When the long-running medical procedural dramaE.R.premiered in 1994, it was an instant hit. An inside look at the inner workings of Chicago’s Cook County General, viewers were drawn into the personal and professional lives of overworked and overstressed doctors of this inner city emergency room.
IMDbranks the best episodes in the series – episodes that resonated with viewers and stood the test of time. Whether dealing with a drug-addicted pregnant mom-to-be in Season 8’sOrion in the Sky, or the emotionalLove’s Labor Lostin Season 1,E.R.does an excellent job of mixing heartfelt storytelling and action-packed medical drama.
10’The Letter' (Season 8, Episode 20)
IMDb Rating 8.9
The tight-knit staff is forced to deal with unsettled emotions after receiving a faxed letter from former colleague Mark Greene(Anthony Edwards), who’d been battling terminal brain cancer. Dr. Abby Lockhart(Maura Tierney)continues her battle with alcoholism, causing Dr. Carter(Noah Wyle)to step in.
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In recovery from drug addiction, Carter confronts Abby about her own addiction and tries to coax her into attending an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting with him. The emergency room doctors receive heartbreaking news from Greene’s wife, Dr. Elizabeth Corday(Elizabeth Corday), who sends a follow-up letter informing the physicians that their friend, and co-worker, has passed away.
9’Orion in the Sky' (Season 8, Episode 18)
ActressLori Pettyguest stars in this episode as the pregnant drug addict, Shane, whose boyfriend is taken to the emergency room for a drug overdose. Dr. Greene is forced to confront his growing brain tumor after it begins to affect his medical judgment and effectiveness in the ER.Mekhi Pfifermakes his debut as a medical intern, Dr. Pratt.
Despite claims that she’s clean, Shane’s toxicology report reveals otherwise after she goes into premature labor. A mix of cocaine and opiates is found in Shane’s system. After realizing that his medical career is over, Dr. Greene decides to forego chemotherapy and live his final days on his terms.
8’Exodus' (Season 4, Episode 5)
After a warehouse leak of the toxic chemical benzene sends its workers to the ER, the emergency room is contaminated with toxic fumes in one of thetop-rated medical drama’sbest episodes. Dr. Carter is forced to take the lead when Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) is side-lined after inhaling fumes coming from the workers' clothes.
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Trapped in an elevator during the ER’s evacuation, and running low on oxygen, Dr. Doug Ross(George Clooney)and Dr. Carol Hathaway(Julianna Margulies)try to keep a patient from crashing while Dr. Ross desperately tries to pry open the elevator doors. The toxic chemical is eventually contained, and the staff returns to the ER.
7’Old Times' (Season 15, Episode 19)
IMDb Rating 9.0
Familiar faces return in this episode inE.R.‘sfinal season, including fan favorites Dr. Ross and Dr. Hathaway, and the doctor viewers loved to hate – Dr. Peter Benton(Eriq La Salle).Benton arrives just in time for Carter’s kidney transplant.
To fans’ delight, Ross and Hathaway are still a couple, and Benton’s arrival while Carter awaits surgery provides much-needed closure for fans of one oftelevision’s most complicated friendships. The former adversaries, turned roommates and eventually friends share a rare heartwarming moment while Benton stays by his friend’s hospital bed.
6’Hell and High Water' (Season 2, Episode 7)
IMDb Rating 9.1
With his contract at County General ending, Dr. Ross interviews with a private pediatric practice. Ross takes the job, but his joy is short-lived when he returns to County General for his final rounds. On his way to pick up his date Linda (Andrea Parker), Ross finds himself rescuing a young Ben Larkin(Erik Von Detten)who’s trapped in a flooded storm drain.
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Forced to perform emergency surgery on Ben, Dr. Ross keeps the boy alive until an ambulance arrives. A news helicopter captures part of the rescue, thrusting Ross into the spotlight and hailed as a local hero. Though he comes across as arrogant at times in the series, Ross' actions put him in great company amongsome of TV’s best doctors.
5’Be Still My Heart' (Season 6, Episode 13)
Dr. Lockhart cares for a dying elderly patient(Amzie Strickland), while her colleagues Dr. Finch(Michael Michele), Dr. Benton, andGoran Visnjic’s,Dr. Kovac, try unsuccessfully to save the parents of two young childrenon this shocking Valentine’s Day episode.
Dr. Lucy Knight(Kellie Martin)and Carter are at odds after Carter dismisses Lucy’s recommended treatment of her patient Paul Sobriki(David Krumholz), who Lucy believes is in the middle of a psychotic break. Carter’s refusal to listen to Lucy puts both of their lives in danger with Paul stabbing the ER doctors – one of them fatally.
4’And in the End' (Season 15, Episode 22)
IMDb Rating 9.2
TheE.R.series finale is bittersweet for fans of the show, saying goodbyes to characters viewers have grown to love overE.R.‘s15-season run. Dr. Weaver returns, along with Dr. Susan Lewis(Sherri Stringfield), Dr. Benton, and Dr. Corday to celebrate the opening of the Joshua Carter Center.
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Named for Dr. Carter’s stillborn son, the Joshua Carter Center will serve Chicago’s underprivileged youth. Dr. Gates, played by veteran television actorJohn Stamos,treats a teenage girl with alcohol poisoning while viewers and the show’s doctors get a pleasant surprise when Dr. Greene’s now adult daughter Rachel(Hallee Hirsch), applies for a position at County General.
3’Love’s Labor Lost’ (Season 1, Episode 19)
Written byDr. Lance Gentile,Love’s Labor Lostfinds Dr. Greene out of his element when he misses a blood clot on a pregnant patient’s ultrasound and the attending OB/GYN is unavailable. Visibly overwhelmed, Greene must spring into action and perform an emergency C-section in this heart-stopping episode.
Overworked and exhausted, Benton is wracked with guilt after his mother falls and breaks her hip while he’s asleep. After being rushed to the emergency room, Benton is on the other side of the operating room, unable to participate in his mother’s surgery.
2’On the Beach' (Season 8, Episode 21)
IMDb Rating 9.6
In Dr. Greene’s final episode, the long-time ER doctor heads to his home state of Hawaii to reconnect with his teenage daughter Rachel and make peace in his final days. Joined by his wife Elizabeth, and younger daughter Ella, Green finally gets the closure he needs before passing away.
Despite her father being terminally ill, Rachel has a hard time forgiving Mark for his absence in her life. She eventually comes around while Mark is bedridden. Partially paralyzed, and with limited eyesight, Mark dictates letters to Rachel and Ella, to be given to them by Elizabeth once Mark is gone.
1’All in the Family' (Season 6, Episode 14)
In a continuation of the previous episode,Be Still My Heart, staff members discover Carter and Lucy’s bodies bleeding out from multiple stab wounds in an examination room. With the suspect Paul, still on the loose, the hospital goes into lockdown mode while police search for the attempted killer.
After being rushed into surgery, the team tries unsuccessfully to save Lucy who suffers from complications post-op. Though Carter is on the mend physically, mentally things head down a dark park with Carter consumed with guilt over Lucy’s death.
