01.05 Chicago Heat

Still no 'Previously, on ER...'. This is freaking me out more than the fact Mark Greene is wearing a vest which shows his chest hair. He has more hair on his chest than on his head. This is a heatwave episode, which suggests that next week it'll snow.

It's Take Your Daughter to Work Day, and Rachel's first question is about the dead guy in the corridor. Smart kid, that. There's also a kid with a failing heart, so you just know the brats are going to be all big eyed and adoreable at each other.

There's Arthur again. And Ivan. Only this time Ivan was the one doing the shooting. I'm trying to work out if you shave off his moustache and stop him talking in a cod-Russian accent, is it Locke from Lost? I'm going to have to raid tv tome again. Oops, no. I'm wrong.

Ah, Susan's freaky flakey sister Chloe. The one who just screams 'junkie'. Oh, and the five year old girlie overdosed on cocaine. Place your bets on the kid's sister being the one to have left her stash around. Ah, and Chloe nicked Susan's credit card. And Susan's annoying pyschologist boyfriend (what is it with these ER girls and tall skinny greying doctors from upstairs?) doesn't want to help by talking to Chloe. Oh, sure, he'll show up after the flakey sister leaves the cat out in the street, leaves the fridge open, nearly burns down the flat and nicks the tv and offer to help then but earlier? Nope.

Isn't Clooney short? Susan covers for Mark, so he can dodge the drugs sales rep. Pasta name guy asks Carol to move back in with him. And Carol succumbs to her urge to punch Doug when drugs sales rep lady approaches him. And it's a proper punch on the arm, too, the type that leaves a bruise.

Ooh, some symbolism! The rain, i.e. relief from the intense heat, starts after Carol punches Doug and when Benton hears Ivan's victim is dead.

Wait a minute...Doug has a son? Doug has a son?? I don't remember that! Is this one of those backstory things - like Carol's fiancé - which just falls through the cracks as the series develops?