I saw AITF tonight. I was very was when Lucy died. Did anyone else want to smack Carol for being so insensitive? I like Carol but I hated her in this episode. I think she never should have been in it. I hope Kellie Martin gets an emmy nomination for this episode. When Lucy said thank-you it just broke my heart. She was alot like me and the show is definitly not the same anymore now that she's gone. I know that some of you will disagree with me about Kellie getting a nomination and the show not being the same without her but that's how I feel. I hope AITF gets nominated for an emmy. I just found this site a month ago so I didn't put anything down the first time. Do I thought I'd do it now. Be honest. Was it harder to watch AITF the second time around? It was for me.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), June 29, 2000

Answers

I put the wrong word in the second sentence. It's supposed to say sad not was.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), June 29, 2000.

carol was not that bad.....she patient had died before and her emotions where all over the place anyway... imean with her girls and everything.she did work with carter for about 7 years and showed no saddness....but it probably hit her later on.

-- rachel (thehilfigergirl@aol.com), June 30, 2000.

I'm not sure what Carol did that was so bad. Her line "We're down a doc and a med student" was offensive to some, but is that all?

It really seems like Carol was in a state of suspended animation for much of this season, waiting for Doug. Maybe she just didn't register other crises.

But what was it that you're referring to, about Carol in this episode?

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), June 30, 2000.

Why would "We're down a med student and doc" be insensitive? They just had a trauma called in and she told them they could take a certain number of major/minors, but forgot to take into account that they were now short staffed. She wasn't bitching, just saying that she had probably goofed by saying they could take that number of criticals. I liked the ep. better this time. Don't miss Lucy, but sad thinking about what Carter will endure the next few months/episodes.

Karen

-- Karen (userkto@aol.com), June 30, 2000.

I meant Carol shouldn't have been in that part where she made that comment about being short a couple of people. I mean there were people who were mad at her for saying that. I was one of them. I do like Carol just not then.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), June 30, 2000.

I like AITF better this time around because the first time I was so worried that I think I missed alot of things.

I think this was an excellent epi. The camera work when Elizabeth and Romano were trying to save Lucy was excellent! I felt so sorry for Elizabeth in this epi...she had promised she'd get Lucy through this and then lost her. I am surprised that it did not affect her more in the following epis. Seeing Romano, that way was great.

I agree Kellie did a great job. Considering she couldn't talk she had to convey all of her emotions with her eyes. The look on her face before she started crashing really got to me. It looked as though she knew she was going to die. I doubt she would be nomintated for this show though, just because she really didn't do that much. I wouldn't be unhappy if she did get nominated I just don;t think she will.

I just noticed more this time how effected Mark was and Luka, Chen and Dave too. I remembered how Kerry had been, but I see now that Mark was too. He was just trying to be brave and take over the ER for Kerry so she could mourn. When the new day started and the trauma came in I felt so sorry for Mark going back to business as usual.

I am sorry this is so long. But this is the epi that really got me hooked on ER again and I just loved it!

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), June 30, 2000.

I honestly think that Carol's "down a doc and a med student" was of shock and not in the situation so she could not grasp the horor of what happened and she felt unconncted for the situation I know i have felt like that before just my thoughs I hope they make sense

-- Patience (mandy78@excite.com), June 30, 2000.

I took Carol's remark as a "first-things-first" comment. She and other medical people are trained and have experience in dealing with the issues and then dealing with their feelings. If you think Carol was wrong for dealing with the current trauma instead of breaking down about her feelings, then Kerry was wrong for not throwing up until after she cut Lucy's chest open and sent her to the OR and the others who helped Carter and Lucy at first. Carol was stating a simple fact...they WERE short key staff and she'd just realized that with a trauma coming in...Mark dealt with it immediately by asking Abby to stay. And one more thing, Carol tried to talk with Mark about what happened and he brushed her off...another reason for her to kick into business-mode.

-- Diana (dilynne@juno.com), June 30, 2000.

I didn't think Carol's remark was made out of bitchiness or anything else, just practicality. They didn't have enough staff to effectively handle all the cases that were coming in. But I know from when it originally aired, that a lot of people took offense to Carol's saying that, as though all she could think of was the workload. But I didn't feel that way--I'd probably react the same way, thinking "How are we going to handle this? Two of our staff are incapacitated!" That's all.

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), June 30, 2000.

I also didn't notice the first time around how the others acted, Like Luka and Chen, and especially Malucchi (sp?) I was actually pretty surprised with Dr. Dave, watching him work on Lucy you could really see some emotion there, and I and I had also missed Lydia's reaction the first time around. I think this time was better, and harder, because I kenw what would happen, but this time (I taped it) I could go back and pay attention more to the details. Of course, my favorite part is Romano losing it after Lucy died. Who would have thunk it eh? Of course, with his dog in Be Still My Heart there was also a glimpse, perhaps forshadowing?

-- Lauren (radhamtte@hotmail.com), June 30, 2000.

Even Cleo had a reaction. Whoa! You know it upsetted everyone if Cleo was upset.

-- Andrea (none@now.com), June 30, 2000.

Yea, alot of people were really upset with Carol for that remark but I don't think it was meant to sound crude or anything. I wish Carol would have been working when they were found, that would have been very interesting.... Does anyone else think that maybe they are setting up an Abby/Carter romance? In BSMH they had a lot of scenes together (on the roof & stuff) and then she was very involved in AITF, then in Mayday she's the one who catches him injecting. It'll be very interesting to see how those to react to each other when Carter comes back. Anyone have any thoughts on this???

-- renee (slinne32@aol.com), June 30, 2000.

I enjoyed AITF much better the second time I watched it. Did anyone else notice that the music played at the end when Kerry & Romano were with Lucy was the same music they played at the end of "May Day" when Carter & Benton were on the plane to Atlanta?

-- anne (sapphire_172@hotmail.com), July 01, 2000.

First of all, I agree that I was upset about Carol's reaction, but then what COULD she do..she wasn't there, and both her and Mark had to get back to work, they didn't have a choice. Watching Mark have to go back to work after he spent his whole night off dealing with the attack made me really feel for him--I wouldn't be able to go back to work. Most people didn't care, but I wanted Carol there, working on them. She has a history with Carter and she's one of the more dedicated, emotional characters, so I wanted her there.

As for the rest of them, I also love seeing everyone's reactions...Malucchi not taking his eyes off of Lucy while he bagged her and they took her to the elevators...Deb's comforting hand on Carter's head while he screamed out in the ER and then saw Lucy. Although I have to say, after being reminded of how almost everyone experienced this night too, I can't believe they weren't more supportive of Carter on his return. I hope the second "welcome back Carter" since the attack will be full of tons of support and help.

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), July 01, 2000.

I liked AITF better the second time around. Like everyone else, I noticed a lot of things in the second viewing that I missed the first time.

I was bothered by Carol's reaction in general, not just her comment about being short a doctor and a med student. When you first see her at the end of the episode, she's walking with Malik and giving him instructions on restocking supplies. Then she stops almost casually, glances into curtain area 3 where all the blood is and says "Mark I just heard - what happened?" When Mark rebuffs her question, she just goes on about her business, remarking about the incoming trauma and being short-staffed.

If you had "just heard" that two people you knew and worked with (one for seven years) had been brutally attacked in your work place, would you have been acting the way Carol acted? I think the scene was just poorly written - it didn't fit Carol's character, or anyone else's character, for that matter.

-- Beth (BSmith@internet-95.com), July 01, 2000.

At first, I was upset with Carol's statement. I agree that if someone you worked with were brutally stabbed, I'd be a little more worried. 'Short a doc and a med student' surprised me. Then, if you think about it, maybe she was a little more worried. It was probably one of those things where you say something, and then right away want to take it back. Not thinking before you speak. I mean, she could've rephrased it in a little more sensitive way.

-- Jamie (marycrew@gateway.net), July 01, 2000.

Well, Carol didn't say it immediately after she heard about the stabbing, or even immediately after Lucy's death. It was said after a brief interval, and then there were truamas coming in and they had to deal with it. She may not have liked having to say it, but it was true--the ER was short on staff, and they weren't at full capacity to handle the cases that were coming in. And there were emergencies to be dealt with right then. Part of the job seems to involve putting your feelings aside to deal with the realities of the moment.

-- Cecelia (evilstoat@hotmail.com), July 01, 2000.

I only caught a glimpse of the episode but Im a huge Noah Wyle fan and i live in the UK and they wont repeat the episode if any one knows where i can get hold of a copy of the episode or any information I would be most grateful I have read all the T.V guides and can't believe i missed it!!! Any useful information will be more than welcomed at my email address!!

Thanks Everyone

-- Emma (copeeey@hotmail.com), July 04, 2002.