In the very last song of their very last album (and with all due respect to the fans who will point out that the last song is actually "Her Majesty") The Beatles summed it up best. "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Like the musical jumble that characterizes Abbey Road's "Golden Slumbers" medley, the series finale of ER proved to be a fitting homage to the constant chaos that has transpired at County General over the last 15 years. It has been a glorious joy ride through everyday human drama and the lives and loves of the doctors and nurses who became more to us than just characters on a television show. They became a part of the fabric of our pop culture, grabbing hold of our imaginations, defining a genre and leaving a lasting imprint on our hearts and our collective consciousness.
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After many years of not-so-happy or downright disastrous endings, it is really nice to see some of our favorites enjoying real glimpses of happiness in these final episodes. This week, we even got to see some new skills on display — and not necessarily of the medical variety.
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The name of the hospital ended up being the biggest clue of all. Throughout the entire episode, I was frustrated, wondering why I didn't know which hospital Neela had decided on. Did I miss it? Was it mentioned last week? About three quarters of the way through, I realized my not knowing was purposeful and then I just waited patiently for the ending I hoped would come.
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Old Times
Season 15, Episode 19
On a mission to retrieve transplant organs for Carter, Neela and Sam fly to Seattle, where they meet with Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) and Ross (George Clooney), who are coordinating the transfer. But the donor's grandmother (Susan Sarandon) has second thoughts about the donation. Meanwhile, Benton (Eriq La Salle) watches out for Carter at Northwestern. Ernest Borgnine also guest stars.
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Greetings from the Canadian Rockies! My post this week will be short as I am watching much later than I usually do. Thanks to all the Canucks who pointed me in the right direction as to where to find the show in the Calgary area.
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I just sat through a double dose of ER — catching up with last week's show as well as the new episode —- and if this is a sign of things to come, it is safe to say I am in trouble. Inexplicably, I started crying the moment Carter walked through those ER doors. I think part of it has to do with my slow recognition of the fact that the end is really coming. But I also think part of it was the shock of having Carter walk through the doors and be, for the most part, unrecognized. This is John Carter, people! He is one of the originals. He was an intern here when you were all still a bunch of snot-nosed grade schoolers playing doctor in the recess yard. Show the man some respect!
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Sorry ER fans, due to unavoidable travel delays, tonight's recap will be delayed. In the meantime, feel free to comment on the episode's happenings.
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As our march toward the finale continues, we were treated to an episode directed by none other than Dr. Peter Ben... oh wait, I mean talented hyphenate Eriq La Salle. Call me crazy, but I was really hoping that our favorite surgeon would make a guest appearance in his self-directed episode. I guess the clue for me should have been the lack of NBC spoilers promoting a "very special return." We'll save that for next week.
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It seemed especially fitting in this last season that attention was paid to a part of the rich history of the ER we hadn't seen before. When we first met Oliver in tonight's episode, he appeared to be another homeless casualty, confused and injured, who found his way to the doors of the County General. Little did we know that this particular patient was in fact one of the founding fathers of the ER, an esteemed physician who had been a pioneer of emergency medicine at County.
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The lesson we were presented with in this week's episode was a simple one: appearances can be deceiving. An emotionally-detached, steely ER chief can be secretly longing for motherhood. A thrice-divorced couple can share a deep, abiding love. A quiet teenager can be harboring a dark secret. And two very different couples can derail their own happiness and ignore their best instincts in the face of fear, confusion and doubt.
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"The toughest thing is making the right call when it counts." In life, we don't usually get the chance to see how different choices can have dramatically different outcomes, but the concept certainly makes for good storytelling. This week's triple take on a day in the life of the ER showed how minor alterations can make all the difference. It also showed how, as Neela's fortune ultimately confirmed, "Your actions are the seeds of fate."
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It's a new year in the ER, but it comes laced with a touch of melancholy. Each week brings us closer to that final episode and for someone who has spent many, many Thursdays following the escapades of the staff at County General, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do when it ends.
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Christmas came to ER for the last time this week and it brought some bittersweet moments, some unhappy endings and a surprise or two. Oh, and hash brownies.
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As has often been the case over the past fifteen years, a nasty Chicago snowstorm brought trauma and drama to the ER tonight. And while the staff kept the lights on back at County General, Morris and Banfield bonded in Omaha while the weather kept them stranded at a conference and gave them an opportunity to experience each other in a new light.
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Hello
ER fans! Thanksgiving vacation is starting a little early so I'm not able to recap this week's episode, but here is what I know: Neela's intern causes some major problems for the hospital, Gates' continuing quest to help the homeless veteran begins to cause issues with Sam, and Brenner lets his anger get the better of him.
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The question for this week is really simple. At what point did you start crying? For me, it pretty much started before the episode even began as Eriq LaSalle delivered an eloquent memorial to ER creator Michael Crichton. It seemed especially fitting to have one of the original cast members bid a final farewell to the man who started it all. (Now Eriq, we need you back in scrubs with your best Benton scowl as soon as possible.)
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Before the official recap for this week's episode, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the untimely passing of ER creator and executive producer Michael Crichton. It is hard to believe that the same guy who dreamed up the dinosaur escapades of Jurassic Park could also create the distinctively grounded, human drama of County General. But Crichton was a doctor before his wildly successful forays into science fiction and he clearly poured his heart, soul and medical expertise into the Thursday night drama that would turn into a Must-See juggernaut. It's been reported that the tall, unassuming Crichton died after a private battle with cancer. His contribution to television history will live on.
As Pratt's brother Chaz (Sam Jones III) settled into his new role as first year medical student, Morris' struggle to get past Greg's death continued to cloud his judgment. His desire to play the role of surrogate brother and mentor got the better of him and Chaz was put in situations that were well beyond the scope of his experience. It also created additional tension between Morris and Banfield ("How can such a good doctor be such a knucklehead?") However, their brief elevator conversation where Morris opened up about his unresolved feelings and acknowledged his poor decision-making, probably helped to ease the road for these two in the future.
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It was a hectic Halloween in the ER in this episode. But for fans of Neela and Ray, the tricks far outweighed the treats. Ghosts were everywhere for these two as their oddly tense reunion was overshadowed by a shared history marred by tragedy and missed opportunities.
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It was back to business as usual this week in the ER as the new interns settled into the frenetic pace and partnered with some of the veterans to learn the ropes. But they weren't the only ones trying to adjust. Archie and Tony both dealt with unexpected situations, and everyone tried to negotiate life with the new Chief.
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Haleh really summed it up best when she said, "We're gonna miss you so damn much." And so again tonight, we said goodbye to a dear friend. Happily for us (and not altogether unexpectedly) Luka and Abby got the ending — and the new beginning — they deserved and we the fans were rewarded for our patience (and, frankly, sheer endurance) and were treated to a graceful and touching departure befitting these two beloved characters. At last, a happy ending.
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"Welcome to internship; the dream starts now." Gates' words of wisdom to the newest batch of interns after their traumatic first day took me back to those early episodes as Carter stumbled through the halls of County under the exasperated tutelage of Drs. Benton and Greene. I'm sure there will be many similar moments tying past to present as we make our way through this final season.
Read and discuss the rest of this recap after the jump.
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As I prepped for tonights episode it suddenly hit me that for the last fifteen years ER has been a part of my life next September it wont be I guess that its true that all good things must come to an end and with that in mind tonights tragic loss was a fitting though truly sad beginning to the final leg of this journeyGreg Pratt wasnt always an easy character to love or even like for that matter However over the years Pratt matured from a brash headstrong know-it-all into a poised and gifted doctor and a beloved character in the ER It was a fitting tribute that so many of the people he worked with mentored and loved were a part of his final moments As Neela Gates Abby Sam and Morris all valiantly tried to save his life in the wake of the ambulance explosion the most gut-wrenching scene for me was when the severity of his injuries became clear and the tears streamed down his face while his friends desperately tried to help him I imag
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