ER – Oh, Brother!

NBC

(Season 15, Episode 6)

It was ‘Angry and Stupid Week’ on ER. It’s an annual tradition, actually. Once a season we get an episode where everybody is angry at each other at the same time they take their stupid pills and begin to mess up royally. It’s one of those times during the season that you want to get up, reach into your LCD screen, and smack all of them silly until they smarten up.

Of course, the angriest of them all is Dr. Banfield. Tonight was no exception as she was tearing new holes into everyone, including her husband. We can only hope that next week’s “incredibly astounding and monumentally special” episode will answer some questions as to why she’s such a canine of the female persuasion. Until then, we need to curb our urges to reach through our TV screens.

So, let’s discuss the angry stupidity that was ER.

Meet Mr. Cate Banfield: Who in real life is Courtney B. Vance, the real life husband of Angela Basset and former D.A. on Law & Order:Criminal Intent. Where Mrs. Banfield is a, um, hard-ass, her husband seems to be a calm and patient man. He would have to be to deal with his amazingly intense wife. I mean, she even berated him in front of an ER full of doctors, nurses, and meth addicts. Come next week, it looks like we will get to see more of Russell and the relationship he once had with his spouse.

The (slight) thawing of Cate Banfield: We may be seeing some fissures in the hard granite facade that is the ER chief. We had to be patient to see them since they didn’t appear until the very end of the episode, but they were there.

Since her arrival, Banfield has been on the case of both Archie and Frank. This is most likely because they both have the brashest attitudes of the ER, which is in conflict with Banfield’s philosophy: she’s the only one that should have an attitude in the ER. But, as the episode ended, there was a small change in her opinions of both men.

Now, before you start sending me comments (and, please, send comments…my ER posts have been complaining that they’re lonely) about the hatred I have against Cate, let me say that there was a point in this episode that I totally agreed with her. It was her lecture to the interns about getting into the thick of it all and learning. Because Archie was being so protective over Chazz (more in the next point) he was ignoring the people who actually worked at the hospital. Other than that, though, she was just mean.

Chazz: Thank the gods that Archie mentioned Chazz was a first-year medical student. I thought it was one of those ‘fast-forward time’ things that shows do when they, for example, want to age a baby girl into a middle-aged, married woman. Being the last season of the show I thought they were going to flash Chazz ahead to be a third or fourth-year student. Anyway, it’s good to have him around to carry on the Pratt family name.

Hey, it’s Apollo Creed!: I know that Apollo died in Rocky IV, but the appearance of Carl Weathers in this episode was one of those ‘What if…’ scenarios. What if Apollo Creed didn’t die and had a son that continued in the boxing tradition. Yet, his son wasn’t the boxer, his father was. Apollo would have probably reacted the way that Weathers’ character did in this ER episode. Especially after the poundings he took from Rocky in the first two meetings.

Hey, it’s Alex!: What version of Alex it was is unknown. Whether Alex will be making further appearances or is making his one appearance for the rest of ER‘s run is unknown at this time. After the hell that he put Sam through a few seasons ago, I would be interested in seeing how they interact away from the ER during the present day. As an aside, I’d like to know what they are feeding child actors in this day and age. I think Alex is around 8 feet tall now. He certainly towers over his waif of a mother.

Tony wants to make house with Sam: I want to mention Tony and his question to Sam about moving in. As the series is nearing its end one can only hope that the temporary move will be permanent and Sam and Tony will live happily ever after. Hell, someone has to on ER! And, should Tony or Sam get a job in San Francisco and need to relocate, they can always live in the attic apartment of one Danny Tanner. I hear the bed folds into the wall when not in use.

And, finally…

Daria’s crushing on Tony: Well, of course. He is John Stamos after all. Heck, even I have ‘ I Luv Tony Gates’ tattooed on my … er, maybe I’ve said too much.

That’s all for this week’s installment of ER. Next week, we journey back in time as Anthony Edwards makes his appearance on the show after six seasons.

Clacked by Richard Keller
on Nov 07, 2008 @ 12:00 EST5EDT