaves to join "Pedes Boy".

And BTW vegasgirl21, "Carol" is hoping or "Julianna" is hoping??

On the bigger topic of Carol as whole, I think it's a tribute to the writers that she's shown such a complex personality. She's can be very caring(usu. w/patients), bitter and jealous (to Doyle when she found out they came from the same neighborhood), unforgiving as any Bee-ah-itch From Hell(when Cynthia completely f@%$-ed up her clinic opening), or even completely illogical and screwy as with the whole "Kids Without Doug" arc (which I hate, BTW).

Complex character development is what makes E.R. what it is. And remember, we don't like to see a "Good Guy" character act ill nearly as much as we relish seeing "Bad Guys" show their soft side. Witness this very episode with the "Evil Trio" of Benton, Weaver AND Romano. In fact, this instance of the "human side" theme was definitely one of the strongest plots they've ever had on this show.

But barring all that, it's still surprising to hear/read such negative comments on Carol Hathaway. She IS all that and a bag 'o Doritos!! (and I don't mean looks)

-- Dao (ldao@tandberg.com), February 18, 2000.

This was my take on Carol's reaction.

First of all, let's remember that as of late she has been having very fluctuating emotions. She is definately on an emotional rollercoaster lately. The woman is so emotionally drained, repressing her feelings at this point has probably just become easier.

Also, she was JUST TOLD. Mark, too, was very orderly and calm when he first walked into the ER. By the time Carol arrived, everybody was slowly getting "back to business." Let's say it was Malik who told her. He was definately in the working frame of mind by then. She probably saw the commotion, asked what happened, and, in the midst of giving her the run-down on some patient or some work detail, probably told her that Lucy Knight had been stabbed and died. I doubt she got much more than that.

She DID have a look of shock on her face. Notice, as she looks past the police tape, her eyes are sad and her mouth hangs slightly ajar. Mark doesn't want to talk about it, he initiats the "let's get working" mentality. After staring, rather stunned, into the room for another beat, Carol slowly walks away, then rushes to catch up with Mark, whose pace is quick.

This is shocking news and, considering that she didn't work on them, probably hasn't gotten the chance to visit with Carter, view Lucy's body, or hear EXACTLY what happened, the realization of it certainly hasn't "hit" her yet.

Carol tends to keep her emotions to herself, anyhow, as does Mark. I'm sure it "hit" several hours later. A quiet moment came, everything finally sunk in, perhaps after Mark filled her in on HOW they were found...The whole ordeal is, I'm sure, not "real" for Carol at that point. She will deal with her emotions when she is alone, and good and ready. Most likely after visiting Carter, when she gets the chance.

Also, by "removing" oneself emotionally from a situation, it is easier to deal with it. I think Carol rather prefers to do that. Not in every situation, but in the ones that hit closest to home.

-- Leigh (WillnGraceNYC@yahoo.com), February 18, 2000.

I thought that Carol looked kind of shocked. She was standing looking at the crime scene, and when she said to Mark, 'I just heard. How did this happen?', I got the impression that she wasn't all the way there. She only seemed to come back properly when he asked if something was rolling up.

I realize that she wasn't there when it happened, and okay, so maybe that meant that it didn't affect her in the same way - she hadn't seen two of her co-workers bleeding to death. However, I think her reaction was more about something else. Watch Mark and Abby. They both looked exhausted and shellshocked (especially Mark when he went behind the admit desk just before the trauma came in), but they got down to it. This second to last scene, before it cut to Kerry and Romano closing Lucy's chest, was about that they were still an ER and no matter how awful their loss had been, they had a job to do. To paraphrase from one of Scott Hollifield's reviews, no matter how many lives they save or lose, there's always one more coming through the door. Everyone down in the main ER was very aware of that, and the only people who actually showed any emotion in the final scenes were the ones who weren't in the ER (Elizabeth, Kerry, Romano, Carter).

Slightly off topic, I liked Carol fine, but I am so glad that she wasn't there for the main action. I found it perfect as it was.

-- Elizabeth Routledge (elizabethroutledge@uluru.freeserve.co.uk), June 30, 2001.

I'm also glad Carol wasn't there yelling in the trauma rooms. If she would have been there, it would have ruined all of the more special moments in the episode.

-- Becky (jctrio33@hotmail.com), February 21, 2002.