Season 1, Episode 25:
Everything Old Is New Again
Directed by Mimi Leder
Written by John Wells
Carol's wedding day arrives with some complications. Greene learns that he's being sued for malpractice in the death of Jodi O'Brien. Chloe leaves Susan alone with her baby, Suzy. Carter spends his last day in the ER with a young boy who has leukemia and gets some surprising feedback from Benton.
Tropes:
- Actually Pretty Funny: In the middle of a serious speech, when Doug points out that Tag was "boring" after Carol calls off the marriage, she bursts out laughing, saying afterwards that "he really was dull".
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Tag practically begs Carol to admit whether or not she's sure she's in love with him, channeling his innermost feelings in the process.
- Armor-Piercing Response:Taglieri: I wake up every morning, and I thank God for bringing you into my life. I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes just to watch you sleep. When we're at the movies, and your hand brushes against mine, I can barely breathe. Do you love me like that, Carol? If you care at all about me, tell me the truth.Carol: ...no, I don't.
- Book Ends: Just like the pilot episode (and the three episodes after it), a doctor is woken up while sleeping in one of the recovery rooms, and instantly thrown into a high-stakes situation (in this case, Carter being forced to run a trauma as the lead, with only the nurses for support).
- Closest Thing We Got: Carter is abruptly woken up and forced to run a trauma on his own until Benton and others arrive, with only Lydia, Chuny and other nurses to guide him.
- Crowded-Cast Shot: The entire ER staff is in attendance at the wedding, with people commenting on just how many guests are present.Jerry: Who isn't going to this wedding?Doug: The sick, the lame and the disabled.
- Dance Party Ending: A subversion; the intended wedding between Tag and Carol doesn't happen, but the ER staff all get together to celebrate anyway. The episode (and season) ends with most of the main characters dancing after an impromptu toast to the staff as a whole.
- Disposable Fiancé: Tag finally progresses to this, though this trope is subverted when it's Tag, not Carol, who ultimately ends the intended ceremony, after realizing that she doesn't love him the way he loves her. However, after this, Carol and other characters have fun at his expense, with her referring to him as "boring" and later telling the staff to drink up at the reception, as "Tag's parents are footing the bill."
- My God, What Have I Done?: Carter loses it when he realizes Benton gave him the subeye surgical internship after he already wrote up a scathing assessment of the former's teaching abilities for Dr. Hicks.
- Pet the Dog:
- After a season of browbeating and yelling at Carter, Benton can be heard advocating to Dr. Hicks for him to get the surgical position (saying "But I've been training him all year"). Not only that, but Benton gave Carter a glowing recommendation (which made Carter feel guilty as he gave Benton a 16 out of a possible 40 on his evaluation) and, before Carter left for the summer, took the time to tell him he's going to be a great doctor.
- Conversely, Dr. Hicks (who's shown to be extremely capable at her job, if not very grumpy and dismissive when she sees something she doesn't like) dissuades Carter's fears about negatively impacting Benton's career by noting she was well-aware of the latter's feelings towards his teacher, noting that he can redo the assessment if he wants.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Upon realizing that Carter graded Benton too harshly, Dr. Hicks allows him to redo the assessment... but tells him he doesn't have to be too honest.
- Runaway Bride: Subverted; Carol is all set to go through with the wedding ceremony until Tag pointedly asks her if she loves him the same way he does, forcing her to fess up that she doesn't. Following this, Tag disappears from the ceremony (and the series), while the intended wedding reception goes ahead, with Carol still in full bridal garb.
- Suddenly Shouting: Carter goes from relatively calm to panicked and shouting when he realizes he graded Benton too harshly on the assessment.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: While Tag ultimately cancels the wedding ceremony, the barman, food, drinks, church rental and wedding reception he/his family hired can't just be canceled with only a couple hours' notice, leading the final scene of the episode to involve nearly the entire ER staff partying — at his expense, a fact even pointed out by Carol.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: While he was the Disposable Love Interest, Taglieri disappears completely from the show after this episode, with no explanation as to his whereabouts.
- What the Hell, Hero?: A downplayed version of this — while Tag eventually gets Carol to fess up to the fact that she doesn't truly love him, his final line (a somber "Thank you for telling me... goodbye.") suggests that he's disappointed in her, and the conversation ends without either of them admitting that they should have had this discussion long before the date for the ceremony was on the table.
