ER - The End

ER - Life is Good, And in the End... - Eps. 1521-1522 - Series Finale

So as I've said before, I've stopped watching ER a long time ago, but I would pop in occasionally. The series is a far cry from being the ratings powerhouse it once was, but even in the final years, it may have all been a retread, but it was still a solid drama until the end.

It's great to see the huge roster of actors all come back in the final episodes. Self-indulgent? Maybe, but who cares. This show has every right to it in its final episodes. It's lasted 15 years. I was still in grade school when it started!

Okay, so by the end, even though I actually do love the replacement casts, things got repetitive, but then again, isn't life? The show had William H. Macy far before he was cool and a name. It gave chronic character actors Paul McCrane and Laura Innes actual lead roles on a hit TV show!

I enjoyed seeing Thandie Newton and Alex Kingston's Corday come back. I loved the full circle with Dr. Mark Green's daughter Rachel as a new candidate for an internship at County General Hospital. There's another full circle with naive newbie Rory Gilmore/ Alexis Bledel (okay, her character was Dr. Julia Wise, but really, it was Rory Gilmore) join the hospital on the last episode as what would have been the new John Carter for the next generation. And it was nice to see Eriq LaSalle, Laura Innes, Sherry Stringfield and of course Noah Wylie back as Benton, Weaver, Lewis and Carter.

It was nice to have a bit of a nostalgic reunion and some closure. All while attempting to play out a regular episode at the same time with the current cast. Say what you will but I've gotta give respect to Scott Grimes and Linda Cardellini. Loved the second-to-last episode when Morris and Samantha were running that kids camp in the gym.

And there have been a LOT of good actors that moved on to bigger things, and I'm not just talking George Clooney or anybody from the original cast.

I'm talking Maria Bello, Jorja Fox (before CSI), Khandi Alexander (before Newsradio), CCH Pounder (before The Shield), Goran Visnjic, Mekhi Phifer, Elizabeth Mitchell (before Lost), Mariska Hargitay (before SVU). (And the list goes on and on and on. My gawd, who HASN'T worked on this show?)

... and Maura Tierney (after Newsradio), John Stamos (after Uncle Jesse), Parminder Nagra (after Bend It Like Beckham), Shane West (after Once and Again).

The movie stars "slumming it" to join the ER crew like Angela Bassett, Stanley Tucci and John Leguizamo.

And remember Erik Palladino? Kellie Martin? Busy Phillips? Michael Michelle? Sharrif Atkins? Ming Na?

Then of course there's always the constance of the nursing staff and ER aids! Lydia (Ellen Crawford)! Jerry (Abraham Benrubi)! Haleh (Yvette Freeman)! Chuny (Laura Cerón)! Malik (Deezer D)!

And I must say, it was a perfect way to end the series with that last scene when the new batch of doctors, including Rory Gilmore, along with Morris, Angela Bassett and the current cast waiting upon a new batch of patients. It was a nice touch to have Carter call upon Mark Greene's daughter Rachel to join them in the ER. And then the final play of the ER theme song as we finally get to see what County General looks in the Chicago landscape!

Vance at http://tapeworthy.blogspot.com