John Carter (ER)

Dr. John Truman Carter III (often referred to as just Carter) is a fictional medical doctor from the television series ER. He is portrayed by Noah Wyle. Dr. Carter is unique in that he was the only major character to have stayed with the show from the beginning of the series up to the 2004-2005 season, for a total of eleven consecutive seasons. Noah Wyle has signed a deal to appear in four episodes each season through 2007.

Character Bio

Relationships

John Carter is from a family of four: his father (John, Truman Carter, Jr.), mother (Eleanor), and a deceased older brother (Robert, commonly referred to as Bobby). His family is very wealthy, his father once estimated to be worth 27 million US dollars. Consequently, Carter does not have debt from his education. Despite the wishes of Carter's family, he goes into medicine. The family would have preferred that he go into economics, running the family business and charitable organizations.

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Throughout the course of the show (particularly beginning in Season 6) we meet various members of Carter's family. His father is caring but stiff, and is very compliant with his wife. He and Carter have a sometimes awkward relationship. Carter's mother is emotionally distant and very cold. Her personality apparently became even colder by the premature death of Carter's brother from leukemia.

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We also learn about his extended family. Carter's grandfather (John Truman Carter, Sr.) was played by George Plimpton. He is the most disappointed by Carter's career choice, and though Carter respects his grandfather, he resents him as well. Millicent (played by Frances Sternhagen) is Carter's grandmother. She is a benefactress of the hospital, even funding Nurse Hathaway's clinic. Carter is very close to his grandmother (whom he calls "Gamma") and intermittently lives with her. They do occasionally argue, however, usually in regards to Carter's reluctance to participate in matters related to their foundation. Chase Carter (Jonathan Scarfe) is John's first-cousin, and is a "functioning" heroin addict. Carter, with the assistance of his girlfriend Anna, attempts to detox and rehabilitate him, but fails. Chase eventually overdoses, resulting in severe brain damage. But Carter pleads for the family to keep Chase in physical therapy, and Chase improves significantly.

Related Topics:
George Plimpton - Frances Sternhagen - Jonathan Scarfe

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Carter dates a number of women, both within and outside of the ER. Significant girlfriends (and the actresses that played them) are listed below:

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• Anna Del Amico (Maria Bello) - They date during Season 4. She was a new resident in the ER. She eventually returns to her rehabilitated addict boyfriend in Philadelphia.
• Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) - They date during Season 8, after Lewis returns to the ER. Carter had a crush on her when she previously worked in the ER, but, after finally dating, their chemistry is very low and they never have sex. They split amicably.
• Abigail "Abby" Lockhart (Maura Tierney) - They date during Season 9. She is a nurse in the ER. He proposes, but gets no answer. After a series of personal crises and general dysfunction on the part of them both (see "Key Events" below), their relationship finally dissolves when Carter goes to the Congo for seven months. He breaks up with her by letter. Millicent didn't like Abby. This relationship was very popular among fans (who call themselves "Carbies") and by far one of Carter's deepest.
• Makemba "Kem" Likasu (Thandie Newton) - They begin dating in Season 10. A French/Congolese AIDS worker in the Congo, Carter meets Kem while working for Doctors Without Borders. They have a passionate, fast-paced romance culminating in Kem's pregnancy. However, she loses the baby after 8 months of pregnancy, and begins to shut down emotionally. Carter proposes, but she doesn't answer and moves back to Africa. During their separation, they date others, but when Carter visits her while she is in France, they reconcile, and give their relationship another chance.
• Wendall Meade (Mädchen Amick) - A social worker in the ER, she dates Carter during Season 11. But, despite his protests, she dumps him after he admits that he doesn't love her and can't stop calling Kem. She apologizes for not realizing that he wasn't ready for a new relationship, despite being a social worker.

Key Events

Carter comes to County General as a third year medical student. He initially is interested in surgery, and is mentored by the surgeon Dr. Peter Benton. However, after a rotation in the emergency room, he decides to change his specialty to emergency medicine, to Benton's dismay.

Related Topics:
Medical student - Surgery - Surgeon - Dr. Peter Benton - Emergency room - Emergency medicine

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As a medical student and resident, Carter is characterized for not always being the most gifted physician, but very compassionate and dedicated to his craft. His level of expertise, however, does improve with time.

Related Topics:
Medical student - Resident - Expertise

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During Season 6, Carter is stabbed in the back by a schizophrenic patient - Paul Sobricki (David Krumholtz). His friend and medical student, Lucy Knight (Kelli Martin), is likewise stabbed, but she does not survive her injuries. As a result of Carter's chronic battle with pain and resistance to help, he eventually develops a narcotic addiction. He begins to make a series of errors on the job. After Abby catches him shooting up, Dr. Weaver demands he go to an inpatient rehab center for medical doctors in Atlanta or be fired. Although initially opposed to going, he was taken by Dr. Benton. Upon returning from rehab, Carter makes peace with his cousin, Chase, and apologizes for his long absence, saying, "I didn't want to admit to the fact that I was just like you."

Related Topics:
David Krumholtz - Lucy Knight - Kelli Martin - Addiction - Atlanta

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Carter and Abby grow closer during Season 8, which leads to Abby's boyfriend, Luka, dumping her.

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During Season 9, Carter dates Abby after they were quarantined in the ER for three days because of the outbreak of monkey pox. They have long been attracted to each other, and their relationship is the natural next step. However, Abby's brother is diagnosed with bipolar disorder (like their mother) and his behavior became erratic. He then he disappears. Additionally, Millicent's health continues to decline, and Carter's mother has difficulty accepting her divorce from Carter's father. Even worse, Abby and Carter continued to disagree over whether or not Abby (a recovered alcoholic) should be drinking at all, even moderately. Despite these issues, Carter proposes to Abby once, and almost does a second time - but she never gives an answer. These personal issues come to a head when Abby's brother reappears the same day Carter's grandmother dies. Carter is broken by his grief, yet Abby feels it's her duty to go and get her destitute brother, essentially leaving Carter alone to grieve. When Abby's uninvited brother behaves inappropriately at Millicent's funeral, it marks the beginning of the end. About a month later, Carter cannot shake his grief or his troubles with Abby, and agrees to go with Luka (without Abby's consent) to the Congo for the Doctors Without Borders program. While there, he almost gets killed by some guerilla soldiers. He returns after two weeks.

Related Topics:
Bipolar disorder - Doctors Without Borders - Guerilla

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When Dr. Kova? is reported killed in Africa, Carter goes to retrieve his body at the beginning of Season 10. To his surprise, he finds Kova? - still alive. After arranging for Kova? to be sent home, Carter remains in Africa for several months. He primarily works in Kem's AIDS clinic. They initially differ on approaches to treatment, but come to respect and love each other (see more about Kem (above) under "Relationships.")

Related Topics:
Dr. Kova? - Africa - AIDS

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After a couple months of dating, Wendall realizes that Carter is still in love with Kem, and breaks up with him.

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During Season 11, Carter starts building an HIV/AIDS clinic adjacent to County General, with full funding by his family's charity foundation. It will be named after his unborn son - "The Joshua Carter Center." Afterwards, he goes to Paris, where Kem is visiting her mother, who has fallen ill. After a very awkward reunion, their relationship begins to grow again, and Carter offers to go to Africa with Kem and start all over. She doesn't answer right away, but later accepts the offer.

Related Topics:
HIV - AIDS - Africa

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Dr. Carter goes back to Chicago, Illinois Chicago to finish out his work with County General, and, after saying goodbye to his friends, goes to Africa to be with Kem.

Related Topics:
Chicago, Illinois Chicago - Africa

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