Saying Au Revior to ER

I wrote my first television related article about E.R.; long before blogs, websites, or my family owning a VCR, I compared and reviewed E.R. and Chicago Hope for my high school newspaper, the "Eye of the Dragon." (For those of you not inclined to remember Chicago Hope, it too was a show about doctors in a Chicago hospital, although that is where the similarities ended).

Somewhere between there and here, I blinked, and 15 years went by. I am sure in some ways my 15 year-old self would not believe who she has become, or where she has gone--Jamaica, London, Leavenworth! But, some things have remained steadfast these many years, including, and amongst other things, my wicked laugh, worrying too much what people think of me, and of course my love of watching and writing about television. So, as E.R. officially ends tonight, I thought I should pay tribute to the show that gave me my start.

When E.R. first aired, I hadn't seen anything like it--fast-paced, quick dialogue, and so many cute men in one show (hey, I was 15!). I remember instantly liking the show, and also, instantly liking Dr. Carter. I had a total crush on him, and wanted to, like, marry him. The funny thing about E.R., is that, unlike Arrested Development or Sports Night, I can't really quote it, and I don't remember whole plots. But, I remember moments and, most of all, characters.

Par example:
I remember that Mark had a thing for Susan, but at the time was married to Jennifer, who had an affair with a guy in Milwaukee. Then Jennifer left Mark (taking Rachel, their daughter), but at this point, Susan was leaving, because her sister Chloe had a baby and was a junkie. This led to a great scene on a train but Susan still left (because for some reason Sherry Stringfield thought she'd get a better show?), and I always thought Susan and Mark would someday get together, in a very special episode. But, when she came back, it was too late (because, really, they never thought Sherry Stringfield would be back) Mark had ended up with Elisabeth, who dated Benton for awhile, but not before Peter and Carla had Reece (who was deaf) and Carla died. Not to mention Doug and Carole, who were never together, but always meant to be, but first he left, she had twins (Doug was the baby daddy), she flirted with Luka, but then moved to be with Doug. That is the same Luka, who ended up with Abby, but first Abby dated Carter.All of this from memory, btw, there was no episode guide cheating.

Also, these (in no particular order):

1) Love's Labor's Lost--a frequently cited episode from the first season, where a pregnant lady dies in childbirth because of a Mark Greene error. It truly did make me cry my eyes out, and it also starred Bradely Whitford who would later become a regular on the West Wing.
2) Lucy and Carter get stabbed, and Lucy dies--Long before killing off regular characters became 'trendy' it was a shock when Lucy (Kelly Martin) died from stab wounds inflicted in the E.R. by a patient suffering from a mental illness. It was sad and great and we still miss her. Also, it sort of killed Kelly Martin's career.
3) The evolution of Doug and Carole--Carole, who was supposed to die in the pilot episode, was always more mature than Doug. She knew she loved him, and she knew she couldn't change him. Doug always loved Carole, but he needed to change on his own. And it took five years, his departure, and twins, to get them together. But, boy, when they got together, in Carole's last episode and with a surprise George Clooney at the end, it was great. It probably also marked the end of the best E.R. had to offer.
4) Ewan McGregor on E.R.--He showed up in a 'very special episode' in 1997 as a convenience store robber and Carole totally dug him. He totally had a sexy accent and was conflicted in a sexy way and he died. Of course. It was all very sexy.
5) Dr. Ramano loses him arm. I have to say, this was prob. the beginning of the end for me. When he lost his arm from a helicopter wing, E.R. crossed the line into just too much drama to be in good taste. I had stopped watching by the time he died from being crushed by a helicopter and yet somehow I know he did. So, I guess this moment wasn't good, but it was memorable.

There are many more than these, but if I wrote all my E.R. memories, this already way too long post would stretch the limits of blogspot's bandwith. I watched E.R. for many years, because first it was great and then it was good, and then because it was habit. I really only quit when I moved to a place where I couldn't watch as much television as I used too, and some things had to go. But I still checked in occasionally, like when the girl from Bend it Like Beckham was added to the cast, or the cute kid from Once and Again. Now that there is only one more episode, I have to check out the return of George Clooney and Julianna Margulies and Eriq La Salle and Noah Wyle. It will be 1994 all over again.

E.R. always was able to make me laugh, but more often, it sure could make me cry. All of my favorite episodes/moments made me cry. (Okay, except for that Ramono one.) E.R. brings the emotions like no other show ever has, and for that it will always have a place in my heart. It still does, evidenced by the fact that within 10 minutes of the most recent episode I watched, I was bawling.

All of this is then, a really long, convoluted, way of saying good-bye to E.R. Good-bye to a show that saw me through high school and my 10 year high school reunion. Good-bye to a show that started when wearing flannel was cool. It is part of my television history, and part of the history of television. And also, just in case you think I am waxing just a wee bit too much poetic for a television show, let's not forget-- it also made George Clooney famous--and for that we must truly be grateful.

So, good-bye E.R. and your crazy, very special, extra dramatic story lines. We'll miss you!