I just got done watching "Post Mortem" from 3rd season. I could tell that there was a difference in Carol from that season to this season. 3rd season- Carol was upset when she killed a guy by giving him the wrong blood. When she let Mary and the other guy know the guy acted like it didn't matter. She wasn't happy about his reaction. This season- Lucy was killed and Carter almost died. Her reaction- "we're short a doctor and med student." She basically didn't care that Lucy had just died. What happened to Carol this season? I liked her better in past seasons compared to now. What do you think?

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), June 08, 2000

Answers

I think it was just shock, and "ER" trying to show the difference in first-hand vs. second-hand accounts -- not to mention the fact her personal life was for the most part smooth, minor arguments with her mother and constant flirting with Doug compared to having your fiance leave you and raising your two daughters alone (aka, life comes before career for the first time).

-- Arianne (CarolRossSusanGreene@yahoo.com), June 08, 2000.

I think her personal life changed drastically. She went from being a sweet, fun, flirtatious head nurse to a lonely, pregnant and depressed one. I think that's sad what they did to her character, and I "saw the end coming"!! haha

-- Kim (ILuvSnowB@aol.com), June 08, 2000.

I agree, and even the way she sat next to Carter in Post Mortem, and got him to talk about it (although Carter was MUCH more willing to talk about Gant than he was about the attack or Lucy) was alittle different because SHE went to HIM. Although she did tell him to "hold on Carter" in the trauma room in MMIH, so that she could talk to him, and he very willingly sat down, as Cammie said, because he wanted to talk, he wanted her comfort. I enjoyed that it was Carol, and that she was concerned about him, but I was actually pretty disappointed in her "go back to work" theory, and it *did* really look like Carter was hoping for more. Although, I think that the writers were trying to point out that that is the way Carol knows how to deal, and I know it wasn't about her not caring enough.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), June 08, 2000.

Big difference here. In season 3 with the transient, SHE killed him. Her mistake caused the man's death. She had nothing to do with Carter's or Lucy's attack. She wasn't even there. I'm sure she cared about both Carter and Lucy, but she was not responsible for their injuries.

-- S. Trelles (trelles@ix.netcom.com), June 09, 2000.

I think somebody mentioned in another post at the time, that Carol's remark "We're short one doctor and a med student" came not from cold- heartedness, but the fact that she had just told paramedics they could take a trauma that was coming in with a certain number of victims, but after she told Mark about it she remembered they would not have enough help.

-- Melanie (msintn@hotmail.com), June 10, 2000.

Yeah, but she could have at least used their names, it just would have sounded better. I love Carol, so I just remind myself that the writers make them say it. That's how I get through Carter's crabby, season 5 stage.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), June 10, 2000.