The end of an ERa

Get it? "ER"a?

Yes, last night was the series finale of "ER." 15 years of blood, guts, drama, laughter and tears. If you're not a fan of the show, this entry might not mean much to you, so I won't be offended if you choose not to read it.

I wasn't a viewer for all 15 years. I started watching early on, then got away from it in the middle years. For the past 7 or 8 years (since I've known Ken--he's a fan of the show), I've been a faithful viewer, although there were quite a few nights when I was working when I couldn't make it through till 11 PM. A summary of the final show, and then some commentary.

I thought they did a good job with the finale. The first hour was a retrospective in which they talked about various story lines and characters. I enjoyed that, because there were so many things that happened that I'd forgotten, like Dr. Carter becoming an addict. They mentioned one of my favorite characters, Dr. Romano, and spoke with the actor who played him, Paul McCrane. Dr. Romano could be such a bastard, but a doctor you'd want on your side, no doubt about it. They spoke of the death of Dr. Greene, which still makes me weep. (Today my eyes looked like I'd gone a couple of rounds with a prizefighter. I was a mess last night!)

The final two hours were a pretty typical "ER" episode, with a few happy reunions and a possible reconciliation between Dr. Carter and his wife, as well as Dr. Gates and Sam. A little social commentary when Dr. Gates treats a teenage girl who is in an alcohol-induced coma. She and her girlfriends were drinking at a party, her Blood Alcohol level was over .40 (typically lethal), and it turned out that the booze was supplied by the parents of the girl at whose house the party took place. Dr. Gates rightly called the police, as it is a crime to supply alcohol to a minor, and it infuriates me to hear parents say, "I'd rather they drink at home than be out running around." You can be prosecuted for that, folks, especially if the kids get into an accident, or like the young girl on "ER," go into a coma.

Dr. Carter officially opens the Carter Center, the clinic he built (using most of his family fortune) in honor of his deceased baby boy. A very touching moment, and he turned his own personal tragedy into something that would help others. What a good guy.

In what was probably the most touching--and surprising--moment, at least for me (dammit, I'm crying again), we see a group of prospective medical students taking a tour of the ER, to see if emergency medicine is the right choice for them. It is slowly revealed that one of the young women is Rachel Greene, the now grownup daughter of Dr. Greene. In the scene where Dr. Greene dies, he speaks to Rachel (a troubled teen at the time) and tries to make her understand that she needs to straighten out her life, needs to do good rather than piss her life away. What a wonderful thing to see that she took her father's advice and did right by him, and even chose to carry on in his footsteps.

The show ends with the news that a huge trauma is coming in, with multiple burn victims. Everyone gears up (including Dr. Carter, who hasn’t formally announced that he’s returning to County) and waits for the victims to arrive. They stand outside waiting, hearing the sirens get closer and closer, and as the ambulances pull into the bay, they go into action. The camera pulls away, and we finally get to see a shot of the entire building that is County General Hospital, with the El going by as we watch. I thought it was an excellent ending, and turned to Ken and said, "Just another day in the ER."

I was glad that they didn't have some sort of huge disaster, where the hospital was blown up or something, or a fiscal disaster where the hospital was closed because they didn't have the money to continue. We all got some closure with a few things, and we know that life--and death--goes on in our favorite ER, as it does in every other hospital across the country and around the world.

Why did I love this show so much? Why am I sitting here crying all over again? Why can't I get a grip? I can't answer the last one, but I can get a handle on the first two.

As someone in healthcare myself, I appreciated the excellent writing and the accuracy. Michael Crichton, the novelist, was first a medical doctor, and created this show. His knowledge as a doctor guided the way the show was produced, and I believe the show always upheld his insistence on accuracy. (I'm sorry that he didn't live to see the ending of the wonderful show he created.) Nothing makes me crazier than stupid or nonsensical dialogue when it comes to medical and laboratory stuff. "ER" always did great on the lingo, and I appreciated that. I also loved the dichotomy of the characters. Are they noble people who are dedicated to saving your life, or are they just like the rest of us, with all the emotional problems of everyday people? They're both, and that's the whole point. Just like the aforementioned Dr. Romano, who could be a real A-hole, but if he rode your ass, it was because you weren't doing enough to help save the patient. I've known some doctors like that over the years, people where you say, "Man, what a jerk. But if I'm ever in the hospital, make sure you bring him in on my case."

I think it's a testament to the amazing writing that I grew so attached to the characters that their absence makes me cry. You get to know these fictional people after a while, and you go through some pretty emotional things with them. I don't think there's ever been a show that made me feel such strong emotions as "ER" did. You know they want to save their patients, you rejoice when they do, and you mourn with them when they don't. "In the midst of life we are in death," and I don't believe any show has ever illustrated that better than "ER."

I will miss it greatly.