"Freefall"

On Thanksgiving, the staff struggles with a shortage of doctors as Abby (Maura Tierney) treats an HIV-positive woman (guest star Amy Pietz ) who thinks she might be pregnant while suffering from severe bleeding and an unexpected helicopter crash on the hospital rooftop threatens to harm everyone in the hospital. Nearby, Dr. Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) is unaware that her "ex-husband" Chuck (guest star Donal Logue ) was involved in the disaster. Elsewhere, Dr. Romano (Paul McCrane) threatens to file a serious complaint against the brash Dr. Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) and Romano continues to ride medical student/nurse Abby with tough medical questions -- even as she wonders about what Dr. Carter (Noah Wyle) might be doing that same day in Africa.



Thisll be the last ER I watch, just wont be the same after tonight's broadcast.

Wow, how about them apples!

Didn't they just get fone remodeling the ER?

They did not just ****ing do that?

Well, I guess the earlier rumors where true.... Whew!

What a ridiculous crock of Sh**.

I quit!

wow. no mention of Romano being killed..

what happened to him does bother me, but that's just stupid..

Wife just called me at work and spoiled it for me.

Bitch.

I never watch the show anymore anyway.

who was on the helicopter because i thought the doctor that was with the rich guy (he said i dont know how you do it robert when they went up the elevator) was up there but later i thought they showed him in the er.
The fireman said there were 4 people and i assume that didnt count ramono.
pilot, their flight nurse, patient (rich guy) and ??

It was a pretty tense episode.

It's a shame that the whole romano thing ended the way it did.
I know they were going for the irony thing, But c'mon!

Perhaps Ralph Garcey (Barry Miller) could come in to take his place. I mean it's not that far from the ridiculousness of what just happened.

I thought the 4th person was the hospital CEO, since he was a friend of the patient.

Romano had taken earlier elevator down, ran outside (panic attack?). Helicopter fell on him. The end scene showed the helicopter being raised and firemen noticing another body underneath, but no one knows yet that it is Romano.

Probably have a pilot and a co-pilot.

This was one kick-ass episode, yet it was sad as hell.

Yeah, Romano was one of the biggest *******s in the history of television, but damn he was so good at it. I'm pissed he's gone!

And Scott Grimes ****ing character is still on the show! WTF?!?

I really liked Susan and Chuck's little subplot. Sherry Stringfield did an excellent job - I was actually getting sad watching her before she found out Chuck was alive.

Kovac, Sam, Abby and Pratt all kicked ass tonight, too. Best ep in a long time.

Attention: There has been a Dr. Gallant sighting!

Was that Thandie Newton w/ Carter in Africa? Looked like her even though the clip was so short. Nice beard, Noah Wyle.

Speaking of Abby - this season has been great for her. She has gone back to med school and her famn damily is nowhere to be found. I just realized that I am still in love w/ Maura Tierney.

Well, it speaks volume that no one really went to go look for Romano, didn't it?

That was one intense day at the ER. Glad Abby survived. It was amazing how much more comfortable she is as a nurse at the end of the episode.

It looks like John "Grizzly" Carter has been shacking up with Thandie Newton in the Congo.

Susan might just let Chuck into her heart after almost losing him today.

Does Gallant do much more than just show up?

Morris is still a worthless waste of space.

Pratt dodges more than helicopter shrapnel with the non-appearance of Romano at the meeting with with Anspaugh.

Kovach and Sam ... victim of kid cupid?

I preface this by saying my wife and I love this show, even though we both agree its gone downhill a bit over the last couple years. That said, my wife had the line of the night:

"If Romano is somehow alive, i'm not watching this show anymore".

as I recall, her name was first on the supporting cast list of the night, and when she finally appeared there at the end, I was like "oh finally, there's Thandie"

I consider the Carter/Newton cut as a teaser to tide fan over until the next batch of new episodes return (I suspect we'll be in rerun season until January).

I hope they at least pay some sort of attention to Romano next week

There's a Harry Connick Jr. special next Thursday in ER's timeslot.

Yep, they just killed off the ONLY remaining interesting character on the show, and for what? The new insufferable med students? The new nurse and her vile son? The idiotic boyfriend of Dr. Lewis? I think it's time to close the doors on this show. It holds nothing for me now.

Honk!

Goddamit, when did Brannon and Braga start writing this show?

ugh... now I remember why I stopped watching this show, I could easily ask when and why these characters were introduced but frankly I really could care less.

that was the cheapest, lamest death I've seen in a long time. What a waste. would have been better to just have his character take a leave of absence or something. Now weaver will probably be back and I hate her

Could someone tell me what happened from the time they showed Carter with the Ugliest Girl On Earth to the point where Abby and Neela are walking back sharing a coffee?

At first I thought it wasn't gonna be Romano who died when he didn't get on the chopper. But when he went out to catch his breath, I was like, "uh oh..." and there it was.

It is a serious crime that Morris is getting more screentime that Gallant. Someone from NBC/Warner should be shot for this.

Please don't tell me that Luka's gonna get to bang Sam too. I don't like it.

Agreed. I've enjoyed seeing Abby back in the role we first saw her, when she was treating Carol Hathaway during CH's pregnancy.

And that was Thandie. He may never come back. I wouldn't

Enough w/ the Romano bawling. He'd run his course. Maybe they should't have had him screaming like a little girl, but that's debateable.