Heh- laughing over your alternate episode title. God, that's really it, isn't it? If she doesn't look stoned, she just looks vapid; if it's not that, she may as well just be a cardboard cutout. Hrm, maybe they're all one in the same...

Wow, I think that maybe every other season a mafia storyline comes up. Some of them have been really great, but I don't think they've had a good one for awhile.

Season 16 might not be a good idea, especially with the destruction of Jack's character, but I'll... probably keep on watching. Just to hope that we'll see glimpses of the old show.

I swear, ER's replacement better be good! When are they going to bump her off? When are they going to please me??? I need to be appeased; my patience is growing thin.

Hm, I think there was a mafia episode from last season, the one with the old mafia guy who dressed funny/flashy, and where he and his nurse/caretake were both shot dead by one of his men. Don't ask me why I remember that one because it wasn't that good.

Destruction of Jack's character - we've sort of seen it, but have you heard any confirmations or rumors about that? Maybe when they take ER away his character won't be dumbed down through osmosis by her vapidness or something.

I keep checking IMDb just to see if they've named a replacement for ER, but no one has been cast in her stead. However, you'd be glad to hear (if you haven't) that Carrie Lowell will be back in "Trial by Jury." The woman in the episode "Dead Wives Club," who killed her ex-husband's wife because she was mad he took everything away from her, will also be in it as an ADA. Then there's Bebe Neuwirth, whom I haven't seen in anything else except "Jumanji" (only because it was on TBS!) but for whom I've heard critical acclaim, will also be an ADA.

The destruction of Jack is just my opinion. He just isn't as fired up as he used to be; seems tired.

Mafia episodes: wish I had season #s and titles memorized. One was a two-parter from, I think, the first season, where there was fighting between two mob families. Then in the fifth season, Jack's tried his old law school friend, a lawyer for the mob. There was also one a couple of years after that, although I can't remember if it was when Jamie or Abby was on it. They were working a case against the mob and her friend, another lawyer, was killed. I think that was my favorite one because it was sort of scary, eerie.

I know those descriptions are no help!

I did hear about Carey Lowell being on the new L&O, but I doubt I'll be watching it.