I hadn't noticed much in regards to Goran V.'s acting up to this point, but the crushed, saddened, sickened, crapped-on silent look he gave was just PERFECT. All of us "NICE GUYS" know that feeling TOO well.

It never fails: The Girl dumps the Nice Guy to run back to the Bad Boy that hurt her over and over again.

Of course, like everybody else, I'm thrilled Carol went back to Doug. But I sure can empathize with Luka.

-- Dao (ldao@tandberg.com), May 12, 2000

Answers

bad boy that hurt her over and over again? i hope you weren't using that to refer to doug. because although that was how it started, the character of doug evolved and went very far to be completely loving and faithful to carol. other than just leaving in the middle of season five, but most agree that that was out of character, and just a way to get clooney off the show.

-- Marcia (mlg244@is9.nyu.edu), May 12, 2000.

I have to agree with Dao to some degree. Doug was the original bad boy who grew up some but still played the cowboy up to the end. And whether he left in an uncharacteristic way or not, it's still part of the character now that it's happened. I wrote something like Dao's thing before in a much earlier thread, about how Carol went for the guy who was more trouble instead of the stable guy (Tag in that case and now Luka). I said there that I think it had a lot to do with her childhood and her father's suicide. But I'll agree with Marcia that Doug matured. I'd now considered him a recovering bad boy. :) In the end though, Dao, Doug was the love of her life, through all the other guys so they never really had a chance in the first place.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 13, 2000.

Diana, I agree completely. Carol fell fast and hard for Doug, and he was a "bad boy." Her own father's suicide and her mother's attitude toward men left a certain impression in Carol's mind. However, I think it's beautiful the way Doug matured, and the way Carol accepted this. For a daughter who was raised hearing, "You can't depend on men" and "Men like him never change," Carol has had to take a huge leap of faith twice. We can't help who we fall in love with, it's not a choice. In the end, the love of Carol's life is Doug, and she is his. Any other relationship either had would've been second best, being compared in every way to what Doug & Carol had, and would never have worked. It didn't work with Tag, it wouldn't have worked with Luka or anybody else.

Doug has settled down now. He has a house perfect for a family, and these two made-for-each other, mad-for-each other people can finally be happy. :-)

-- Arianne (CarolRossSusanGreene@yahoo.com), May 13, 2000.

Dao, I agree with you completely! Luka had the look right (and he had every right to look crushed and heart broken), and Doug did hurt Carol. I hated Doug's laughing at the end. It was as if he was conveying his feeling that he knew she would be back, no matter what. His facial expression didn't look like love so much as triumph! I still remember the sickening look on his face when he said he was leaving. He had a smile on his face while Carol's was streaming with tears. It was as if he always knew that no matter how much of a jerk he was, he would still win in the end. When Carol rang Doug's doorbell, a small part of me expected a half naked woman to answer. Don't get me wrong, I am glad that didn't happen! However, I was never a Doug fan, and not much of a Carol fan, and now I'm just relieved. I hope we can just let them "rest in peace" and stop comparing everything and everyone on ER in the future to their storyline and characters. I'm sorry to be the voice of dissent here, these are just my opinions!

-- Annie (GoldenLaur@aol.com), May 14, 2000.

Annie, you captured my sentiments exactly. In fact, I was shocked that Carol did not find another woman in the house. Relieved, as you, but shocked.

-- Indira Smith (indira54@yahoo.com), May 14, 2000.

Doug was giggling because Carol was smiling and because he was happy to be with her again.

-- Arianne (CarolRossSusanGreene@yahoo.com), May 14, 2000.

Personally, I also think that it was him who should have returned to her, but since that wouldn't work with them both leaving the show, it had to be this way, and we just have to accept this as the best ending possible...and it *was* good! Like the ending of a romantic movie, with the theme song and everything! But then, would you want to leave a house with a lake like that!? They'll be a happy family, and hopefully we will hear about them through Mark.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), May 14, 2000.

You're right, Arianne, that Carol's relationship with Luka would not have lasted because Doug was her one true love. But it still hurt to see Luka get dumped out of the blue, especially since (as far as we know) this was his first relationship since his wife died (and she "left" him suddenly too). Okay, I admit it, I wish I were the woman Carol was talking about ("you'll find someone who loves you" etc.)--wink wink nudge nudge!

-- Barbara (goodbabs@zdnetonebox.com), May 18, 2000.