Ok. I haven't read all of the threads yet, so if I say something someone else already has, I'm sorry. I just thought that last night's episode held a lot of things from the past.

-Starting with Carter's bathrobe. I don't know about anyone else, but the robe he was wearing when he was walking around the grounds and smoking looked like the one that Susan "gave" to him after realizing that Div had left.

-The new clerk, Frank, was the first person that Carter "stuck" i.e. gave an IV to before. He was on the pilot eppy and he shot himself "in the friggen leg."

-Carol saying "Don't walk away." to Luka. She said the same thing to Doug, when they were at home and he left to go up the stairs.

-Also, in the first season, Carol asked "Do you think there was one person you were suppossed to spend the rest of your life with?" Well, isn't that what the cancer patient's husband basically said?

-When Carter walked into the exam room (Curtain 3), it sounded like he was hhumming the song that the crazy rabbit guy was singing in the second season. Not the beginning, when we first hear him sing, but when he enters the room. Sorry, I kjnow it's a little off base, might be just my over active imagination. :-)

-Do something more MARK! Don't just leave Carter! Do something!

That's it. I just have to complain about one thing. This has nothing to do with ER, but the news station where I live. I'm watching ER, right? And around 10:30, during a commercial, the news preview comes on and said "They said it would never happen." And then basically told me that Doug was going to be on. Yeah, thanx channel 7!! Thanx a lot!

Anyways, that's the end of my little message. I hope I didn't bore you too much. :-) I can't WAIT for next week and Carter and Benton. I have to say, that this was the first episode in a while that I wasn't bored with. I loved the beginning, and I just loved the whole thing.

-- Kimmy D. (swiss_cheesed1953@yahoo.com), May 12, 2000

Answers

Kimmy, You must live in New England. I had been avoiding spoilers all week and then that commercial came on. I was furious. I already emailed them a complaint this morning. Maybe it won't do any good but if everyone who lives in the Boston area and had the big surprise spoiled by Channel 7's commercial sends them a little hate email, maybe they'll think twice about doing something like that again. Their address is www.whdh.com. Good catch on the rest of the stuff. I knew I had seen Frank on the show before, just didn't make the connection.

-- Michelle (michellek@penchart.com), May 12, 2000.

I feel completely sorry for everyone who had the ending spoiled for them. I was completely in the dark about the whole thing. I kept off of the wire just so i wouldn't see any threads about spoilers and such. I was just blown away when i saw him on the dock. What a way for both of thoes characters to go out! Three cheers for everyone who had enough sense to keep it under their hats!!!!!!!!!

-- Heather (charliegirll@hotmail.com), May 12, 2000.

I'd heard/read from pretty reliable sources that he'd show, but it didn't spoil one little thing for me. I still had to wait the entire episode to see it happen...for sure! And even when they did the long shot of him and it was impossible to tell it was GC, I was still very excited.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 12, 2000.

Isn't it annoying when the TV stations do that. However i do have to say, i'm in the UK and still have 2 weeks to wait to see the episode. BUT, after reading the spoilers last night and clinging to the possibility of a reunion, this was my first port of call when i got home from work. I'll be unbearable to live with now until it airs here!!! Still it gives a girl something to look forward to!!!

-- helen (helenmayne@compuserve.com), May 12, 2000.

Heather, I'm glad at least some of us got to be surprised, I really wish I had been. I can't imagine how I'd have reacted! Of course, a couple hours before the show started, NBC started airing the commercials with an added scene at the end, of a "surprise reunion" and Carol running through the airport. So it would have been spoiled anyways. Too bad it had to be released at the very last minute, instead of just letting it be a total surprise.

Kimmy I agree...I wanted to yell at Mark to DO SOMETHING MORE! But I kind of understand his uncomfortableness, having been in the same situation before.

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

Back on the topic of deja vu, did you notice that the cancer woman's last name was O'Brien--the same name as the mom who died in "Love's Labour's Lost"?

-- Jason (jlilley@udel.edu), May 14, 2000.

The minute I heard O'Brien I recognized it as the same name form Love's Labour Lost. That epi is such a favorite with ER fans and people on this site talk about it all the time. I almost wondered if there was a reason behind using the same name or if it was a coincidence.

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 14, 2000.

I was wondering too, Amanda, if O'Brien was a coincidence or intentional. Possibly the latter. As I've watched reruns and first runs in the same day, I've noticed a lot of repeat names. There's even been two (semi) regular characters named Abby! I've also noticed, not that it has anything to do with what we're talking about :), that the characters share the names of important people on the show. Lydia (a nurse and a producer), John (Carter and Wells), etc. Watch the credits and see! There was even a patient once, a little boy, named Noah. Ya don't hear that name everyday.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 14, 2000.

There was also Carter's patient that needed a colostomy when he was still a surgeon named Laura (actually Laura Lee)[Laura Innes]

-- Tedy (richarr@earthlink.net), June 23, 2001.