(S14E18) What? An episode where Abby's good luck finally rears its ugly head? Nah, couldn't be! Why would the producers of ER want to give Dr. Lockhart any good luck after the roller coaster that has been her life this past season? Oh, I know why...her life is going to fall apart again on next week's season finale. So, I guess it's like giving her something sweet before she needs to swallow yet another bitter life pill.

Well, we can enjoy it for a little bit, can't we?

Heck, these times come oh so rarely to Abby. It's either sink or swim when it comes to these life challenges of hers. Luckily, this week it was swim as, not only did she get two job offers, but she managed to save a patient with extreme liver failure (for the time being, at least). It was due time that Abby became an attending at County General. With all of the time she put in both as a doctor and a nurse she had more medical skills and knowledge than some of the other doctors who have graced (or soiled) the hallways of County General. I mean, if she can put that prat Simon into his place with her knowledge base then she certainly deserves a promotion.

Was it the right choice to stay with County and not go into private sector? If this weren't a television show that relied on Abby staying around the answer would probably be no. Just like it was when Green, Ross, Carter, and so many others declined work in the private sector to remain in the trenches of the County medical institution. It comes down to family, it seems. That, and the fact that she enjoys what she does, likes the people she works with, and, deep down, wouldn't have it any way.

I mean, if Abby took the job at the medical center, would she have been able to treat a transsexual woman who was in acute liver failure due to estrogen injections she obtained from Mexico? Most likely not. She wouldn't have gained the experience that she did on this case, which made her a stronger doctor. Perhaps that was another reason why she decided to remain at County General as well. Everyday is a challenge, good or bad, that defines you as both a person and a doctor.

Enough about Abby. Time to speak about Neela. It seems that Dr. Rasgotra has an issue with personal attachments -- both romantically and friendly. We saw all of her romantic problems last season. Now, as we near the end of this season, she has to deal with the feelings that she has for a patient that she has been treating for well over a month. Sheryl is a unique patient for County General: she has a positive attitude as well as a sense of hope. You can't help but feel bad for the predicament she's in. That's where Neela is now.

Her role as a surgeon is a delicate one. On the one hand she has to be impartial as she digs into the insides of others. On the other hand, she is still a doctor who has a strong sense of compassion. When these two emotions conflict there are bound to be problems. And, Neela is getting hit with those problems from both ends. Sheryl is hitting her with guilt -- even though she doesn't know she's doing it -- while Lucien is telling her that she needs to grow a pair and stop acting like an intern. It will be interesting to see if this incident bears any fruit in the season finale.

Now, the other events going on in and around the ER:

• If you were going to define the essence of Archie Morris in one word it would be stoic. He was so calm on the outside, but you could see him fighting an internal battle to keep control of his emotions on the inside. Nice to see this side of Archie once in awhile.
• Simon is back to being a git again. He was quite the cold and callous bastard when he told the intern how their little tryst was nothing to him. Someone needs to give him a swift kick to put him on the right path.
• Tony and Sam: Now it's just getting silly. The way that John Stamos was acting in this episode reminded me of his character on Full House. It was the comic relief of this installment, but it could have been done better.
• It looks like there were two special guest stars this week familiar to most viewers. Sam McMurray played the father of Lonnie/Lois and does working-class dad quite well. The other guest star was Mrs. Garrett herself, Charlotte Rae. Not too sure who she was? Well, she portrayed the cat lady who came into the ER because her regular doctor died. It was hard to recognize her with the curly, white hair. But, once you saw the face and heard the voice she became recognizable.

Next time -- Steve Buscemi, Hal Holbrook, and Luka punches Kevin Moretti in the face as season 14 comes to a close.