Subj : This Train Just Went Splat!
To   : alt.tv.er
From : darrenthornton
Date : Fri Sep 23 2005 00:50:49

From Newsgroup: alt.tv.er

    Did I hear Brenda Lee?  Using Little Miss Dynamite would be quite
appropriate.  After all, the show continues to blow up.  But this TNT
mostly fizzles.  The best verdict I could give is OK. But it may be the
weakest season opener ever.  
     A new season's like the first day of school.  There's a combination
of the new and familiar.  Some faces are the same.  Others are gone.
Things can be quite disconcerting for a few days.  Then you finally
settle into a new routine.  Sadly, some years aren't much fun.  
      Carter's absence could be felt.  He was the glue for a very long
time. Kerry should return to the ER, or officially switch to recurring
status. I even missed her tonight. Susan should be higher up in the
credits.  Seeing Morris there was scary.  
     The road trip has become an ER tradition. Once again, I didn't care
about this  cliffhanger. Apparently Alex had some plastic surgery during
his trip.  Recasting was dumb in the past.  That kid's still wandering
around somewhere.  Would an Amber Alert get on TV that fast? Sadly, some
kids are still missing from Katrina.  
      Too bad the first driver didn't call the police. What did Alex
tell him?  Have Luka and Sam get there a little too late.   What if
they'd been driving down the road, and saw him in that truck?  The crash
was too realistic.  How come the airbags didn't go off?   Wouldn't the
owner of the antelope be liable? That's assuming there was one. When do
they get the car back?  
    Luka remained calm, while Sam freaked out. Her behavior was
believable.  He opened up some more.  Yea that they could be breaking
up!  It looked like the Chicago PD might accuse them of hurting Alex.  
    Who gets scarier every year, the interns or residents?  What if Jane
complains about Morris' kiss?  She'll be leaving anyway. It's called
another series.  This guy needs to find a middle ground.  That was sick
about the breast feeding.  It's disgusting enough when a younger kid can
say," nurse me."  Still, the story needed more development.  
    Let's give thanks for the nurses.  Talk about flies on the wall!  I
still remember Benton trying to get Haleh off his shifts.  Senior
residents probably have little control there.  Chuny was good too.  One,
or both, should become regulars.  
     Neela has quite a memory.  But she had an awful intern.  He looked
a little old. What's his story?  Turn on some lights! Or was it just my
old TV?  
      Where is the balance between speed and accuracy?  Ray brushed off
his interns' questions.  Neela couldn't clear the board fast enough.
Abby knew her stuff.  But she wasn't teaching any of it.  Maybe Kerry
needs to come back for a little lesson.   
      Pratt had forgotten what he was like.  Susan reminded him.  Both
were underused.  If you had to choose between the ER or road trip, which
would it be?  Who would be good for a road trip spinoff?  Suspend
credibility a little further.  Their medical licenses are good in every
state or country.  
      This episode had a huge element of sadness.  It could have been so
much better.  Talk about the beginning of the end!  Go and put the show
out of our shared misery!  A spinoff would be better. 
       Let's offer a rewrite.   The driver takes Alex straight to the
police station.  Sam decides that they need help.  So poor Luka is left
in Chicago.  
      We get a letter from Carter.  Kem caught some strange disease.  So
he's coming back to the renamed Gamma Memorial Hospital.  His first duty
is to promote Morris to head of maintenance.  Oops!  How did his beard
get caught?  
       Ray has left for a world tour.  Neela is off doing Jeopardy.  She
beats Ken Jennings' record, then loses to Frank.  He loses to Jane.
Meanwhile,  a few of our old friends return, with better scripts and
paychecks.  
      Right now we're gearing for Rita.  Once again, Wal Mart is getting
cleaned out.  One cashier was named Katrina.  Her mother is named Rita.
Schools are closed.  There are gas lines.  We still haven't entirely
cleaned up from Katrina.  Compared to New Orleans,  we got off very
easily.  Please say a prayer that this storm will fizzle out.  What if
some of the ER folks came down to help?

  Sincerely,
   Darren  Thornton

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