These are spoilers from Aint It Cool News. ** I'm not sure that they're totally reliable. This came from the same guy who said Carol and Luka were *making out* , and who made it seem like a really big deal, when at least I didn't think of it that way.

Tonights ER episode is titled Loose Ends, and it creates more than it ties up.

1) Carter is a new man, working out, back on his game, pitching in like crazy, efficiently doing the work of two doctors. He is also looking for a high-priced condo and eating like a horse. But then he angers Kerry and Luka by defying ER policy and performing an ICU procedure. He doesnt express a lot of remorse  his risk-taking appears to have saved the patients life.

2) Carol and Luka have apparently not spoken since their make-out session last episode. Carol explains she has been staying with her mom because the twins have been sick. Carol is happily shocked when Luka presents Carol some birthday flowers. They move in for a smooch, but are interrupted by a nurse. Later, a big black box arrives for Carol, and it turns out to be filled with animal crackers from Doug Ross.

Carol is also consumed with taking care of the twins, falling behind on her ER work and butting heads with Kerry over it. When Kerry presses, Carol responds: I hate my life. I love my work. And I love my daughters. But how did I end up raising twins by myself? Kerry compassionately agrees to find Carol some extra sick days. Luka later finds Carol on the roof. She declines a home-cooked birthday dinner. Did I do something wrong? Oh no. Its me. Im sorry, Ive got to go.

3) Following a close call that could have been avoided had an infant patient received a $25 dollar genetic test, Chen lobbies Romano to do genetic testing on all newborns. Romano scoffs at the potential expense, but Chen effectively blackmails him into signing a petition calling for such testing -- by presenting the petition in front of the infants parents.

4) An old patient of Lukas fails to follow Lukas referral to a vascular surgeon, and now has to have his leg amputated. Peter chews Luka out for not spending more time on follow-up.

5) Elizabeth tries to hold on to a fainting anorexic career blonde who is starving herself to death. The hospital shrink refuses to put her on a psych hold. Shes not crazy, he says. People do bad things to themselves all the time. Elizabeth decides to call in the womans mother, to no avail.

6) Malucci accuses a accident victim of having sex with his own very small daughter. As Malucci reads Green Eggs and Ham to the tot, Cleos pelvic exam reveals bleeding from complete transection of her hymen. Malucci is a little rough stitching up the dads face wounds.

7) Mark is at first reticent to grant his cancer-riddled father a request for a bloody mary. Afraid its going to kill me? asks David. Mark fetches the vodka and tomato juice. Mark drops an antibiotic mix and cuts his hand. Elizabeth comes over to stitch Mark up and stays for tea at Davids invitation. David gives Elizabeth Marks mothers pearls. Mark bathes David. I love you, Mark! I love you too, dad! David passes away in his sleep while Mark naps. Mark kisses the corpses lips. Later, Mark tries to put Davids affairs in order, but winds up having a good cry in Elizabeths arms.

Fade out.

I am  Hercules. **Carter, a new man? Working out-- am I missing something here? Wasn't he limping just a few eppys ago?

-- Samira Chandwani (matb_west@chickmail.com), May 04, 2000

Answers

I'd planned to go to AICN this morning to see if there were any spoilers. Last week they were amazingly (at least 95%) on target, even the quotes. Flowers and animal crackers! I can't wait to see that. And this thing with Chen and Romano sounds interesting. I thought Mark's dad would die in this epi and it sounds like that's what will happen.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 04, 2000.

The reason why AICN is always on target is because it's kind of hard not to be, when you're watching the actual episode via a satellite dish the night before.

-- debbie (riccardoiii@aol.com), May 04, 2000.

Yep, that would do it! BTW, where would it be on satellite for them to watch that early?

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 04, 2000.

I believe NBC sends out ER to their affiliates early thurs morning around 3am( +- an hour). Anyone who has sattelite and knows how to pick up the trransmission can watch ER then with no commercial interuptions. I've heard through the internet that several people tape ER like that and watch it in the morning or afternoon.

-- Brenda (jckwfan@aol.com), May 04, 2000.

Is there a story behind the animal crackers that I am missing? Does anyone know if there is any significance in animal crackers between Doug and Carol? Just wondering!

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 04, 2000.

LoL, Amanda, I was wondering the same thing myself. Maybe they were just joking...?

-- Arianne (CarolRossSusanGreene@yahoo.com), May 04, 2000.

I hope they're just kidding about the animal crackers too. It also sounds like they are trying to get in a cheap excuse for bipolar disorder for Carter...the buying a condo thing is a characteristic of mania...during manic stages, people get eccentric and impulsively buy things they can't afford. Although I guess Carter could afford it, but it IS impulsive. This still isn't enough to be diagnosed, and I hope they don't go with this idea.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), May 04, 2000.

About the animal crackers thing. Whenever Doug when to the store he would bring back a box of animal crackers for Carol, and on christmas she'd put a box in his stocking. That's the story, the whole story (I think).

-- Dawn (dawine@home.com), May 06, 2000.