That, as they say, is that.
With nods to both the past and the future, ER completed its 15-year run on Thursday night. It was an evening of something old (the return of numerous show alumni), something new (the introduction of a new generation of docs), something borrowed (a few homages to the very first episode) and something blue (uh, their scrubs). It was an uneventful episode that told of a fairly typical day at County General.
As series finales go, it was just okay. It didn’t have the power of a Battlestar Galactica or the disappointment of a Seinfeld. It was a bit long and somewhat boring, except for the end. I know you all want to express your opinions, but I just want to highlight a few of the things I, and those who were on our live chat, noticed during the last episode.
Looking back to the past: Fans probably recognized the homages placed throughout the episode. The most recognizable was Lydia waking up Morris, who was sleeping in the shift room. If you can remember that far back, Lydia was the one who woke up Mark Greene during the show’s first episode “24 Hours.” In fact, the whole finale was a dedication to that episode as it also reflected a 24-hour window at County. Granted, there were no drunken doctors or suicidal nurses, but the spirit was there.
Other tidbits included the return of Lydia and other nurses we haven’t seen in years (they’ve all been on night shift) and the ambulance bay basketball hoop. The biggest honor was the return of the opening title sequence featuring old cast members making final appearances alongside the current cast. Seeing it sent chills up my spine.
County goes Greene once again: Mark Greene was and still is the face of County General’s ER. So, it was a logical move to bring 22-year-old (!) Rachel Greene back into its loving arms. The best part was that all of the old staff were generally shocked and delighted to see her at the same time. For them, a new generation of Greene wouldn’t be a bad idea at all.
The new class: Can someone tell me why Alexis Bledel (Rory Gilmore of Gilmore Girls) was not a member of the ER staff since the beginning of this season? She would have been the perfect newbie, the female counterpart of Carter, who was just starting her aspiring medical career. Instead, we only got a taste of who she could have been.
Saying good-bye to old friends: We finally got to see Kerry Weaver and Susan Lewis return for one more fling. It was really nice to see them, along with Peter Benton and Elizabeth Corday, all in one location. I had another set of chills when they were all sitting in the bar and Carter was just listening to them talk. And, if I may be a chauvinistic pig for a moment, Sherry Stringfield looked gooooood!
The last patients: All of the cliches were in effect during the series finale. We had the stupid parents who let their underage party-goers drink because, you know, they were going to do that anyway; the pregnant lady who bled out and eventually died (a homage to “Love’s Labor Lost,” perhaps); the randy senior citizen, and the very sensitive older man whose wive was dying. Seeing Ernest Borgnine return in this episode gave me some understanding as to why he was inserted into the “Carter’s Kidney” episode a few weeks ago.
Sam and Tony: One word: Finally! There was really no need to torture us for half a season when we all knew they were getting back together.
The last 15 minutes: The last segment of ER was the defining moment of the finale. All of the ER staff waiting for a mass trauma. The wide shot of the entire hospital, something never shown during the show’s entire run. The old theme music playing in the background. It’s what made the finale worthwhile. By the way, I’m surprised that an El train never crashed into County considering how close it was to the building itself.
Oh, one more thing…
Southland: I don’t need to see the show now, since I practically watched it all during every single. Freaking. Commercial. Break.
Thanks for sticking around with me here and at TV Squad for my ER reviews. I hope you enjoyed reading them as I did writing them. Now, let’s hear your opinions.
Clacked by Richard Keller 
on Apr 03, 2009 @ 13:13 EST5EDT
A VERY fitting ending to a wonderful and magnificently crafted show, even through the ‘leaner’ years of the last 2-3 or so. Thursdays will never be the same, and the way the closed things out across the board was very eloquent and fitting.
God Bless Michael Crichton and all of the people who helped to make the last of ‘must see tv’ go out with a big bang! There will never be another like ER!
Don’t know. I didn’t feel bored but this was just another 2 hours of my favorite medical drama and there won’t be any more.
Carter didn’t get back together with his wife. Peter didn’t get together with Elizabeth. Tony and Sam didn’t get back together either – holding hands means just about nothing.
To be honest I don’t really saw the ending in this double episode. ER could’ve gone on forever and this episode left the ending so open – I mean either you totally hated the new Dr. Greene or you could think in the fall we could simply take over the spot of her father, becoming the new Carter on another fifteen years of ER.
The best moment of the whole evening was the opening credits. Benton did his move! After six years I finally saw that again (not counting my personal DVD marathons). The shiver that move always sent down my spine, the whole old opening credit – it reminded me of how good this show once was and I don’t mean that it got so much worse or anything, I mean that when it came on the air it was groundbreaking.
The episode managed to bring up so many old memories – I almost started to cry when they said the burn victim hat 90% burns – instant flashback to the firefighter episode. Or how Archie got woken up – I almost wanted to stop watching to pop in the DVD with that episode. Last night it didn’t feel stale to see these things again, it was like reconnecting with old friends and memories for the last time.
One thing I didn’t like though. Alexis Bledel. Bluest eyes in the world and insanely gorgeous but indescribable casting error. She wasn’t made for this show. Having her on the finale was wrong. Just wrong.
Very well done review. Nice pickups on the various “homage” elements. One item of yours with which I differ–the impact of the Alexis Bledel character would have been diluted enormously had she been in the game all season. The two hour snapshot we got of her last night is a perfect concentrated parallel to the initial snapshot we got of Carter–who, even more than Greene, ends up being the face of the hospital and the show–fifteen years ago. The character provides excellent anticipatory continuity. And institutional continuity always has been a critical element of ER as characters have come and gone.
See, I disagree, and the same time disagree. I think she was wasted on this episode. I had expected a true parallel to the pilot, and letting it be her first day in the ER.
Wow. I just reread that. I should have read that “…I agree, and at the same time disagree…’
I thought it was a very fitting tribute to the ER I’ve watched all these years. I especially loved the ending — “Are you coming, Dr. Greene?” Carter says to Rachel, as he said to Mark before.
Someone missing from all this, though, was Gloria Reuben whoe played Jeannie Boulet in such a significant role. She was not even seen in the quick retrospective snapshots (that I noticed).