Post by Chris on Apr 2, 2009 22:10:48 GMT -5
For 14 of the past 15 years I have laughed, cried and been deeply affected by the staff and patients of Cook County General. There hasn't been a show that has been as meaningful to me.
It all started one Thursday night when I was channel surfing and ran across NBC. (Channel 4 here.) The first thing I saw was a lady talking about a little girl with AIDS and how this little girl had no one. Having lost friends to AIDS, naturally the mention of it caught my interest. As it turns out, the lady was Nurse Carol Hathaway and the little girl was named Tatiana. Tatiana - being from Russia - spoke no English. Carol's Mom was from Russia, so Carol - though she was not fluent - knew some Russian and established a bond with her. As the story went on, Carol decided she wanted to adopt the little girl, but because of a previous suicide attempt, she was denied the chance.
As I was typing that, I realized it was a fitting start for me. ER relies heavily on being as authentic as possible, and that includes using as much medical lingo as applicable. I do not speak that language, though I did know some words here and there. However, the storyline established a bond for me with the characters and the stories that were to come. Once I got caught up with the episodes I had missed, I was feeling more at home with everyone.
Tonight was a very emotional night for me. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't reveal anything in case anyone missed it. All I will say is what a brilliant ending and a beautiful homage to not only the first episode, but to all that left. Saying goodbye was so hard for me.
Thursdays will never be the same.
It all started one Thursday night when I was channel surfing and ran across NBC. (Channel 4 here.) The first thing I saw was a lady talking about a little girl with AIDS and how this little girl had no one. Having lost friends to AIDS, naturally the mention of it caught my interest. As it turns out, the lady was Nurse Carol Hathaway and the little girl was named Tatiana. Tatiana - being from Russia - spoke no English. Carol's Mom was from Russia, so Carol - though she was not fluent - knew some Russian and established a bond with her. As the story went on, Carol decided she wanted to adopt the little girl, but because of a previous suicide attempt, she was denied the chance.
As I was typing that, I realized it was a fitting start for me. ER relies heavily on being as authentic as possible, and that includes using as much medical lingo as applicable. I do not speak that language, though I did know some words here and there. However, the storyline established a bond for me with the characters and the stories that were to come. Once I got caught up with the episodes I had missed, I was feeling more at home with everyone.
Tonight was a very emotional night for me. I don't want to give anything away, so I won't reveal anything in case anyone missed it. All I will say is what a brilliant ending and a beautiful homage to not only the first episode, but to all that left. Saying goodbye was so hard for me.
Thursdays will never be the same.
