ER - The Final Season -- "The Beginning of the End" -- 02/19/09 - Dr. Carter returns!

[nateman]

Spoiler:

ER - The Final Season -- "The Beginning of the End" -- 02/19/09

Noah Wyle returns to the ER in this special Valentine's Day Episode!

[Rainet]

Kind of funny but sort of depressing when almost no one knows who John Carter is. Who are you again? Great to see him back though.

[Patman]

No, that was not nice to see of Carter at the end of the episode.

[ben12]

Originally Posted by Rainet

Kind of funny but sort of depressing when almost no one knows who John Carter is. Who are you again? Great to see him back though.

Everyone's had that experience, though -- returning to a place you spent a lot of time in that was very important to you to find it completely changed and you completely forgotten.

[Rainet]

Originally Posted by ben12

Everyone's had that experience, though -- returning to a place you spent a lot of time in that was very important to you to find it completely changed and you completely forgotten.

Sort of like this thread

[Patman]

That was a dialysis machine that Carter was hooked up to at the end of the episode, right? So sad to think he might need a kidney transplant, or something worse.

[cracksky]

Originally Posted by Patman

That was a dialysis machine that Carter was hooked up to at the end of the episode, right? So sad to think he might need a kidney transplant, or something worse.

Yes. Dialysis. I was wondering if it was safe for a doctor on dialysis to be working with patients in an emergency room with all the possible blood contact. Very dangerous. Lots of chances for infection there.

[Goat3001]

I have never watched an episode of this show but last night (after seeing commercials for it during 30 Rock) I realized that this is one of the most successful shows ever and that it has been on since the beginning of television.

I'm wondering, for those that have followed the show from the beginning, has the show gotten worse as the seasons have gone on (as we see with so many other dramas these days) or has it maintained it's level from the beginning? Also, is it safe to assume the Clooney will be making an apperance towards the end of the series? I know the show has had plenty of cast changes which makes it that much more surprising to see it last this long.

[cracksky]

Originally Posted by Goat3001

I have never watched an episode of this show but last night (after seeing commercials for it during 30 Rock) I realized that this is one of the most successful shows ever and that it has been on since the beginning of television.

I'm wondering, for those that have followed the show from the beginning, has the show gotten worse as the seasons have gone on (as we see with so many other dramas these days) or has it maintained it's level from the beginning? Also, is it safe to assume the Clooney will be making an apperance towards the end of the series? I know the show has had plenty of cast changes which makes it that much more surprising to see it last this long.

I've watched the show since Day One and seen every single episode. The show today is not what used to be at all but there are occasional moments of brilliance. There's always someone in the cast to hate each year and the interns are always idiots. Ultimately, the show is about story and character and since 1994 we've had a lot of that. If they put out a nice series boxed set on DVD I'll certainly buy it. Lots of great memories.

Several past performers have already made guest appearances this season.

Spoiler:

The rest of the season will see more appearance by Clooney, Margulies, Stringfield, Tierney & Innes at least

[mikehunt]

hmm. did he catch something in africa that caused kidney failure?

[Septemberbaby]

Originally Posted by mikehunt

hmm. did he catch something in africa that caused kidney failure?

That's very possible..
Doesn't he have only one? Didn't he lose one when he was stabbed by that lunatic that also killed Lucy Knight?

[Joe Schmoe]

I've watched this show for 15 years. The novelty of the frantic pace in the ER wore off years ago, but the quality of the show has been consistent IMHO. It's always been good, but not outstanding. It's had moments of greatness, but it's had its share of silly moments too. A lot of shows die when their stars quit, but this show has had a revolving door of doctors forever and I got used to it. And it's one of the few broadcast network shows that had the balls to flip the bird (several times), use profanity (Mark Green's famous "shit!"), and show boobies (albeit it was some old ladies' knockers).

[bralph]

Originally Posted by cracksky

Yes. Dialysis. I was wondering if it was safe for a doctor on dialysis to be working with patients in an emergency room with all the possible blood contact. Very dangerous. Lots of chances for infection there.

Shows how medically stupid I am. I had no idea what he was hooked up to.

[Claytonian]

Originally Posted by Goat3001

I have never watched an episode of this show but last night (after seeing commercials for it during 30 Rock) I realized that this is one of the most successful shows ever and that it has been on since the beginning of television.

I'm wondering, for those that have followed the show from the beginning, has the show gotten worse as the seasons have gone on (as we see with so many other dramas these days) or has it maintained it's level from the beginning? Also, is it safe to assume the Clooney will be making an apperance towards the end of the series? I know the show has had plenty of cast changes which makes it that much more surprising to see it last this long.

I, too, have been with ER since day one (wow....has it really been on since 1994?!). While I admit that there was a "golden era" for the show, I still enjoy it every week and I have never missed a show (that I know of). I missed some of the big characters from early on when they departed, but there have been good characters brought in to replace them. Not all of the replacements have been good, but most. And that's really saying something about the writers and actors.

You really start to get to know the characters and that's when the show can get really fun. You feel like you know them and know what they are all about. That adds a lot of opportunity for humor as well as the obvious dramatic elements. (On a side note...this is exactly how the show Friends was for me and my wife. You got to know the characters so well, that it made the humor that much better. You knew how they would react to situations, but it was still great seeing those reactions.....like they were people you actually knew. That, to me, is great character development and great writing.)

Have Noah Wyle back was great and it made me realize how great the first half of the series was, even thought I appreciate what the series still is. He was a great character. I assumed he would be in for one episode as the rest of the guest stars this season, so I was happy as the episode progressed that it seemed he might be on a little longer. Then the shot at the end of him on the machine and that happiness sank a bit. But he is a good actor so it will entertaining to see him finish off his run on ER with whatever story they have planned.

Anyway, anyone who starts watching this show after its run is over on DVD or whatever, I recommend sticking with it. It is very enjoyable. Though it will take you a while to get through from the beginning.....15 seasons times 22 episodes times 45 minutes each.

[Patman]

IIRC, Carter will be on ER for this many episodes:

Spoiler:

He'll be on for 5 episodes, so we have 4 more episodes to go.

[Septemberbaby]

Originally Posted by Patman

IIRC, Carter will be on ER for this many episodes:

Spoiler:

He'll be on for 5 episodes, so we have 4 more episodes to go.

How many do we have left?

Spoiler:

I hope they don't kill him off.. and then this is the reason why Doug and Carol are coming back.

[Patman]

I'm guessing there are 8-9 more episodes.

[FantasticVSDoom]

Originally Posted by Claytonian

I, too, have been with ER since day one (wow....has it really been on since 1994?!). While I admit that there was a "golden era" for the show, I still enjoy it every week and I have never missed a show (that I know of). I missed some of the big characters from early on when they departed, but there have been good characters brought in to replace them. Not all of the replacements have been good, but most. And that's really saying something about the writers and actors.

I would agree with this...

[ericmylad]

Originally Posted by Patman

I'm guessing there are 8-9 more episodes.

From wikipedia:

The fifteenth and final season of the American fictional drama television series ER first aired on September 25, 2008 and will be concluded on April 2, 2009 in a two-hour episode preceded by an one-hour retrospective special episode.



That tranlates to 6 episodes, 7 if you count the finale as 2 since it's 2 hours.

[Patman]

Bummer.

[madcougar]

I watched the show for the first four or five seasons. During that time I thought it was brilliant. For me it lost some steam once the regulars started leaving, and I had a hard time accepting the new additions to the cast.

I've been very impressed however with how they were able to get some traction these last few years. It's had a fantastic run. As point of reference John Stamos was on Full House when the show started.