5:00 P.M.

This episode crossed the line into soap opera land! It also crossed over into preachy dogma.

So, a very bad episode with alarm bells ringing!

Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) continues his dissent into a major breakdown. And now he, and we, may have lost MVP Desk Nurse Evans (Katherine LaNasa).

Dr Santos (Isa Briones) was perfectly summed up by Dr Garcia (Alexandra Metz): "You're trouble!" Dr Robby has created a monster by empowering this time-bomb student doctor.

So, I have to place this series on double-secret probation. I don't want a socially-preachy soap opera, I want an ER drama. But I am willing the give this Freshman series a full season.

Sometimes it's hard to write a review because the level of intensity goes on and on in this show. Langdon is gone but his ghost is hanging over things. The level of fatigue is really starting to show. Dr. Robby is slowly disintegrating by trying to be everything to everyone.

Santos got a guy fired and maybe it was for a good reason, but her demeanor afterward was quite despicable. She was told to keep her mouth shut and then started blabbing within seconds. If she comes out of this as a licensed physician, she will face a lot of anger wherever she lands.

Once again, a guy goes to a hospital and then ends up lying about his use of drugs and his habits.

But things go on. There is a red herring when Robby takes a bag of pills out of his pockets, but what we thought is wrong. Kind of cheap. Episode ends on a serious note.

As a nurse this episode really hit home from the point of view of the nursing staff. When the charge nurse gave her speech about being done I felt validated. We get verbally abused, spit on, things thrown at us, hit, kicked and go back again and again. The struggles of why health care workers are leaving or not as many are going into nursing. Those who feel it's too "soapy" have obviously never been on the inside. Yes it is a drama and yes they are adding more drama to each episode. Everyday may not be like this, but there are lots of days like this. To think that as nurses, doctors and other health care related services that we do not have our own lives, issues and drama going on is ridiculous. They are showcasing all aspects of the intensity and drama that our daily personal/work lives can entail. We work 12-16 hour shifts. We sometimes spend more time at work than at home.

I want to say "Welcome back, ER." Or rather, "Welcome back, Carter." At first, I felt like this drama was just a bonus track and didn't have high expectations. But the story keeps getting better with each passing week.

There are things you only understand once you've been sick yourself. There are things you only realize when you see a loved one rushed to the hospital, fighting for their life while receiving urgent treatment.

Is it packed with terrible things? I know. Because this isn't just a microcosm of a single day-it's a microcosm of many people's lives.

I can't wait for next week. I can live looking forward to it. It's been so long since I've felt this way, and it makes me happy.

Thank you for the wonderful story. Enjoy it too!