This has always been a challenging episode to watch as Dr. Greene lives out his final days in the most beautiful place on earth, Hawaii (my opinion, of course!) If I knew I had little time left, Hawaii would be my choice as well.
Dr. Greene takes his daughter Rachel to Hawaii. He already knows he's not coming back, as he makes a final attempt to connect with his estranged daughter in some way. Live life with no regrets.
Rachel, of course, is a typical teenager who is angry and rebelious against almost everyone and everything. Greene even knows that he's had a hand in it. "You got a bastard for a father!" he confesses to her. He knows that he's never truly been there for her. But, better late than never as he attempts to salvage something; attempts to see if there is still a way to reconcile with her.
It can be painful to realize that your parents aren't perfect. They make mistakes. Often. Because they are people too who are simply doing the best that they can. There's no guidebook or manual. Most parents are little more than children themselves. Perhaps that is why in many Native American societies, the biological parents did not raise their children. That job was left to the elders because it was felt that they had more wisdom and life experience. Perhaps there is something to that. As an ESL teacher, I've seen a number of parents who really don't seem to have a clue about what they're doing.
The best piece of advice I've heard is to simply be there. Just be there. Your presence is worth far more than anything you can buy for you kids. And don't be afraid to make mistakes because you will.
The episode is realistic and not wrought by the typical sentimentalism that we'd usually find. We can't expect that things will magically be healed in repaired in one week's time. But perhaps Mark was able to help Rachel lay a foundationi; a first step toward making better choices for herself. Of course, we won't see the results of this until the series finale when we can smile and realize that Greene was able to succeed in imparting something to his daughter.
My only minor complaint was the absence of Ross and Hathaway at Mark's funeral. I know Clooney was reluctant to take some of the spotlight away from Edwards, but in all reality, Ross and Hathaway would have been there. As two of Mark's closest friends, there's no way they wouldn't have been there. I think Clooney was overthinking it too much. Still, it was a wonderful send off for such a beloved character.
And the added homeage with the best rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" ever done was, literally, a perfect touch!
Dr. Greene takes his daughter Rachel to Hawaii. He already knows he's not coming back, as he makes a final attempt to connect with his estranged daughter in some way. Live life with no regrets.
Rachel, of course, is a typical teenager who is angry and rebelious against almost everyone and everything. Greene even knows that he's had a hand in it. "You got a bastard for a father!" he confesses to her. He knows that he's never truly been there for her. But, better late than never as he attempts to salvage something; attempts to see if there is still a way to reconcile with her.
It can be painful to realize that your parents aren't perfect. They make mistakes. Often. Because they are people too who are simply doing the best that they can. There's no guidebook or manual. Most parents are little more than children themselves. Perhaps that is why in many Native American societies, the biological parents did not raise their children. That job was left to the elders because it was felt that they had more wisdom and life experience. Perhaps there is something to that. As an ESL teacher, I've seen a number of parents who really don't seem to have a clue about what they're doing.
The best piece of advice I've heard is to simply be there. Just be there. Your presence is worth far more than anything you can buy for you kids. And don't be afraid to make mistakes because you will.
The episode is realistic and not wrought by the typical sentimentalism that we'd usually find. We can't expect that things will magically be healed in repaired in one week's time. But perhaps Mark was able to help Rachel lay a foundationi; a first step toward making better choices for herself. Of course, we won't see the results of this until the series finale when we can smile and realize that Greene was able to succeed in imparting something to his daughter.
My only minor complaint was the absence of Ross and Hathaway at Mark's funeral. I know Clooney was reluctant to take some of the spotlight away from Edwards, but in all reality, Ross and Hathaway would have been there. As two of Mark's closest friends, there's no way they wouldn't have been there. I think Clooney was overthinking it too much. Still, it was a wonderful send off for such a beloved character.
And the added homeage with the best rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" ever done was, literally, a perfect touch!