Wow - what a nice place Doug has out there in Seattle! I mean, it's not fancy, but it was very pretty and peaceful and idyllic. The atmosphere outside there was just perfect, with the mist and the boat on the water. (There was mist outside, wasn't there? Or was I imagining it?)

Anyway, the kids will be able to go out on the boat with their dad and live in a cute little house. I liked when Carol said "It's beautiful here." She really liked it! Anyway, the whole scene was perfect.

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), May 12, 2000

Answers

Melanie, I know what you mean!! I loved it too! It made me want to move to Seattle, but then I remembered how much it rained there. I somehow wish we could get a peek into the future and see things like the girls out with their dad and mom on the boat or all of them having a picnic. I just feel we will miss out on so much! But I'm glad at least they will be happy!

-- Cassie (samper0812@yahoo.com), May 12, 2000.

Maybe they'll return for the (series) finale? We can only hope.

Incredible place wasn't it? I can't wait to see what people will be saying tomorrow, since MOST people didn't know this would happen. What a surprise, I wish I had been surprised actually. But oh well, all I could think all hour is "we get to see Doug..where is he?" I think they went the right way in keeping it totally secret (how did they do that?)...it was great television... I love this show all over again!

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

They'll have to build a fence to keep the girl's out of the water....and just how did Dr. Ross afford waterfront on Mercer Island- it's probably at least $1 mill! Quite a move up in the world from his apt. in Chicago. Seattle is beautiful-the rain doesn't matter!

-- Suzanne (sgustafson@home.com), May 12, 2000.

I agree, it was beautiful....just one thought (sorry to spoil the mood here guys, but...) doesn't Seattle have the highest suicide rate in the country? :) If ya ask me...probably not the greatest place in the world for Carol to move to! :) Constant rain and lack of sunshine can do serious damage to a person's mental well being (especially if that person has had past suicide attempts!:) Oh, I'm just kidding...I loved the happy ending, just a thought that popped into my head that I thought I'd share with you all...thought is was funny :)

-- Joy (joijoy@webtv.net), May 12, 2000.

I wonder if Doug's gone into private practice? He certainly has a wonderful house and property, I imagine Carol and the girls will be very happy there...:-)

-- Arianne (CarolRossSusanGreene@yahoo.com), May 12, 2000.

He must be in a lucrative private practice. Remember when he was going to lose his fellowship because the pedes chief didn't like him? He interviewed with private practice group. One of the best lines ever: Ninety grand a year and nobody dies. Although I think one reason he didn't take it was because all he'd be doing was checking for ear infections.

But wasn't the ending straight out of a romance novel? Is he one great hunk or not!! Back to Bosnia Luka, you're not even in the same league.

-- Claudia (claudia1624@yahoo.com), May 12, 2000.

I don't know how he affored it, but I thought it showed that Doug had faith in Carol all along. Why else would he have bought that house, if not for them all to be together as a family?

I keep thinking about the episode when Carol kissed the paramedic and Doug told her that he would wait for her as long as it takes. Thank goodness the wait is finally over!

-- Christy (christy.steele@mindspring.com), May 12, 2000.

Christy, I think you're right, that house seemed to have been purchased with a family in mind. Also, assuming that Doug has probably gone into private practice (in order to afford that), he's finally settled down and has been waiting for Carol. :-) He sure did tell her he'd wait as long as it takes. She's ready, he's ready -- I'm SO happy!!

-- Arianne (CarolRossSusanGreene@yahoo.com), May 12, 2000.

I thought the nice house said he'd finally matured. Nothing says grown-up like a lot of debt! :)

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

I was thinking the same thing as Suzanne. ..quite an accomplishment for living in Seattle such a short time. Maybe he got in on some good Internet stocks...or he's the private pediatrician to Bill Gates' daughter? :)

BTW, having lived in Seattle and Buffalo, I definitely prefer rain to snow!

-- Liz (cj787@freenet.buffalo.edu), May 12, 2000.

I agree that the nice house and the setting in general was telling the audience that he has been waiting for her all along and the smile on his face said, "I knew you'd come around if I just gave you space". I don't care how he afforded that house or if it was realistic, I was just glad that Carol didn't get to Seattle and find that Doug had went back to his womanizing ways,after all, we know how he use to be! I too would have been happy if Carol would have stayed and developed a relationship with Luca, he's such a great guy and would have been a great dad to Tess and Kate, BUT.... he is NO match to George Clooney, what a dream!!!

-- Robin Chapman (elliotandrobin@hotmail.com), May 12, 2000.

Did anyone else notice that there were TWO deck chairs on the deck behind Doug overlooking the water? Nice touch. (Actually my husband pointed this out to me!) -Catherine

-- Catherine (cmailhiot99@yahoo.com), May 12, 2000.

I am glad Carol and Doug got together and when I saw Doug's place I thought the same thing as the rest of you...won't Tess and Kate have fun living here. But for those of you who say Luka is not in Doug's league I beg to differ. Overall, I think Luka has much greater character than Doug Ross ever had. So he may not have been the right go for Carol, but he is far and away a GREAT guy!

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 12, 2000.

Amen, Amanda! I think it is indeed a crappy thing to keep comparing Luka to Doug; they are not the same person. (Luka's a great character and I for one am very glad we'll have him on ER the next few years.) This is like comparing Anna to Lucy because they're both blondes and worked with Carter! Doug and Luka are both interesting, complex characters, and very different from each other.

-- Emma (redwing8420@aol.com), May 12, 2000.

I agree with you, Emma, about how unfair it is to compare Luka and Doug, BUT...TPTB have set that up from the start. There's older threads about this, but I posted a TV Guide jeer a long while back that said they were trying to "replace" Doug with Luka and it was way too obvious in the epi where Luka saw the child hit by a car and then had to help...compared to "Hell and High Water." Even the previews for both called them a "defining moment" for Doug and Luka. Then of course they set him up with Carol, instead of Lucy or Abby or someone else or no one. So, while it isn't fair to compare, the idea came from the higher ups to begin with. They're the ones who set Luka up as the new Doug. Over time I've come to like Luka more than Doug, for personal reasons, but that's based on what we know about him...so far! The younger me would have gone for the Doug type though. :)

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

What a WONDERFUL ending and send-off for Julianna. I've always loved Seattle ... and how many guys do I know that have planted window boxes at their house??? Nice touch. Way to go, ER -- I'm so pleased!

-- Cindy (tailchasers51@hotmail.com), May 14, 2000.

Being a Pacific NW native, I felt compelled to correct the location of Doug's house. The location is not Mercer Island (Paul Allen's place is on MI); rather, the house is in Juanita Beach-Kirkland area. Yes, the Seattle area is a dismal place to live. The sun never shines and people jump off bridges all the time. Alright....it is a beautiful place to live, just too crowded.

-- Nancy L. (hleiaqn@aol.com), May 15, 2000.