Hi. I've attempted looking up this answer on this site but I haven't been able to find it. The UK re-runs are very strange at the moment, they randomly pick episodes to show and sometimes just miss out one in the middle - enough to confuse us! My question is about Shep - in season two (I think). I always thought he was a paramedic and went mad after his partner got killed or something (I don't know - i've only watched season 6!). For a few eppies he seemed to be a paramedic and then for others, I think he was a firefighter! Can anyone help my poor confused brain?? I'm really enjoying the re-runs (If a little confused!) - I agree that the earlier seasons seem the best! They are more light hearted, move faster and you see more of the characters lives which is great! Its funny to see the actors with dodgy haircuts and the layout of the ER seems different - the lounge seems to have swapped sides!! Any particular reason? Anyway, thanx for reading - Any comments on the changes of ER would be nice to read!

-- Vicki (ms_peachy_pie@hotmail.com), June 23, 2000

Answers

I was thinking the exact same thing about the lounge... it really confused me!

What I decided was that Shep/Raul etc must be kind of paramedics-cum- firemen. Is this how it works in the US? Any US viewers care to enlighten us?

Perhaps I've just got the wrong end of the stick...

Is it just me, or does Carter look really young in the episodes on C4? Even today's ones which were season 2 he looked about 20. Also, I agree with the dodgy haircuts comment... but what about Mark's dodgy glasses? Those made me laugh quite a lot. They're better than that time when he decided to get coloured contact lenses though.

-- Rosie (happymoron@hotmail.com), June 23, 2000.

Shep was a paramedic employed by the Chicago Fire Dept. The two services Fire Suppression and Emergency Medical Services under one roof. For most part they stay on the ambulance while on duty, it is not believed that they are cross-trained dual role, firefighter / paramedic as in Emergency with Johnny and Roy. Just like how the EMS people were integrated into NYC Fire Dept. to be under one adminstrative umbrella.

-- WFC (ssdd60@hotmail.com), June 23, 2000.

Yep, he was a paramedic. And what happened to him was that his partner Raoul was horribly burned in a fire that Shep had led him into--a whole episode was devoted to their coming in to the ER and the slow realization that Raoul was going to die. Afterwards, in the next few episodes, Shep couldn't deal with it, sniped at his new partner because he wasn't Raoul, had several outbursts of violence, showed some ugly racist tendencies that had been hinted at earlier, and ended up losing his temper with the friend of an Asian victim he was trying to resuscitate and shoving him so violently that he fell into a table and hit his head. The incident prompted an internal investigation. Carol, who was there at the time, lied to clear him, but gradually realized he was out of control and told him he had to get help, preferably from a therapist. When he kept refusing, she forced the issue and told him that if he didn't get help, she couldn't keep seeing him. He walked away from her, and that was that.

This may be more than you asked for, but anyway, that's the Shep story.

-- Mary (mslyman@erols.com), June 24, 2000.

There are many combined EMS/Fire Services around the country, where the crew members are cross-trained as both EMTs/Paramedics or Firefighters. I got the impression that's what Raul and Shep were supposed to be, because there's at least one scene in "The Healers" where Carol says (about Raul) "He's a fireman - he knows".

-- Lynn (lynn@wordsmyth.org), June 24, 2000.

What is the title of the eppy where Raul gets killed? I'd like to read the summary. Thanx.

-- Vicki (ms_peachy_pie@hotmail.com), June 24, 2000.

Vicki, the episode is called The Healers, near the middle to the end of season 2.

Rosie, I agree, Carter looked very young, compared to season 5 and 6. I just commented somewhere about how his whole demeanor and personality changed in season 5...I didn't like it: the beard, the immpatience, the bad moods, his treatment of Lucy. If you watch the season 5 premiere, he is just the nastiest (mood-wise) person, and it seems like he aged years. I hope they didn't want to imply that this was because of Anna's leaving, or him being poor, because although I liked her and their friendship, I wouldn't want them to imply that Carter would just lose it after that. Luckily, they improved his mood and treatment towards Lucy drastically near the middle of the season (and shaved his beard!), and by season 6, he was back to his old Carter self. Like they wanted to block out that period!

And about Shep, I know this happens all of the time with characters, but it really bothers me that he just never showed up after that. It's not like he left! He was in the season 3 premiere, with some new girl, at the baseball game. They did the same with Lydia's husband, although he at least shows up every once and a great while.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), June 24, 2000.

I'm from the UK and I also noticed the other day how the lounge has changed sides, I was quite confused for a while. I agree the earlier seasons are a little better as they seem to have a laugh more. I wish they'd show repeats every weekday but I think they're only on till wednesday, I don't know what I'll watch in the afternoons then.

-- soph (ickle_socks@yahoo.com), June 26, 2000.