Well, the ER angst machine seems to have run out of gas!! Yippeeeee! Either that or TPTB have gotten hold of some antidepressants. Anyway, it was amazingly nice to watch an epi of ER and smile. (I was watching Jerry's kangaroo on TNT this morning and thinking of how much I missed watching "happy" ER) But cheesy as it was, I loved the effect of the fireworks at the end while Mark and Elizabeth headed for the bathroom. Okay, I'm going to go watch the good parts again-yay! (Next weeks looked like an up epi too, I'm glad. But I'm still waiting for The-Visitor-That-Is-Not-Susan...)

-- Rubi (mommyof2@sigecom.net), January 04, 2001

Answers

Quick question...I run the "ER" episode guide at www.epguides.com. My local affiliate cut off the end credits and, as a result, I didn't get any of the actors/character names from the end. Can somebody quickly jot em down for me and send em to me? Thanks in advance.

Also, avoiding spoilers, the visitor was supposed to be in this week's episode. Spoiler-monger that I am, I was surprised when they did not appear. However, they were partially credited in TV Guide, so I would believe that they were cut out (i.e. Mark McGrath [from Sugar Ray] in SSS).

-- Dave B. (jcs420x365@aol.com), January 04, 2001.

Yeah, what happened with the visitor thing? I was watching it and it was almost over and I was thinking that TPTB wouldn't sink so low as to cut off the scenes Marks daughter comes to see him while he's there would they? Yes they would and they did. That is just sad, IMO.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), January 04, 2001.

Say it ain't so! When I didn't see them, I just figured they'd be in NY one more week. (Gotta go find more of those hats). So this is it? They're just not gonna show?

-- Rubi (mommyof2@sigecom.net), January 04, 2001.

No, unfortunately. They're back in Chicago next week. I'm pretty sure it was Elizabeth in the ER from the promos for next week. I gotta agree with Cammie. I can't believe they sunk that low. It would be one thing if it was somebody that no one knows whose scenes were cut out. It's another story though when TPTB does what they did tonight. I mean Mark was in the hospital and his daughter was going to see him. I bet they're going to be having a fit about this one over at the Mark and Elizabeth Fan Club over at Yahoo!

-- Andie (non@no.com), January 04, 2001.

Andie, they didn't "sink that low". Shots get cut.

Secondly, you know those scenes of Jen with baby rachel yelling at Mark about not being home at five, and coming home at eight (that whole birthday cake scene), was that already in an old episode? Because that may be the scene where Jen comes to "visit". That whole sequence of David, Jen, the Carousel was very nicely done. Wonderful juxtaposition.

-- samira (matb_west@chickmail.com), January 04, 2001.

Yes, I know that. But still it was Mark daughter for crying out loud. It wasn't just another guest star who we don't know that well if at all. They could have cut out another scene. Okay, granted I don't know which one but they could have cut out, but still something could have gone. Anyway, this is JMHO about it.

-- Andie (non@no.com), January 05, 2001.

Wow! sounds like a great eppy. Gotta get one of those hats? Please tell me what hats. Birthday cake scene? OK, now this is even more confusing. Am i right to say this is a very Mark & Elizabth eppy? (with only few County scenes)

-- er_aussie (er_aussie@hotmail.com), January 05, 2001.

er_aussie, the b'day cake scene was related to Mark's surgery; he had to name objects that were drawn on a card. So anyway, he gets upto Birthday cake, and if I remember correctly, around that time he begins to have a seizure. He starts recalling images, specifically one with a b-day cake, maybe a scene from Rachel's birthday. It was very well done.

-- samira (matb_west@chickmail.com), January 05, 2001.

Re the scene with Jen and baby Rachel, did anyone else notice Jen's hair? (Okay, okay, this is a teensy picky thing, and I may be wrong, I'm gonna have to go back and look again) Wasn't that the haircut she had the last time we saw her? Seems like they could have taken the trouble to slap a wig on her head or something. I only notice because I disliked that cut so much (dh calls it her Romulen haircut). But back in the pilot, she had that longer, push-it-out-of-my-eyes- every-two-seconds cut.

-- Rubi (mommyof2@sigecom.net), January 05, 2001.

I wondered the same thing as Samira said...were those flashback scenes with his mom and dad and Jen and Rachel supposed to be what was considered the "visit"? If so, that is lame. I was also disappointed that when Mark mentioned his life insurance that he didn't mention anything about Rachel...only Elizabeth and the new baby.

-- amanda (amanda.rehm@home.com), January 05, 2001.

Not to sound harsh, but I think Jen and Rachel are pretty well taken care of. Hello, 6 bedroom house, all the rest? I'm sure there would be something in his will. But the life ins. policy was to take care of his new wife and child, the wife that didn't run off to marry Craig and live the good life.

-- Rubi (mommyof2@sigecom.net), January 05, 2001.

One more thing. Some of you may think that it's no big deal that they cut out Rachel but let me ask you this. If the surprise visitor had beeen Susan, which it wasn't, and they had cut her scene out would you be mad about that or would you think it was no big deal?

-- Andie (non@no.com), January 05, 2001.

Someone really screwed up with the credits. In the credits that were running while Mark and Elizabeth were in the hospital in the beginning it said special guest star Christine Harnos. But I didn't see John Cullum on there. He was in the flashbacks aw well as Christine. Yvonne Zima wasn't listed and yet she was listed in the TV Guide. What happened?

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), January 05, 2001.

I meant I didn't see John Cullum on the credits in the beginning.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), January 05, 2001.

I dont want to bring the party down Rubi but, remember how at the start of the season everything was great for Mark, right until the Tumor came along? They were preparing us for it and I think they are doing it again.

-- jules (jsheldon@operamail.com), January 05, 2001.

John Cullum (and Bonnie Bartlett for that matter) appeared in archive scenes (i.e. previous episodes; nothing was specially taped for the flashbacks.). Since the episode has passed several hours ago, I think it's safe to say that Rachel and Jenn were to be the visitors. Yvonne Zima appeared in TV Guide, because, at the time the synopsis was made, they were still in the episode. However, they were both cut out, although because Christine Harnos appeared in the flashback scene (in new footage), she got to stay in the credits.

-- Dave (jcs420x365@aol.com), January 05, 2001.

Boy Jules, I hope not! Although the way things have been going this season, the chemo wafers will probably explode or something. Either during their wedding or the birth of the baby. But for now, I'm enjoying it.

-- Rubi (mommyof2@sigecom.net), January 05, 2001.

I was watching "Access Hollywood" last night and Anthony Edwards commented on this current storyline. Do I need a spoiler space for this? I'm not sure but just in case I'll leave some space. s p o i l e r

AE was asked if he will survive this and he said that this, just like all other ER storylines, you never know what may happen.

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), January 05, 2001.

That didn't work I see. Sorry!

-- Cammie (rmaelhorn@home.com), January 05, 2001.

So, the David/Ruth flashbacks are from previous episodes? Also, does anyone have the transcripts for the cut-out scenes of jen and rachel's visit?

-- Bang (Xxxoowo@cs.com), January 05, 2001.

I read this epi on ER Daily and I read about that scene when he acts weirdly because of medication, so I was wondering...do you think they might "carol" Mark? That is, to show Mark in such an unflattering light that we'd end up wanting him out or not caring if he´s around anymore? Just a thought.

-- jules (jsheldon@operamail.com), January 05, 2001.

Andie: they don't produce these episodes for the tiny percentage of people who know spoilers. The overwhelming majority of viewers never knew that there would be any surprise visitors in the first place. Since TPTB never promised this to us, then no, I can't imagine why I'd be angry it didn't happen. Also, we don't know why the scenes with Rachel & Jen didn't make it. Maybe they just didn't turn out well. Maybe the actress that plays Rachel was high on crack and couldn't remember her lines [I'm kidding there! :-)]

-- Bonny (bonnyv@netzero.net), January 05, 2001.

Well that's what I get for reading spoilers then. Every scene with Mark and Elizabeth I waited for Jen and Rachel to show up. Pretty disappointing, by the end I thought they'd make a small little cameo appearance, esp. since the actress who plays Rachel was listed in the TV Guide. No show. Do you think they'll ever come on? Or will Mark's family be as non-existent as Carter's?

-- Elaine (mrsclooney78@hotmail.com), January 05, 2001.

I don't keep up with actors names all that well, so what character did Christine Harnos play?

-- Princess Linda (princesslinda15b@netscape.net), January 06, 2001.

Christine Harnos played Mark's ex-wife, Jennifer Greene. I was a little disappointed, because when I saw her name in the credits, I expected her and Rachel to show up at the hospital to wish him luck. Also, the flashbacks of Mark's parents come from "Fathers and Sons" and "Family Practice" (in the 4th season), when Mark's mother had a stroke.

-- Brad (bsharlow@altavista.com), January 10, 2001.

I was struck when, at the beginning of the surgery, Mark was asked his name, and he said, 'Mark.' Sounded *just like* John Callum in 'The Longest Day.' I really liked this episode!

I also really like this site! This is my first post here.

-- Jenna (JennaLunt@aol.com), January 11, 2001.