thursday's "er" (spoilers)

[xatalantax]

I haven't kept up with ER since the brain-tumor thing, because at that point it seemed to be turning into a soap opera. I used to watch it every week during the middle of its run (never saw the early part though). And I still think they're doing a good job with characters that you're actually interested in, even though they come and go (though I did hate that Kellie Martin character). So I see it here and there, and I did see those few horrifically intense moments like the schizophrenic stabbing (which I found haunting, partly because right before it came out I had a dream very like the episode,and I still get a really creepy feeling whenever I hear the Lo-Fi Allstars' "Battle Flag") and the helicopter amputation.

Here's what I don't get. Having a flaming helicopter fall on a guy who's already been maimed by a different helicopter ... that's silly, even comical, isn't it? Analytically I thought it was dumb, yet the scene really got to me. I've pictured it and shuddered quite a few times since.