ER (TV Series) The Book of Abby (2008) User Reviews

The Book of Abby (#15.3)

[ComedyFan2010 · 7/10 · 28 June 2015]

So now Abby and Luka are gone for good as well. So far this season isn't a happy one. 3 important characters are gone and the one new we are introduced to is annoying as hell.

Somehow this episode didn't feel too emotional for me. I had no problems with Abby anymore. I didn't like her at first but after about 2 seasons she became a character I liked to see. So I will be sad to see her go.. But the leaving of Abby somehow was less depressing than that of any other major character I can think of.

The wall with the names of all previous characters was a beautiful scene though. And Morris saying good bye to Abby finally realizing that she is leaving was adorable.

I normally hate Abby-centered episodes, but...

[drewstewartcolumbia · 9/10 · 8 July 2018]

This was a good way to send out a tenured well-established albeit flawed character. No offense to Maura Tierney who played Abby well, but I just grew so tired of the never-ending melodrama surrounding Abby, like the story with her mother, alcoholism and severely dysfunctional family life not just with Luca, but her mother, brother, ex-husband, Chuck and Carter.

A 9 for Abby

[neatmiker · 9/10 · 3 June 2020]

Sad to see her go, she was the lone remnant of the good ol' days. Can't blame her in the least. They absolutely destroyed her story, never really moving her to a place of happiness and contentment until her final episode. What a waste of a potentially great character, but due to all the black activism with Pratt, Chen's one trick pony, Stamos' full house re-enactments and now the new black Weaver Chief, there wasn't any room for the small minded writers and producers to give Abby her due. Frankly I'm surprised she lasted as long as she did; being a part of this crap show the last few seasons had to be rough. I'm glad she, and Luka for that matter, got out so as to avoid the embarrassment that would be this season.

I thought the wall of fame was a nice touch! Largely unbelievable that Haleh would be the keeper of it, but she had to be included, equal rights and all.

In the very last scene, when the gang of Archie, Chuny and 3 who cares abouts, you can see in Chuny's expression that she realizes with Abby's leaving, representing the last person on the show who can act, the ride is over. It's just a matter of time.

One of the Top 10 Episodes

[sycamoreavenue · 10/10 · 22 April 2021]

Abby was a complicated, sometimes frustrating character who underwent not just career evolution over the decade (from L and D nurse to intern to finally attending the day she leaves) but also a long personal evolution (recovering alcoholic, in/out of several relationships due to commitment and personal difficulties, a child, a marriage, an almost divorce, and at the end a new start with her husband and son). Some reviewers have hated on Abby, I personally liked the character as well as Maura Tierney the actress.

This episode is all about Abby's last day at County General, a day that she finally is fully liberated as a doctor who knows what she's doing and is willing to stand her ground, but is also able to show her soft and charming side as well as sense of whimsy and humor.

The goodbyes to the characters she leaves behind are short mostly, but heartfelt showing what we didn't always see on the show: that characters knew each other more deeply than we always say in episodes. Favorite moments: her scene in the OR obs room where she says what everyone thinks about Neela and Lucien, the reveal of the wall of locker name tags of departed doctors/nurses by Haleh (a really nice touch), her lovely and sweet 'last tango' with Frank, and her good-bye to a confused Archie where she points out in good humor his tendency to make everything about him, even her leave-taking. Sorry to see Abby go, she was a moderating mainstay.

The most genuine humanity...

[MoviemanfromCanada · 10/10 · 5 May 2021]

From helping a youth, to saying good bye to Neela, to hearing her fight for a better working environment and respect, to the name tag wall, to dancing with Frank, to looking back, this was the most heartfelt and compassionate episode. The only thing is that I wish the song that plays in the background was a song I could purchase... haven't cried that much in a long time. Probably the hardest character end of the series. She really was the greatest of characters...

Probably, the most important episode in the whole season

[s_tomas · 10/10 · 21 March 2011]

This episode fades in with what can be depicted as Abby entering the ER, heading for the locker's room, in an atmosphere that symbolizes transition, transcendence: from the very beginning, it becomes evident enough that this episode will be filled with deep emotions, and at the same time, sad eyes (if it happens to be the case of a die-hard fan). As she opens her locker, she discerns a Holy bible, and starts reading. When it comes to medicine, this episode has nothing uncommon, just pretty much every-day handled situations. Dr. Banfield and Abby are introduced while treating a chest-bullet-wounded man, and sparks between the two arouse. Abby is aware that somehow, she'd eventually replace her post, metaphorically speaking. This episode is very important if you've been following the series from its start (or at least as of season 10). Mixed emotions, sense of nostalgia is felt all along.

Not another one!

[SlimJim39 · 1/10 · 19 June 2020]

When they advertise under "Help Wanted" what do they do print "Only the egotistical nose up their butt morons need apply." " Bring your terrible sullen lousy attitudes to the County ER." Banfield is the last straw I give up watching any more of this.

Finally Abby is out!!!!!!

[davidagranadoscervantes · 1/10 · 17 February 2022]

Finally Abby goes. Sorry but I think that the character is selfish, boring, and dry all the happiness from other persons like Carter and Luka, from seasons 10 to this chapter is always the same, the same problems, issues and dialogs. I think she never grew up after 6 seasons. Only the background theme for Dr Green 's death and see the tags names for the true heroes like Benton, Corday,Romano, Green, Hathaway, Ross is the real value for this episode.

The trope of the insecure, super aggressive female boss

[polite-45692 · 2/10 · 3 May 2020]

The trope of the insecure, super aggressive female boss got old long ago, and Banfield took it to the extreme of being a cartoonish character.

Abby should have left long ago.

best episode yet

[markusbaue · 1/10 · 5 February 2021]

Loved your focus on Abby... this episodes really shows the reality of working in the ER as a nurse/doctor juggling several things at one time

They ruined Abby...

[mrwb77 · 2/10 · 24 May 2021]

Pretentious tripe episode to mark Abbey leaving.

Dreadful last couple of seasons for the character. Sliding back in to alcohol and cheating just because Luka goes to Croatia.... Come on.

Kovac was the womaniser, he even nailed a patient in a prior season. That part of his character and his whole lost family history got erased.

Really poor lazy writing. So many possibilities for their marriage. They totally ran out of ideas.

Dancing with Frank, painfully bad. Some of the worst acting in the whole run here by Scott Grimes in the ambulance bay...

I will struggle on through season 15 as having watched since the start over months want see the end.

Kind of hoping for cameos from the old cast will come and tear them all a new one for how bad the show became.

Ridiculous and annoying

[ejudqfvb · 2/10 · 23 May 2023]

This episode is among the weakest for a show that ran 15 long seasons. The writers seemed to want Abby to have a spin with each character (literally, with desk manager Frank) as she wraps up her tenure at County.

Abby has a confrontation with Banfield (Angela Bassett in a painfully scenery-chewing role as frosty, imperialistic ER Chief with a heart-rending loss in her past) and two ridiculous scenes: Giving a suicidal teen a syringe of a heart-stopping drug as "plan B" if he doesn't jump and the knee slapper of Abby busting in on a department meeting lecturing that the ER takes the patients nobody else wants and that Taggart (Linda Cardellini) was just doing her job.

Watching Abby spew platitudes and lecture department heads had me waiting if she was going to demand they recite the Serenity prayer with her.

Not content that she hasn't thrown out all her fairy dust, Abby has a faker of a feel-good scene doing the tango with Frank (Troy Evans) who's astonished doing the tango with a dance partner yields better results than following foot positioning stickers on the floor. It really wasn't that much of a shocker, Frank, nor did it give any warm n fuzzies.

Morris (Morris Erby) serves up another fake moment as he learns it's Abby's last day. The writers also dust off the rabbi who married her and Luka now appearing as an ER patient who's stunned "Abigail" ("It's Abby!!") doesn't recognize him.

Luckily Haleh (Yvette Freeman) saves the day and takes Abby to the basement to see the locker tags on the wall for staff who left County. Freeman makes this scene quite touching and saves this episode from its characters overacting and all the ridiculous teeny plot threads.

It was about this point I was begging for ER to be sent to the woodshed. It no longer had the touchstone characters like Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) or Peter Benton (Eriq LaSalle) who helped create one of the best long-running weekly drama series and featured B level actors (Rebecca DeMornay, Ray Liotta, Thandiwe Newton, Aaron Paul, Christina Hendricks, Teri Garr, Lucy Liu and many more) in good roles.

A handful of episodes later, the series limped off the stage, much to our relief.