And in the End
Encyclopedia
"And in the End..." is the 331st and final episode
of the American television series ER
. The two-hour episode aired on April 2, 2009 and was preceded by a one-hour retrospective special.
, as in the pilot, when a child swallowed a key; and the day marked by cutscenes showing the time at the start of each act as was done in the series' fifth episode, "Into That Good Night", with both episodes starting and ending at 4:00 AM. A portion of the storyline was inspired by the death of producer John Wells
' 17-year-old niece, who died of alcohol poisoning in December 2008.
The episode featured full-length opening credits
from the first season (albeit with shots and credits added for both the final regular cast, and five of the past stars that appeared) with music by James Newton Howard
, the show's original composer. That theme music also played as the camera pulled out and faded at the end of the last scene of the episode, which showed the entire exterior of County General Hospital for the first and only time in the history of the series.
Nurses
Staff
Paramedics
(John Stamos
) treats a teenage girl in a coma with alcohol poisoning after she played drinking games with her friends. Gates calls the police when he discovers that the parents of the girl's friend supplied the alcohol, and has the friend's father arrested. Later, the girl's parents arrive and request she be transferred to Mercy Hospital. Before she can be transferred, the girl finally awakens but just thrashes around and is sent for a new CT to diagnose possible brain damage.
Dr. Julia Wise (Alexis Bledel
), new to County General, treats a homosexual HIV
-positive patient who has severe breathing difficulties. It is discovered he has terminal cancer. With the support of his partner, he decides not to seek treatment, as he has already outlived most of his friends who died at the height of the AIDS
epidemic in the 1980s.
An elderly patient named Beverly (Jeanette Miller) is brought in by a fire engine with a broken wrist, and comments on Dr. Archie Morris
' (Scott Grimes
) "soft and strong" hands. She is later claimed by her daughter, as she had wandered off before her accident. She returns later, having wandered off again but otherwise not further injured.
A married couple comes in with the woman going into labor with twins, and John Carter
(Noah Wyle
) and Simon Brenner
(David Lyons
) handle the delivery. During the delivery of the second baby, complications set in. It is discovered that the mother has an inverted uterus, and requires an emergency caesarean section
. The second baby requires intensive care, and the mother ultimately dies as surgeons attempt to fix the complications.
Mark Greene
's daughter Rachel (Hallee Hirsh
) is visiting the hospital as a prospective medical student, and is interviewing for a spot in the teaching program. She is interviewed primarily by Catherine Banfield
(Angela Bassett
), who confides to Carter afterward that she made it through the first cut. Carter shows her around after her interview, giving her a few pointers she will need when she is accepted into a medical school.
Carter opens his clinic for the underprivileged, with Peter Benton
(Eriq La Salle
) and his son Reese (Matthew Watkins), Kerry Weaver
(Laura Innes
) and Susan Lewis
(Sherry Stringfield
) among the guests. He named the facility after his late son, Joshua. After the event, he has an awkward reunion with Joshua's mother Kem (Thandie Newton
), who is briefly in town. He also has drinks with his old friends plus Elizabeth Corday
(Alex Kingston
), who brought Rachel to Chicago for her med school interview. Benton and Corday linger together after everyone else go their separate ways.
Marjorie Manning (Beverly Polcyn
), a previous elderly multiple sclerosis
patient, comes in with her husband (Ernest Borgnine
), suffering sepsis and pulmonary edema. Mr. Manning is initially unwilling to let Marjorie go, but with guidance from Dr. Gates, he finally accepts the inevitable. Before Marjorie dies, her daughter arrives, and confides in Samantha Taggart
(Linda Cardellini
) her regrets over her relationship with her mother. This leads Samantha to call her own mother.
It turns out it is Samantha's birthday. Her son Alex (Dominic Janes
) reveals her present: a vintage Ford Mustang
restored by Alex and Tony, who both decided upon bright red
as its color
over cobalt blue
.
A young woman and her new mother-in-law (Marilu Henner
) both come in, in separate ambulances, with minor injuries sustained in a drunken brawl at their wedding reception, and continue arguing all the way into the treatment rooms. The groom later arrives, and is promptly torn between tending to his mother and his new bride.
The episode ends with the beginning of a disaster protocol: an industrial explosion, with a minimum of eight casualties. Dr. Carter is again pressed into service to assist. Dr. Morris is ordered by Dr. Banfield to triage patients as they arrive. The first patient was thrown 20 feet, and is diagnosed as a possible lacerated spleen or liver, to be sent straight to the OR. The second patient has a compound leg fracture with no circulatory impairment, which Dr. Banfield takes herself for an orthopedic consult. The third patient was electrocuted, and fell into asystole
on the way in, declared DOA. The fourth patient has smoke inhalation, relatively minor burns and a pneumothorax, and is set up for a chest tube. The fifth patient had his left arm blown off below the elbow, with nothing left to save; Dr. Gates takes him in to repair the damage. Dr. Morris gives the sixth patient to Dr. Carter: third-degree burns over 90% coverage. As he runs the patient in, Dr. Carter asks Rachel to tag along, which she does enthusiastically. As Morris continues to triage patients, the original theme song plays and the point of view pulls back, revealing the entire hospital for the first and only time.
, Eric Deggans called the final episode "a welcome reminder of why the show has lasted 15 years on network television — and proof of why it's now time for the show to go." He continued, "Thanks to cameo appearances by most key actors whose characters remain alive... the episode had the feel of a friendly class reunion... Once upon a time, the cases that filled Thursday's episode would have felt groundbreaking and fresh... But on Thursday, these contrivances felt like shadows echoing other, better episodes long past... Wells echoed the series most consistent theme by showing old and new doctors uniting to handle yet another emergency at the finale's end. But Thursday's episode also proved that NBC's ER called it quits at just the right time, because TV series — unlike medical institutions — should never go on forever."
Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
said he "liked the fact that the surprises were small but effective," while Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger stated, "It wasn't an all-time great finale, but it did what it set out to do." In the Baltimore Sun, David Zurawik said, "I especially liked the final scene with the ER team suiting up and standing ready to respond in the courtyard to the arriving fleet of emergency vehicles loaded with victims of an industrial explosion. Perhaps, it was one last tweak at the critics who said the pilot looked more like a feature film and would never make it as a TV series — because it was definitely a movie ending." The episode received an A- from The A.V. Club
.
, the finale gave NBC "its best ratings on the night in a long time." The first hour received a 9.6 rating and a 15 share, numbers which improved to an 11.1 rating and 19 share in the final hour. Overall the finale attracted an average of 16.2 million viewers.
The series finale of “ER” scored the highest 18-49 rating for a drama series finale
since “The X-Files
” wrapped with a 6.3 on May 19, 2002. In total viewers, “ER” assembled the biggest overall audience for a drama series finale since “Murder, She Wrote
” concluded with 16.5 million on May 19, 1996.
In Canada
, the finale fared even better on a percentage basis with 2.768 million viewers. With ten times less the population, this equates to roughly 27.68 million American viewers.
Timeslot 18-49/share 18-34/share viewers (millions)
8PM
9PM
10PM
Rod Holcomb
won the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for his work on this episode.
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
of the American television series ER
ER (TV series)
ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
. The two-hour episode aired on April 2, 2009 and was preceded by a one-hour retrospective special.
Production
The episode was structured "very much like the show's pilot. Like that first episode, it took place over the course of 24 hours, featured a dizzying number of cases — some comical, and some that were dead serious — and showed the life of the ER through eyes both inexperienced ... and jaded." It featured several direct references to the pilot and other early episodes, including: an early scene mirroring the opening of the pilot in which Dr. Archie Morris is woken up by the same nurse Lydia Wright who woke Dr. Mark Greene in that episode (in a shot used in several early episodes); Dr. John Carter demonstrating how to start an IV to Rachel Greene exactly as Dr. Peter Benton showed him in the pilot; a comedic scene dealing with a child who had swallowed a rosaryRosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
, as in the pilot, when a child swallowed a key; and the day marked by cutscenes showing the time at the start of each act as was done in the series' fifth episode, "Into That Good Night", with both episodes starting and ending at 4:00 AM. A portion of the storyline was inspired by the death of producer John Wells
John Wells (TV producer)
John Marcum Wells is an American theater and television producer, writer and director. He is best known for his role as executive producer and show runner of the television series ER, Third Watch, and The West Wing. His company, John Wells Productions, is currently based at Warner Bros. studios in...
' 17-year-old niece, who died of alcohol poisoning in December 2008.
The episode featured full-length opening credits
Opening credits
In a motion picture, television program, or video game, the opening credits are shown at the very beginning and list the most important members of the production. They are now usually shown as text superimposed on a blank screen or static pictures, or sometimes on top of action in the show. There...
from the first season (albeit with shots and credits added for both the final regular cast, and five of the past stars that appeared) with music by James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films...
, the show's original composer. That theme music also played as the camera pulled out and faded at the end of the last scene of the episode, which showed the entire exterior of County General Hospital for the first and only time in the history of the series.
Starring
- Noah WyleNoah WyleNoah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
as Dr. John CarterJohn Carter (ER)Dr. John Truman Carter III, portrayed by Noah Wyle, is a fictional character from the television series ER. The character, called simply "Carter" by most other characters, was introduced in the pilot episode and appeared for eleven consecutive seasons. Wyle decided to leave the show as a regular... - Laura InnesLaura InnesLaura Elizabeth Innes is an American actress and director, probably best known for her role as Dr. Kerry Weaver on ER, and most recently, as Sophia on the NBC thriller The Event.-Career:...
as Dr. Kerry WeaverKerry WeaverDr. Kerry Weaver, portrayed by Laura Innes, was an fictional character on the NBC television series ER; she first appeared as a recurring character actor in season 2, and became a regular cast member in season 3. In January 2007, Innes left the show after 12 years and Kerry Weaver moved to... - Sherry StringfieldSherry StringfieldSherry Lea Stringfield is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Dr. Susan Lewis on the medical television drama ER, a role for which she received three Emmy Award nominations. Stringfield was a member of ER's original cast, but she quit the show during its third season,...
as Dr. Susan LewisSusan LewisDr. Susan Lewis, played by Sherry Stringfield, is a fictional doctor on the television show ER between 1994–1996, and again from 2001-2005.... - David LyonsDavid Lyons (actor)David Lyons is an Australian actor. He is best known for his role on the Australian drama series Sea Patrol, in which he played the Leading Seaman Josh Holiday.-Early life and education:...
as Dr. Simon BrennerSimon BrennerDr. Simon Brenner is a fictional character portrayed by David Lyons on the television show ER.-Life at County General:Brenner was introduced as a new ER attending physician, first seen in bed with two women before arriving for his first shift. His character is superficially very charming,... - Alex KingstonAlex KingstonAlexandra Elizabeth "Alex" Kingston is an English actress. She is most widely known for her roles as Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the NBC medical drama ER and as River Song in Doctor Who.-Early life and education:...
as Dr. Elizabeth CordayElizabeth CordayElizabeth Corday, MBChB, FRCS is a fictional surgeon on the television series ER. She was played by Alex Kingston and appeared from 1997 to 2004.-Background:... - Parminder NagraParminder NagraParminder Kaur Nagra is an English actress of Indian descent. She came to international prominence in 2002 after starring in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred as Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series ER for six years until the series ended on 2 April 2009...
as Dr. Neela RasgotraNeela RasgotraDr. Neela Rasgotra is a fictional character portrayed by Parminder Nagra on the television show ER. Following the departure of Goran Visnjic, Maura Tierney, and Mekhi Phifer this left Nagra as the longest term cast member on ER and it also made her character the show's main character so, in terms... - John StamosJohn StamosJohn Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
as Dr. Tony GatesTony GatesDr. Anthony "Tony" Gates is a fictional character on the television series ER. He is portrayed by John Stamos.-Paramedic appearances:Tony Gates was introduced as a paramedic during Season 12 . In Gates' first appearance in the series, he was fired at while trying to assist a young kidnapping victim... - Linda CardelliniLinda CardelliniLinda Edna Cardellini is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her roles as high school student Lindsay Weir on Freaks and Geeks, as Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo films, and as Samantha Taggart on ER.- Early life :Cardellini was born in Redwood City,...
as Nurse Samantha TaggartSamantha TaggartSamantha "Sam" Taggart is a fictional character on the NBC prime time drama ER. She is played by actress Linda Cardellini. Linda Cardellini's addition into the main cast opening credits was in the 5th episode of season 10.- Precursor :... - Scott GrimesScott GrimesScott Richard Grimes is an American actor, voice artist and singer. Some of his most prominent roles are his appearances in ER as Dr. Archie Morris, Party of Five as Will McCorkle, Band of Brothers as Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey, and the popular animated sitcom American Dad!, voicing Steve...
as Dr. Archie MorrisArchie MorrisDr. Archibald "Archie" Morris is a fictional character portrayed by Scott Grimes on the television show ER.-Early career:The character of Dr. Morris debuted in late 2003, in the drama's 10th season, and was notable for providing comic relief. Morris was an inept second-year resident who avoided... - Eriq La SalleEriq La SalleEriq La Salle is an American actor and director, known for his portrayals of Darryl in the 1988 comedy film Coming to America and Dr. Peter Benton on the NBC drama series ER.-Early life:...
as Dr. Peter BentonPeter BentonDr. Peter Benton is a fictional character on the television series ER for its first eight seasons. He was played by Eriq La Salle. Benton was often portrayed as arrogant, irritable, or even hostile, but he is nevertheless an exceptionally talented surgeon who is passionate about medicine... - Angela BassettAngela BassettAngela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
as Dr. Catherine BanfieldCatherine BanfieldCatherine "Cate" Banfield is a fictional character in the American medical drama ER, portrayed by Angela Bassett. She is an attending physician with a mysterious past with County General...
Guest starring
Doctors- Alexis BledelAlexis BledelAlexis Bledel is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rory Gilmore in the television series Gilmore Girls and Lena Kaligaris in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.-Early life:Bledel was born Kimberly Alexis Bledel in Houston, Texas...
as Dr. Julia Wise - Intern - Emily RoseEmily Rose (actress)Emily Rose Maier is an American actress. She is best known for her lead role in the Syfy TV series Haven .-Early life:...
as Dr. Tracy Martin - Intern - Victor RasukVictor RasukVictor Rasuk is an American actor.Rasuk was born in Harlem, New York to Dominican parents. He has one brother, Silvestre, with whom he starred in Raising Victor Vargas....
as Dr. Ryan Sanchez - Intern - Bresha Webb as Dr. Laverne St. John - Intern
Nurses
- Ellen CrawfordEllen CrawfordEllen Crawford is an American actress. Most recently, she co-starred as Edith, in The Man from Earth. She also played Nurse Lydia Wright on ER from 1994–2003 and then again in 2009 for the series finale...
as Nurse Lydia Wright - first on-screen appearance since 2003 - Deezer DDeezer DDeezer D , whose real name is Dearon Thompson, is an American actor, rapper and motivational speaker. He is best known for his role as Nurse Malik McGrath in the US TV series ER, and, to a lesser extent, his roles in the films CB4 and Fear of a Black Hat...
as Nurse Malik McGrath - Lily MariyeLily MariyeLily Mariye is an American actress and filmmaker.From 1994-2009 she had a regular role as nurse Lily Jarvik on the NBC television series ER, for which she has won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series four times.Mariye was born in Las Vegas, Nevada and graduated from...
as Nurse Lily Jarvik - Yvette FreemanYvette FreemanYvette Freeman is an American actress best known for her role as Haleh Adams, a registered nurse, on the NBC drama ER...
as Nurse Haleh Adams - Laura CerónLaura CerónLaura Cerón is an Alma Award winning Mexican-American actress. Her most recognizable role is that of Nurse Chuny Marquez on the television series ER.-Early life:...
as Nurse Chuny Marquez - Angel Laketa Moore as Nurse Dawn Archer
- Nasim PedradNasim PedradNasim Pedrad is an Iranian-American comic actress currently appearing as a cast member on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:...
as Nurse Suri
Staff
- Troy EvansTroy Evans (actor)Troy Evans is an American actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Desk Clerk Francis "Frank" Martin in the television drama series ER. He has also appeared in the movies Tiger Cruise , Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Under Siege, Teen Wolf, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Black Dahlia and The...
as Desk Clerk Frank MartinFrank MartinFrank Martin may refer to:*Frank Martin , Swiss classical composer*Frank Martin , ice hockey player*Frank Martin , head men's basketball coach... - Abraham BenrubiAbraham BenrubiAbraham Rubin Hercules Benrubi is an American character actor known for his appearances as Jerry Markovic on the long-running U.S...
as Desk Clerk Jerry Markovic - Sam Jones IIISam Jones IIISamuel L. Jones III is an American actor, best known for playing Pete Ross on the first three seasons of the television series Smallville.-Career:...
as Chaz Pratt
Paramedics
- Loui Liberti as Paramedic Bardelli
- Monte Russell as Paramedic Zadro White
- Emily Wagner as Paramedic Doris Pickman
- Brian Lester as Paramedic Brian Dumar
- Lyn Alicia Henderson as Paramedic Pamela Olbes
- Demitrius Navarro as Paramedic Morales
- Michele C. Bonilla as Paramedic Harms
- Brendan Patrick ConnorBrendan Patrick ConnorBrendan Patrick Connor is an American actor. As of 2007, his most prominent role is that of the character Reidy, appearing in some episodes of ER in 2006....
as Paramedic Reidy
Plot
Dr. Tony GatesTony Gates
Dr. Anthony "Tony" Gates is a fictional character on the television series ER. He is portrayed by John Stamos.-Paramedic appearances:Tony Gates was introduced as a paramedic during Season 12 . In Gates' first appearance in the series, he was fired at while trying to assist a young kidnapping victim...
(John Stamos
John Stamos
John Phillip Stamos is an American actor, singer and musician best known for his work in television, especially in his starring role as Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom Full House. Since the cancellation of that show in 1995, Stamos has appeared in numerous television films and series. From 2006...
) treats a teenage girl in a coma with alcohol poisoning after she played drinking games with her friends. Gates calls the police when he discovers that the parents of the girl's friend supplied the alcohol, and has the friend's father arrested. Later, the girl's parents arrive and request she be transferred to Mercy Hospital. Before she can be transferred, the girl finally awakens but just thrashes around and is sent for a new CT to diagnose possible brain damage.
Dr. Julia Wise (Alexis Bledel
Alexis Bledel
Alexis Bledel is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rory Gilmore in the television series Gilmore Girls and Lena Kaligaris in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.-Early life:Bledel was born Kimberly Alexis Bledel in Houston, Texas...
), new to County General, treats a homosexual HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
-positive patient who has severe breathing difficulties. It is discovered he has terminal cancer. With the support of his partner, he decides not to seek treatment, as he has already outlived most of his friends who died at the height of the AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
epidemic in the 1980s.
An elderly patient named Beverly (Jeanette Miller) is brought in by a fire engine with a broken wrist, and comments on Dr. Archie Morris
Archie Morris
Dr. Archibald "Archie" Morris is a fictional character portrayed by Scott Grimes on the television show ER.-Early career:The character of Dr. Morris debuted in late 2003, in the drama's 10th season, and was notable for providing comic relief. Morris was an inept second-year resident who avoided...
' (Scott Grimes
Scott Grimes
Scott Richard Grimes is an American actor, voice artist and singer. Some of his most prominent roles are his appearances in ER as Dr. Archie Morris, Party of Five as Will McCorkle, Band of Brothers as Technical Sergeant Donald Malarkey, and the popular animated sitcom American Dad!, voicing Steve...
) "soft and strong" hands. She is later claimed by her daughter, as she had wandered off before her accident. She returns later, having wandered off again but otherwise not further injured.
A married couple comes in with the woman going into labor with twins, and John Carter
John Carter (ER)
Dr. John Truman Carter III, portrayed by Noah Wyle, is a fictional character from the television series ER. The character, called simply "Carter" by most other characters, was introduced in the pilot episode and appeared for eleven consecutive seasons. Wyle decided to leave the show as a regular...
(Noah Wyle
Noah Wyle
Noah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
) and Simon Brenner
Simon Brenner
Dr. Simon Brenner is a fictional character portrayed by David Lyons on the television show ER.-Life at County General:Brenner was introduced as a new ER attending physician, first seen in bed with two women before arriving for his first shift. His character is superficially very charming,...
(David Lyons
David Lyons (actor)
David Lyons is an Australian actor. He is best known for his role on the Australian drama series Sea Patrol, in which he played the Leading Seaman Josh Holiday.-Early life and education:...
) handle the delivery. During the delivery of the second baby, complications set in. It is discovered that the mother has an inverted uterus, and requires an emergency caesarean section
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
. The second baby requires intensive care, and the mother ultimately dies as surgeons attempt to fix the complications.
Mark Greene
Mark Greene
Dr. Mark Greene was a fictional medical doctor from the television series ER, portrayed by the actor Anthony Edwards. For most of his time on the series, Greene's role was that of a mediator and occasional authority figure, and he was considered the main character of the series for the first eight...
's daughter Rachel (Hallee Hirsh
Hallee Hirsh
Hallee Leah Hirsh is an American actress known for her roles as Daley in the children's series Flight 29 Down and as the second actress to portray Rachel Greene on ER...
) is visiting the hospital as a prospective medical student, and is interviewing for a spot in the teaching program. She is interviewed primarily by Catherine Banfield
Catherine Banfield
Catherine "Cate" Banfield is a fictional character in the American medical drama ER, portrayed by Angela Bassett. She is an attending physician with a mysterious past with County General...
(Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
), who confides to Carter afterward that she made it through the first cut. Carter shows her around after her interview, giving her a few pointers she will need when she is accepted into a medical school.
Carter opens his clinic for the underprivileged, with Peter Benton
Peter Benton
Dr. Peter Benton is a fictional character on the television series ER for its first eight seasons. He was played by Eriq La Salle. Benton was often portrayed as arrogant, irritable, or even hostile, but he is nevertheless an exceptionally talented surgeon who is passionate about medicine...
(Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle
Eriq La Salle is an American actor and director, known for his portrayals of Darryl in the 1988 comedy film Coming to America and Dr. Peter Benton on the NBC drama series ER.-Early life:...
) and his son Reese (Matthew Watkins), Kerry Weaver
Kerry Weaver
Dr. Kerry Weaver, portrayed by Laura Innes, was an fictional character on the NBC television series ER; she first appeared as a recurring character actor in season 2, and became a regular cast member in season 3. In January 2007, Innes left the show after 12 years and Kerry Weaver moved to...
(Laura Innes
Laura Innes
Laura Elizabeth Innes is an American actress and director, probably best known for her role as Dr. Kerry Weaver on ER, and most recently, as Sophia on the NBC thriller The Event.-Career:...
) and Susan Lewis
Susan Lewis
Dr. Susan Lewis, played by Sherry Stringfield, is a fictional doctor on the television show ER between 1994–1996, and again from 2001-2005....
(Sherry Stringfield
Sherry Stringfield
Sherry Lea Stringfield is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Dr. Susan Lewis on the medical television drama ER, a role for which she received three Emmy Award nominations. Stringfield was a member of ER's original cast, but she quit the show during its third season,...
) among the guests. He named the facility after his late son, Joshua. After the event, he has an awkward reunion with Joshua's mother Kem (Thandie Newton
Thandie Newton
Thandiwe Nashita "Thandie" Newton is a British actress. She has appeared in a number of British and American films, including The Pursuit of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II, Crash, Run, Fatboy, Run and W....
), who is briefly in town. He also has drinks with his old friends plus Elizabeth Corday
Elizabeth Corday
Elizabeth Corday, MBChB, FRCS is a fictional surgeon on the television series ER. She was played by Alex Kingston and appeared from 1997 to 2004.-Background:...
(Alex Kingston
Alex Kingston
Alexandra Elizabeth "Alex" Kingston is an English actress. She is most widely known for her roles as Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the NBC medical drama ER and as River Song in Doctor Who.-Early life and education:...
), who brought Rachel to Chicago for her med school interview. Benton and Corday linger together after everyone else go their separate ways.
Marjorie Manning (Beverly Polcyn
Beverly Polcyn
Beverly Polcyn is an American actress.Poclyn's first appearance was in the 1991 horror movie Speak of the Devil where she played Ettie Glittens. She is mainly recognized for her appearance in Not Another Teen Movie, which resulted in a 2002 MTV Movie Awards "Best Kiss" nomination, along with Mia...
), a previous elderly multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
patient, comes in with her husband (Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine
Ernest Borgnine is an American actor of television and film. His career has spanned more than six decades. He was an unconventional lead in many films of the 1950s, including his Academy Award-winning turn in the 1955 film Marty...
), suffering sepsis and pulmonary edema. Mr. Manning is initially unwilling to let Marjorie go, but with guidance from Dr. Gates, he finally accepts the inevitable. Before Marjorie dies, her daughter arrives, and confides in Samantha Taggart
Samantha Taggart
Samantha "Sam" Taggart is a fictional character on the NBC prime time drama ER. She is played by actress Linda Cardellini. Linda Cardellini's addition into the main cast opening credits was in the 5th episode of season 10.- Precursor :...
(Linda Cardellini
Linda Cardellini
Linda Edna Cardellini is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her roles as high school student Lindsay Weir on Freaks and Geeks, as Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo films, and as Samantha Taggart on ER.- Early life :Cardellini was born in Redwood City,...
) her regrets over her relationship with her mother. This leads Samantha to call her own mother.
It turns out it is Samantha's birthday. Her son Alex (Dominic Janes
Dominic Janes
Dominic Janes is an American actor....
) reveals her present: a vintage Ford Mustang
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
restored by Alex and Tony, who both decided upon bright red
Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
as its color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
over cobalt blue
Cobalt blue
Cobalt blue is a cool, slightly desaturated blue color, historically made using cobalt salts of alumina. It is used in certain ceramics and painting; the different cobalt pigment smalt, based on silica, is more often used directly in tinted transparent glasses...
.
A young woman and her new mother-in-law (Marilu Henner
Marilu Henner
Mary Lucy Denise "Marilu" Henner is an American actress, producer and author. She is best known for her role as Elaine O'Connor Nardo on the sitcom Taxi from 1978 to 1983.-Early life:...
) both come in, in separate ambulances, with minor injuries sustained in a drunken brawl at their wedding reception, and continue arguing all the way into the treatment rooms. The groom later arrives, and is promptly torn between tending to his mother and his new bride.
The episode ends with the beginning of a disaster protocol: an industrial explosion, with a minimum of eight casualties. Dr. Carter is again pressed into service to assist. Dr. Morris is ordered by Dr. Banfield to triage patients as they arrive. The first patient was thrown 20 feet, and is diagnosed as a possible lacerated spleen or liver, to be sent straight to the OR. The second patient has a compound leg fracture with no circulatory impairment, which Dr. Banfield takes herself for an orthopedic consult. The third patient was electrocuted, and fell into asystole
Asystole
In medicine, asystole is a state of no cardiac electrical activity, hence no contractions of the myocardium and no cardiac output or blood flow...
on the way in, declared DOA. The fourth patient has smoke inhalation, relatively minor burns and a pneumothorax, and is set up for a chest tube. The fifth patient had his left arm blown off below the elbow, with nothing left to save; Dr. Gates takes him in to repair the damage. Dr. Morris gives the sixth patient to Dr. Carter: third-degree burns over 90% coverage. As he runs the patient in, Dr. Carter asks Rachel to tag along, which she does enthusiastically. As Morris continues to triage patients, the original theme song plays and the point of view pulls back, revealing the entire hospital for the first and only time.
Critical reception
In his review in the St. Petersburg TimesSt. Petersburg Times
The St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
, Eric Deggans called the final episode "a welcome reminder of why the show has lasted 15 years on network television — and proof of why it's now time for the show to go." He continued, "Thanks to cameo appearances by most key actors whose characters remain alive... the episode had the feel of a friendly class reunion... Once upon a time, the cases that filled Thursday's episode would have felt groundbreaking and fresh... But on Thursday, these contrivances felt like shadows echoing other, better episodes long past... Wells echoed the series most consistent theme by showing old and new doctors uniting to handle yet another emergency at the finale's end. But Thursday's episode also proved that NBC's ER called it quits at just the right time, because TV series — unlike medical institutions — should never go on forever."
Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said he "liked the fact that the surprises were small but effective," while Alan Sepinwall of the Star-Ledger stated, "It wasn't an all-time great finale, but it did what it set out to do." In the Baltimore Sun, David Zurawik said, "I especially liked the final scene with the ER team suiting up and standing ready to respond in the courtyard to the arriving fleet of emergency vehicles loaded with victims of an industrial explosion. Perhaps, it was one last tweak at the critics who said the pilot looked more like a feature film and would never make it as a TV series — because it was definitely a movie ending." The episode received an A- from The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
.
TV ratings
According to Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, the finale gave NBC "its best ratings on the night in a long time." The first hour received a 9.6 rating and a 15 share, numbers which improved to an 11.1 rating and 19 share in the final hour. Overall the finale attracted an average of 16.2 million viewers.
The series finale of “ER” scored the highest 18-49 rating for a drama series finale
Series finale
A series finale refers to the last installment of a series with a narrative presented through mediums such as television, film and literature. In many Commonwealth countries, the term final episode is commonly used in regards to a television series...
since “The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
” wrapped with a 6.3 on May 19, 2002. In total viewers, “ER” assembled the biggest overall audience for a drama series finale since “Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
” concluded with 16.5 million on May 19, 1996.
In Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the finale fared even better on a percentage basis with 2.768 million viewers. With ten times less the population, this equates to roughly 27.68 million American viewers.
Timeslot 18-49/share 18-34/share viewers (millions)
8PM
- 8:00-8:30 NBC ER (Retrospective) 3.3/10 2.2/8 10.23
- 8-8:15 NBC ER (Retrospective) 9.57
- 8:15-8:30 NBC ER (Retrospective) 10.89
- 8:30-9 NBC ER (Retrospective) 3.7/10 2.5/8 10.88
- 8:30-8:45 NBC ER (Retrospective) 10.32
- 8:45-9 NBC ER (Retrospective) 11.44
9PM
- 9:00-9:30 NBC ER Finale 5.3/14 3.5/10 14.79
- 9-9:15: NBC ER Finale 14.38
- 9:15-9:30 NBC ER Finale 15.20
- 9:30-10 NBC ER Finale 5.6/14 3.7/11 15.35
- 9:30-9:45 NBC ER Finale 14.75
- 9:45-10 NBC ER Finale 15.95
10PM
- 10:00-10:30 NBC ER Finale 6.7/18 4.5/13 17.77
- 10-10:15 NBC ER Finale 17.48
- 10:15-10:30 NBC ER Finale 18.06
- 10:30-11 NBC ER Finale 6.4/18 4.3/13 17.02
- 10:30-10:45 NBC ER Finale 16.06
- 10:45-11 NBC ER Finale 17.98
- 10:55-11 NBC ER Finale 18.58
Awards
At the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb
Rod Holcomb is an American television director and producer. He has directed episodes of television series such as Quincy, M.E., The Six Million Dollar Man, Battlestar Galactica, Fantasy Island, The A-Team , ER, The District, The Lyon's Den, Lost, Invasion, Moonlight, Shark, The Pentagon Papers,...
won the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for his work on this episode.
Trivia
- A patient stated that "I am the Chosen One, I am Lugia.", referring to LugiaLugiais a Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. Created by Ken Sugimori, Lugia first appeared as a central character in the film Pokémon: The Movie 2000, and later serves as the version mascot of the video game Pokémon Silver and its remake, Pokémon SoulSilver, appearing on the...
, a Legendary Pokémon. - Noah WyleNoah WyleNoah Strausser Speer Wyle is an American film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as Dr. John Truman Carter III in the Medical drama ER. He has also played Steve Jobs in the 1999 docudrama Pirates of Silicon Valley and Flynn Carsen in The Librarian franchise...
, Sherry StringfieldSherry StringfieldSherry Lea Stringfield is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Dr. Susan Lewis on the medical television drama ER, a role for which she received three Emmy Award nominations. Stringfield was a member of ER's original cast, but she quit the show during its third season,...
and Eriq La SalleEriq La SalleEriq La Salle is an American actor and director, known for his portrayals of Darryl in the 1988 comedy film Coming to America and Dr. Peter Benton on the NBC drama series ER.-Early life:...
are the only main cast members to appear in the show's first and final episodes. - The episode's title is a reference to the Beatles song, The EndThe End (The Beatles song)"The End" is a song by The Beatles composed by Paul McCartney for the album Abbey Road. It was the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles, and is the final song of the medley that dominates side two of the LP version of the album.-Composition and recording:McCartney said, "I wanted...
, that ends with the lyrics "And, in the end, the love you take/ Is equal to the love you make." - Kem says to Carter that Joshua would be 5, nearly 6, but actuality he would be 4, nearly 5, because they lost him in 2004.