It just had to be. The writers got it right... he was the only one who could get through to Carter. Greene has been a mentor in some ways, Kerry was his landlady and friend, but Benton is Carter's idol.

And I know it's been said many times, but Noah Wyle really deserves an Emmy for this season. What an incredible acting job! After Greene talks with him outside, and Carter is putting up such a brave front... "thanking" him, patting him on the back, giving him a passing pat as Greene walks away, but then once Greene is gone, we see that look of despair/disgust/anger that is all-too-prevalent with Carter lately. Beautiful job on a small moment.

-- J.J. Ruth (josh_judges_ruth@hotmail.com), May 18, 2000

Answers

You are absolutely correct. Benton is truly the only one who knows Carter's soul...very touching and superbly acted! Great episode, my vote goes to Wyle for a brilliant season. And to Kelly Martin...she was equally fabulous. It's such a shame the writers dropped the ball after her violent demise. Hopefully she'll live on through Carter as he struggles to mend his soul.

-- Ann (isadora@ime.net), May 18, 2000.

I haven't felt so overwhelmed with emotion with any other scene this year as when Benton reached out to Carter when he needed him the most. You're right Josh, nobody could get to Carter but Benton. To think this is the same man who used to give Carter such a hard time is amazing. It only goes to show the enormous feeling Benton must have for Carter- because let's face it--can you see him sitting on that plane for any other person in the ER but Carter. I don't think so! Benton rocks!!

-- Keri Jackson (Bowii@aol.com), May 18, 2000.

Ditto re: Noah's acting. Wow, the way his face crumbled when he realized he'd just hit Peter--you can tell it was when Carter the character finally admitted to himself that there might be a problem.

Can't wait til next season, when hopefully we'll get another excellent "Welcome Back Carter" episode. Every time we have one of those, it rocks. :)

-- Meli (meli@springmail.com), May 18, 2000.

Three cheers for Benton!!! Hip, Hip, Hooray!!!

You guys were right, it was Benton that came through in the end. And way to hit below the belt, bringing up Chase. I thought that was a nice touch, cuz IT WORKED!!! What else could have brought Carter to his senses?

If Noah Wyle doesn't at least get an Emmy nomination this year I'm picketing the Academy (or whatever it is that hands out the awards!) Anybody care to join me?

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), May 18, 2000.

I wonder if anybody else in the ER knows about his cousin Chase. I think they do, but I think it really took a tough approach from Peter to make Carter come to his senses. This is so great, the way they are bringing Peter back as a part of Carter's life again. I mean, over the past couple of seasons they have not had that much interaction. I was so glad that Peter was the one who left that room and went outside to find Carter. I mean, I'm just glad that SOMEbody did it! The rest of them just stood there after he walked out.

You're right - Noah deserves an Emmy. And who IS Carter's doctor, anyway? I mean whoever has been prescribing the medicine for him.

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), May 18, 2000.

Kudos to ER and to Peter!!! It had been mentioned here before that we felt Peter would be the one to get through to Carter. Thank God he did (only why didn't he see something sooner -- he almost seemed like he was in denial when Mark and Kerry were talking to him about Carter!). When I saw him sitting on the plane next to Carter I wanted to cry...he would never have done that for anyone else. I think the fact that he mentioned Chase was a way to show how well Peter knows Carter. I just really felt that Peter was the right person to finally reach him and it was so touching!

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), May 18, 2000.

I remember posting last week after we saw the preview of Carter decking Benton, that I hoped after we didn't see any interaction w/ Benton and Carter recently, that Carter would flip out and Benton would have to comfort him. I can't believe I actually got to see that! I was surprised that Benton mentioned Chase, I didn't know he would even know about that. It's nice to know that he did.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), May 19, 2000.

well, i think all that has worked there for a few years knows chase carter, wasnt he brought in to the ER during one of his OD's??

-- ALexis Springer (lexicat1@webtv.net), May 19, 2000.

can anyone tell me what finally did become of chase and in what eppy did it happen? the last thing i remember was carter and del amico detoxing him at carters apt.

-- dawn (qstnevrythng@hotmail.com), May 19, 2000.

The part that got me the most was when Benton cradled his head and kissed him on the top of it. It was such a family moment--like her was holding his brother. Great job Eriq and Noah!

-- Barbara Sirois Doyle (barbara@sirois.com), May 19, 2000.

I was so happy to see Peter on the plane with Carter. What class! It totally changed my outlook. Peter's clashes with Luka lately have been really bothering me lately. I wanted to throw something at the TV last night when he was storming into the hospital to yell at Luka.

BTW - What was UP with that look Cleo gave Elizabeth in Peter. Classic example of a woman with no confidence.

-- Lisa (lisayas@yahoo.com), May 19, 2000.

Dawn, Chase was brought in as an OD in My Brother's Keeper. A few weeks before Carter and Anna had tried to detox him. Carter revived him (for lack of a better term) despite other's warnings that he didn't have much quality of life. THe next epi we saw Carter visiting him in a home, where his functioning was minimal. This was the main falling out between Carter and his Grandmother, which continued through most of season 4. Carter's family blamed him for not sending him to detox, not understanding that Chase never would have gone, so Carter had to do it himself.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), May 19, 2000.

I thought Benton storming in after Peter was great! The beutiful part about that story was that Benton was 100% right...and so was Luka! I do think they slipped up a bit by making Luka's patience turn out to be critical. It would have been a more interesting story if Luka's patient got no worse and could have made it in the ambulance while Benton's patient died.

-- Rusty Priske (rusty.priske@hrdc-drhc.gc.ca), May 19, 2000.

Did anyone wonder who was going to call Gamma and tell her John wouldn't be coming home for a while? I thought the team for the intervention was perfect: Mark, his mentor; Kerry, the head of the ER and a compassionate woman (sometimes); Anspaugh, the authority figure; Deb, the one who'd been trying to get him help already; and Peter, Carter's former teacher and the person he probably most looks up to in the ER. Peter was in denial and came to believe his friend was in deep trouble as he heard his words and watched his defensive body language. I think what did it for him finally was when Carter wouldn't remove his watch. Up until then, I think he thought it might all be a mistake, but that wrapped it up and he jumped into action soon after. Carter's look just after he hit Benton was tragic and perfect. Then Peter grabbing Carter's head and holding him and then kissing his head...how perfect for these two. Did you see Carter's hand near Peter's neck? Like a little boy's. Peter was the only one in the ER who would have gone with Carter and Carter is the only one Peter would have done that for...including Elizabeth or Cleo! TPTB understand how this relationship has developed over time and I apologize for doubting them when it seemed Peter wasn't getting it over the past few weeks. He did when Carter hit bottom and that's when it counted.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), May 19, 2000.

Diana...I was thinking about that too! Won't Gamma be worried? Do you think they even stopped by to get things for Carter? I mean they must have, but it sure didn't seem like it. She would be shocked to find that it's not just Chase, but Carter too.

I loved Benton's doubt..."no way, not Carter"...he still had this look of doubt on his face as they started confronting him, like "why am I hurting him like this when I don't even believe it?" But then he saw his defenses going up. Still, the one thing that made him sure something was very wrong was watching him give up his job...Carter wasn't even thinking rationally about losing this in his life, and Benton knew it.

The picked group of people he "knows and trusts" was great. So glad they cared enough NOT to bring it to a committee.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), May 19, 2000.

I agree with everyone's comments on the Carter/Benton interaction on this episode. For one, it was truely amazing. One other thing that came to mind was, is it what Pete said to Carter, or how he said it that made Carter listen. We can gather that from Carter's background, growing up he didn't really have authority figures, or maybe parental discipline is a better term for it. We know he went to prep schools, and that his parents were kind of tuned out emotionally after his brother died. I think the way Pete put his foot down like a parent talking to a child (if you want to fight, that's cool man, but either way you are getting your ass in that van - I loved that line) maybe this was something Carter has craved, or has been looking for, or plain well wasn't used to, and gave into that. It showed him that Benton cared. I mean really, where has Carter's family been through all this. My hope for next season is that we get to see into Carter's family background more, his growing up and whatnot, and see how that partially contributed his problems. I'd love to see his parents appear in episode. Anyway, those are just a few of my thoughts. So, like, what are we all going to do for the next 4 bloody months!

Jess

-- Phantom (BizzyNKrew@yahoo.com), May 20, 2000.

Diana, what I was wondering is, what the hell are they going to tell Romano? Loved Kerry's little "same old, same old" type remark to him, but I think telling him Carter's going on a little 5-month vacation (assuming he's just coming back in the fall) just isn't going to cut it.

-- joy (joygirl01@yahoo.com), May 20, 2000.

Probably what they are going to tell Romano is this: Carter's taking a leave of absence to deal with some personal problems relating to his attack. They may even tell him what those personal problems are.

I've posted this on other threads, but I'll do it again. There are strict rules in the med profession regarding doctors (and nurses, etc.) on drugs. They are referred to as "impaired professionals" and if they enter rehab voluntarily, they can't be touched. Even if the staff did have to "kick it to some committee" they would have had to give him the rehab option. So even if Romano was told or found out, there's not a thing he can do about it now. And if he even tries to give Carter a hard time on his return, you can bet the ER staff will grind his ass to the wall. And Anspaugh still has some clout. He'll be supportive and protective. I doubt it will be an issue.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), May 20, 2000.

If you watch the scene where Carter is in the lounge getting his coat from the locker... watch how he sort of stops and freezes for a moment when he hears Benton's voice ("What are you doing?") Sort of like "Uh- oh, Benton's coming after me..."

-- debbie (riccardoiii@aol.com), May 20, 2000.

Poor, poor Carter. I was choking up at the end.

I know it would be Benton to chase after Carter. I was literally aching for Benton to get the point across to Carter. Unfortunately, he mentioned Chase, someone so important to Carter that perhaps that would be the key for him to break down.

When Carter's face just crumbled, that did it-Peter holding him....I just started crying. Wyle is such a fine actor, the Susan Lucci for the Nighttime Emmy's. Why wont he win for once? What's wrong with the academy! I will picket them if he doesnt get at least a nomination.

Did you catch that look of misery on his face in the plane? What a miserable face.....so sad and agonized. He looked quite haggard too, bony in the face with sad, sad eyes. *sniffle*. What a great job of acting.

-- Noah Wyle Fanatic (glitterprincess22@chickmail.com), May 21, 2000.

To the Noah Wyle fanatic...I have always been pretty into the Academy and Emmy awards, but I have never hoped so much for someone to win. When I was younger I always wanted the cute guys to win, but now I would be so happy to see NW get it because he so deserves it (and he's cute too; I would love to see his acceptance speech...I bet he'd be really modest!)

As for the look on his face on the plane...he looked so alone and it just added greatly to the relief I felt when I saw Benton sitting there too. He's looking out the window and kind of squints his eyes in confusion as the end fades out; I think he was thinking, "how did this all happen, how did I get here, what have I done to myself?"

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), May 21, 2000.