On Dec 10, 9:55 am, npar...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote:
> On Dec 9, 6:18 pm, "sharon" <nob...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
> . So
>
> > > she dealt with the most pressing crisis, (which, at that point, WAS
> > > Eric) then made it back as soon as she could to deal with the next
> > > one. (Help Carter with the arrangements, and offer moral sup****t.)
>
> > When did she help Carter with arrangements? What show were you
watching?
> > What moral sup****t did she give him? The only thing we saw her do was
show
> > up at the funeral and let her mentally ill brother cause a scene. No
> > sup****t at all.
>
> There was roughly a week of unseen time (between the trip to Iowa and
> the funeral), during which we didn't see ANYTHING. We didn't know for
> sure that she 'helped' but neither do we know for sure that she
> didn't. Nothing was ever said either way.
>
> >. She was neither warm, nor
> > sympathetic and Carter saw it immediately, don't know how you missed
it.
>
> It's been a while since I've watched the eppy, but I'm sure it can be,
> and IS interpreted in different ways, depending on the POV of the
> viewer. If I think about it I'll watch again tonight.
So, I rewatched "Things Change" last night. And, not surprsingly, your
memories of it/take on it bear precious little resemblence to what
happened on screen.
As Carter is getting ready to leave (having heard about Gamma's death
a while before), he asks Frank to find Abby for him. She then comes
around the corner and says "I've been looking for you." He says "I've
been looking for YOU." Before they can get much more detail out, the
guy with the sore throat is brought back in, and they rush to help
him, while Carter asks if Abby can leave as soon as they are done with
him,says things like "I really don't want to do this alone ..." and
Abby looks baffled. They work on the patient a while longer, and Abby
explains (after Carter responds to her "What are you talking about?"
with "What are YOU talking about?") briefly about Eric, and that she
needs the scrip, then Abby asks Carter what's wrong. Carter says "My
grandmother died today." And Abby looks shocked and distressed. They
finish with the patient and head out into the hall, Carter writes her
the scrip, and Abby says "I'm SO sorry. No one told me."
She then listens quietly and rubs his back while Carter talks a bit
about Gamma, and she offers some comforting words. She then assures
him that she will be back tonight -- the flight's just an hour.
And Carter says "Do you have to go? My Dad's flying in ... You
haven't seen your brother in months, why do you have to go now?" Abby
explains that he's off his meds, she can't reach Maggie, and if she
doesn't go now, he may disappear again.
Carter looks disgusted/incredulous and starts to walk away. Abby
follows, reiterating that she WILL be back tonight. Carter opens the
door to the lounge and says "Go. Go find your brother. My grandmother
will still be dead tomorrow." He enters the lounge, leaving Abby
looking distressed and upset.
Then, the next episode, there is no indication that Abby hasn't been
around. Carter tells Jack that she's going to meet them at a
cemetery, and Abby is getting ready to go, when Eric shows up. (Having
'escaped' from his completely voluntary treatment center.) She does
bring him to the funeral (having no other real options), and is
sitting holding Carter's hand and giving him comforting looks when
Eric gets out of the car and things, of course, go terribly wrong.
When all is over, she makes multiple attempts to apologize and
explain, and Carter just tells her to go away. Twice.
So ... NO implication that she expected him to go to Iowa with her. NO
suggestion that since Jack was coming, Carter didn't need to stick
around (or she didn't need to come back.) NO, hint from Abby that
"Gamma would still be dead tomorrow." Just a clear case of two people
who needed her, and she had to choose the one who, at that moment, had
the most pressing needs. (She was, presumably, supposed to leave Eric
sitting in the truck stop for 4-5 days until after the funeral?) If
anything, it was Carter who was acting (not completely without cause)
like a petulant brat.
(Oh, and that episode was also a good example of Abby caring about her
patient -- when she's doing a very good job of calming the psychotic
patient, telling him that she's there to 'Keep him safe. That's what I
do. I keep people safe.")
Naomi
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