Well, I started writing a very long post about my recent re-entry into the world of psychiatric care, but it was superbly boring and depressing.
Instead, I'll tell you that over the next few weeks (starting yesterday), TNT will be broadcasting my favorite season of ER, season 7. Besides reaching a creative, post-Clooney peak, the season featured several guest appearances by Sally Field as Maggie Wyczenski, nurse/doctor Abby Lockhart's bipolar mother. TNT will air her first trio of episodes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday's second episode has one of my favorite episode titles of any show: "The Dance We Do." For anyone who has lived with mental illness, or has dealt with a mentally ill family member, the "dance" is all too familiar. Though no one seems to know what will happen next, the patterns are the same nonetheless--a calm before the storm, a viscious cycle of relapse and hope and disappointment and a mostly empty (though heartfelt) promise to change. These upcoming episodes of ER paint a realistic and poignant portrait of how bipolar disorder in particular can devastate whomever it touches.
Maggie returned for three more episodes in the spring. "Sailing Away," my all-time favorite, airs April 5. I hope you'll give it a look. The show is proof that television is not furniture.
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6 comments:
Carli what do you mean by "television is not furniture"?
Thank you for the comment on my blog and for answering the question. Now that I read your quote it seems that I have heard that before.
I too disagree with that comment by the way.
I haven't watched ER in ages...maybe not since the Clooney days. I'll have to take a peek. here via Michele.
Yes Carli you have inspired me also to watch ER again if/ when I spot it in the UK.
Many more families than one would ever imagine have bi-polar experiences. I did a post on it after Stephen Fry's TV programme and it caused a lot of interest.
Stay well and Michele says hi!
Hmmmmm. I don't think Season 7 was one that I liked very much, Carli. In fact, I think that might have been the one that annoyed me enough to avoid the show for 2 years. Or maybe it was Season 8 that did it.
Sally Field, regardless of age, is pretty hard to resist.
I have a friend who is bipolar & still self medicating, (With pot, meth, alcohol, anything he can get, as opposed to perscription drugs which, when he was on them he abused) I worry often but have had to cut him out of my life to the extent that he can't come to my house because I don't want to lose any more money, stuff etc. & have my kids see him this way. His ex is my lifetime best friend so I am still somehwhat involved & their daughter is already exibiting many behaviors similar to her father's
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
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